Review: 75039 V-Wing Starfighter

 Set ID: 75039 V-Wing Starfighter

Number of Pieces: 201

Year of Release: 2014

Minifigs: 2

Purchased Price: About SGD 50

One of the less exciting sets of the latest Star Wars range is this re-release of the classic V-Wing Starfighter. Looking at the display shelf in my local LEGO store, it is neither too large to catch my attention, or too special to earn a significant spot in the shop. At 200 brick counts, I had a hunch that there will more more details pumped into this new version (relative to the 6205 released in 2006 with around half the existing brick counts). And I was proven right on this hunch. The 2nd hunch was, there will some improvements to the minifig designs as of all the new sets recently released. I was right too. The 3rd hunch was, I am going to write very little about this less-than-exciting set. I think I am going to be right again. 

Visual Appeal

This V-Wing looks a little chubby when viewed from the front. This optical illusion is attributed to 2 fators: (1) It has a slight wider body as compared to its predecessor and (2) the tip of the nose has been increased from 2 studs-wide to 4. While this revision gives more allowance to include sloping bricks to be built in for better aesthetic, it does make the Starfighter look less streamlined.

The attached stickers provided some well designed details on the Starfighter, contributing to some realism to the otherwise toy-like body. I am especially impressed with the amount of details printed (no doubt on sticker) in the cockpit control panel. It will score higher with me if there is some sort of joystick for the pilot's navigation though. The canopy design is by far the best as compared to its predecessors, slightly longer and sleeker looking. If you do not agree, just take a look at the 2006 version (set 6205) and you will know exactly what I meant.

Droid is a necessity for any Starfighter and this is of no exception. For this V-wing, the droid is carried just behind the cockpit, just aligned with the top of the canopy. However, there is no full housing for the droid and therefore the head will need to be removed and attached to a rotating 2X2 brick. While I have no major complaint over this design, I do look forward to a day when the poor droid can have its own exclusive compartment, similar to that found in the latest range of the Jedi Starfighters. 

Versatile Wings

The rotational wings provided some sort of play feature to let you switch between take off and landing mode. The rotation is confined to 90 degrees, well controlled by the gear mechanism built within. You can of course stop the rotation of the wings anywhere within the 90 degree, courtesy of the rather stiff gears. During flight mode, the twin laser turrets on each wing can be turned to face the forward direction. The twin flaps on each wing can also be posed in various angles to achieve better photogenic opportunities.

Flight mode

Gear mechanism for wing rotation

Venomous Weaponry

Green missiles located on the underside

I half suspect LEGO may eventually relaunch all the older sets with minimal revision in design, but somehow throw in a couple of the latest spring loaded missiles. The designers have managed to incorporate a pair of this vicious weapon on the undercarriage of the V-Wing, just right under the cockpit. I do find that the loading chambers are planted too close to the body of the Starfighter, making loading of the missiles a little challenging. Firing, though, is not a problem, as the rear of the missiles can be found protruding out of the back and a slight flick would have fired off the pair of lime green missiles in an instant. There are 3 missiles included in this set, in anticipation of any loss during play time.

Building Experience

Two packs of bricks filled the box. Pack 1 for the fuselage and pack 2 for the pair of wings. 35 minutes should be the maximum an adult need to complete the construction, as there are no major drama or difficult moves that provide the stumbling blocks during the building process. Unless of course, if you consider the application of the stickers, which I personally find challenging to get them right. 

Minifigs

Just a V-wing pilot and an Astromech droid included in this set. No other unnecessary minifigs included as that will inevitably inflate the price. The pilot's head piece is printed only on 1 side, with a pair of visors and a rather grim expression. The visors still serve its purpose by peeking through the well-detailed helmet. I have mentioned before in my earlier entries that the "helmet design team" (if there is ever one) is working overtime to impress the fans. The amount of details that they can squeeze onto the limited space on a helmet is indeed mind boggling. Both sides of the torso are also printed, with nice amount of details to reflect the rather cumbersome pilot outfit.

The Astromech Droid can easily be summarized by saying that it is a R2 dressed in red. With a whole drawer of the conventional R2 in my collection already, this red one certainly breaks the monotony of blue and white.

Conclusion

Slightly improved design as compared to its predecessors. Newly included spring loaded missiles can only impressed the action-deprived. Doesn't score high with me overall and will only recommend for those who are die hard fans, or those who just want another entry level set from the Star Wars range.

+ More details and sleeker curves
+ Details on stickers

+ Improved cockpit canopy design

- Tip too wide (4 studs)

- Difficult to align missiles underneath undercarriage
- Have to remove head of droid to place it above the cockpit in flight mode