SHOOOM!!!

@MCLegoboy said:
"SHOOOM!!!"

PEW! PEW!

Nice! I have the modern interpretation from Benny's Space Squad.

Hey, look, it’s one of those Classic Space sets I mentioned a couple days ago, from the second year of the theme, which is almost entirely light-grey with nary a hint of blue or trans-yellow.

Now I can finally say this: I got that one! Try to do something as cool as this with only 20 pieces.

@PurpleDave
continuing the discussion: when I was describing the pattern for Classic Space, I mentioned the blue and trans-yellow for 'enclosed' spacecraft. Everything 'outside' is all grey. But, as you mentioned, after 1981 there is no clear rules on how it worked new colours and patterns emerged and it became all over the place. I got most of the small sets of 78-81 - the best imho. Again, fingers crossed for 10497.

Red is the only color of classic space minifig I don’t have…fingers crossed they show up in the rumored set later this year…

Love love love love love love love…

I adore Classic Space. So simple, so cute, so friendly. I'd say it's a relic of a bygone era, but LEGO still pays tribute from time to time.

Oh yea I'm the lore guy. Red Classic Spacemen were usually considered the explorers of the group. (I think. I always get Red and White mixed up, one was explorer one was pilot.)

There were also a few named Red Classic Spacemen. In the LEGO Movie Universe there was Denny. I also think Leroy was a RCS but I can't remember if his game was official or not. Or if his name was even Leroy. Man I'm scatterbrained tonight.

@GSR_MataNui said:
"Oh yea I'm the lore guy. Red Classic Spacemen were usually considered the explorers of the group. (I think. I always get Red and White mixed up, one was explorer one was pilot.) "

It’s the other way round. White are explorers and red are pilots.

I always assumed white were future-American and red were future-Soviet. I figured Lego's take on the future would be optimistic (them working together and all). I should say I've assumed that after the fact. At the time, when I was a kid, the colors simply indicated rank with darker being higher. Hence the black space man (of my 6985) was the captain, red was his second in command, and yellow and white worked in the back.

As to "what color is classic space" I agree, it's Blue/Grey with trans yellow. Except when it's Grey with trans green/red. Or when it's something else.

I loved the simplicity of old sets. You could make a set yourself that would stand up next to a professionally designed set.

Just a wonderful allowance-level set for a kid. It was the closest we had to Star Wars.

This set was among those that put the ‘classic’ into Classic Space!

I had it in the late ‘70s but now, like @cody6268 , only have the version from 70841 Benny’s Space Squad.

@GSR_MataNui:
In 1978, white were astronauts and red were cosmonauts, as @ra226 assumed. Then they had to figure out a new rule when they introduced yellow in 1979. You can read about it here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/29w5q7/exo_suit_side_by_side_original_submission_vs/

@guachi said:
"I loved the simplicity of old sets. You could make a set yourself that would stand up next to a professionally designed set.

Just a wonderful allowance-level set for a kid. It was the closest we had to Star Wars."

Well, it IS an all grey triangle shaped spaceship...

I love impulse sets and older sets for the aforementioned reason. That simplicity serves a clear purpose in making something rebuildable and easily added to with your other pieces.
I also find it the most fun to try and rebuild small sets into other things with only those parts precisely for that reason. It's challenging, but fun, to make a car into a plane or boat or outpost or spaceship!

TIL that the scooter from Benny's Space Squad pays homage to this one! I knew what set the rover in that set alludes to, but only now the ship!

I don't remember having this set but I was very happy to be able to recreate it with my spare parts. Good thing about Classics is they don't require much to build.

Probably the genesis set for many Lego collectors of my age.

What, no complaints of “not properly enclosed cockpit!” or “he’ll suffocate with an open helmet!” like we do with the modern sets?

@Brickalili said:
"What, no complaints of “not properly enclosed cockpit!” or “he’ll suffocate with an open helmet!” like we do with the modern sets?"

