The Biggest Lego MOC Ever: X-Wing, 5.3 million pieces and 23 tonnes

One of the biggest ever built LEGO MOCs was unveiled in 2013 in New York: the real-life scale X-Wing, still the biggest ever scale LEGO project to date.

The model of the classic Star Wars fighter was unveiled in Times Square with a wingspan of 44 feet (13.5 metres) coming complete with R2-D2 and a full range of sound effects. It's a super-duper-sized version of Star Wars Lego starfighter set #9493 (now retired) and was made with 5,335,200 Lego bricks. That, according to Lego, makes it the largest model ever built, eclipsing the Lego robot at the Mall of America by some 2 million bricks. This replica of the Rebel Alliance dogfighter is 42 times the size of the Lego version we've all built and a bit bigger than a real X-Wing (Okay, if the X-Wing was real) - precisely 2 feet (0.7 metres) bigger.

The X-Wing was assembled at LEGO's Model Shop in Kladno, Czech Republic, by a team of 32 "master builders" (and yes, that’s an actual job title worth considering!). The project took a total of 17,336 hours to complete. Using LEGO’s proprietary 3-D design software, detailed plans for the model were developed. The builders also collaborated with structural engineers to ensure the model’s stability and safety, as master builder Erik Varszegi explained in an interview.

"This has been a wild and exciting project for us, and it’s taken an international team of designers, engineers, structural consultants, model builders, and logistics personal over a year to bring this model from a conception to reality," Varszegi said. "In one respect, designing it was the 'easy' part, as we were creating a scaled version of an actual toy construction set."

Once completed, the model—tipping the scales at 45,980 pounds (2.1 tonnes)—was disassembled into 34 sections for shipping to New York by boat, a journey that took two boats two months to complete. To make sure the West Coast doesn’t miss out, the starfighter is headed to Legoland California after its display in Times Square, where it will stay until the end of the year. Weighing 23 tonnes, especially with so many LEGO bricks, much of the model's heft comes from its steel framework, which was necessary to handle the vibrations from the subway beneath Manhattan’s Duffy Square and any potential seismic activity in Southern California.

"My fellow Master Builders and I are always looking for a challenge – and for projects that push our skills to the next level," Varszegi said. The team chose the X-Wing because it "is one of the most iconic vehicles in the Star Wars universe and the sheer size and scope of the building and engineering challenges was one we couldn’t resist."

What else would you love a highly skilled team of Master Builders bring to life? Can you even call these MOCs, considering entire teams are involved?

All photos: Lego