Starhawk. No relation to Sparhawk, he's from a fantasy book.

Yeah, the tail was weird, but even so, this set was great.

Was there ever any Unitron lore? In those days there wasn’t much more than “Blacktron are the baddies, Space Police are policing space, and M-Tron are miners or rescue or whatever, Spyrius are spies,” but did Unitron get anything?

Hm…is this the start of another vehicle streak?

@Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."

It was the last gasp for both the monorail system and really the Classic Space theme entirely. Everything that came out after this got increasingly bizarre. I mean, Exploriens was kind of normal, but it still felt off and really gimmicky.

Ah, the Star Hawk I. It was an iconic vehicle for Unitron... as far as anything Unitron could be considered iconic outside the monorail, anyway.

In the back if the 2154 Robo Master is a ship that seems to pay homage or at least seems to reference to this set's shape.

This is a great set.
It inspired me to build my own version.
https://flickr.com/photos/137652851 @N07/51776551654/in/album-72157662539122560

@sanderkoenen said:
"This is a great set.
It inspired me to build my own version.
https://flickr.com/photos/137652851 @N07/51776551654/in/album-72157662539122560"

A lake with golden aspen trees?

@Miyakan said:
"Starhawk. No relation to Sparhawk, he's from a fantasy book."

Sparhawk II is The Ruby Knight.

I could never work out if there was a separate spacecraft parked in the back or a missed opportunity to have one. I didn't understand the side pods, a little larger and you could carry some cargo. Only interesting part is 4746 Tail 4 x 2 x 2, Rocket which would be great to have again.

So this is the set no. 1789, mmm... So this is the French Revolution homage set?

@whaleyland said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."

It was the last gasp for both the monorail system and really the Classic Space theme entirely. Everything that came out after this got increasingly bizarre. I mean, Exploriens was kind of normal, but it still felt off and really gimmicky."

Really? Exploriens was as gimmicky as M:Tron or IP2002 and UFO FINALLY gave us aliens. Insectoids might be more gimmicky than others, but by now, I question if I grasp the term correctly...

I had this set and sold it like an IDIOT years ago when I decided to downsize my collection. I went from 600 sets to 300. Now I'm back up to 435.

@dimc said:
"This set always looked cooler in the photo than it was. I built it last year for the first time and it was disappointing. Chunky, storage wasn't great, not much in the way of play functions, the color scheme is not nearly as good as its predecessors, you couldn't comfortably fit both figs in the cockpit. Just poor design all around. Unitron overall felt pretty blah.

Get 1994's 6939 for the same $27. Or in today's prices, it's basically half the cost. "

I remember seeing the set new and wanted to like it, but I was underwhelmed by it's design after discovering Ice Planet 2002 and Space Police 2 sets from themes prior. The price and the "stack some slopes" design prompted me to skip it.

Me when I read the title: I never knew LEGO made sets based on Star Wars: Squadrons!

Me when the image loaded: oh

Not living in North America, I never had or saw this. But oddly, I built a MOC with a similar outline as an extra module for my 6783 (with the front module of 6783 where the detachable cockpit is in this one).

The strange thing is, from the image it looks as if the wings are white, yet Rebrickable tells me that they are light grey. Sure doesn't look like it.
Then again I had never seen or heard of this set before since it wasn't available over here.

@Rimefang said:
" @dimc said:
"This set always looked cooler in the photo than it was. I built it last year for the first time and it was disappointing. Chunky, storage wasn't great, not much in the way of play functions, the color scheme is not nearly as good as its predecessors, you couldn't comfortably fit both figs in the cockpit. Just poor design all around. Unitron overall felt pretty blah.

Get 1994's 6939 for the same $27. Or in today's prices, it's basically half the cost. "

I remember seeing the set new and wanted to like it, but I was underwhelmed by it's design after discovering Ice Planet 2002 and Space Police 2 sets from themes prior. The price and the "stack some slopes" design prompted me to skip it."

IP2k2 has some excellent designs. I actually really like a few from SP2, but the color scheme is not my favorite. I'd love to see recolors of Galactic Mediator into Ice Planet (and I believe it can be done with a few swaps from trans to not) and Rebel Hunter into Space Police 1, with an adjustment for the jail design.

