About LEGO Star Wars
LEGO Star Wars 75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter Review
LEGO anticipated the Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker release at the beginning of October, by offering us new products in this range. I suggest you discover one of them, reference 75248 – Resistance A-Wing Starfighter. It remains relatively similar to the one seen in The Last Jedi, except for its colors.
The Construction
Inside, we find 3 bags of numbered parts, a sheet of 12 stickers and an 84-page instruction manual for 101 construction steps.
We start with the cockpit, reduced to its simplest expression: a place to install the pilot. On each side are added the two wings, each with a spring shooter. The front part is covered with a small complimentary sub-assembly, where the two stickers must be correctly aligned.
With the second bag, we start by adding the mechanism that will launch the “lasers”. These are two small assemblies, rather well-hidden, with only the black part emerging above the machine. They allow to press on the spring shooters and thus to eject the red parts (which will only be added at the last moment). We then go back to the rear of the ship, where we add some slopes on the side of the cockpit. Two clips will be used to open the canopy. Huge white slopes were then built on the front, each decorated with a large green sticker. It will be necessary to be vigilant when applying them! A sub-assembly is then assembled and fixed to the rear of the cockpit, which will receive the two engines in the next stage.
The third bag of parts is started with a few pieces to cover the sides of the cockpit. Again, be careful when applying the stickers. The landing gears are assembled, then we go back to the rear of the ship. A few green pieces are added at the back of the cockpit before moving on to the construction of the engines, two identical sub-assemblies. And guess what, more stickers… We attach these engines to the ship’s body with Technic pins. We finish with the two (fake) barrels on the sides, then with the transparent canopy… its two stickers not especially easy to apply correctly.
Mini-figures
They are two, and both have already appeared in Episode VII: Snap Wexley, and Lieutenant Connix, played by Billie Lourd (Carrie Fisher’s daughter).
We have already seen Snap Wexley in set 75125 Resistance X-Wing Fighter (#ad), and the version we have here is quite similar. The head is a new element. It is very nicely made and stuffed with details, up to the straps extending from the chest to the legs. The back also has nice details. The helmet is exclusive and looks great with its integrated yellow visor, rather than having it stamped on the character’s head.
Overall Considerations
Let’s get away from the subject right away: stickers are everywhere, and not all of them are very easy to apply. The younger ones will probably need help. As usual, we will notice the difference in color between the stickers and the LEGO parts, this is particularly obvious for the white. These stickers are undoubted what spoils the construction experience offered by this model. As for the rest, it’s quite interesting and varied, despite the small number of pieces. The assembly of the two engines is a real treat.
The design is consistent, and the new colors are interesting. My big regret is at the front of the machine: the flat part between the two curved parts, with a sticker as the only detail. I regret some defects inherent in sets of this size, the small details that distinguish them from the so-called “exhibition” models: a cockpit without controls, or visible blue pins as an example. The rear of the ship is really pretty, whether it’s the right angle between the engines and the body of the ship, the fins or the engines themselves.
The blaster ejection system is well concealed, it is successful from this point of view. And the system works well! The landing gears are retractable, and the canopy is hinged on 2 clips to place the pilot at the controls. I also appreciate the great solidity of the whole, which will easily withstand space travel in the living room. In short, not much to complain about in terms of playability for a box of this size. I just wish there was one more place in the cockpit: Lieutenant Connix just has to wait..
If the two mini-figures are quite pretty, I have a preference for the Snap Wexley pilot. Although her outfit is not exclusive, it is beautifully crafted. Lieutenant Connix’s mini-figure would have deserved more consideration: we would have liked to find pad-printed rather than monochrome pants.
To sum up, it’s a nice little set but not perfect. Younger children will find an interesting toy despite a construction experience tarnished by stickers.
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