Imperial Shuttle

Description

Shape first

The Lambda-class shuttle is recognised by one thing above all: its tall central fin flanked by two folding wings. A model of any size stands or falls on getting that profile right, and at 46 pieces there is little room to spare. The builder's job here is to suggest the long fin and angled wings with a handful of plates and slopes, so the finished ship reads as the shuttle at a glance, even from across a room.

On screen

In Return of the Jedi, the Emperor arrives aboard the second Death Star in one of these shuttles, greeted by rows of stormtroopers. Later, the Rebels use a stolen shuttle to slip past the Imperial blockade and land a strike team on the forest moon of Endor. That double role, first as a symbol of Imperial power and then as the Rebels' way in, makes the shuttle one of the more memorable ships of the original trilogy.

What the numbers say

With 23 distinct elements among 46 pieces, the ratio is unusually high for a model this small, so there is more variety in the build than the total suggests. White dominates the colour list, followed by light bluish grey, black and trans-light blue. The bright white is a fair match for the clean, pale hull of the film shuttle. The parts list on this page shows every element with its colour and quantity.

Keeping and reusing

As a desk model it takes up almost no space and can be finished in a few minutes, and it pairs naturally with other small ships from Return of the Jedi. When you are ready to take it apart, white and grey parts are easy to put to use in your own spacecraft. The What can I build? tool on this page compares your collection with other sets and shows which ones you could already complete, and which would need only a few more parts.

FAQ

What is the Imperial Shuttle used for in the films?

It carries the Emperor to the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. The Rebels also use a stolen one to reach Endor.

How many pieces does set 912406 have?

It has 46 pieces made up of 23 distinct elements, with no minifigures.

When was this mini shuttle released?

The set is listed for 2024.