The BUT-Yt is the 50th “Ugly” I created, a kitbashed starfighter built from whatever can be salvaged. This one intentionally uses ships to spell “BUT-Y” or “But, why?”, a question I commonly received when designing the variety of Uglies in this series. It’s a YT-1300 cockpit attached to a pressurized TIE Bomber ordnance pod with a B-Wing’s primary fixed wing and U-Wing engines. Its small cargo hold and optional gunner position makes it a perfect ship for a small-time smuggler or courier. 

Building instructions and a complete parts list are available on Rebrickable for $7.

New to Rebrickable? It’s the marketplace for custom LEGO instructions. You purchase and download a PDF, then use the included parts list to source pieces through BrickLink or your preferred parts store. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ordering parts.

Origin and Design

The BUT-Yt was a celebratory 50th Ugly design, both embracing the “But, why?” comments I would get on social media, but also the asymmetry that makes this type of ship special. It starts with the iconic YT-1300 cockpit unexpectedly transitioning to a similarly-sized TIE Bomber pod. The B-Wing’s primary fixed wing extends that awkward moment. Bulky U-Wing engines give it a gritty feel. The added weathering and damage make it feel like it’s been patched together over the years. 

In-universe, this would be a large starfighter or small freighter. Fast, but poor maneuvering. The iffy shields make the turret a necessity, to keep people off your tail. It’s the kind of ship meant to be able to protect itself for a short time.

Creating the BUT-Yt

I originally designed the v1 as a digital-only design for Instagram. It used most of the components from official LEGO sets plus my custom TIE Bomber, with minor customizations. I built my first physical model in 2025 and enhanced that v2 design with custom landing gear, engine changes, and a boarding ramp to the v2 ship. As part of my building instructions launch, I wanted to iterate one more time, with the v3 ship improving the interior details and updating the B-Wing’s fixed primary wing to be much more accurate.

Key features include:

• Three removable top panels that open to reveal a cockpit, hallway, and two sections of the TIE Bomber pod
• Cockpit with adjustable controls for firing and engaging the hyperdrive
• Gunner with turret controls to operate the YT-1300 turret directly above it
• Hidden smuggling compartment in the hallway floor from the cockpit to the pod
• Large cargo hold at the rear of the Bomber pod

I studied the B-Wing schematics to accurately model the sensor array housing and weapons pod. It uses advanced SNOT-based techniques to invert parts not meant to be upside down, which is needed to achieve the shape. Due to the layered construction, it’s extremely strong, and you can pick up the entire ship from the middle of the wing.

On Patreon, I published multiple behind-the-scenes articles covering how this ship came together. The B-Wing SNOT techniques and a deep look at all the ship features. Tier 1 (Hangar Crew) membership gets you this article and every other similar behind-the-scenes posts I publish.

Pieces: 1003
Dimensions: 15 inches wide x 9 inches long x 4 inches tall

Building Instructions

Step-by-step building instructions and complete parts list are available on Rebrickable. Instructions were developed through a full physical test build.

276 pages. Includes a complete parts list for sourcing through Bricklink of your preferred parts store.

About the Uglies Series

The BUT-Yt is part of a series of custom Ugly designs built since 2021. Uglies are kitbashed starfighters assembled from salvaged parts: the kind of ships you’d find in pirate hangars, fringe spaceports, or parked at the edge of a battlefield. No two are alike. Browse the full Uglies instructions catalog.