Lego System Model Team 5591 - Mach II Red Bird [Timelapse Build]
Timelapse build of each piece in this beautiful set from the mid-90's; Truck/Rig, Trailer and Jet plane.
As a kid in 1994 I remember seeing this kit in the Lego catalogue and wanting it - but it was a large kit and a lot of money at the time. The years passed and my interest in Lego went away for 21 years. After visiting some Lego exhibitions in 2015 I was reinspired to have a look at the new kits and track down some old ones. I found an old 5591 on Bricklink and this is what I'm putting together here.
It was a fun build and the end result looks great. I love that this is from a time where studs showing seems to be the norm (compared to the smooth kits offered today), there's a combination of Lego realism and technic to get parts to move along with a high level of detail which would have been awesome for the time. Some of the more expert level Creator models from today offer even more, but Model Team could be seen as a precursor to the Creator theme.
Being a second hand model, there were some pieces missing and/or replaced with inferior pieces. Thankfully I was able to replace those. The sticker sheet was unused, which is a good thing as some of the stickers were quite large and cover multiple bricks in the kit. The steering mechanism in the truck has been a little fragile, coming loose on two occasions due to the design of the connecting axle. It has been tricky to repair each time.
For my own purposes I converted the truck cab to right-hand drive which is a simple enough repositioning of certain pieces around the steering wheel (which is not connected to the front wheels).
I am really happy to have the kit on my shelf!
Released: 1994
Pieces: 1172