LEGO Creator and Technic: the best building blocks for adults

For moderate money, by the standards of the Creator series, you can buy a Lighthouse Point constructor, that is, a lighthouse. The set includes the lighthouse tower itself, two small residential houses, figures of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter (the child figures have short stiff legs), as well as a killer whale made in the style of the Creator animal sub-series.

Traditionally, for the Creator series, according to the included instruction book, Lighthouse Point can be rebuilt into two more structures: a berth with a motor boat and a steamer. But alternative versions of the assembly of the set are clearly inferior to the original one in terms of effectiveness.

LEGO collectors, for whom not only the assembled designer is important, but also some rare parts, will find a lot of interesting things in Lighthouse Point. Namely: an abundance of transparent elements, such as window glass and sea waves, a barrel, a bush and a lifebuoy. To simplify the disassembly of the constructor, a special orange LEGO tool is attached.

If you need a cheaper alternative, take a closer look at the set of Lego Lakeside Lodge 31048 with figures of a fisherman and an elk, and if, on the contrary, you want something more expensive and larger — to the set Lego Parisian Restaurant 10243 from 22 400 up to 28 499 ₴ with a huge three-storey building (part of the Creator Shopping Street) and four figures of chefs, waiters and gourmets at once.

Connoisseurs of automotive themes will like the LEGO Creator transport sub-series in the face of Mini Cooper. Moreover, this is the rare car that guys and girls alike like with its compactness and cute appearance. Unlike the cars from the LEGO Creator architectural kits, the Mini Cooper does not look grotesque, but is made in compliance with proportions and scale.

The doors, hood and boot of the car open, and the backs of the front seats tilt so that you can sit in the back seat. A picnic basket and a fabric blanket are stored in the boot (this material is rarely used in LEGO sets). Of the other rare and simply interesting details, it is worth noting the large steering wheel, gearbox, dashboard and, most amusingly, the French baguette.

The main advantage of the Mini Cooper is the unusual vintage colour of the body and interior upholstery. Dull, faded shades of green and yellow are not found in other LEGO sets. For fans of sports cars, to whom the Mini Cooper resembles a slow turtle, it is better to give Lego Ferrari F40 10248 . The bright red colour of the constructor makes it also a unisex souvenir.

If you are interested in scale models of cars not just as static objects, but as operating mechanisms, then it is better to make a choice in favor of LEGO Technic. One of the most impressive-looking and efficient-working sets is the 24 Hours Race Car with electric motors and a remote control. Moreover, the constructor looks equally good in both its hypostases — a sports car and a jeep (an alternative version of the assembly).

The 24 Hours Race Car consists of more than 1200 elements, so it is not recommended to give it to children under the age of eleven for self-assembly. And even for an adult who has no previous experience of building LEGO, it will not be easy to cope with such a complex set alone.

The best option is to assemble a constructor in the company of friends right at the party at which it was presented. Believe me, the activity is no less fun and gambling than party board or computer games. The main thing is, in the heat of emotions, do not lose the details, otherwise the mechanism may simply not start.

If you need an easier-to-assemble constructor, but also obazatelno with an electric motor and a remote control, buy an all-terrain vehicle Lego RC Tracked Racer 42065 , consisting of only 370 parts. The crawler model will be doubly liked by fans of the computer game World of Tanks.

Scale models of cars, even with electric motors and a remote control, may seem like a banality to someone. Well, the soul does not lie to sports cars and that's it. Another thing is flying transport, in particular the Heavy Lift Helicopter (Cargo helicopter). Unusual, not boring and clearly aimed at a more sophisticated fan of LEGO and modeling in general.

An electric motor is also attached to the Heavy Lift Helicopter, but, unfortunately, the model cannot fly, a la quadcopter, because it is too heavy and fragile. But it can automatically rotate a pair of screws and lift loads with a winch.

No less interesting is the second version of the assembly — a two-propeller helicopter (one propeller in front, the second behind). I'm sure many will prefer to collect it right away. Claims to the Heavy Lift Helicopter are traditional for older LEGO Technic models — high cost and complexity of assembly (over 1000 parts). But in its subject matter, Heavy Lift Helicopter by and large has no alternative.

Mercedes-Benz Arocs is one of the most expensive and difficult to assemble LEGO Technic kits (almost 2,800 parts). In addition, it is a licensed copy of a real German truck.

Mercedes-Benz Arocs is not able to drive independently, but it can automatically move the crane boom, open the bucket and lift the body to dump bulk cargo. All this is realized by a combination of an electric motor and pneumatics (compressed air), which produces a characteristic hissing sound when working. An external remote control is not provided — all mechanisms are controlled by levers on the body.

In addition to the lifting crane and the body, Mercedes-Benz Arocs has detailed shock—absorbing suspensions — separate for each of the eight wheels. Thanks to this, the truck famously overcomes road bumps and other obstacles. If you liked the idea of existing reduced copies of real construction equipment, but you are not ready to pay a tidy sum for Mercedes-Benz Arocs, take a closer look at the excavator Lego Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC 42054 — it costs as much as a third cheaper. However, instead of pneumatics, conventional gears are used in it.