The LEGO designer behind 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter has revealed the ‘super controversial’ reason he left out a display stand for the latest LEGO Icons set.
Weighing in at 1,369 pieces, the Ornithopter – which is lifted straight from Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic – includes new blade wing elements that can fold out, whip back and rotate 180 degrees. And like so many Star Wars ships before it, the model is clearly designed to be displayed in flight. But if you want to show it off in the air permanently, you’re going to need to build your own stand.
[bdproduct search='icons' sort='discount' numberOfRecord='4' brand='' sliderMinValues='0' sliderMaxValues='750']That’s because every single one of the elements in the set is poured into realising the Ornithopter itself, with none of the budget handed over to a display stand. But according to LEGO designer Mike Psiaki, who led the charge on bringing the Dune set to shelves, the decision to include (or not include) a stand didn’t come down to the budget – instead, it was an entirely personal preference.
“Originally we considered some display bases, but this goes back to just my view on LEGO bricks – I don't think I've ever actually made a display base on a model,” Mike tells Brick Fanatics and other LEGO Fan Media. “I just don't care for them. I mean, I understand why people want to put things on display and pose [them], but for me, this is a toy to be played with.
“And now I'm going to get super controversial – my dream for the end of a LEGO set is that it gets taken apart and turned into something else. I think that a stand goes a little bit against that, so I'm partial to not having stands. That's why we spent quite a lot of time to make sure that this landing gear is quite stable, so it should actually pose quite well just sitting on its own feet.”
The retractable landing gear is the other headline function in 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter, and Mike’s favourite feature in the entire model. With a twist of a knob, all four of the dragonfly-like vehicle’s legs retract or deploy in one smooth motion. And it means that the vehicle does indeed sit just fine on a shelf without a stand – but if you want to pose it in flight mode, you’re going to need to get creative.
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