Lego 4504 - Millennium Falcon

I've been watching online auctions for this set for at least the past two years with many sets going for at least US$160 or more. I had a few near misses too with auction snipers snatching it from under my nose. Patience pays off one day when an email alert from ebay notified me of a "Buy It Now" auction at a fairly reasonable price. So it made its way across half the world and I built it this weekend.

It took me all of 5 hours or so to put together the 985 pieces. There was some monotony after a bit but it was a huge satisfaction to see it come to shape.

The ship is nicely detailed. The exterior is a good representation of the Millennium Falcon, and for play it can swoosh but care must be taken as its components do not have fantastic support. The interior is well detailed and very playable. There is the chess game area and the engine room. There is massive interior room and one could fit more figures inside. The top opens up like an onion and provides good access to the inside. It has a turret seat, an escape pod and a working ramp (although moving passengers along this ramp is impossible).

The cockpit is probably the only drawback as it only fits 2 figures snugly. The figures are great, but I was expecting to see Obi Wan AND Luke as they left Tatooine (even though it has Leia as in Episode 6). Also strange to have C-3PO and not R2-D2. The inclusion of an Imperial Snow Trooper and cannon is also odd and would have been a better fit with the AT-AT set. (EDIT 18 APR 2010 - I was informed by my brother-in-law that it's meant to commemorate Ep V... where Luke and R2 had departed for the Dagobah system to meet Yoda. Also, a snow trooper was seen hooking up a laser cannon to shoot at the Millennium Falcon as it makes its escape from Bespin).

This is also the first time I've seen printing a printing error in the instruction manual, which came with an additional B&W page with the correct pieces and instruction steps. The Han Solo figure in the manual had a tan body instead of navy blue.


Some of the more interesting and unusual pieces


I've never seen these pieces before

The following pictures detail some of the build process














Completed!


Top view


Thrusters



Cockpit


Movable ramp


Rear view






Opens to reveal the interior


Engine room with hyperdrive, tool racks and Han Solo's parka hood


Escape pod stowage


Hot and crowded in here


Chewbacca and Han Solo


Han Solo in Hoth outfit


C-3PO and Princess Leia


Imperial Snow Trooper


Instruction manual and errata page


Mis-coloured Han Solo body