Review: 8971 Aerial Defense Unit

[VBBN]

My main problem with the set is the extras. The main helicopter is great. However, the base for the baddies is poor, the antennea heads look terrible, and the new agent...well, if you know how much I hate the bowl head cut then you would know my thoughts on her.

Bring on trace(in a bikin?)

Or her hair in dark red...

[Svelte]

My main problem with the set is the extras. The main helicopter is great. However, the base for the baddies is poor, the antennea heads look terrible, and the new agent...well, if you know how much I hate the bowl head cut then you would know my thoughts on her.

I agree about the antenna heads. It's like the Block Block theme came to life!

Even sticking the antenna over a trans-clear minifig head attached to the magma torso would have been preferable.

[calebexo01]

this set is awsome! it is way better than i orriginally thought. i barely paid attention to the prelim pics. the moving rotors are a great addition. when i first saw that it had 2 rotors i thought that it would be hard to spin them because they would bump into eachother when they were spun. i was wrong and TLCs solution for this is awesome. i dont have any other agents sets yet but i might get this but no way at TRUs price! if it goes on sale or i can get it for TLCs price i might.

Thanks for the great Review!

(TRU has a buy 2 get the 3rd free sale every september and i might get it then) (i already have 2 sets on my to-buy list that are $100 (Brickbeards Bounty, and Trolls Mountain Fortress)and have room for one more. i have 3 more that i am undecided on (Temple of Doom, Skopio XVI, and Aerial Defense Unit)but there is only room for one so i will get whichever proves to be the best of the three)

Edited May 28, 2009 by calebexo01

[Barricade769]

Thanks for the great review - that helicopter is a monster . The base isn't much, but with a bit of work it'll make a nice little add-on to the Volcano Base. I'm definately going to have to pick one of these little beauties up to add it to my collection .

[Batbrick]

Thanks for the review, loving this set a lot. I'm actually one of the few who really loves the badguy mini-base. It comes with some awesome rock pieces and a heap of that awesome dark brown. The chopper is brilliant, even if, as others and my father (a pilot) have told me, you don't need the tail rotor with counter-rotating propellers. Still, love it, and the features are amazing. I'm be sure to pack it with as many agents as possible. The minifigs are very neat, I love that we get two armour in this one, even if I wish it wasn't printed. Plus it's great to have another female agent. Magma Commander is fantastic, and I luuuurve that we get four robot arms in this set. Really disappointed that the henchmen have no heads though, but atleast they have awesome torsos.

Thanks again for the review, this is a must-get for me this year!

Batbrick Away!

[superliver]

I saw this in the Academy. Nice set, bit expensive..

Thanks for the review, though.

~A.S.

i agree it is a bit expensive, but it is great if they still sold dino attack- even with the stickers, that would be the one to get. great review thanks!

[MrTools]

I realy like this set, but as usual i cant afford it. The part that intrests me is the propelers that work, im trying to find a way to do it with just a single propler. Once again the Minifigs are great, but i wish those vests werent printed, the have so many uses, but i bet they will be released later with new color and no print for somthing...(hopes for space police vests )

[mitchrobins]

My main problem with the set is the extras. The main helicopter is great. However, the base for the baddies is poor, the antennea heads look terrible, and the new agent...well, if you know how much I hate the bowl head cut then you would know my thoughts on her.

Bring on trace(in a bikin?)

Or her hair in dark red...

I agree..Hey,i hope somebody would post here some tips in making the helicopter. Im really having a hard time making it...

Regards,

mitch

[Xenophilius Studz]

Excellent Review! I think this is one of the best sets of Agents this year. The base is nothing special, but as you listed, LEGO probably wants the buyer to add on to it. Or make it the Volcano Base's Back door.

I want to know, how much room is inside the Helicopter and what could you move/take out without competely altering the outstanding helicopter? I considering getting this or two other big sets if TRU (stupid overpricing toy store) doesn't put the Mobile Command Center back in stock on their website.

[legomucsles]

I'm going to get this one or the Battle of Endor but i think i'll get this one because it looks fantastic.

[MicroM]

Belated thanks for the review. Very well done.

This set has now gone on clearance, and after reading your review I decided to get it. One of my boys got a few of the other Agents kits for Christmas, so I'm hoping he likes this for his birthday (though it's still a few months off).

[paanjang16]

Got this set when it was on clearance (60% off!). I was on holiday in New Zealand and on my way from Auckland to Rotorua and somehow stumbled into Farmers Hamilton along the way. Greatest Lego purchase ever! My parents told me I looked like I strike the lottery!

Fantastic chopper with amazing features such as the twin rotor blades and dual zip line. Which is great for bungee jumping!!

Very big too! Size comparison with 8258.

A video I made to show how the twin rotors work. Ingenious I must say!

[parchioso]

Excellent review, it confirms my belief that this is a very good set (I haven't opened mine yet), and it seems to me that there are not that many stock available now in local market, it appeared on shelfs of local Toysrus for only a short while.