Review: 75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter
Posted by CapnRex101,
75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter is perhaps the most anticipated of the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sets and is also one of the largest, with a price of £69.99 or $79.99 and containing 659 pieces.
The trailers released so far appear to suggest that the U-wing, more formally known as the UT-60D, will form an integral part of the film, ferrying the heroes between planets on their mission to acquire the Death Star plans. It may therefore prove to be the most popular of all the Rogue One sets, although that places additional pressure on 75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter to be particularly impressive. Read on to find out whether or not it lives up these high expectations...
Minifigures
Jyn Erso only appears in this set which is slightly disappointing given her important role in the film. However, the minifigure is fairly impressive as she wears a brand new helmet and features detailed printing. This uniform is worn on the planet of Eadu and incorporates a unique helmet with white goggles as well as a grey poncho. It looks rather drab but is accurate to the movie and can be removed to reveal a grey shirt and dark tan jacket printed on her torso if you prefer.
The minifigure can be easily customised to match Jyn's appearance on different planets which is brilliant but I would have liked to see a new hair piece included too. Furthermore, her black legs look very plain which is a shame as they could easily have been printed with a holster similar to that of Han Solo.
Jyn is equipped with a satchel as well as a pearl silver pistol and another accessory which is reminiscent of the Z6 riot control baton in 75139 Battle on Takodana. I am not aware that she wields any such weapon in the film but will certainly be looking out for what this could be when the movie is released in December.
Cassian Andor is armed with a more immediately identifiable blaster rifle and wears a detailed belt over a scruffy dark blue coat. The belt includes some metallic silver highlights and two pouches hang down across the torso, hips and legs. You can also see some white fur around the collar and a folded hood on the back.
The head is printed with a wry smile on one side and a concerned expression on the other as well as some facial hair which definitely resembles that of Diego Luna's character. Unfortunately, the facial hair is visible beneath the hair when viewed from behind, although it blends in reasonably well so does not bother me too much.
Bistan serves as a door gunner on board a U-wing Fighter and is a member of a new species, the Lakaru. His head is completely unique and it looks great from every angle, with some exceptionally detailed printing on his as well as black hair which hangs over the metallic dark grey rim of his flight suit.
I love the olive green attire printed on Bistan's torso and legs, although a darker colour might be more accurate based on the images of the character revealed so far. Some dark bluish grey straps run across the entire figure and he wears a dark green vest which continues onto the back of the torso.
Jyn Erso and her strike team are assisted by a group of Rebel Troopers in their mission, one of whom is included here. His helmet is brand new but its shape is familiar, recalling those worn by Rebel Fleet Troopers in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It matches his detailed torso and leg printing perfectly, with areas of dark bluish grey, dark tan and dark green combining to form a marvellous camouflage design.
The trooper is fully equipped with ammunition pouches on his chest and pockets on his thighs as well as a pearl dark grey blaster. This is by far the best Rebel Trooper minifigure we have seen so far and I hope the high standard will be maintained in 75164 Rebel Battle Pack when it is released later this year.
A U-wing Pilot is included to fly the UT-60D and he is equally detailed. The dark blue flight suit is similar to that of a standard Rebel Pilot but the white flak vest is shorter and the hoses are arranged differently. I love the design of the uniform but am a little disappointed that a new head has not been used as it would have been nice to see some variety.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the helmet printing as we have yet to see this character but I am sure it will be a close match. The pilot is armed with a black blaster pistol.
The Completed Model
I was pleasantly surprised at the enormous size of this model when construction was complete. It measures 44cm in length with its wings folded forward and has a wingspan of almost 65cm when they are fully deployed, a configuration which is shown in the image below.
The wings fold just as they do in the film and are remarkably sturdy given their length. Each one is mounted on three hinges situated just in front of the engines and they can be locked in either the forward or swept back positions using ball joint elements. This works very well and I am impressed that there is no visible sagging of the structure as this had concerned me when images were revealed.
Two spring-loaded shooters are hidden between the wings, just beside a pair of laser cannons. These are activated by pressing the blue buttons on top of the fuselage which are remarkably well hidden, as are the launchers themselves. The cockpit canopy is printed with a new design and looks very accurate, although the entire cockpit is actually larger on the vessel in the film, allowing two people to sit side by side.
However, this model includes a single seat for the pilot included and he has a printed console from which to control the U-wing. It would have been nice to see some more controls on either side of the seat but the open space might allow you to adapt the cockpit and squeeze another minifigure inside if you wish.
Many vehicles in the Star Wars universe suffer from poor visibility but this is not among them. When flying a troop transport it is vital to be able to see the ground beneath you and an enormous observation window is therefore included for the pilot. This feature has not been shown in any promotional material but is referred to in the set description and it is unlike any other LEGO Star Wars set which is very pleasing.
From underneath you can see that the large canopy introduced in 10240 Red Five X-wing Starfighter is used to form the observation window. It is decorated with a couple of stickers and is securely held in place using some click hinges which are completely hidden within the fuselage.
The exposed mechanical details behind the cockpit look brilliant. I like the combination of dark bluish grey, light bluish grey and pearl silver elements and think the claw serves very well as a piece for engine detailing here. Furthermore, this area incorporates a simple play feature as pushing on the two 1x1 round plates which are upside down will cause the cockpit canopy to open a little way, allowing you to easily prise it open the rest of the way.
The engines are probably my least favourite aspect of the model. They are quite similar to the engine nacelles of T-65 X-wing Fighters which makes sense given that both vehicles are manufactured by Incom Corporation and they look great. Unfortunately, each one is only attached using two Technic pins and they feel slightly fragile as a result, although that is not to suggest that they fall off very easily.
The troop bay is slung underneath the wings much like the Republic Gunship and the U-wing features similar sliding doors on either side. Each one is adorned with a couple of stickers and can be swung towards the back to reveal the interior.
Accessing the troop bay is quite difficult as the doorways are rather small, even with the doors retracted fully. It is possible to stand six minifigures inside and there is plenty of headroom, as Bistan demonstrates below. There is also a compartment to store some blasters behind the troop bay but they are not secured and tend to rattle around. Each door opens to reveal a deployable stud shooter as well so someone can provide covering fire while the troops are disembarking which is a nice feature.
I wonder whether the entire troop bay could have been removable from the underside to allow easier access. Technic beams keep it bolted firmly to the fuselage in its current state but I think a deployment function would have been useful.
Overall
The UT-60D appears to occupy a major role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story so I am delighted to be able to confirm that this is an excellent set and I absolutely recommend purchasing it. The minifigure selection is thoroughly impressive and the U-wing is equally satisfying, with some superb play features and an exceptionally accurate design.
Moreover, the price of £69.99 or $79.99 seems reasonable as the U-wing is very large and feels quite heavy, with a high concentration of pieces used beneath the cockpit and around the troop bay. I am finding it very difficult to choose a favourite among the five Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sets released so far, but this is definitely a strong contender.
Share your thoughts on the set in the comments below and keep an eye on the homepage for much more Rogue One: A Star Wars Story coverage in the next couple of weeks!
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38 comments on this article
You may have persuaded my into getting this with my birthday cash.
I got the TFA falcon as a present as well as the surprisingly good eclipse fighter
In some of the videos it looks like there's a boarding ramp at the back of the ship. Is that right?
Thanks for this informative review, who now thinks the Empore needs a Gunship to even things up a bit (re-canon the one from Force Unleashed)?
^lambda class shuttle?
Any news on exactly what will be on offer for UK Force Friday? I THINK we get five FO stormies when spending £60, but I'm really hoping for double VIP as well as that'd be enough for me to pull the trigger on the Death Star.
wow. thanks for the review. I liked this model a lot from the initial wave of official pictures, but this review only improved upon my already strong impression.
Excellent review. This set looks amazing all-around, but for that price I'm gonna wait for a sale of at least 20% off, or a special SW promotional offer from LEGO.com.
Nice review, Chris. There have been too many so-so Star Wars sets for my liking this year, but this one looks decent and I'm looking forward to picking it up.
It's been driving me bonkers that there haven't been any promo images showing the wings deployed specifically in the LEGO version, so thank you for finally capturing that. ;) Any chance you have other angles of the same position, too?
^^^^^^ Yeah, but that's more in line with troop/cargo transport ship the one I am referring to is this: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Dropship_Transport
A must-buy for me, especially when / if it drops in price to around £50.