I do think Star Hawk III could be a great set with more pieces. I rebuilt my own Sea Claw 7 (1822) to better integrate the hinged panels and make it enclosed, and I think something similar here would work. Make it longer, tighter, sleeker, and give it a role. Is this a fighter? Science vessel? This is a bit of a lore issue for Unitron overall, but it really doesn't help here.

@StyleCounselor said:
" @sanderkoenen said:
"This is a great set.
It inspired me to build my own version.
https://flickr.com/photos/137652851 @N07 /51776551654/in/album-72157662539122560"

A lake with golden aspen trees?"

The link isn't working.
https://flic.kr/p/2mTjmWs

@Lance_McCormick said:
"Yeah, the tail was weird, but even so, this set was great.

Was there ever any Unitron lore? In those days there wasn’t much more than “Blacktron are the baddies, Space Police are policing space, and M-Tron are miners or rescue or whatever, Spyrius are spies,” but did Unitron get anything?"

Unitron was more of a military style authority. They were always featured combating the Spyrius baddies.

https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/6991_Monorail_Transport_Base?file=Unitron_vs_Spyrius.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWP7HuOlNfQ

@Bobobonanzas said:
"Hawk 2....Hawk Two.....Hawk Tuah"

I don't understand how you, me, and @ao_ka were the only ones who took advantage of this joke

@BricksBrother said:
" @Lance_McCormick said:
"Yeah, the tail was weird, but even so, this set was great.

Was there ever any Unitron lore? In those days there wasn’t much more than “Blacktron are the baddies, Space Police are policing space, and M-Tron are miners or rescue or whatever, Spyrius are spies,” but did Unitron get anything?"

Unitron was more of a military style authority. They were always featured combating the Spyrius baddies.

https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/6991_Monorail_Transport_Base?file=Unitron_vs_Spyrius.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWP7HuOlNfQ

"

I didn't realize that in the 1995 catalog you could buy Mtron, Ice Planet, Space Police 2, Spyrius, and Unitron.
https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c95sahHoliday
Page 35 has some Unitron stuff. It sounds vaguely explorer-ish, and that would fit with Spyrius trying to steal it. I remember the image you posted being on the flyers I got in that era.

@dimc said:
" @BricksBrother said:
" @Lance_McCormick said:
"Yeah, the tail was weird, but even so, this set was great.

Was there ever any Unitron lore? In those days there wasn’t much more than “Blacktron are the baddies, Space Police are policing space, and M-Tron are miners or rescue or whatever, Spyrius are spies,” but did Unitron get anything?"

Unitron was more of a military style authority. They were always featured combating the Spyrius baddies.

https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/6991_Monorail_Transport_Base?file=Unitron_vs_Spyrius.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWP7HuOlNfQ

"

I didn't realize that in the 1995 catalog you could buy Mtron, Ice Planet, Space Police 2, Spyrius, and Unitron.
https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c95sahHoliday
Page 35 has some Unitron stuff. It sounds vaguely explorer-ish, and that would fit with Spyrius trying to steal it. I remember the image you posted being on the flyers I got in that era. "

Yeah, s @ h had a lot more unsold stock reaching back to 1989 ( 6285 ). Bad for them, good for LEGO-Fans struggling to keep up.

Unitron was my favorite color scheme.

@sanderkoenen said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @sanderkoenen said:
"This is a great set.
It inspired me to build my own version.
https://flickr.com/photos/137652851 @N07 /51776551654/in/album-72157662539122560"

A lake with golden aspen trees?"

The link isn't working.
https://flic.kr/p/2mTjmWs"

Nice ship. Much better- although the lake scene was quite serene.

@Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."

Objecshun! Roboforce is the most forgotten one!

@Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."
For good reason. It stank.

The only thing it really had going for it overall was the pod design, but even that was messed up because they weren't interchangeable across sets. 1789 was also chunky looking, looked terrible on the underside, and had that bizarre tail flap, whose purpose I was never able to ascertain until today reading the comment thread. I even have the box preserved in mint condition from my youth, and never noticed it! Not that it would have made me any happier to know—since the flap doesn't stow anywhere, it just looks really, really bad in flight. Previous sets with a similar shape/price point, such as 6939 and 6981, were so much better.

