Featured set of the day: Interstellar Starfighter
Posted by Huw,
Today's selection has been made by whaleyland:
LEGO in the mid- to late 1990s was in a strange transitional period, and the UFO subtheme of Space was certainly no exception. I purchased 6979 Interstellar Starfighter in July 1997 using a combination of birthday money and allowance. It was only the second “expensive” set I had ever purchased with my own money and, like the first one (for the record, 6494 Magic Mountain Time Lab), I had no plans for which set I was going to buy when I walked into Kiddie World that summer afternoon. I certainly did not foresee returning home with this unusual vessel.
Innovations: The entire UFO line broke the mould in many ways compared to earlier Space subthemes. The rounded quarter dish pieces were instantly recognisable as alien at the deepest level, and they came in different sizes, which was great since it meant that flying saucer-like vessels of various sizes could be built. And just to prove that point, the large starfighter included a detachable half-saucer snubfighter at its back, which though not revolutionary was a great way to showcase the new parts.
But the Interstellar Starfighter also harkened to the Star Wars movies, which had just been re-released earlier that summer. The distinctive X-wing design of the back of the ship just screamed X-Wing Starfighter, and that is certainly one of the features that subconsciously convinced me to choose the set.
Lack of Inspiration: Despite its great visual features, the set itself proved to be a tad bit of a letdown. The basic design was unique, but the large quarter dishes meant that there was less to build. The bottom of the ship, meanwhile, like so many other starships in the 1990s era, was almost entirely neglected except for some clunky landing gear using repurposed rocket funnels.
More generally, while UFO certainly improved upon the aesthetics of previous Space subthemes, it still fit largely within a quality continuity. The Spyrius (1994) and Exploriens (1996) subthemes had already begun experimenting with dishes and circular vehicles. And Space subthemes in general had relied heavily on trans-neon colors since the days of M-Tron (1990).
While the series took some bold steps with the large plates, the general design, structure, and features of the ship loosely resembled earlier capital ships such as 6982 Explorien Starship (1996) and 6973 Deep Freeze Defender (Ice Planet 2002—1993). It also botched its most marketable feature: its fibre-optic lighting system.
What It Got Right: Oh, did I forget to mention that the Interstellar Starfighter lit up in glorious red fibre optic glory? Well, it did. The ship was one of only two Space-themed sets in the 1990s to get the electric treatment, the other being the much more popular and well-known 6991 Monorail Transport Base (1994).
Conceptually, the fibre optic system including in the set was state-of-the-art. A battery box was tucked into the cabin of the ship and was connected to a motor that hosted a single red LED light that spun around at an even rate to light eight attached fibre optic cables. These cables had little dimples throughout them to catch the light so it would be visible even in a lighted room.
The colour that actually appeared was orange enough to seem neon-orange, and as the motor ran, the different cables would blink on for a second before moving to the next cable. Again, conceptually this was one of the coolest things I had ever seen, and it definitely was one of the key factors in me choosing this set over any similar-priced sets on the shelves in 1997.
Possible Improvements: The greatest strength of this set was also its biggest weakness: the fibre optic gimmick. And it was definitely a gimmick. The set only included 292 pieces but retailed for $80 (USD). That makes this the equivalent of a $129 retail set today, adjusted for inflation. Ridiculous! The reason the set cost so much was because of the large, printed quarter dish pieces and the electrical parts.
And in all fairness to the set, it does look imposing on a shelf in a time before Star Destroyers became commonplace in collections. But the fibre optics were just not worth what they cost. The rotating mechanism only spun in one direction and at one rate, the LED was not bright enough to see it when playing outside or in a well-lit room, and the motor made an obnoxious buzzing noise when spinning the LED.
Combine these problems with the fact that the optical cables were no more than three inches long, so mostly just bulged out of the centre of the set somewhat awkwardly, and they also retained their shape, so they could never really be repurposed for anything else after sitting in the set for a short while. On the more positive side, though, it really did look awesome and the minifigures were really cool too.
Minifigures: The three minifigures included with this set were quite unique. They took the basic premise of the androids introduced in 1995’s Spyrius subtheme and turned that into an entire race of people. But to make the aliens extra creepy, their heads were transparent, and they got helmets with chest and shoulder armour. It was such a game-changer for the Space series at the time.
Androids were still popular then, too, so a red UFO-specific android was included in the set. And every good angry alien needs weaponry, so the set included a fairly massive handheld ray-gun, presumably to defeat their enemies. While none of the minifigures were unique to the set, they provided a good mix and plenty of opportunities for play. In this respect, the only thing the set could have probably benefited from is a small Roboforce spaceship so the starfighter had something to fight.
