Lego 10497 - Galaxy Explorer

I asked for this for my birthday!  I never actually had the original set (497/928) when I was young, I had to wait til 2003 to finally get it on ebay.  I should dig that copy out and build it, would be cool to have them side by side :)

I have to say I was a little disappointed at the packaging from Lego - the box had a tonne of air space around it, and just one piece of packing paper.  Hopeless.

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

The box

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

All the baggies

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Construction

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

How to make an arrow - brackets, slopes and cut out tiles
Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

As always there's a tonne of pieces of I've never used before

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Some shots of the finished product

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Lego 10497 Galaxy Explorer

The verdict?  Well it sure looks great and it was a lot of fun to build.  But to be honest the design is a little.. flimsy..  At one point when it was nearly finished I picked it up where you'd think you'd be able to - right in the middle just behind the cockpit - and the thing fell apart in my hands.  Had to reconstruct the cockpit rooves because it just wasn't strong enough to hold the weight of the model.  They really needed to reinforce this somehow so you can pick it up there.  Also all around the front of the wings all wiggle if you touch them.  But other than that it's great :)