40 replies to this topic

[Svelte]

_INDEXED



Name: Air Show Plane
Theme: CITY
Year: 2009
Pieces: 115
Minifigs: 2
Price: ??? Promotional set for airlines
Resources: Brickset, Bricklink

1. Introduction
Every year, the Lego Group produces a special promotional set to be sold only via airlines to their on-board passengers. 2006 featured the 2064 Air Ambulance and 2007 saw the release of 2230 Helicopter and Raft. This year, in keeping with more civilian flavour of the City sets overall, Lego has given us 7643 - the Air Show Plane! How does it compare to its predecessors? Does it fit with the rest of the 2009 sets? Read on and find out!

2. Box, parts and instructions

The front of the box:


The back of the box:


The box is so teensy! I guess that makes it more economical to stow for on-board shopping. Here's a comparison with a Clone Battle Pack  (almost everyone has one of these, right? Although the Air Show Plane box is a little wider):


The instructions come in 2 booklets:


The DSS (Dreaded Sticker Sheet):


There are two polybags and some plates. Bag 1 contains the figs and ice-cream stand, and Bag 2 contains the plane.


The parts are a good mix of standard colours and some rarer pieces such as a smattering of lime green and pink:


The only really stand-out parts-wise is *9* of these metallic silver cheese slopes (1 is extra):


3. The Build - Figs and Ice-Cream Stand

The figs. The pilot's colour scheme of navy and brown looks very tasteful, and I like the little helmets. The flag-waving, ice-cream selling lady has the Agent Trace hair and some generic City body parts. It's a nice touch that the flag is in navy blue, although somewhat confusing - is she supposed to be an on-the-ground traffic controller? If so, why is she running an ice-cream franchise on the runway? That aside, I do like that she has a chocolate and strawberry flavoured sundae as indicated by the 1x1 round plates!


The ice-cream stand is a simple little build, and a great complement to the 8398 BBQ standimpulse which was released earlier this year. Indeed, I think it is somewhat better, with its unique colour scheme and more useful pieces. I particularly like the ice-cream dispensers, and the side clips for holding the sundae glasses:


I do think Trace-Lite needs a new uniform as her current outfit looks very dark compared to the stand:


In a surprise attack, the BBQ Impulse vendor, angered by the proliferation of rival snack stands in Lego City, hits back:


4. The Build - Air Show Plane

Like many small aircraft, this one starts looking off like a boat:


We build up the body of the air plane:


That black modified 1x2 plate with handle acts as the control stick. But hey! At least it's not a sticker :


The propeller apparatus will fit over this Technic axle:


Voila! The plane is complete!


Front-on view:


Side view:


Close-up of the (immovable) landing gear:


All the parts of the set together:




Bonus pic! This guy with the beard gets everywhere!


5. Overall Rating
Minifigs - 7/10, nothing really new and Trace-Lite could use a better torso, but better than the average City set
Parts - 7.5/10 - a nice mix of colours and pieces with some rarer pieces such as the silver cheese
Build - 7/10 a fun, quick, classic-style little build for both the ice-cream stand and the plane
Overall - 7/10 - hardly essential, but a nice set nonetheless

This was a fun little set to build and it looks good. These airline promo sets are one of the few ways to get an old-scale plane and are worth picking up by Classic Town admirers for that reason alone. However, the addition of the adorable ice-cream stand in this set elevates it beyond a simple, classically-styled toy plane by suggesting the celebratory party atmosphere of an exciting weekend air show (To be honest, I probably would not have bought this set if it was just the plane on its own ). The plane itself, reminiscent of the single-engine aviation craft of the early part of the 20th century, is both different from and compatible with the larger City aircraft by virtue of not attempting to emulate the larger retail releases like passenger jets or cargo planes. If I was flying with any airline that stocked these I would be sure to pick one up as a fun supplement to the regular City releases of 2009.

[jeffjcc]

Great little set.

LOVE the ice Cream!!!   And the Metallic flares.


reminds me a lot of 6345 - aerial acrobats

[Guss]

I like this set a lot^^ the plane design is really cool I think ! Nice review Svelte Corps!

[Bonaparte]

I just love this scene  



Fantastic review Svelte!

[xenologer]

Interesting little set.
I made one in few mins in LDD. most of the parts are available.
This would seem to indicate it's not exactly a 'Must Have' promo set, its all commonly available bricks.

[WhiteFang]

Another great review, Mr Combo Reviewer!  

I really fond of this set, especially of integrating it together to create a series of planes which have a classic feel. I could use it create an aerial acrobat display! Actually, I love that plane design and that lovely lady over there.  

Thanks for doing this review for us. This has been blogged in Classic-Town.net.

[mikey]

This looks like a nice little plane, if I saw I think I would buy.  The ice cream stand for me is the best part, deffinetly on my list of little builds to do soon!



great idea! But I could predict love between our fast food entrepreneurs.  A Hot Dog followed by an Ice Cream, it doesn't have to be one or the other!

Then they could save a few pennies by bulk ordering red 1 x 1 round bricks...
He uses them for Tomatoe Ketchup
She uses them for Strawberry Sauce!

[YG-49]

Nice review!! Looks like a good set. Is it sold world-wide or only US/wherever you got it? Oh and, they sell it to you IN THE AIR?! I would have thought at the air port.

[Svelte]

YG-49, on Apr 30 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Nice review!! Looks like a good set. Is it sold world-wide or only US/wherever you got it? Oh and, they sell it to you IN THE AIR?! I would have thought at the air port.