1793 was just a baseplate with some junk stacked on top. The play features were not versatile or interesting. (The dome, which is completely open on the back, can turn around so it's completely open on the front—oooo?—but why??? And only if you tip the rocks backward—because?) It was about as exciting as 6411, but without the fun vibe.

Not even the photographer could salvage 1787. At least with the other two, they tricked me into buying them.

And 6991 is the shining bright spot, because it's a monorail. The pod offloading feature also looks really fun. But it cost so much money I knew it would never be mine, making the other Unitron relics I had that much more bitter. Ironically, if I'd not gotten the other two, I would have been halfway to the monorail. Sigh.

I would love to have this in my collection!

one of my top most wanted sets from my childhood. They need to make this the next updated redesign they launch :D

With all the slope pieces, I think the designers were trying to achieve a (low-resolution) silhouette of a bird of prey in flight viewed from above, with forward outstretched wings and tail streaming behind.

I first saw this set as a small catalogue image. The tiny image size, angle, and the fact that the canopy and side instrument panels were open led to a completely inaccurate first impression of the set’s appearance (I thought there was a bridge like on 60095)

Really wanted to have this, after finding a used 6991.

I still think it's the second best of the 4 Unitron sets, despite looking a bit odd from certain angles. The 1995 sets also had a bit too much blue mixed in IMO.

EDIT: Also I really would have preferred Zenon Base coming with a black baseplate like 6991.

Whilst Unitron was in fact clearly available in Europe (through sets 6705 and 6991), noone here knew their name back then...

It was fascinating to find out the name was already present in 1994 (although only mentioned in the TV commercial). Probably this was planned as a larger theme separate from Spyrius to be released in 1995. Once they decided to release a revamped "Seatron" as Aquazone, the idea might have been dropped due to fears of Space and Aquazone (both futuristic) overlapping too much.

A bit similar to how Castle had to step back every year Pirates had a major release line (1989, 1991, 1994, 1996). Thus we ended up with this seemingly "hidden" Space faction for 1995.

@Atuin said:
"I still think it's the second best of the 4 Unitron sets, despite looking a bit odd from certain angles."

That’s a pretty low bar, considering the only standout things any of them has going for it is being a monorail, and introducing new monorail track elements.

“Is it a monorail?”
“No…”
“Tied for last place! Be sure to grab a 2nd Place ribbon from the box by the exit.”

"Once they decided to release a revamped "Seatron" as Aquazone, the idea might have been dropped due to fears of Space and Aquazone (both futuristic) overlapping too much."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsR8emoF90&pp=ygUdSG93IG1hbnkgYXRtb3NwaGVyZXMgZnV0dXJhbWE%3D

@PurpleDave said:
" @Atuin said:
"I still think it's the second best of the 4 Unitron sets, despite looking a bit odd from certain angles."

That’s a pretty low bar, considering the only standout things any of them has going for it is being a monorail, and introducing new monorail track elements.

“Is it a monorail?”
“No…”
“Tied for last place! Be sure to grab a 2nd Place ribbon from the box by the exit.”

"Once they decided to release a revamped "Seatron" as Aquazone, the idea might have been dropped due to fears of Space and Aquazone (both futuristic) overlapping too much."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsR8emoF90&pp=ygUdSG93IG1hbnkgYXRtb3NwaGVyZXMgZnV0dXJhbWE%3D"

I'm pretty sure 6991 didn't introduce any new track elements.

I just noticed that that the flap is directly behind the main engine. One hopes that they lower that before ignition...

@jkb said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Atuin said:
"I still think it's the second best of the 4 Unitron sets, despite looking a bit odd from certain angles."

That’s a pretty low bar, considering the only standout things any of them has going for it is being a monorail, and introducing new monorail track elements.

“Is it a monorail?”
“No…”
“Tied for last place! Be sure to grab a 2nd Place ribbon from the box by the exit.”

