LukefromNJ Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) Here's my review of set 60022, which is so far the largest and most expensive set that I've bought. Does it stack up (no pun intended)? Read on to find out (and don't worry: all pictures after the first three are on a white background)... Packaging is pretty straightforward, you get 6 bags plus a unbagged wing piece: I forgot to take a picture of the 2 sticker sheets, but there are a lot of stickers included. One thing that I really liked about the packaging was that the sticker sheets and manuals both came in a separate bag with a cardboard backing, which kept them all nice and flat (although the sticker sheets curled like crazy once I started to apply them). In the first bag you get the pieces for a hydrant fueling truck and an air traffic control tower: The fueling truck is used at airports where there is an existing network of pipes running through the airport: While most pictures I've seen of airport hydrant trucks look like a full-sized truck with a pump and hose, I must admit I really like the look of this cart, it looks appropriately "airport-y" if you know what I mean: It uses 3 stickers, which seems like quite a lot for such a small vehicle. In airports without such a pipe network, a truck like 60016 would be used: Also included in bag 1 is an air traffic control tower: I really like the use of the upside-down windshield pieces to achieve the wider-at-the-top design so common in airports. The lattice pattern on the radar array and the checkerboard pattern below the windows are both stickers. On the inside, the radar display is printed on. The array and the chair both can swivel a full 360 degrees. Bag 2 has a forklift and 4 pallets of cargo: The forklift in this set comes with a rubber band, which makes the default position of the fork raised: In order to lower it, you must press down: I wasn't too fond of the single off-center beacon: ... so I replaced it with a centrally-located cone: The first cargo is a disassembled ATV/Go-kart style vehicle, which comes on 2 pallets: I guess it's going to be transferred at the airport to the heliplane and sent over to the lumberjacks from the 60021 set? Here's what it looks like assembled: Which I thought looked kind of weird, compared to being assembled like this: The next cargo is a set of individual packages on a pallet: The last pallet is a wooden crate... ... which is filled with gold bricks! Let's hope the Lego police are doing their jobs! In bag 3 comes a conveyor belt loader: The conveyer belt raises and lowers: and the belt itself turns with a handle: I really like the conveyor belt loader; in fact, I think that it's my favorite piece after the plane itself. And now, for the piece that is the focus of the set, the cargo plane: It's not a very whooshable design, compared to the stunt plane or star wars fighters; I think this may be one of the few toy planes that is more fun on the ground than in the air! The plane has 2 opening hatches on the port fuselage: and the tail swings open as well: One feature I really like is how the nosewheel can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing the plane to realistically move and taxi (in fact, I wish they included this on the forklift): The nose comes as a single piece, which I can see many MOCers using to create a 100-series Shinkansen train: I like how the stickers continue the lines made by bricks. This is so far the only piece I've seen that uses screws: The interior is easily seen through the windshield: Inside is a quite well-done flight deck: The middle control panel is a sticker, the 2 side pieces are printed on. What, no copilot?! The wing comes as a single piece: The plane comes with 4 engines mounted on the underside of the wing: Other large pieces include the tail and rear of the fuselage: The set comes with 5 minifigs, 3 cargo handlers (with ear protection), a female air traffic controller, and a somewhat unhappy-looking pilot (maybe he's upset that he has to fly the plane all by himself, and probably violate some FAA rule in the process...) Here's an overall view of the set: A view of the set in action (I think that purple mark on the wing is some kind of reflection or something): Legos transporting Legos. How meta. (it looks like the packaging for the 60018 cement mixer) My overall thoughts on the set: I would definitely recommend this set for anyone who likes airplanes or airports. In addition to the excellent plane, you get 3 great ground vehicles that look right at home in just about any kind of airport setting and a very nice control tower. Is this set perfect? No, in addition to the aforementioned lack of a copilot, there is a great deal of wasted space in the fuselage, with only 2 relatively small compartments available for use. As a result, this immense plane has a cargo capacity only slightly higher than the average Lego cargo truck: Those caveats aside, while at $100 this set isn't cheap, in my opinion this set is worth it, and currently takes a proud center place in my Lego collection: My rating: 8-8.5 out of 10 (if money is no object or if you're a diehard aviation enthusiast add another point for a 9 to 9.5 rating. Had there been 2 pilot minifigs and the whole fuselage was usable for cargo, this set would've been a perfect 10 even with the high price tag) PS as you can see by the above picture, my other major hobby is model trains. The interesting thing is that in N scale, trains are stored in plastic, stackable jewel cases like so: Hmmmm... plastic blocks that can easily be piled on top of one another... now that reminds me of