Meet Alan & Vicky (@avbrickz) with their Hangar 327.
Here’s a little bit more about Alan and Vicky and this illuminated build.
What got you into building LEGO as an adult fan?
Alan: It was the set 10225 R2D2, I’d seen it after it had been retired and knew I had to have it. So I managed to pick it up from an auction site for a reasonable price.
Vicky: I had no idea LEGO was such a big deal until I met Alan in 2019; Since then I well and truly fell down the rabbit hole.
What’s the name of your build and what inspired it?
Hangar 327. It featured in Episode IV A New Hope, when the Millennium Falcon was captured and pulled into the Death Star by the tractor beam; all in aid of Luke, Han and Chewie saving Princess Leia from her captivity.
Roughly how long did this display take to design and build?
The build itself took several months to put together. Alan had been collecting the parts since 2019 with the eventual plan being to build it into a coffee table and hold the UCS Millenium Falcon.
Is there a detail that people tend to miss?
There is A LOT of story telling and easter eggs to hunt out. Some of our favourites include The Walking Dead inspired scene in the corridor, C3PO and R2D2 in the control room (like in the film), and the Stranger Things inspired scene of characters riding their bikes.
What’s the biggest challenge in bringing this build together?
We can think of 2. First of all, re-designing the entire MOC to be able to pack down and travel well. Half of the battle with displaying MOCs is getting it to/from the show.
Second is the lift shaft. Neither of us had ever dabbled in Technic or movement before, and as simple as it initially seemed of just having a platform moving up and down; It became obvious it wasn’t such a simple process. Alan had figured it out, but we didn’t have much time to test it before the big event, so we knew we would likely have teething issues – It worked for a short time, but eventually the lift stopped working due to the gears moving out of alignment.
What part of the display are you most proud of?
The lighting effects were the thing that took a significant amount of time to put together. We eventually found a UK based company called Pimoroni who make Raspberry Pi like controllers called TinyFX that is very beginner friendly, and you can program the lights to do exactly what you need you to do (rather than a pre-programed board that you can buy from most LEGO lighting companies).
Are you planning to display this anywhere else? If so, where can people see it next – or follow its journey online?
For this year, no. The MOC takes over 2 hours to set up, so we have to consider this when registering at shows. We would like to take it to the Briskish Weekend at the National Space Centre in Leicester in 2027. You can follow us on Instagram (@AVBrickz).
What’s your next LEGO project after this one?
The plan is for a fantasy inspired castle MOC.
Additional: If LEGO could make a new theme what would you want them to make?
Alan: Modulars is a really popular theme, so some kind of expansion to this like gardens, allotments, street furniture etc. I think it would look really cool if you were building your own city.
Vicky: I love DreamZzz and Friends for their bright colours; So perhaps a theme that is typically aimed more toward boys like castle or trains, but flipped with a different/feminine spin on it.
