James Bond DB5 Aston Martin (10262) - Our Next Build!

Our next project is an un-anticipated one. We had planned on continuing with the Ninjago theme and tackling the Temple of Ninjitsu next but my coworker asked if we could build the new James Bond DB5 for him. He is a huge James Bond fan and is planning on displaying this on his TV stand.

We will be starting this once Destiny's Bounty is complete. Neither of us are huge car enthusiasts, which is why we have not built any of the car sets, but this one definitely has some fun features. There are swiveling machine guns built into the car, a working ejection seat, and a bullet proof panel that pops up from the trunk among other things.

It is definitely going to make a great collectible for James Bond fans. And heck, you never know, it may just change our opinion on car sets. Maybe one of our future builds will be the new Bugatti Chiron!

Destiny's Bounty (70618) - Building the Wheelhouse

Perhaps the most important space aboard the ship is the wheelhouse. This is where the captain navigates and sails the ship and everything he needs to do this is located here. Below, you can see a map on the navigation table. Of course, with the tight confines of the ship, every spare inch of space is used, so there are more vegetables growing in planters up here as well. These look like they might be chives - a favorite of Asian cuisine.

On the opposite side of the navigation table is a sextant.

And of course, no wheelhouse would be complete without a wheel, which sits in a prominent location in the center of the ship. A feature we really liked about the wheelhouse was that the bamboo shutters can be rolled up to allow for fresh air and natural light to permeate the space. You can see below that the shutters on the right side have been rolled up.

More lanterns adorn the vessel to provide light when sailing in darkness.  The lanterns are quite intricate and not what you would expect aboard a typical vessel. The tassel that hangs from the wheelhouse lantern gives a little frivolity to the area as it swings whenever the ship moves.

Below is a shot of the stern when all the bamboo shutters are fully deployed. They provide protection from the elements while maintaining the Asian theme of the vessel.

Along the sides of the vessel hang buoys - presumably to be used if someone goes overboard. These were mom's favorite things to build. All build long, she has been waiting to build these and she positively shrieked with delight when she got to this step.

 Here is a view of the stern of the vessel. It has more fashionable lanterns as well as a flag that flaps in the breeze (it's hard to see in this shot). It also has 2 pipes - they look like exhaust pipes but I am not sure that is the case as this ship has no engines.

 The flag the rear of the vessel is more easily seen in the below shot. It pivots freely on its support, depending on how the wind blows.

The next and final step is to put the sails on the ship and then she can head out on her maiden voyage!

Destiny's Bounty (70618) Building The Dojo

We have been hard at work over the past week or so and have pretty much finished off the upper deck. The level of detail continues to be stunning, as we have come to expect particularly with the Ninjago series.

The upper deck has a double leveled "superstructure". The bottom portion of this is a dojo where the ninjas can continue training and honing their skills as they sail the seas. The walls are adorned with weaponry. Here, we see a large crossbow mounted on the wall and a barrel full of other weapons in the corner.

In the opposite corner is a training dummy where the ninjas can practice their hand to hand combat skills.



And of course, no dojo would be complete with a set of samurai swords. These hang on the opposite wall.

 

The exterior of the dojo has a ladder which allows access to the upper level of the superstructure where the wheelhouse is located.

 

One of the most impressive and visually stunning aspects of the ship are the dual dragon heads on the prow. The detail and intricacy of these make for a spectacle - the curving flowing whiskers and horns are very Asian and the mouths articular open and closed.

On the deck,  the ninjas have some vegetables growing in planters that line the rails. Everyone knows a plant based diet is the key to longevity and health! At the cooking station to the right, there are some fresh fish waiting to be prepared. These are caught right off the deck using the 2 fishing rods that are pivot mounted by the port rail.

An interesting thing we discovered were the stern flaps that can be opened to give the captain some fresh air and a view of the wake when he is relaxing in his cabin.