something, but what? Edited September 28, 2013 by Rick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LukefromNJ Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) Addendum to review: the search for a copilot begins: Stunt Pilot: Now I know a lot of the cargo in the back has the "fragile" symbol on it, but what do you say we take off, do an Immelman turn, then a corkscrew, then a split-S, then a Pugachev's Cobra, and then... Pilot: NEXT! Han Solo: Which button is the hyperdrive again? Pilot: NEXT! Imperial Pilot: How can this thing even fly without huge black panels on the side? Pilot:NEXT! Luke Skywalker: It'll be a tight squeeze doing a trench run in this... Pilot:NEXT! Jek Porkins: There isn't a weight limit on this plane, is there? Pilot: NEXT! A-Wing Pilot: I'll be fine as long as we don't fly near any Super Star Destroyer bridges... Pilot:NEXT! The search continues... Edited September 2, 2013 by LukefromNJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greeny Posted September 2, 2013 Thanks for the great review! I think I like the smaller vehicles more than the plane itself Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andythenorth Posted September 2, 2013 My kids love this set Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BCanilho Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) Very good review and impressive collection of modern LEGO sets. The problem with this types of set is that they take up a lot of room... I believe that the plane is about the same size as the passenger plane in 3182 Airport? I have been bear one and it's huge... No room for one in my house... I also prefer the small acessory vehicles than the plane itself... But have to admit very swooshable, and for a kid it's a delight! The forklift rocks!!! PS: Ever thought in applying to the Reviews Academy Edited September 2, 2013 by BCanilho Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rumble Strike Posted September 2, 2013 I love the auditions at the end, very well done Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtr Posted September 2, 2013 Great review, keep searching for that co-pilot. Love the breakfast in the back ground Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Missing Brick Posted September 3, 2013 Nice review. I can see the appeal for the kids, but for me as an AFOL, all those huge single-use parts are a no-no. Because a) they're not much use for making anything else other than a plane, and b) difficult to store due to the large pieces. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kermit Posted September 3, 2013 Great detailed review but, i have a few questions. Why is the plane not swoosh-able? It looks very solid. I also see that there is a big hollow part in the middle of the wing piece which means that it doesnt block the part of the inside of the place. Does the roof or the middle of the plane come off easily so that you can store cargo there as well? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_spock Posted September 3, 2013 Thanks for the review. I'm tempted to get this set at some point for the plane. Good luck finding a co-pilot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Galaxy Explorer Posted September 3, 2013 Nice and entertaining review! I fully embrace the larger aircraft LEGO has produced for the CITY theme- although I love the classic 4-wide planes of the past, even back then I thought they were a bit small. The only issue I have with the newer planes is space- I could tear down my entire CITY layout and replace it with one airport just to accommodate the large jets. That being said, I will most likely get this set anyway, regardless of space. I can always hang the plane from the ceiling. The plane itself looks pretty good, although I would have liked a side hatch for the pilot to enter through. All of the support vehicles look very nice, too. I guess if I had any issues it would be the control tower. I would have used the pieces for a cargo station, like the Delivery Center from 1985. The tower seems like it would be better suited in a true airport set. Your N-scale trains are great- I had many of those years ago! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paul_delahaye Posted September 3, 2013 The greatest problem by far with this plane is it's massive, but only has two small cargo areas of 6w x 10l x 2h, you cannot even load 2 pallets side by side in each of the cargo areas? why they did not make the hold go all the way through the plane, even if it was on a different level it would have been better. Never mind, The ground vehicles are great, especially the conveyor belt one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kermit Posted September 3, 2013 Thanks to your review I just ordered one and can`t wait to put it together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoxtane Posted September 4, 2013 Good to see Lego has been making changes in the design of their airplanes. I got a couple of early airplane sets about 5 years ago, and things kept falling off - the engines, the wheels, the tail, etc... