Lego Set 29 — Shilone Aerospace Fighter

This week I bring you something different. I have already posted a few vehicles here, but this ought to be the first aircraft. Do not worry, it won’t be the last either. The Shilone SL-17 has quite a special place within the BattleTech universe, hence why it gets to be the first. THE main aerospace fighter of the Dracons Combine, it appeared consistently in most BattleTech media as a generic fighter. Even in MechWarrior 4, the supposed Chippewa fighter was suspiciously similar to a Shilone.

Entering service right at the onset of the Succession Wars, the Shilone had a bumpy early service life, with fuselage breakups killing a few pilots. However, this issue was resolved in later production runs.

Agile and swift, the Shilone is characterized mostly by its awesome firepower for a platform of its size. It would gain a reputation, and find its way into most aerospace wings of the Draconis Combine, as well as into the squadrons of other nations and mercenary outfits.

In real life, I believe that the characteristic flying wing design with the wing teeth extending beyond the squat cockpit make for a really unique silhouette. Given that the designs of the early fighters, much like the ‘Mechs, were taken from several anime shows, the striking shape of the Shilone is potentially one of the few that is uniquely BattleTech. Thus, this machine has appeared in essentially every videogame, animation, and essentially all other depictions of this setting.

This model was my first attempt at an aircraft for my BattleTech series. It came together rather easily, at least the wing layout. The underside required some attempts, but I think it eventually took shape really well. It requires just 36 parts, which isn’t really much given how big it is, plus two more parts for the base.

Finally, I would like to make a shameless plug-in. I am involved in the Redline mecha-themed trading card game, which is on its second Kickstarter campaign right now. If we gain enough traction, I may even write a novel for them. So, if this is up your alley, give it a check and share the Twitter link to help us out.

Thank you!