This Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is a superb set for adult fans of this memorable but sadly now-retired space vessel. It's a fun build, which can easily be shared, and once built it looks suitably impressive, displayed in any number of ways. I just wish it didn't have as many stickers.

Pros

• Stunning display piece

• A fun, varied build

• Two display plaques

Cons

• -

  A lot of stickers to apply

• -

  Shuttle doors can catch

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Essential info:

Price: $229.99 / £199.99

Model number: 10360

Number of pieces: 2417

Dimensions: 27 x 63 x 53.5cm (10.5 x 25 x 21-inches)

Recommended age: 18+

I'm a huge fan of the Space Shuttle programme, and shed a tear when the last shuttle was retired in 2011. Admittedly, it wasn't particularly cost-effective, but for me, it was the face of post-Space Race space travel. The International Space Station likely wouldn't exist without it.

Now, thanks to Lego's Icons range, you can commemorate the Space Shuttle, carried as it often was, on the back of a Boeing 747. This 2,417-piece Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is effectively the replacement for the also-retired Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery set, albeit with a slightly higher price tag at $229.99 / £199.99.

At 25 inches long, it's not as big as, say, the Lego UCS Star Wars Venator set, but you'll still need a reasonably-sized table or unit to display it on; it's unlikely to fit on your average shelf. It'll take you 8 - 10 hours to build, which leaves the question: Is it worth the effort?

For the answer, read on for my Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft review. And if it leaves you wanting more, we have rounded up the best Lego space sets.

The Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft set is split into 16 bags. (Image credit: Future / Chris McMullen)

Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft: The build

• A fun build, with some interesting techniques
• Shuttle and jet each have their own instruction book
• Includes 19 stickers, too many for our taste

The Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft took me ten hours to put together, working at a relatively leisurely pace. It's split into sixteen paper bags, which seems daunting at first, but it means you'll never have to look far for the piece you need.

It's split into two builds and two manuals. One for the Space Shuttle Enterprise and one for the plane, a Boeing 747, used to taxi the shuttle back and forth. The set's rated for builders 18+, but the shuttle is within the reach of junior builders and, taking three or so hours to put together, shouldn't test their patience too much.

The bigger set, the jet, is a little fiddlier and requires more dexterity to assemble, so I'd recommend that it be an adult-assisted build at least. If you're working solo, it's advisable to start with the shuttle. That's not to ease yourself into the build, however. Instead, it's because once you've got the shuttle together, you can glance at it to spur you on through the jet's initial section.

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Want to share the fun? Have one person build the shuttle while another builds the Boeing. (Image credit: Future / Chris McMullen)

Because, while the Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is, on the whole, a fun set to assemble, it's not super motivating to start with a chunk of skinless fuselage that resembles nothing in particular.

Fortunately, once you're over that speed bump, the build comes into its own, taking on the shape and coloring of the custom Boeing 747. It's constructed in sections, beginning with the central fuselage and gears, then the cockpit, the tail, the wings and finally the tail fins.

This build employs a diverse and satisfying range of building techniques that will have you smiling when, section by section, it all comes together. Admittedly, I was puzzled as to why that opening jet section required so many cogs and connectors. But I had a big grin on my face as I turned the cog on the underside and watched the plane's gears raise and lower.

A neat touch is the way that the four engines attach, using a combination of a hinged piece and a flat triangle to hold each steady. I'd never in a million light-years have come up with that.

The Lego Icons Shuttle Aircraft Carrier Shuttle starts to come together, though it's better to start with the shuttle. (Image credit: Future / Chris McMullen)

Unfortunately, there is one blot on this build, and that's the presence of 19 (count 'em) stickers. The majority of these are used to apply the NASA etc logos to the shuttle and the jet and, statistically, you're bound to get a hair or a piece of dust behind one of them. That, or you'll end up having to realign them to get everything just right.

Unfortunately, these stickers are transparent, which amplifies the visibility of smudges and fingerprints. My shuttle and jet are currently displayed facing left, because the right-side NASA sticker is faintly off-white.

Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft: Design

• Shuttle and jet and be displayed separately, on or off stand
• Shuttle wheels and engines are stored inside cargo bay
• Cargo bay doors can stick

Unlike the Lego City Modular Space Station, which we also reviewed, the Lego Icons Shuttle Aircraft Carrier is not built with play in mind. The shuttle itself is sturdy enough to be swooshed around outside, but while the jet is just as well put together, it's so large that I wouldn't recommend it. I already bumped a Lego Star Wars AT-ST to its doom today, and I'm not repeating that mistake.

However, there is a degree of interactivity in that the space shuttle can be removed from the plane. Unlike the jet itself, the landing gear has to be physically removed, but they, with the engines, can be stored neatly inside the shuttle's cargo bay.

The one snag is that the shuttle's cargo bay doors can catch, to the point you may need two fingers to close them properly. It's not a deal-breaker, but given how much effort Lego has put into getting the set right (stickers aside) it's slightly disappointing.

The Lego Icons Shuttle Aircraft Carrier Shuttle's cargo bay opens to hold the engines and wheels. (Image credit: Future / Chris McMullen)

The set's appearance, however, is anything but a letdown. You have the option of displaying it on the included stand, in a take-off position, and that's absolutely the best way to behold it. It's a seriously striking set, and as accurate as you could hope for, given its scale.

You don't have to apply much pressure to remove and reattach the shuttle from the jet; unlike the wheels and the engines, there's nowhere to store the tail cone. Nor will you be peeking inside the jet, not least because it isn't minifigure scale.

But it's still impressively detailed, down to the aforementioned working gears, and gorgeous to look at. And, if you're a relative stranger to the space shuttle, the base plaque and the manuals contain a host of useful factoids.

Should you buy the Lego Icons Shuttle Carrier Aircraft?

The Lego Icons Shuttle Aircraft Carrier Shuttle, with the Boeing, can be displayed on wheels or on a stand. (Image credit: Future / Chris McMullen)

If you've the slightest interest in the space shuttle, and aren't buying for play, this Lego Icons Shuttle Aircraft Carrier is absolutely worth your money, especially since the previous shuttle set has been retired. Am I okay with all those stickers? No, but unless Lego takes their NASA range to the next level, I can't see them manufacturing printed elements for one or two sets.

Perched atop a suitably sized shelf or table, this is as impressive and as accurate as you could hope a set of this scale to be, and it's a blast to build, too. And while it's worth the $229 asking price, it's always worth keeping your eyes open for the best Lego deals; I saved 20% on this set during Black Friday.

Other sets to consider

If you're looking for a more play-friendly but still realistic set, consider the Lego Creator 3-in-1 Space Astronaut, or if it's a pocket-friendly sci-fi ship you're after, have a look at this Lego Interstellar Spaceship. The Lego City Modular Space Station makes a nice companion piece to this set. Or if you've got a little more to spend and want a spacecraft that's still in active use, this Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System is for you.

Contributing Writer

Chris is a freelance journalist who, aside from covering games and gaming-related tech, has a taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic. As well as Space.com, you can find his work at The Escapist, GameSpew (where he’s the morning news writer) and more. You can follow him on Twitter @MarmaladeBus.

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