REVIEW: 3182 Airport

[Ralph_S]

I have the older four-engined jet. I didn't like the set when it first came out, but then I was able to get my hands on one cheaply and couldn't resist. I was pleasantly surprised. It was far better than I imagined. Sure, the huge pre-molded parts are a bit limiting, but it was one of the most realistic jets LEGO had ever built. Yes, it was big, but so is a real airliner. The jet in this set obviously looks similar, albeit smaller. Four engines would be too much. Most modern airliners have two engines rather than four, except for the really big ones.

The terminal building captures the look of a real airport quite nicely. Of course it would be nicer if it were bigger, but this is a toy mostly aimed at kids after all, so they have to keep the price under control. If we as AFOLs want a bigger terminal we can always build it ourselves.

Not a bad set IMO.

Cheers,

Ralph

[simonjedi]

What's wrong with the pilots eyes? Looks like he's high or something. I hope they don't make him fly the plane while like that.

D:

[The Green Brick Giant]

This set still looks like a mess to me. It's not different enough than the last one, and what they did change made it worse. At least the last one had a left to get into the airplane.

[Whittleberry]

What's wrong with the pilots eyes? Looks like he's high or something. I hope they don't make him fly the plane while like that.

D:

Yeah what's up with that?! It even looks like that in the instructions

btw Doodz, thank you for the enlightening photo review. Except I'd just like to point out that the pieces you're referring to as being "etched" are what everyone else refers to as "printed". The word etched, in my mind, has connotations of being scratched in, so I don't know how other people read it but IMHO it doesn't sound right.

Also, would you be able to measure the dimensions of the wierdly-shaped instruction booklets? I'm trying to sort out my instructions storage atm and it would be helpful to know the dimensions of these. In my opinion, LEGO should just print one A4 instruction book, it would make storing them much simpler, and I suspect that being in parts makes them easier to lose.

[Benjamin]

Double-check the instruction booklets to see if the sticker sheet is stuck inside the pages. That's happened to me before. If not, just call Lego, and they'll send you another one.

Also, take a look at your keyboard to see if it has a Shift key. If so, you can use it to perform simple capitalization, such as the first letter of every sentence.

That was the first thing that i did when i knowtisted that there where no stickers i already finished building it and it does look great. I once was missing really importent bricks in a brickmaster set and called lego up and the gave me all the peices i was missing back. So anyway i think i will call lego and tell the i need the sticker sheet

thank you Joebot

notice how i used my SHIFT key

[d00dz]

@Whittleberry Ahhh Printed to me sounds like printed media or printer stickers. Etched or engraved sound better to me. Oh well :D

Anyways here are the dimensions of the instructions:

Book 1: 20cm x 12.3cm - 26 grams

Book 2: 28cm x 21.2cm - 141 grams

Book 3: 27.3cm x 20.5cm - 121 grams

Book 4: 13.3cm x 20cm - 21 grams

Total weight of instuctions: 309 grams

These numbers have been added to the first post.

[Whittleberry]

@Whittleberry Ahhh Printed to me sounds like printed media or printer stickers. Etched or engraved sound better to me. Oh well :D

Anyways here are the dimensions of the instructions:

Book 1: 20cm x 12.3cm - 26 grams

Book 2: 28cm x 21.2cm - 141 grams

Book 3: 27.3cm x 20.5cm - 121 grams

Book 4: 13.3cm x 20cm - 21 grams

Total weight of instuctions: 309 grams

These numbers have been added to the first post.

Thanks for that.

You may use whichever word you like, but I was just informing you that it's a fairly standard word in AFOL terminology; so if you use another word then it might confuse.

[Wout]

Thank you for the nice review.

The set has too much big pieces for me, but it is quite nice.

I should add more travelers too this set, 1 traveler is too less.

Airport building itself is not bad.

@ Simonjedi and Whittleberry: the pilot has glasses with white in it. there is also a new face like this in the firehouseset.

Edited January 30, 2010 by Wout

[drdavewatford]

Nice review !

This is however the kind of set that gives LEGO a bad name, I'm afraid - the huge custom pieces making up the plane make me shudder.

For me this is heading down the same road that put LEGO in trouble a few years back. Most people want to actually build the models, not just click together a few large pieces. Even the CEO of LEGO acknowledged this recently.

Dr. D.

Edited January 31, 2010 by drdavewatford

[Thee Pirate]

What's wrong with the pilots eyes? Looks like he's high or something. I hope they don't make him fly the plane while like that.

D:

Oh that's nothing, he's just had waaaaaay too much caffeine. Gotta stay alert for piloting those red eye flights.

