In all honesty, the argument that prints (or baseplates) would make sets more expensive is plain BS. It just means that TLG would have less of a crazy profit margin. That's all. In the fourth bag, we build the Ascent Stage, which is comprised of three modules which you can disassemble to see inside. However, my favourite details are the minifigure footsteps which are visible along the forward edge of the model. These are absolutely superb, revealing a light bluish grey surface beneath the surrounding dark bluish grey elements. An attachment point for the American flag is also included so you can plant the flag easily, although its position beside the spacecraft is not entirely authentic.

This is an excellent set, which looks particularly striking due to the large number of 310 Metalized Gold Gold parts, iconic shape, and the lunar landscape that it’s sitting on. It is a fantastic display piece, which will look great in your home or displayed proudly on your desk at work. This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions. New-for-June-2019 decorated elements include an Apollo 11 Lunar lander nameplate and golden elements. If you have already assembled the LEGO Ideas 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V set, get ready to experience a deja-vu while building the lander. Its landing stage has the same octagon structure covered with plates and tiles on each of its eight sides. Even though the building technique differs a lot from those used in the Saturn V set, such structures require a strong dose of repetitive building. Our recommendation: get a partner to build the set together with!The central section of the landing stage is octagonal which requires some repetitive building and some clever techniques to attach the four off-grid sides. Neil Armstrong activated a television camera while descending the ladder and that important feature is replicated here. Opening a hatch beside the ladder reveals the camera which appears fairly simple but is instantly recognisable. I appreciate the printed tape reels and the white colour scheme distinguishes this television camera from its surroundings, although silver would have been more realistic. Since the set captures the culmination of the lunar mission, the scene has all the attributes of the historic event. First of all, it’s a minifigure’s footprints on the surface of the moon just by a place for a flag. There is one simple way to describe this wonderful experience: LEGO Creator Expert 10266 NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander is a set no-one knew we needed. You don’t need to be a fan of space to fall in love with the set. But if you are a fan and you already got LEGO Ideas 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V, please don’t make a huge mistake of leaving the new brilliant addition to the Apollo 11 mission out of your collection.

Two minifigures and some open studs on the lunar surface let you play out various scenarios of the event. But it doesn’t matter how historically accurate your display is, the scene always looks as exciting as possible. The four reaction control system thrusters on each corner aptly utilise a piece first introduced in Classic Space, 3963 steering nozzle, which is new here in dark bluish grey. Although the real ascend stage was designed to leave the landing stage only once, the clips in the center of the spacecraft let you easily remove and place the top part again and again. This solution works just perfectly.We really dislike how flimsy the set feels towards the end of the build, especially when it seemed like structural integrity was going to be a focus of the build with the Technic pieces. However, if you take your time and are used to building Lego, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The sides of this section are lavishly clad in drum-lacquered gold tiles before the landing gear, made using predominantly Technic, is attached. There's some clever geometry involved, which we understand was Mike Psiaki's handiwork. This collectible model features a highly detailed replica of Apollo 11's Eagle lunar module, plus a depiction of the lunar surface, complete with crater, footprints and a U.S. flag. The descent stage comes with gold-coloured landing pads and panels, opening camera and laser hatches, and a ladder, while the ascent stage has a detailed interior with room for 2 astronauts. Finished with an Apollo 11 Lunar Lander nameplate, this display model makes a great centerpiece for the home or office and provides a challenging and rewarding building experience full of nostalgia. Includes 2 astronaut minifigures with NASA decoration and golden helmets.

This advanced LEGO set features a detailed replica of the Eagle lunar lander with separate ascent and descent stages, plus a depiction of the lunar surface with crater, footprints and a U.S. flag. Another quadrant of the lander hides a camera that filmed Armstrong as he climbed down the ladder and made the first step in the surface. The camera is built with just three pieces, but its nice to see a 1×2 printed tile with a tape pattern which has been around since 1990.Four landing legs support the spacecraft upon landing. These appear fragile but are connected to the central structure extremely securely, using ball joints and Technic components. Unfortunately, this has eliminated the ability to fold each leg but I think that was a worthy compromise for strength. In addition, sensor probes should extend below the landing pads, although their omission is sensible as the model is intended to be displayed on its base. Of course, a minifigure-scale copy of the spacecraft cannot fit all the structural elements of a real one, but the designing team made their absolute best to make the assembling exciting and insightful. For instance, those white and red tanks inside the lander carry fuel and oxidizer to ignite the fuels, since it is impossible to use fuel without an oxidizer in space. Things like this are particularly impressive! The top surface of the landing section is a bizarre combination of SNOT (studs-not-on-top) building technique, 2×2 corner tiles and a bulky 10×10 octagonal plate in the very center of the structure. At some point it hard to believe how perfectly all the pieces sit together!

NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander is an outstanding set, matching the high standard established by the recent 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V. The model looks fantastic on display, featuring many realistic details and numerous metallic gold elements that really stand out against the dark lunar surface. I love how the octagonal shape of the descent stage has been designed and the ascent stage looks similarly realistic.Almost five decades have passed since Apollo 11 delivered humans to the surface of the Moon on the 20th of July, 1969. This amazing achievement has inspired numerous LEGO models and 10266 NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander looks wonderful in official images, accurately replicating this classic spacecraft design. The heads are similarly generic but no hair components are included which is somewhat disappointing. Arm printing would have been welcome as well, especially on the left shoulder where an American flag should appear. On that basis, these are reasonable minifigures for displaying beside the spacecraft but room for improvement certainly remains. LEGO space model building set This collectible moon lander model features an elaborate replica of Apollo 11's Eagle lunar module, complete with accessories. The display model comes with separate ascent and descent stages - the descent stage comes with gold-coloured landing pads and panels, an opening camera and laser hatches, and a ladder, while the ascent stage has a detailed interior with room for 2 astronauts. Finished with an Apollo 11 Lunar Lander nameplate. All in all, the set can be assembled in just a couple of hours. Even though some building steps feel a little bit monotonous, the set will leave you wanting for more! Finished model