"Once they decided to release a revamped "Seatron" as Aquazone, the idea might have been dropped due to fears of Space and Aquazone (both futuristic) overlapping too much."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsR8emoF90&pp=ygUdSG93IG1hbnkgYXRtb3NwaGVyZXMgZnV0dXJhbWE%3D "

I'm pretty sure 6991 didn't introduce any new track elements. "

Outside of the monorail track extras "set,", 6991 was the only set to come with the track splits like this: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2889&idColor=9T=C&C=9

I didn't like the flap and removed it...but other than that, this was one of my favorite of the theme-era (M-Tron, Unitron, Blacktron, Spyrius, Explorien, etc.) spaceships.

Having built this one, I can say it looks great--from the angle on the box, and only that angle. Very strange ship, way too tall. I wanted to like it, but just doesn't make the grade.

@dimc said:
" @jkb said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Atuin said:
"I still think it's the second best of the 4 Unitron sets, despite looking a bit odd from certain angles."

That’s a pretty low bar, considering the only standout things any of them has going for it is being a monorail, and introducing new monorail track elements.

“Is it a monorail?”
“No…”
“Tied for last place! Be sure to grab a 2nd Place ribbon from the box by the exit.”

"Once they decided to release a revamped "Seatron" as Aquazone, the idea might have been dropped due to fears of Space and Aquazone (both futuristic) overlapping too much."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsR8emoF90&pp=ygUdSG93IG1hbnkgYXRtb3NwaGVyZXMgZnV0dXJhbWE%3D "

I'm pretty sure 6991 didn't introduce any new track elements. "

Outside of the monorail track extras "set,", 6991 was the only set to come with the track splits like this: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2889&idColor=9T=C&C=9 "

Exactly, they turned up in 6347 , therefore they weren' new. But they gave 6991 a better starter course than 6990 had.

@PDelahanty so did I. Sometimes - though rarely - less is more ;-)

@whaleyland said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."

It was the last gasp for both the monorail system and really the Classic Space theme entirely. Everything that came out after this got increasingly bizarre. I mean, Exploriens was kind of normal, but it still felt off and really gimmicky."

I've always thought Classic Space died a quick death, right after Ice Planet. Exploriens was a last gasp that I respected but never really got into.

The Unitron figs are underrated. (great color scheme, nice torso printing, cool helmet print).

I was already in my Dark Ages when these were released but I've acquired about 12-18 of them? I don't have any Unitron sets though. The Star Hawk II could be a good starting point.

@jkb:
Ah, whoops, you’re right. Split points and short curves were introduced in 6347, which came out one year after 6399, and three years before 6991, making the latter (along with two service packs) the only releases to not introduce new monorail compinents. Basic system in 6990, short straights in 6921, motor cover and motor with long couplings in 6399, l/r splits and l/r short curves in 6347, and nothing new at all in 6991/5039/5040. For some reason I’ve always associated the two track packs with the two Space-themed monorail sets, and never the Airport Shuttle.

Im kind of proud of this community, I was expecting a full brainrot invasion, but most everyone stayed on the topic. Give yourselves a pat on the back!

@ra226 said:
" @whaleyland said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"Unitron! the most forgotten Space Subtheme."

It was the last gasp for both the monorail system and really the Classic Space theme entirely. Everything that came out after this got increasingly bizarre. I mean, Exploriens was kind of normal, but it still felt off and really gimmicky."

I've always thought Classic Space died a quick death, right after Ice Planet. Exploriens was a last gasp that I respected but never really got into."

Despite the giant pieces, I love UFO for actually bringing in aliens. The designs are pretty fantastic and I own most of the line now. The big round saucer is a solid set, and the Warp Wing Fighter is quite frankly in the pantheon of space designs. That's the last of my space stuff, Exploriens was...OK, and honestly they can get mashed in with Futuron given similar colors.

@stevild3 said:
"Im kind of proud of this community, I was expecting a full brainrot invasion, but most everyone stayed on the topic. Give yourselves a pat on the back!"

Hey, now, we are capable of holding a coherent and topical conversation...when we can't think of any good jokes.