Hans Burkhard Schlömer : Many ships from Star Wars have a compact form. While the gunship also looks very sleek and detailed, it has a particularly interesting feature: most of it is wide open! The passenger/troop compartment is huge -- it a big open space right where the support structure for the engines and the wing connections should be. Most of the weight of the model is hanging over empty air! Quite a challenge for a designer to turn this original design into a sturdy and buildable LEGO set. StarWars.com: The LEGO Star Wars Republic Gunship was made as a result of a fan vote on LEGO Ideas. Does the fact that you know this is something fans especially want add to the sense of responsibility you have in bringing it to life?

StarWars.com: LEGO Star Wars has a rich 20-plus year legacy, and I think releases like this show that there's still so much potential to create really amazing builds. On the creative side, how does designing and releasing something as impressive as the Republic Gunship, and knowing that fans played a part, inspire the team moving forward?The heavy-hitting prequel-era craft will join the vaunted LEGO Ultimate Collector Series with a massive, stunning new set. Designers Jens Kronvold Frederiksen and Hans Burkhard Schlömer of the LEGO Group tell StarWars.com how they reinvented a classic.

Jens Kronvold Frederiksen: First of all, with the UCS models we can create extremely large models. The size and scale mean that we can make complicated shapes, not possible in a smaller scale. And then, of course, we can really dial up on the level of details! That is the fun part, and what make these models looks so authentic. Jens Kronvold Frederiksen: This whole process with the fans’ choice have been super exciting. We were really amazed about the number of people voting! It is probably not the last time we do something like that. Includes 2 LEGO® Star Wars™ minifigures: Chief Tarfful and Yoda, plus 2 Kashyyyk Battle Droid figures.Jens Kronvold Frederiksen: When designing the LEGO Star Wars models, we are always doing our absolute best to deliver the best possible building and play experiences, or the most awesome looking display model. It is the same for anything we do, from the smallest Microfighter to the biggest UCS model. However, the fact that this model was the fans’ choice, of course put a bit of extra pressure on us. We know that a lot of people have been looking forward to seeing this model, so we are, of course, extra excited to see if the live up to the expectations! Enjoy quality time creating the first-ever Ultimate Collector Series version of a Republic Gunship (75309), just like those seen during the Battle of Geonosis in Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Star Wars Republic Gunship was voted for by LEGO® fans as their top choice to become the next Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) set in an online poll. So, by popular demand, here it is!