Call me Lisan al Gaib, because I bring your salvation… okay, that’s a bit strong, but I do bring a review of the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter set. One of the most iconic vehicles in the Dune universe, the Ornithopter is the best form of transport if you need to get around on the desert planet of Arrakis without disturbing the sandworms, and now it has been brought to life as a beautiful 1,369-piece Lego set.
It’s a great time for fans of both cinema and Lego, with some of the best Lego sets in recent years being tie-ins for big screen movies, both old and new. We’ve seen Lord of the Rings sets for Rivendell and Barad Dur, and there’s also a Jaws set that’s just around the corner.
But this isn’t the time for fantasy; we’re getting out sci-fi on so, let’s sandwalk over to the table and get building this thing. Hey, stop laughing at my sandwalk, you want to get eaten by a sandworm? I didn’t think so.
Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter features
- Eight minifigures
- Moving wings and landing gear
- Based on Dune: Part 1
The Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter was launched to coincide with the release of Dune: Part 2 back in February 2024. While the movie itself is PG-13, this set is recommended for ages 18 and up. Teenagers can handle violent scenes and ruminations on what it means to be human, but a moderately complex Lego build is seemingly beyond them.
Jokes aside, this kit would be absolutely fine for most teenagers.
The Ornithopter is a dragonfly-inspired sci-fi version of a helicopter in the Dune universe, and it’s one of the main modes of transportation for members of House Atreides when they first arrive on the desert planet. This Lego version replicates the iconic profile of the aircraft beautifully, while also going the extra mile and including mechanisms to extend and retract the wings and landing gear.
Fans of the movies will also be thrilled by the healthy roster of minifigures that come with the set. There are eight figures comprising all the major characters in the first movie: Paul Atreides, Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Chani, Leto Atreides, Liet Kynes, Duncan Idaho and Baron Harkonnen in his hilariously long robe.
Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter build
- 3-4 hour build
- Lots of Technic pieces
- Fun build with plenty of variety
With 1,369 pieces, the Dune Ornithopter is a mid-sized Lego set that took me around 3-4 hours to assemble over a couple of days. It could easily be done in one night if you have thumbs of steel, but the large number of Technic pieces in this set meant pushing a lot of pins into holes, which can take a toll on your hands.
They’re not here without good reason though, as there are a lot of mechanisms that are needed for the moving parts of the Dune Ornithopter — namely the landing gear and folding wings. Given the relatively simple shape of the Ornithopter’s fuselage, the build process is fairly straightforward, with most of the construction focused on the main body of the aircraft, attaching the various gears and linkages as appropriate.
To keep things fresh, eight out of the ten bags of Lego pieces contain one of the minifigures. Once the fuselage is done, you then move onto assembling the cockpit and finally attaching the rather remarkable wings.
Despite my complaints about my poor thumbs, I had a lot of fun assembling the Lego Ornithopter. It has a good mix of regular and Technic Lego pieces, and there aren’t really any repetitive sections to drag the pace down. There are also no stickers in the set, with all the details coming from printed pieces — huzzah!
Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter design
- Folding wings and landing gear
- Clear cockpit with room for pilots
- Wings can actually move
When it’s all assembled, the Lego Ornithopter is a real work of art that perfectly captures that sleek and unusual design from the movies. It’s not the most colorful piece, sporting the gray paintjob of its movie counterpart, but it’s full of sharp lines and fascinating details that draw the eye.
At the back of the craft is the boarding ramp, which can be raised or lowered using a cleverly-disguised dial on the side of the hull. You’ll have it down by default, as the controls are tied together with the landing gear.
The cockpit looks great too, with that unique inverted triangle shape that sees it get wider at the top. If you detach the cockpit glass, you can fit two minifigures in the pilot seats, which come with little printed computer screens and moving levers to represent the flight controls.
The wings are definitely the most striking part of the set, especially when they’re extended out to their full width via the sliding lever on the top. The Lego Ornithopter has an impressive wingspan of around 31-inches (79 cm), and there is even a button on top that you can press rapidly to flap the wings, which is a very nice touch. In practice, you’re only going to extend the wings when you’re showing it off to friends though, as it’ll be impossible to display on any normal shelf with the wings out. Fortunately, with the wings tucked in the Ornithopter shrinks down to a very display-friendly profile.
I have found that there is a panel near the wing assembly that occasionally pops off when I extend the wings out. One of the gear linkages is clearly catching on it as it moves past. It’s a minor annoyance, but on a $165/£150 set, minor annoyances are worth mentioning.
Outside of the craft itself, you also get a very decent array of minifigures. Most of them are fairly standard — Lady Jessica has a dress instead of legs, and a couple of them have helmet on or off head options. The star of the show is definitely Baron Harkonnen though. Look at this big tall boi… he’s hilarious! His robe is fashioned from a long piece of fabric that hooks under his head, and I love him.
Should you buy the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter?
Whether you're a fan of the movies, the books, or both, the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is an absolute must-have for Dune fans. As a display piece, it looks fantastic and thanks to the folding wings, it fits neatly on normal-sized display shelves. Then, when you want to show it off, you can extend the wings out and blow some minds.
It’s not the cheapest Lego set out there, especially for the relatively tame piece count (for the price), but you get your money’s worth with the build thanks to the blend of classic Lego and fancy Technic mechanisms — just do it in a couple of sessions to stop your thumbs from falling off.
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How we tested the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter
I built this set over the course of two evenings, and it took around 3-4 hours to complete. I followed the instructions, making notes of sections that were difficult, confusing or, in this case, painful, as well as highlighting enjoyable aspects of the build.
Once the build was finished, I considered the overall design: how good it looks, how accurately it replicates the Ornithopter from the movie, and any special features that it has (or is lacking).
You can find out more about our process in our 'how we test' guide.
For more bricky goodness, check out our guide to the best Lego Star Wars sets. You can also boost your collection for less with these Lego deals.
