Looking for a vintage set to re-build one rainy afternoon, I pulled this from the cupboard. Despite producing a relatively large number of sets, Futuron seems to be the almost forgotten Space theme (#6990 Monorail aside). Classic Space gets most of the nostalgic attention, with Blacktron and Space Police sets usually considered most synonymous with the 1980s and are the styles that MOC’ers seem to favour over the more peaceful explorers and scientists of the Futuron theme.

Box/Instructions

Sadly the box has long since disappeared, both physically and from my memory - a shame as the old boxes always showed an intriguing array of alternate builds. The instructions are a thin A4 booklet and, in keeping with the more challenging style back then, the entire build is complete in just 19 steps (with a couple of sub-build along the way). All of the black pieces are printed as dark grey, but as there aren’t any of the latter in the set to confuse them with, it’s not such a problem once you mentally adjust to seeing grey but picking black…!

Parts

Creating a space station from a mere 200 pieces means that there are some large pieces in the set and, due to the era, few are ‘interesting’ from a modern perspective. The Futuron colour scheme of white and trans-blue is in full force, with the latter primarily represented via two large arching panels making up the roof of the base, both of which are printed with a ‘Futuron stripes’ design unique to this set. There is more trans-blue in the oddly shaped panels that sit either side of the base. There are quite a few printed elements, from classic printed computer 2x2 slopes, to a couple of black 1x4 bricks printed with a white grill design and a white 2x2 tile with a printed arrow design. You also get six 2x2 turntables, and the rack and winder mechanism which operates the roof and launcher mechanism (of which more later!), which has been used in a few of the larger Space ‘Base’ sets over the years. Most of the other bricks and plates are fairly standard and plain white.

Minifigures

There are three figures included with the set, all in the Futuron ‘updated’ version of the classic space livery which includes the legs and half of the torso in a colour (in this case, two red and one yellow), with a diagonal zip separating this from white. The face is a classic Lego ‘smiley’ and accessories include the traditional air tanks, and helmets with blue visors. There is also a spanner and a single walkie talkie, though I'm not sure who they're going to chat to on it...

The build

Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor, but I really enjoyed the build process. It does provide a few more challenges than most modern builds and it goes without saying that this is due almost entirely to the instructions – there are none of the piece call-outs we’ve got used to, and each step requires multiple pieces to be set in place all over the model, often white-on-white just to make it more difficult! This is further complicated by the angle of the picture in the instructions which, apart from a top-down view of the baseplate at step 1, doesn’t always make it clear on the spacing between some of the pieces. I found it surprisingly refreshing to get back into the more observant mindset and it certainly made the process more engaging.

The first five steps aren’t too thrilling, putting together a small vehicle which is hinged in the middle and with a small platform on the rear. It’s the base that is the main focus and it goes up fairly quickly, with a number of supports placed on the large baseplate, topped with large angular white plates to provide a raised walkway. The shuttle cradle is a little sub-build mounted onto the rack, after which the actual mechanism which will open the roof suddenly comes together almost without you realising what is being built – a few plates, turntables and hinges suddenly all snap together to form the structure. A classic example of less is more showcasing the capability of a few basic pieces.

There are no particularly advanced or fiddly tricks used, though there is an early example of sideways building on the shuttle craft, using angled plates which in my mind were more commonly associated with vehicle bumpers from the Town theme. These are used to sideways-mount hinge brackets which, in turn, are attached to the shuttle wings, a technique that was something of a revelation to me, aged 7!

The completed model

The completed model does look pretty good as a small base, though a bit sparse to stand alone which I've reflected in the value for money rating. The strange little vehicle is a bit of an afterthought, but adds a bit of extra play action to the set when it has other places to go to. The highlight is the roof mechanism which, while being fairly simple, is still an impressive effect – as the rack is wound up, the roof sections hinge outwards and the shuttle rises up on a small launch platform. Even now, the effect doesn’t lessen with repetition and works well, though there are a few weak points in the attachment which could be affected by any reduction or increase in clutch power over time.

The ‘cosmic launcher’ ship itself is a bit of an oddball design, made slightly bulky by the requirement for a minifig to fit inside, whilst also needing to be short enough for it to fit inside the base prior to launch. Though as the artwork implies it is being launched from a planet with no atmosphere, maybe aerodynamics weren’t the first concern in the design!

Overall opinion

This is a great little set, and absolutely indispensable for anyone looking to expand a Futuron / Classic Space layout – particularly to fill a gap in the middle of the #6990 Futuron Monorail track. The roof opening and shuttle launching effect is great and works very well – I defy anyone not to hear a stirring John Williams-style theme in their head when it is in action! There isn’t an awful lot to it, and if you want a fully functional Space base then other sets would be more appropriate, but as an ‘outpost station’ or expansion with additional building or vehicles, this set is a delightful exemplar of the Futuron range.

