Customer reviews from LEGO
LEGO - Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V Building Set 21309
Average customer rating
4.9
(488 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 488 reviews
5 Stars
467
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
3
1 Star
5
98%of customers recommend this product.
(
479 out of
488)
Customer Reviews for LEGO - Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V Building Set 21309
Customer Rating
5
Beyond Expectations
on June 10, 2017
Posted by: WesMat
This set is awesome on so many levels. I have been building for almost 50 years. Born in 1960, I lived the space race. My father was part of the IBM team that designed the IU ring (Intelligence Unit) that controlled the Saturn V during flight. It is the topmost black ring of the vehicle and is on the Lego model! There was no question about buying this set. I voted for it while it was being considered for production.
My wife calls Lego Technics "Legos for men". and I have built many reg. Lego and Technic sets. They have all been great, but this was absolutely the best ever. Setting aside the historic context (thanks for the 1969 pieces), the engineering accomplishment of producing a very reasonably accurate scale model that is solid to hold - it blows my mind. And it is a joy to build. I want to restate all the positive comments made by others, but I won't. I am sitting here looking at the completed model and it makes me smile.
The price was perfect. It may sound high to those who don't buy a lot of Lego, but believe me, this set is a great value.
The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I rated this a challenging build due to the sheer volume of parts. I found it average but I am very organized during builds. Also, there are several methods used that will be new to most any Lego builder. You will wonder "why is it built like that?" and then later realize "of course".
My only complaint - since Lego printed details on the outside of the grey splashdown command module they should have done the same for the large model CM. It is a plain white cone the same part as the grey, just print again on the white one! __big frown__ So out of 1969 parts there is one that bugs me. No big deal I guess.
I will be building a launch tower.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
SPACESHIP!!
on June 5, 2017
Posted by: JustinC
I really love this set, its a great build and all the details are spot on. I love the fact that there are no stickers and all the lettering are printed tiles, which is awesome! The size and scale of the build is great and really captures the awesomeness of the rocket.
The only tale of caution I advise everyone is to be careful while trying to "separate" the rocket stages. the first or top stage's connection is not as strong as the other connections since there are only 2 connection points so trying to remove the bottom or booster stage can cause the top stage to fall off. I recommend taking the top off first so you don't have any "incidents" or unnecessary drops.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
'We choose to go to the moon...'
on June 6, 2017
Posted by: Paris
I was born in 1977, so post Apollo program. I can only imagine some of the excitement surrounding the USA's attempt to 'land a man on the moon and safely return him to the earth' before the end of the 60s. The first lunar landing is arguably mankind's greatest achievement, and a rare moment in time when the world was united for a brief moment as Neil Armstrong made his first tentative steps. This set is brilliant in scale and detail (even the number of pieces is 1969 - the year of the lunar landing). In building it I felt like I was being transported back in time and caught up in the excitement of an era in space exploration where anything seemed possible. It was a time when mankind dared to dream the impossible and make it a reality. Thank you to the designers of this set - you haven't just designed a beautiful model, but also recaptured a feeling in time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
I think this is the best set EVER
on June 10, 2017
Posted by: BrickJames96
Seriously, I think this is the best set ever. Solid, well built, yet functional and accurate all the way around.
Hopefully Lego will see the light and follow up with SpaceX Falcon 9 / Dragon, as well as ULA, better Space Shuttles, etc!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
4
Great Set!
on June 10, 2017
Posted by: sbradley33
What an incredible set! It was fun to build. The instructions were pretty simple to follow. This can definitely have playability to it. For me it will be a show piece.
The only complaint I have, is that the information / instruction book is falling apart at the book's spine. The glue is coming undone.
Otherwise, I would recommend this set to everyone, young and old, beginner to expert builders.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
A must-have for space-enthusiasts
on June 12, 2017
Posted by: Astronomer
I have been following this set since it appeared in the Lego Ideas website, and I ordered it on the day it became available (actually, already on the 31st of May in my time zone, so I was one or two hours late and already put on a 7 day backorder list...).
The model and the build is magnificent, there are a few repetitive parts, but there is no way to avoid that on a quite symmetric structure. I love how the different stages are fully functional, and most of the time pretty much true-to-life. The fully assembled model is pretty big (and heavy), but thanks to the internal structure also impressively solid.
A worthy centrepiece of any collection.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
Outstanding value
on June 3, 2017
Posted by: Stardust2006
I've been a fan of the Lego Ideas sets for a while, but the Lego Saturn V stands out as exceptional. The level of detail rivals the best UCS sets I've owned, and the engineering that went into making this model rigid is quite impressive. Most striking to me, however, is the price. With 1969 pieces and a finished model that's over 40" tall, I would have expected this set to be twice as expensive as it is.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
Best. Kit. Ever.
on June 5, 2017
Posted by: Jackmojo
So first thing's first, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid so when I saw that this kit was going to get produced my geek-out level went beyond any measurable range. In short, I'm biased, but I'll do my best to share my thoughts while ignoring all the visions of Space Camp dancing around in my brain.
The Build: In a word: genius. Apparently it was quite challenging developing this kit and the complexity of the build certainly attests to this. Even if you've been building for years, I can almost guarantee that you'll learn something new while building the Saturn V. While what's on the outside is superb, it's what's on the inside that will really blow your mind. The methods the Master Builders used to create a stable, visually stunning, yet playable model will certainly be studied by us would-be MB's for years to come...
The Finished Model: I used the word once already and I'll use it again: stunning. The fact that it's a large model isn't its most impressive feature, though it certainly is LARGE - bigger in real life than can be appreciated in the photos. It's most impressive feature is how well the model represents the real thing. Oh, and there are NO stickers in this model. Count 'em: ZERO. This kit uses 100% printed pieces to astounding results. I'm sure it pushed the price of development and ultimately the retail price upwards a bit, but the use of printed pieces ensures that item's like the "USA" printed across multiple pieces lines up perfectly every time.
The Play: Sure, you CAN play with it. The genius methods used to create the multiple rocket stages that remain sturdy after several separations and connections, however I don't believe play was what Lego had in mind for this model. You might reenact Apollo 13 a couple times, but ultimately you'll want to display it proudly - and this model is so exceptionally designed that you could even display it in your office at work.
There is no doubt that this model was a labor of love for one of the most exciting times in our Nation's history. The fan designers should be proud of what is the most impressive and visually pleasing official Lego model I've ever seen, and the pro modelers at Lego should be equally proud for the final design of what has been the single greatest fun I've ever had building a Lego kit.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO