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So i just piced up a new digital camera and i thought what better way to try it than doing a review of my newest set. The new 7738 Coast Guard Helicopter! itsmy first review, so go easy on me!
lets start off with the small stuff. First the mini figs.
You get 4 figs total. Two helicopter pilots, a diver and a civilan to rescue. The torso's are nothing new on the pilot and diver. Same ones as in the last coast guard line. But i like the colors alot better in this coast guard line than the previous generation. The yellow and blue really work well together and the coloring on the badge looks great! The civilian looks to be just a dock worker with an overall torso and a beenie. The diver has nice vented helmet and a pair of flippers that suits his duty perfect!
Next we have an absolute work of lego art. The rescue raft!
The orange flaps can be moved back for easy entry to the raft, as well as the white "support" beams with the caution tape. I put support in perenthaces cause they really don't support anything. Just there to fill in the gaps. At the top of the raft is a red locator beacon, ccommunications antenna, and a cargo loop for lifting the raft.
lets move on to the interior of the raft.
Not much here. But you can see the techinc beam that attaches to the top loop,and to the floor of the raft. So far this has proven to be very sturdy and has supported the full weight of the raft quite well. You can also see the white box that holds the equipment of the raft. Here you can see the life saver tube.
Here's a shot with our dock worker peaking out the side.
The raft says max ocupants 4, but with the storage box, that might be a tight fit.
Now lets move on to the Helicopter!
in my opinion this is one of the best helicopters TLC has come out with to date. I really felt they captured the look and proportions of a real Coast Guard helicopter. it uses a lower hull and tail section of the new airliner, and cargo airplane. It really seems to work well with this application. The engines have good detail using new "cheese graders" as vents, as well as the new engine stacks that come in the new speed racer sets. The rotors also appear to be new as well. lets move on to the cockpit.
We have two seats for our pilots with a sticker sheet for intruments on a flat 4 wide plate. There's also an antena being used as a flight stick. Another shot with our pilots at the helm.
Now lets moveon to the high lihgt of this heavy lifting machine. The med bay, and lifting winch.
http://www.brickshel...icopter_020.jpg
here you can see the winch arm at rest, along with the medical strechter. The bad part is that the med. strechter doesn't include the ussually included fold away wheels.
here's a shot with the winch arm extened ready for rescue!
In the second shot you can see the drum that the wire coils up in. It coils up via a recently new power functions "pull" back motor. To operate, just pull out the winch cable, hook on your load, and presse this orange button on the side...
The bad part of the new power functions winch is that although its very smooth in its operation, its not very strong. It will only lift the raft a couple inches before it runs out of torque. It also has a tendency to want to pull the crane arm backin while its lifting. It doesn't matter if its a light load, or heavy load.
The bay doors open on both sides for easy postioning of the figures and accses to the strechter.
Here we have our diver looking over his rescue-e. Nice and roomy if you don't mind a crane arm being in your way!!
At $39.99 and a peice count of 445, i felt this set was a great good considering what your getting. The raft construction is very creative and is probbly the highlight of the set by itself. The helicopter is probbly one of the best, if not the best helicopter TLC has ever came out with if you can get over its size.
in a scale of one to five....
Price-
Peice count-
Playability-
Design-
overall-
.5 I would have given it a full 5 out of five, but since the winch can't pull the raft all the way, it didn't fell it right.
Even with this minor flaw, i still highly recomend this set!
this is DEFINATLY one of the CG sets im geting i cant wait to get my hands on this set! 
- a very nice set 
. Nevertheless I don't know if I buy it (probably not) - but it's very nice!
