I tested for you: LEGO Star Wars 75144 Snowspeeder

In summary, the manufacturer recommends using product to clean the windows, which allows the sticker to be positioned correctly on the surface concerned and let dry.

Since it is above all a model to be assembled before exhibiting it, we can legitimately quibble over certain choices made by LEGO designers, especially in the cockpit.

If the canopy here is much more faithful to the machines of the film in terms of proportions than on the 2003 version, the distribution of the side windows is not correct on the LEGO version.

No need to move the sticker that separates the side window to try to stick to the original, the result will always be rough due to the positioning of the upright located towards the front.

Most fans will be happy with it, but this new version of the canopy, although it represents a notable evolution from the 2003 version, is still not perfect or faithful to the model from which it was inspired.

The hinges of the canopy are visible, I would have preferred that they were better hidden without sacrificing the possibility of access to the cockpit. It's very personal.

The Technic connectors (ref. 4526985) used for the two barrels need to be oriented correctly so that the notch is not visible from certain angles. Perfectionists will think about it. Others, like me, will tire of spinning them around to get the right look.

The real challenge of this reproduction was in respecting the angles of the structure of the original machine.

The designers are doing quite well on this point thanks to the ball joints, in particular at the level of the nose whose angle is now more pronounced than on the model of 2003 and well in the extension of the front window of the canopy.

The side panels which join the two wings are also correctly positioned. They tend to move at the slightest shock, but it only takes a few seconds to get them back into the correct position.

At the rear, the designers managed to reproduce the cooling fins correctly, keeping them that characteristic look that fans know. It's less coarse than the 2003 version, but it's a bit more fragile. We can not have everything.

All those who regularly move their sets for exhibitions or conventions will be able to do so without having to dismantle everything or create a container suitable for transporting the machine as is. The set consists of elements which can be separated and reassembled in the blink of an eye. It is well seen.

It is also the paradox of this set with on the one hand all the attention to detail which allows us to offer an honest reproduction of the machine and on the other a few compromises which spoil all these efforts.

Even the parts that are not or not directly visible have been the subject of a very satisfactory level of detail, the assembly is all the more pleasant and the end result can be admired from every angle without the aesthetic rendering does not suffer.

On the functionality side, it is above all a matter of changing the overall appearance of the model by acting on the airbrakes via the rear dial or on the canopy of the cockpit to leave it in the ajar position, for example. We can also move the harpoon gun from the shooter station.

It is sufficient and it allows to vary the presentations according to the tastes of each one. Nobody will really play with this Snowspeeder (apart from a quick tour of the living room at the end of the assembly, just to mark the occasion), but it remains relatively easy to handle without breaking everything.

LEGO adds in this box two minifigs with pad-printed arms. Too bad the two rebels in question are generic versions. Unable to clearly identify them and the two minifigs have the same outfit and the same face. Only the helmet is different from one character to another.

The instruction booklet, rich in a few pages gathering interviews of the different artists and designers involved in the realization of this set, informs us that the minifig with the white helmet is in fact Will Scotian, a second plan character seen in the scene of the briefing before the Battle of Hoth.

Based on the look of his helmet, the other minifigure would possibly be the pilot Zev Senesca even if the helmet in question is not entirely faithful to the film version. In any case, and until proven guilty, the two characters are not twins in the film ...

In the end, LEGO is careful not to name these two minifigs on the box, simply assigning them generic names.

The machine is obviously not on the minifig scale. If you still doubt it, just sit the pilot or shooter in their respective seats to realize it.

The cockpit is an assembly of stickers and some pad printed bricks. It is detailed, well finished and the model can be exhibited with its canopy ajar so that we can admire the cockpit.

In the end and despite its few flaws, this Snowspeeder largely contributes to saving the reputation of a range Ultimate Collector Series in which the very questionable set has strayed 75098 Battle of Hoth released in 2016.

We finally come back to what makes all the prestige of this range with a detailed and convincing reproduction of an emblematic machine from the Star Wars saga and this is good news.

The two minifigs are dispensable, they do not add much to the whole unless we consider that they are simple decorative elements of the presentation base.

The installation of the sticker displaying the technical characteristics of the machine is a step feared by many regulars of the range Ultimate Collector Series. Here again, a pad printed plate would be welcome.

To be honest, this set will quickly join my collection, even if I already have the previous version released in 2003 at the back of a closet.

It shows that LEGO still manages to offer us beautiful brick-based reproductions and that the spirit of the range Ultimate Collector Series is not totally lost.

I'm a die-hard fan of the LEGO Star Wars range, so I won't even complain about the retail price of this box (219.99 € in the LEGO Shop). Too bad, it's expensive, but it's a nice product and I'm willing to put in the effort to help show LEGO that it's this type of set, elaborate and aesthetically very successful, that I want to collect.

Note: The set presented here is involved. To participate, you must intervene in the comments. You have until April 30, 2017 at 23:59 p.m. to contribute to the discussion and a draw will determine the winner. The winner's name / nickname will be posted here within 24/48 hours of the contest closing date.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.
If I do not get a response from him to my request for contact details before May 6, a new winner will be drawn.