How it Compares, Past and Present: In retrospect, the Interstellar Starfighter is a legitimately fun set still today. While it certainly has been outdone with regards to size, few Space sets since have even attempted to include lighting or electrical features. It also represents the only serious attempt by Lego to do a flying-saucer series within the Classic Space universe. Insectoids, which was the subtheme’s immediate successor, utterly failed to convey the same feeling, and 2011’s Alien Conquest theme, which included three sets with flying saucers, was focused more on a fictional alien invasion of Lego City than the aliens as a species in their own right. Thus, I think this single-year theme holds up quite well, all things considered, and its capital ship, the Interstellar Starfighter, although expensive for what you got, lived up to most of its expectations and continues to do so today.
QUALITY SCORE: 7/10
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26 comments on this article
Oh yes! Say what you will about the UFO design flaws (I do, too...), I still love building and displaying these monster Space ships and their extraterrestrial commanders. Luckily these were still plentiful right out of my dark ages when LEGO Star Wars came out, so I was able to grab them at very reasonable prices, boxes and all.
I've challenged myself to build a realistic MOC UFO base using some of those quarter-panel saucer pieces. I'll see what I can do...
As soon as i saw the pic my first thought was the noise. I would as a young man in 1997 have been sad to admit, but as an older man in 2020 i am glad to say I must have bought this when I was 23. I can't remember it when new, as at 23 I obviously didnt play with it but may have tried to show off the Fibre optics at some point. I re-discovered it a few years ago and was amazed how noisy the motor was. I did like the UFO theme and according to brickset I own all of them, except the combos. On the flip side a "toy" made 23 years ago with cutting edge tech that still works (if you have earplugs) is quite impressive.
I still have this set. It's actually my brother's but he moved on from Lego ages ago. Only the front up to the optic cables are intact though, the rest have been lost to time. Luckily all three minifigs survive. We were mostly interested in the UFO theme because the helmets reminded us of the Predator.
Was lucky enough to find one of these new in box at a local LEGO resale store a couple years back. Super impressive when on display! It may have its flaws but it remains one of my favorite sets.
Unlike the earlier Vintage Space themes, you can find the UFO sets for pretty cheap on Bricklink. I'll definitely buy those sets whenever I get the chance.
Huh, it's the first time I realize the UFO sets used those optic cables... Thanks for the review! It was quite informative!
Wow, that picture sent a wave of nostalgia over me! I remember owning and loving this set as a kid. It's probably mixed in with the big bucket of Lego my parents kept for years and eventually gave away (with my permission).
Funny, this was the one U.F.O. set that I did NOT want. I was positively crazy over this theme! My birthday in 1997 was nothing but sets from U.F.O. I got the Radon Rover, V-Wing, Warp Wing Starfighter (the REAL X-wing knock-off from Lego in 1997), and the crown jewel, Alien Avenger. That set was the highlight of 1997 since all those large saucer pieces came together to form an actual, bonafide flying saucer. And without the fiber-optic enhancements, the parts count was higher and the set was less expensive (I think $60?). Thusly, I wasn't upset about missing out on the Interstellar Starfighter, though I am glad that the set imparted you with a love for the theme that is rare these days in Lego Space circles. It truly was a revolutionary theme, and you only have to compare it to the other 1997 Space theme, Roboforce, to see the difference. Space would never be the same, although with the advent of Star Wars in 1999, I felt it never really got to come into its own.
Didn't this get featured recently? Had this one when I was kid and I guess it isn't that great in retrospect...but I enjoyed the heck out of it! (Ended up donating it when I found it in storage as an adult.)
You forgot to mention the heat sensitive color changing sticker!
@Harmonious_Building said:
"Didn't this get featured recently?"
The Alien Avenger 6975 was RSOTD not too long ago. A lot of the same comments we see here were posted there, too.
I vaguely recall seeing that the fibre optic system in this set, as expensive as it was, cost Lego more to make than the retail price of the entire set, which shows that the problems that almost drove them out of business in around 2003 were coming for a while. Can anyone confirm that?
I did buy this set as a 20something, I think on sale- I recall some very good deals from the John Lewis affiliate in Norwich, as well as an independent toy store in one of the arcades. Unfortunately when I last checked on it a few years ago, the micro motor didn't turn, and my half-hearted attempts to fix it didn't work out. Ah well- it's still good to have those old grey angular curved panels.
Ah, here we are: it's a comment by Mark Stafford on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1x6ldp/lego_franchise_infographic/cf8vdl3/
"The most shocking finding was about sets that included the LEGO micro-motor and fiber-optic kits - in both cases it cost LEGO more to source these parts then the whole set was being sold for - everyone of these sets was a massive loss leader and no one actually knew."
i have this set, and i love it.