I don't know what the distribution is. My understanding was that these sets were sold inflight, like a lot of other goods in the passenger catalogues, but I may be wrong. The only one I've ever seen in real life is the el cheapo Qantas Blocklock (or whatever it is) travesty Maybe someone who has actually bought one from an airline can tell us what the procedure is?

mikey, on Apr 30 2009, 08:26 PM, said:

great idea! But I could predict love between our fast food entrepreneurs.  A Hot Dog followed by an Ice Cream, it doesn't have to be one or the other!

Then they could save a few pennies by bulk ordering red 1 x 1 round bricks...
He uses them for Tomatoe Ketchup
She uses them for Strawberry Sauce!

Haha, that is a cute idea! It could be a whole miniseries - falling in love, Lego style I was thinking of MOCing a larger ice-cream shop in the same colour scheme, maybe that would be a suitable venue for romance

[mikey]

svelte_corps, on Apr 30 2009, 12:40 PM, said:

Haha, that is a cute idea! It could be a whole miniseries - falling in love, Lego style I was thinking of MOCing a larger ice-cream shop in the same colour scheme, maybe that would be a suitable venue for romance

Then they could get married in your chocolate factory!

[YG-49]

So that means you bought it off the internet....?

Quote

Then they could get married in your chocolate factory

Chocomel!

Goodbye...
*The one trying to stay on topic*

Edited by YG-49, 30 April 2009 - 11:57 AM.

[Svelte]

mikey, on Apr 30 2009, 09:55 PM, said:

Then they could get married in your chocolate factory!

My Pillage the Village (a Pirates competition run late last year) was also a Fishmonger, so there's a theme there

YG-49, on Apr 30 2009, 09:55 PM, said:

So that means you bought it off the internet....?
Goodbye...
*The one trying to stay on topic*

Stay on target!

Yes, it was from the internet

[TheBrickster]

Great review Svelte!  I love these airplane promotional sets.  I just wish Lego had them in stores.  I was really thinking this was a regular (non-promotional set) when I first saw it.  I guess not.

Your review is fantastic.  Great pictures, of even the build! - very nice.  I also like the scene Bonaparte mentioned.  Very funny.

[KinGanon]

Wow awesome and hilarious review! I like all the little humor you put into your reviews.

As for the set, it looks okay but I bet it'll be worth an arm and leg on BL(considering its a promotional set)

[Skipper 24]

Great review . This set seems aright although it doesn't seem to be a desperate must buy.

Edited by Skipper 24, 30 April 2009 - 09:02 PM.

[natelite]

which airline is selling this set?

[BlueBard]

Great review! Even if the plane could be more accurated is a nice set (the ice cream detail is a nice touch  ) It's a pity it's just airlines promotional (I think I'll take plane these summer holidays...  )

[Alldarker]

Hmm... I'll be flying with Continental next week. I'll see if they have this set available; looks nice.

[Oken]

The ice-cream stand is pretty cool but the plane is common.

[The Green Brick Giant]

If there was ever a set to be mass released it's this one.  This is an amazing little set, if LEGO smartened up they could release 1-2 of these to the mass public for $15-$20USD and I think they would be huge sellers.

[Peppermint_M]

ooo I hope I can get this on my flight to Canada in August  
Looks great and funny review  

[ILikePi]

So does that mean that some airline companies sell them? If so, how do you get them? Buy them while on the flight?  

Thanks for the review svelte! I bet that this set would sell really well if it was just a normal set.

[Alldarker]

ILikePi, on May 2 2009, 03:20 AM, said:

So does that mean that some airline companies sell them? If so, how do you get them? Buy them while on the flight?  

Thanks for the review svelte! I bet that this set would sell really well if it was just a normal set.

ILikePi: yes, that is exactly how you get them. On flights, especially long international flights on bigger planes, the stewardess comes rond with a trolley with small duty free items like perfume, watches, pens and booze, and sometimes also small toys (like these Lego sets). So you buy them directly from the stewardess while in the plane.

[CopMike]

Great review again Svelte ! This is a nice set, I have all the pieces, stickers and instructions, so I guess I should put it together.
These small promo sets always are packed with pieces, they usually weigh about double to what an ordinary set from a shop wih the same boxsize weighs!

natelite, on May 1 2009, 12:45 AM, said:

which airline is selling this set?

BlueBard, on May 1 2009, 01:06 AM, said:

It's a pity it's just airlines promotional (I think I'll take plane these summer holidays...  )

Alldarker, on May 1 2009, 09:17 AM, said:

Hmm... I'll be flying with Continental next week. I'll see if they have this set available; looks nice.

Peppermint_M, on May 1 2009, 11:29 PM, said:

ooo I hope I can get this on my flight to Canada in August  

ILikePi, on May 2 2009, 02:20 AM, said:

So does that mean that some airline companies sell them? If so, how do you get them? Buy them while on the flight?  

Or go here, order/pay and ship to a German friend !

CopMike

[Holodoc]

CopMike, on May 2 2009, 03:14 PM, said:

Or go here, order/pay and ship to a German friend !
CopMike

Anyone you have in mind?
One more reason to join in in our events. (OK, next year   )

I received a big parcel today. The contents: 16    (!) 7643 bought exactly from that place mentioned above, the TUI-Internet shop.

The price: 16€ each of course.

You lucky guys coming to Günzburg!   We´re going to have a lot fun building a big airshow then.