[nebraska]

Ughhh.... Nice review but why does Lego feel the need to make the wings one piece? I cut it out on a custom Embraer 170 and they held up just fine.

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/66437

[Lord Starkiller]

What is the wings Lego ID? you will find it at the back of the instruction book.

[RXBandit]

Ughhh.... Nice review but why does Lego feel the need to make the wings one piece? I cut it out on a custom Embraer 170 and they held up just fine.

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/66437

wow, that's an incredible plane. i've only ever flown Embraers, and i find them incredibly cramped, but i love it.

and thanks for the great review, doodz.

[Rick]

The 'high' pilot is wearing glasses (frameless, similar to one of the firemen in the new firestation), but is that allowed for pilots?

[jonwil]

It depends on how bad the vision impairment is, the country you are living in and the kind of pilot license you want but yes I believe it is legal for pilots to wear glasses in some cases.

[Night City Dream]

Thanks 'd00dz' for the review so far, cant wait to see the actual terminal.

Beside maybe it's time to compere.......

Any differences ?

To me just the wings and engines are different, oh yeah the older one is blue and white.....now I wonder where I saw a blue and white plane tonight ?

You know it would not take much to make some QANTAS logos - thanks to this having a red tail section.

I'm a conformist! !

Do not forget that there was one more plane to be compared - that from 7894.

The blue one is the biggest. There are 5 plates 8x8 between the cockpit piece and the tail. There are 12 seats onboard.

The new one has 4 plates 8x8 and 10 seats.

The plane from 7894 has got only 3 plates 8x8 and 8 seats. BTW, engines are located differently.

I think, older planes are more elaborated.

And, once again here a stupid LEGO CITY standad - no more than 5 minifigs per set (with an axception to 7744).

However, I like the set. Regardless the price in Russia, I'll try to get it.

[lightningtiger]

So which one is the better of the two ?

I have both planes from 2006 and the new 3181, need a little more cash to buy the airport though.

I like them all, but I wonder why Lego made the new jumbo jet smaller for ?

I'm a conformist! !

[Night City Dream]

So which one is the better of the two ?

I have both planes from 2006 and the new 3181, need a little more cash to buy the airport though.

I like them all, but I wonder why Lego made the new jumbo jet smaller for ?

I'm a conformist! !

Just to make more difference of it.

In fact, 7893 and 7894 were a matter of length and colour (red / blue). All the rest was the same. Here we get two different classes of planes.

However, I do like all of them, too. I wish I could purchase 7894 as well.

[lightningtiger]

Just to make more difference of it.

In fact, 7893 and 7894 were a matter of length and colour (red / blue). All the rest was the same. Here we get two different classes of planes.

However, I do like all of them, too. I wish I could purchase 7894 as well.

Your comment about 7893 and 7894 - the engines are mounted differently too !

Toy Corner in Adelaide has the 7894 and they do mail overseas !

Interesting footnote is that Cartoon Network Australia is running a new Lego city advert for the airport as well as to win it in an online game !

Oh yeah heres a link to something of interest .......Lego City Airport Advert

I'm a conformist! !

[Night City Dream]

Yes, sure, I forgot about engines.

Thanks for the info, but I'm from Russia... I think shipping will be very costly. I've surfed to Bricklink, prices on 7894 start from 110 - 120 USD shipping not included.

[thelegomaniac]

I can't view the pictures!

[Skulls_Eye_Schooner_Sailor]

A great plane, even if I don't care for that giant nose and cockpit piece that is all one piece.... but how does a plane, luggage car and and radio tower constitute an "airport"?

[Rapseflaps]

Um, because there's also a terminal included?

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

A great plane, even if I don't care for that giant nose and cockpit piece that is all one piece.... but how does a plane, luggage car and and radio tower constitute an "airport"?

Dude, cut Lego a break-- if they were to produce a full scale airport it would likely take up an entire room of your house and require a credit application just to buy the thing!!

Honestly, I think Lego, at least in most cases, does a pretty good job of finding the balance between including enough content and keeping the costs down. An airport could EASILY become a $250-300 USD set and probably be amazing, but in all likelihood they just wouldn't sell enough units for them to justify releasing it in the first place.

Perhaps more of a modular approach would be the answer? Next year release the Airport Hangar? The following year a proper Grounds Crew, or maybe a Concourse?

[Skulls_Eye_Schooner_Sailor]

I was just thinking the same thing.

Wait, whaaa?! I just looked at the 2010 pictures thread, they are actually coming out with a full airport?! And that Air Force One is too cool, when is that coming out? (It has a limo!)

Edited April 21, 2010 by Skulls_Eye_Schooner_Sailor