It was a simpler time… haha

Spaaaace.

@Brickalili said:
"What, no complaints of “not properly enclosed cockpit!” or “he’ll suffocate with an open helmet!” like we do with the modern sets?"

Replace the spaceman with a Jack Stone fig and the usual comedians would be here workshopping their tight 5 over this set.

Absolutely love this set, one of the first I even bought waaaay back in 1979, which instantly got me hooked on LEGO, Space LEGO in particular! I think I have 3 of them now. I love the simplicity of the design, it may only be just a few pieces, but you can still turn them into several other builds as per the box suggestions. Love it! Spaaaaaaaace!!!

@Eggyslav said:
" @Brickalili said:
"What, no complaints of “not properly enclosed cockpit!” or “he’ll suffocate with an open helmet!” like we do with the modern sets?"

That's because Classic Space is the untouchable holy cow, due to most AFOLs' nostalgia for these simple sets from simpler times. It's all rose tinted glasses, and TBH, I never understood the appeal of those blocky spaceships, as I grew up in M:Tron and Blacktron II era. These sets are antiquated, primitive, rough around the edges and just plain ugly, but people go crazy over them, because they symbolize their long lost childhood. Because of that no one even dares to criticize the logical fallacies of those sets, as if they were sacred relics of a bygone age, fiercely defended with almost religious fervor. In the eyes of those who grew up with these sets, those who dare to point out anything wrong in them, are sacrilegious heretics."

Remember the parts portfolio was very very limited compared to today. Those 4x8 wedge plates for wings, and the 1x2 plate modified with handles were brand-new at the time. and allowed you to make much more interesting models. The rest is a triumph of limited piece count. It's not about "accuracy" or logic - it's all about a child's imagination, which is what Lego is all about.

Single pilot, wedge-shaped, plenty of red...

It's the original Jedi Starfighter!

99c. I got 20c pocket money a week and would save up to go to Target to buy one. I ended up with 4 of them. Still got them today, on display in my study along with his mates from 1978-1982. Simple and perfect for the imagination of an 8 year old boy!

@Eggyslav said:
" @Brickalili said:
"What, no complaints of “not properly enclosed cockpit!” or “he’ll suffocate with an open helmet!” like we do with the modern sets?"

That's because Classic Space is the untouchable holy cow, due to most AFOLs' nostalgia for these simple sets from simpler times. It's all rose tinted glasses, and TBH, I never understood the appeal of those blocky spaceships, as I grew up in M:Tron and Blacktron II era. These sets are antiquated, primitive, rough around the edges and just plain ugly, but people go crazy over them, because they symbolize their long lost childhood. Because of that no one even dares to criticize the logical fallacies of those sets, as if they were sacred relics of a bygone age, fiercely defended with almost religious fervor. In the eyes of those who grew up with these sets, those who dare to point out anything wrong in them, are sacrilegious heretics."
You may be right that some - possibly most - of the liking for CS is due to nostalgia. But your assumption that there are no other possible explanations for it (an assertion you have made before without substantiation) is incorrect. There are other possible explanations such as an appreciation of the design language of the time (which could be argued is more in keeping with the shape of minifigures and the LEGO aesthetic generally) or admiration for the creativity of the designers as they wrestled with a limited selection of parts ( @chris38911 ‘s point above). At the very least, those alternative explanations deserve consideration.

When this set came out, it was (and I believe still is) the only Classic Space vehicle with trans-dark blue thrusters (to me, this was then a new and better technology vs red). This part was (back then) only available in 2 other sets: 672, and 381-2/588. Remember that back then, trans-colour was a totally new thing.

Now that I read other people space classification, I am surprised that 'my' spacemen did not have any colour ranking and/or assigned specific tasks that I could remember (I only had white and red - I stopped the theme when other colours came in and when spacecraft turned white). All my spacemen knew how to do anything and everything in case one would die and the other one had to pick up and finish the mission.