Even though Classic Space was very much before my time, its nostalgic pull is powerful enough to affect people who never grew up with it. I spent a lot of time in my childhood poring over the 90s lines I missed out on, but none of the 90s space themes grabbed me. Classic Space absolutely did, and I remember piecing together my own multicoloured 924. I've since put together many CS inspired mocs, but I never got an actual vintage set. I managed to find 918 at a good price and I bit the bullet and picked it up, mostly just because it was a cheaper way to pick up some of the specialised CS parts. I was really surprised at how much I actually loved this little ship.

It's bigger than I expected, and its appearance is so sleek and angular that it's hard to imagine how a kid in 1978 would have reacted to it. At the same time, it has a minimalism that following ships lack, its design is just so pleasingly simple but hard to improve upon. I really prefer the single windshield and sunken floor design here compared to its bigger siblings, 924 and 928, which adds to the feeling of swooshability and speed unique to this little ship. For a fraction of the price, the only thing you really sacrifice here is an opening rear cargo section. It's a worthwhile tradeoff.

The parts are why I picked it up, and they're excellent - you get the key ingredients to build your own CS ship in a small, reasonably affordable set (at the time!), and I can easily imagine so many kids in 80s combining this with their own brick collections to make bigger and more feature rich vessels. The only lacking aspect in terms of parts is a lack of accessories - even though there's plenty of space inside the ship, and two doors specifically for cargo, there's not even a walkie talkie included.

I'm extremely glad to have this in my collection, and it's instantly become the crown jewel. It's convinced me that it's the best of the early space sets, for its sleek simplicity and its much more affordable price point, somehow packing the best of the bigger sets into a package that more kids could enjoy.

In 1979, when I was only a few years old, Lego released set #918 along with a select few other sets as part of the brand new Lego Space theme. Along with Town and Castle, Space would define Lego for a generation of kids. Alas, I was too young to acquire the "One Man Transport" (even the names were left to imagination back then!) as a child--though in this case it wouldn't have mattered as the 918 was never released in America.

Building this set evokes instant nostalgia, bringing you back to the Golden Age of Lego. This simple ship, which has only a steering wheel and 5 knobs for flight control, whisks you back to a time before the Internet, when man had walked on the moon only 10 years prior. The Cold War was still on, but Lego knew that someday soon the space man in White and the space man in Red would be working side by side to better our future.

Back then, Lego Space was about exploration, launching satellites, staying in communication (everyone had a walkie-talkie!), transporting cargo, and resupplying your various operations. In short, it wasn't much different than actual space. The 918 reflects this utilitarian mission: it has a large main engine, maneuvering thrusters, landing lights, a sealed cabin, and a small cargo compartment which might double as a sleeping compartment. Unlike its bigger cousins, the 924 and 928, it comes with only a pilot--and no accessories. For this reason, I imagine the 918 to be more of a light courier--perhaps meant to deliver small packages or maybe the occasional diplomat.

Like the other sets in the theme, the 918 has the signature blue and grey with trans-yellow color scheme that characterized most of early Classic Space. Every part is useful, and some have remained quite rare over the years. The ship is perfect in form and looks great beside the 924 and 928. It is also highly swooshable--and would be even if it weren't a legend.

I'm very excited to finally own this set! Having it represents an old dream finally come true. Another reviewer described it as simply "timeless." For me, the 918 isn't just a piece of Lego Classic Space--it's the definition of it.

I own the Galaxy Explorer since I was I kid and know using Bricklink I found the bricks to build this one, actually I still have to buy 3 or 4 brick (The most expensive ones) but for me I consider that I own this set already, I am also buying the piece for the medium ship 924 and I hope to finish at the end of the year the 3 classic space ships.
The only problem then is that my Galaxy Explorer is in a box in my apartment back home in another continent!

This spaceship sports the excellent Classic Space colour scheme, and has a visual design that is about as close to perfect as I can imagine for a LEGO spaceship.
For a start, it's visually balanced, having structure which extends about as far underneath the wing surface as it does above, unlike its larger cousins 924 and 928 which have am inferior "stuff plonked on top of the wing" look to them, or later sets which would feature spindly wings, struts or oversized tails or weapons.
Secondly, it displays a wonderful minimalism in that all the components are there to perform some reasonably obvious function, and are placed in aesthetically pleasing spots. Lastly, it's an incredibly efficient design, providing a compact assortment of internal features while maintaining a sleekness of exterior.

Perfection.

When the 11 Legoland Space sets first came out in the UK in 1979, I was 10 years old & thought I had gone to toy heaven. I used my pocket-money to buy as much of them as possible, & got all the smaller sets. The 4 biggest sets were beyond my means, so this was the biggest one I had.
It is perfectly proportioned and pleasing to the eye from every angle (like a well designed car) and has just the right amount of "extra bits" bristling off it - techy looking but not bristling with OTT fussy details.
As I approach 40, I still like it as much as I did nearly 30 years ago...