A side note – as an ambitious youngster, I attempted to motorise the roof movement function using the motor from #740. I can’t remember the exact setup, only that it resulted in gears, elastic bands, technic axels and bricks pinging off everywhere without moving the panels one inch. Maybe it’s time to revisit that plan some 27 years on…

I just bought this off eBay last week and it is my First Official Futuron set. I had already entered my "Dark Ages" by the time the Futuron sub-series was introduced. So these are the first "new" figures I've had in 20+ years and they look very cool with the little visors and new zippered uniforms.
Very nice.

The base itself is very nice. The coolest thing is the winch mechanism that opens the Blue Trans shielding to allow the Laser Launcher to lift off. It's an ingenius design I wish I had had when I was younger. The base is apparently self-sufficient energy wise with it's solar collectors in the front, a nice touch.

The ground vehicle that comes with it is rather spartan in the design. The front half works alright, but the back half is pretty drab, with or without the Laser Launcher on it. And my only big drawback to the entire set is that a better transfer system from the cart to the launcher could have been worked out I think. And a couple of ladders wouldn't have hurt either.

But overall, its a wonderful, imaginative set and a great addition to my moonbase.

A nice-looking and functional base. At the turn of a knob, the archway opens up and the rocket lifts up ready for take-off. The vehicle can carry the rocket, and this must be the only set to include Futurons in red uniforms (apart from the minfig set). The only problem I have with this set is that the rocket door does not completely cover its interior and the pilot cannot sit down properly due to his arms getting in the way of the walls. This could have been solved with the simple addition of a 2x2 plate. Still, otherwise this is a great set.

I coveted this set when I was a kid but due to budget reasons I had to opt for the wonderful and significantly cheaper 6932 - Stardefender 200. So I fulfilled my desire 20 years later when I found a MISB 6953 for a very reasonable price of €60-65.

Now to the review:

Pros:

• Functionality: The set uses a rack and pinion mechanism. With the turn of a knob the transparent blue canopy opens and simultaneously the space probe is lifted to a launching position. Such great functionality from so few bricks, this makes Legos such amazing toys!
• Design: Everywhere Lego used this huge transparent blue panels it was a success, they make the base appear very futuristic.

Cons:

• Piece count: This base receives a Razzie for emptiest base; Apart from the piece count (only 208 pcs for a base), it also appears too open and a bit too minimalistic. The twin covered control panels in front of the base look like an afterthought to fill up the otherwise naked design.
• The probe design: It looks like a winged microwave oven and it looked like one back in 1987. I made my own MOC space probe, to improve the design. The ground vehicle also looks rather plain.

Obviously Lego recognised the potential of this design and reapplied it to the much more complete 6987 - Message Intersept Base but this set has also its own charm and it looks very iconic Futuron.

Recently scoring a co-worker's huge LEGO collection, I began checking the pieces online to see what, if any, sets I could make. Along w/ Shark's Crystal Cave (& its rare baseplate) I was able to make this one too. Luckily I got most of what I needed: all the trans-blue pieces, the white plates, even the minifigs in good shape. But I nearly tossed the long black track piece as it didn't look like LEGO to me- little did I know its key role in the set's construction! Unfortunately I don't have the special white bracket (I devised a fair substitute) & the grey baseplate had a large corner deliberately cut off...who DOES that???

I had no prior experience/knowledge of what this set does, only that in 1987 it looked rather dull & boring & I knew I didn't want it. I was a high-school sophomore & LEGOS weren't a priority. So imagine now 25 yrs later, I sit down to peeron.com to build it, & its secret was slowly revealed to me, step by step. I thought it was very cool!

That's pretty much all this set has going for it though. I'm used to solidly built bases like the Alpha-1 or Space Command Ctr. This set has a decidedly weak design- if the LEGO colony was attacked, this set would be an easy target (well, maybe the Futuron line evolved beyond galactic warfare.) Gone are the days of multi-console computers, seems all they need now are a sloped 2x2 w/ some buttons. The vehicle is a plain retrieval/transport car, & the capsule is too boxy, but I guess they really couldn't help that if they wanted it manned.

However, the futuristic white/trans-blue color scheme looks good, & the vehicle matches it. I had to sub in some gray pieces & the scheme allows that well. What's more, my 3 yr-old boys love it & their eyes lit up as I turned the black knob. Their verdict: "Don't ever take it apart, Dad!" So if you have a 32x32 hole in your collection, it's a decent acquisition.