"The ship was one of only two Space-themed sets in the 1990s to get the electric treatment, the other being the much more popular and well-known 6991 Monorail Transport Base (1994)."
Does the year 1998 count as a 1990s year? We got Insectoids that year, which was a space subtheme (and a continuation of UFO) and it had three sets with electric parts. Does those count as electrical treatment?
I bought very few sets from this line ... but I love love LOVED the design of the minifigures. They really looked like malevolent aliens. And I appreciated that, as a 15-year-old Lego fan.
I managed to get this off eBay in full working order a few years back. It's gimmicky as hell and completely over-engineered for what it is, but I can't deny it's one of my favourite models. The UFO line as a whole has some wonderful designs—the minifigures are still fantastic by today's standards—though the models themselves show their age a little.
@Lego_Arial said:
"Does the year 1998 count as a 1990s year? We got Insectoids that year, which was a space subtheme (and a continuation of UFO) and it had three sets with electric parts. Does those count as electrical treatment?"
6979, like 6991, used the 9V system with battery boxes and connecting wires / electrical bricks, whereas the Insectoids pieces were all-in-one components with a battery box in the same mould as the light and sound features. Perhaps that's why the latter were passed over in the article?
I, too, thought that 6915 Warp Wing Fighter was the X-Wing equivalent, pilot + droid etc... But the ARC-170 had 3 pilots and a droid, so I guess this one cam be a straighter too. I had (and still have) all the regular UFO sets.
I just got out my UFO sets. I kept the box for 6975 Alien Avenger; the tray holds all my UFO parts. It turns out when I joined Brickset and started logging my sets, I didn't put in 6901 and 6816! So I just increased my sets owned by two... without spending a dime! :)
I got this set as my christmas wish for 1997 and then I bought a second copy when it was on discount back in 2004 (for a merely EUR 15). My second version had a non-working Micro Motor in it, I called Lego's Customer Sevice and they quickly sent me a replacement. Remember that this was like 5 years after the element was discontinued (I didn't even have to send in the faulty one)^^ Big thanks to the guys working there at this time!
I actually like the strange sound the 9V Micro Motor generates when it's motion echoes through all the semi-loose parts of the ship - to me it always felt like an unintentional but fittingly eerie noise for an alien starship.
In regards of the RoboForce guys - while it may seem good on paper -I dislike this type of thing that Lego keeps doing nowadays. Inserting an 'Antagonist' Vehicle just distracts part count from the main model and in turn makes it weaker in design (or more expensive depending how you prefer to look at it). If you want more 'controversy' or 'action' either buy a $3 polybag (of that opposing faction) alongside the big set or use your existing collection (after all, isn't that one of the main points in Lego ;) ?)
I always thought the next set down. The more classic saucer 6975 Alien a Avenger was the far better set than this one. The Fiber Optics were unimpressive. And the horrible shrieking noises the motor made discouraged a kid from using them too much when quietly playing with his Legos. There were just a ton of seemingly bad decisions here. Like shining a red light into the neon green cockpit, which just looked stupid. Even just swooshing it was iffy as it rattled from the loose magnetic connections of the rear fighter.
I exchanged green flame piece for 2 quater-dishes — the most proffitable deal in my childhood. I dunno, why he so wanted it.
Insectoids and UFO... These themes just don't do it for me.
Kid me never realized it could light up! This set did come out when my interest in Lego was waning a little.
I had 2 UFO sets :
2847-1: Flyer , a tiny 15 piece set, with the main feature being the amazing UFO figure with the trans-neon orange head and armor/helmet.
6829-1: Radon Rover : a land vehicle with a "mailbox" type container on the back to hold some tiles with electronics , the figure being a blue "android" type.
As for Electronics, I loved the light&sound part from Insectoids, especially the button with the engine sounds progressing if you hold it longer.
I had more insectoids sets, but I think the themes went well together.
I talk in past tense for old sets, even while I still have both sets built and complete, I keep my old LEGO from the pre 2001 seperate and won't mix it with my 2015+ parts/sets.
I had 2 UFO sets :
2847-1: Flyer , a tiny 15 piece set, with the main feature being the amazing UFO figure with the trans-neon orange head and armor/helmet.
6829-1: Radon Rover : a land vehicle with a "mailbox" type container on the back to hold some tiles with electronics , the figure being a blue "android" type.
As for Electronics, I loved the light&sound part from Insectoids, especially the button with the engine sounds progressing if you hold it longer.