I still hate it...
Can't wait to get my hands on this - love the cockpit view ports, great minifigures, and drop ships make for good dioramas! This is potentially the wave of Star Wars sets that I'll be buying the whole set since last years force Friday.
Lakaru Bistan looks horrible IMO. The lack of molded eyebrows copletly changes the character and it looks like ugly fat old balding alien.
Fabulous review, thank you. Definitely convinced me the U-Wing is a must have for Rogue One, though the figures are a bit weak compared to some of the others. Looks like these sets will save an otherwise lackluster 2016 for the line.
Looks a lot better than it did previously, that's for sure... I'm def. going to buy Krennic's Shuttle first, but maybe I'll get this later. Imperial vehicles are generally cooler.
The biggest thing is I am debating over whether to get this, the AT-ST, or wait until I see images of the new sets that are coming out.
Nice Review Im definetly getting it this December...
This entire wave seems to offer good value when you look at price per piece and number of minifigs compared to recent Star Wars sets. I hope this is a trend that continues.
Great review - thanks for that. But alas, it's another "No thanks" from me. The NZ price is inflated over the US by 35%, so unless there's suddenly a 50%-off sale this is just one more rip-off that'll remain unbought.
On the plus side, TLG's pricing policy means I've saved about NZ$5000 this year. Almost enough to fly to the US for a holiday and buy all the LEGO sets I've passed on .... :-D
Looks pretty good. Don't like how the engines look stuck on, though. They're like that in the "real" thing I guess, but it's not as obvious.
Good review Cap! Glad to see the underbelly can fit people standing up. It looked like the Wookiee Gunship from some of the images I saw. Was kind of hoping that underneath Jyn's cloth piece there'd be an imperial suit like she wore in the trailer but I don't care too much since I'm trying to not give into the temptation of these new Rogue One sets. If I got any it'd probably be this one though.
Thanks Capt on another excellent review. Much more interested in this set now.
Can't wait for the y wing next year!!!
Great review Chris, I'll be picking this up. After seeing images of Bistan as the door gunner on the U-wing, I'm tempted to pick up a BrickArms accessory for him to use in the door way.
@Morgan19: There's an official picture showing the wings deployed, but it's taken from another perspective.
http://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/75155-1/75155_alt3.jpg
That thing is supposed to be Bistan!?! It looks more like Unkar Plutt's long-lost brother!
Other than that though, great set. Once again, I am pleasantly surprised by this, after being disappointed on first viewing. Will definitely be picking this up.
I've heard many people knock this set and say that it's their least favorite of the upcoming Rouge One wave, however I just don't get that. I think this ship is amazing in many ways, from it's Star Wars look, scale, colors, price-per-piece point, to it's design and functions. I love troop carriers, and this is a great one! The only things I would change would be having a wider cockpit that seats two figures side-by-side, as in the movie, and maybe a bit larger and easier to access troop compartment. Despite those minor criticisms this set is a must have for me, and I can't wait see how many Rebel troops I can squeeze into it!
@LegoSolo77 I agree. This set looks really cool and a pretty good deal for the price. This is one of the three sets that I'll most likely buy.
And yeah I think it would benefit from a wider cockpit too.
Was going to buy it as soon as I can, but even more excited by that canopy to give e pilot a view towards the ground. Such a cool design!
Very tempting!
The Lego Group has done an amazing job upping their minifigure selection and detail. I may get these just due to their accuracy alone!
Anyone else amazed at how perfectly the graphic designer captured Felicity Jones' expression on the Jyn Erso minifig?!
Figures aside, to me this model looks like it was produced in 1999.
So I was wrong about Jyn Erso including a hairpiece along with her helmet. :( Did Lego not think they had a piece already made that would work for Jyn?
@jonboy2000: Could you elaborate on that? There are a /lot/ of pieces and construction techniques used on the U-wing that would have been unthinkable in 1999.
Cool Set
This is a pretty cool set, but everything in front of the cockpit doesn't seem right. From what I've seen from pictures it has a more angular look that the curved slopes don't capture. I still like the set though.
Just picked one up as a birthday present! Plus still loving the 2x VIP points!