LEGO CUUSOO

Click this to see the image above in higher resolution.

Click this to see a comparison between the real thing and my model, plus model dimensions in both centimeters and inches.

I designed it with MLCAD, here's a screencap showing finished design.

Click this to see a cross-section demonstrating how the fuselage & wings are made.

Here's the model being constructed!

And just don't think I let you miss some of its neatest functions...

It would be easy to make rigid landing gears, but I wanted to venture into the challenge of making retractable gears still strong enough to carry the weight of the model. I was lucky to find this YouTube video showing the landing gear of the real plane in action, offering me a model to imitate here.
So here it goes, watch this video demonstrating the landing gear function!

Here's a photo and another one showing how the landing gear system is made. The key is this piece which allows one-way-only gear function, preventing the landing gears collapsing by themselves.

As for the another function shown in the pic above, the top of the fuselage is easily detached to access the interior. Click this to see the said image in higher resolution.

To note, even though the model is roughly in minifig scale (or even slightly bigger), still there isn't so much room inside as in the real plane (for instance, only one figure can fit in the cockpit). This is naturally due to three facts: Lego pieces are relatively thick; minifigs have sort of fatty body structure; and a Lego model requires all kinds of supporting structures taking space. These realities have unavoidable effects when building with Lego. Also the pilot must sit further back than in the real thing, because the nose of the model is so filled with internal builds keeping it all together.
Regardless, this model has a nice interior including seats for passengers, and in the back we have room for cargo!

Pondering on a possible price of a set like this... This model is made of around 2,500 pieces! It'd likely be a licenced product. Perhaps a good set for comparison would be 10177 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, another detailed and licenced airplane model from LEGO. That one was $80 with 1197 pieces making price-per-part ratio $0.067. If this came out with a similar PpP, still observing the general LEGO fact that bigger the set is lower the PpP goes, then, licence included, this might cost somewhat near $160.

Which, in my opinion, would not be much for a LEGO set this special, this unique, and this BIG:

Click this to see the image above in higher resolution.
Click this to see another photo of me holding this beauty, to further demonstrate the scale.

The price estimation there concerns only this kind of design. Everyone please keep in mind that with every CUUSOO project the final design is up to LEGO, and the price is then determined by the production costs of the final product!

Also remember, that unlike the above-mentioned Boeing set which is only for display, this one is minifig-compatible and has playability in addition to making one mighty display piece!

Speaking of that playability... I made this fine crew dedicated to their beloved DC-3! Among others, minifigs include a mechanic keeping this aging airplane classic in good shape, and an aviation official of some sort making sure this old bird is good to go (apparently the Steven Spielberg head has once again found himself a new profession in the Lego City).

And here they are preparing for their next adventure:

Click this to see the image above in higher resolution.

The real DC-3 is long out of production and offers ride for the lucky few in the world. But this Lego DC-3 can become available to everyone! So let us make it happen by supporting this project! :)
Indeed, no minifigure should be left without this ride in the sky!
Just be careful, once you go near a DC-3 she might take your heart!

Known web coverage:
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Thanks to Eurobricks for featuring this and mentioning my other CUUSOO MOCs on their front page! :)
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Many thanks to Brick Fanatics for featuring this project! :)
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Huge thanks to BrickQueen for making a promotion video on YouTube for this project! :)
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Many thanks to GlenBricker for featuring all my projects on his blog! :)

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Collaboration notification!
The renowned CUUSOO user GlenBricker is collaborating with me on this project,
taking care of promotion work in his BLOG and via other means.
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P.S. Please see and consider supporting my other projects too! :)
- So versatile log cabin!
- This cute sailboat!
- Also the grand airship!
- And the ultimate Titanic!

And allow me to recommend just some of the finest projects on CUUSOO (in alphabetic order):
Architecture : Space Shuttle crawler transporter by Teazza
AVATAR! - Scorpion gunship - by ALKIDO
The Bat Rises by velociraptor
Bricklyn Borough Courthouse by sonicstar
BTTF - UCS DeLorean Time Machine by m.togami
Corellian Defender with Satele Shan, Qyzen Fess, & C2-N2 by GlenBricker
Desktop Series: Agile Hawk by rongYIREN
Female Minifigure Set by Alatariel
Futra CS Concept car by erthandfiya
Hummer H1 Soft Top by Paliason
It's a Brick World after all... by RobertBlok
James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 by JJOttens
Labyrinth Marble Maze by Touthomme
LEGO Bird Series by DeTomaso
Minifig Scale Aircraft by spider689
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria by t-brick
Police Patrol VTOL Valkyria by RuiQuintas
Posable 22" Skeleton by ChokingHaz
RESEARCH LAB SUBMARINE (Modular with interiors) by GRusso
Vampire GT Supercar by Crowkillers
Willys JEEP by suzuki