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LukefromNJ Posted September 4, 2013 As far as swooshablilty goes, it's a pretty subjective subject. When I swooshed this plane, the wings flexed somewhat every time I banked; they're quite thin, and although I'm sure they can stand up to a fair amount of stress, I didn't exactly want to do a stress-test on them. Also, when I swoosh planes (including Star Wars fighters), I prefer to hold them from behind, like so (starboard panel removed from TIE fighter for clarity): In comparison, I could only really hold the cargo plane easily like this: or this: or from below (not pictured). Actually on reflection, I don't mind this aspect too much, as it gives the different planes different handling characteristics! As far as making the entire fuselage available for cargo use, that's a pretty easy modification (that is the point of Lego after all...) but I still would have rather had that configuration and its parts by default. It does take up quite a lot of space, as would an airport display with other jets, but hey, that's just like the real thing, so you can't fault Lego for being accurate in that regard! And finally, the trains on the table are HO scale, not N. Here's a quick size comparison with a minifig (HO scale is the larger size at 1:87, N scale is 1:160): Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dat Lego Posted September 4, 2013 This review really made me think twice about buying this set! Unfortunately I'm saving money to buy the Town Hall and to help "fund" my second favorite hobby next to LEGO, model planes . Hopefully I'll be able to buy this next year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eurotrash Posted September 4, 2013 .....all those huge single-use parts are a no-no. Because a) they're not much use for making anything else other than a plane, and b) difficult to store due to the large pieces. You hit the nail on the head there. But, thanks for the good review LukefromNJ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antp Posted September 4, 2013 (edited) I think I like the smaller vehicles more than the plane itself Me too. I really like the belt conveyor. But I won't buy the whole set just for that, as I couldn't re-use the gigantic parts of the plane for something else. I can still hope to find on Bricklink the conveyor sold separately, as sometimes incomplete sets are sold that way, when some vehicles of a set are more interesting than others... but I guess that there would be more demand for that vehicle than for the plane itself... Edited September 4, 2013 by antp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eurotrash Posted September 4, 2013 I really like the belt conveyor. I can still hope to find on Bricklink the conveyor sold separately... I found a couple last year on BL to include in the packing and crating area of my Brewery (fourth and fifth picture down) http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79480 There's a couple of BL stores in Belgium where they're still available at a 'reasonable' price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naf Posted September 4, 2013 This set kind of disappoints me. The jet looks great, but most of the cockpit and the entire tail section are big specialized pieces. I think it would be a much more impressive build if these things were brick built, which is completely doable. I feel the same way about the big wing piece and jet engines. Maybe Lego was trying to keep the build simple for small children? The conveyor car is very nice. Thanks for the review! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LukefromNJ Posted September 4, 2013 Don't get me wrong- if you (like me) really like planes or the cargo/transportation subtheme, this is an outstanding set (and in my view the ground vehicles really make this set stand out- with just the plane or the plane and control tower, this would have just been a pretty good to excellent set). That said, if space and/or money is at a premium, you may want to think twice about buying this set. This is still one of my favorite non-Star Wars sets! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antp Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) I found a couple last year on BL to include in the packing and crating area of my Brewery (fourth and fifth picture down) http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=79480 There's a couple of BL stores in Belgium where they're still available at a 'reasonable' price. Thanks. Though that I actually meant the whole vehicle, indeed I could buy that part and rebuild the rest of the vehicle easily I guess :) But only one seems for sale currently, in one Belgian BL shop. Nice brewery btw ;) Edited September 5, 2013 by antp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmynick Posted September 5, 2013 This set kind of disappoints me. The jet looks great, but most of the cockpit and the entire tail section are big specialized pieces. While true, this has been the case for a while. I feel that, given the scale of town sets, these sorts of planes are too large to begin with. Take a look at the Airport subtheme on Bricklink; I much prefer sets such as 3181 and 7696. Thanks for the review, LukefromNJ, and I really appreciate the information on the small details in this set! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff Huntington Posted September 5, 2013 LEGO is really stuck between a rock and a hard place with airplanes. On one hand you have this set and 7734 that are big and truly more in minifig scale, but overwhelm layouts with their size. Then you've got 6375-Trans Air Carrier, which scales much better with town sets but is really hard to believe as a cargo jet, especially consider paul_delahaye's comment above about how much the plane carries. I'm not sure which is better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tedbeard Posted September 5, 2013 Very nice review. Great shots of details and love the "suggestions" you made along the way for improvements which I will probably do as well now that you have convinced me to get one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites