Set Review ➟ 31099 Propeller Airplane
By Angela & Matai Thomsen
LEGO has just released its first wave of Creator 3-in-1 sets for 2020. HispaBrick Magazine proofreader Adrian Barbour worked together with members of the Top of the South branch of LUG 4/2 to review these sets for us. Today we offer you the first of these reviews with more to come in the following days.
Theme: Creator 3-in-1
Release: 2020
Parts: 128
A-Model: Propeller Plane
The box contains 128 pieces of brightly coloured Lego; a smaller set than it seemed from the box. The primary model was very straightforward to build, with no difficulties or surprises. The instructions were easy to follow and suitable for the 6+ recommendation. The differently coloured bricks (in light blue, dark blue, orange, red, white, grey and black) make it a very easy build for younger Lego fans. All the pieces in the set are used in this build, except for three.
The plane uses a Spitfire-style layout, with three wheels including a fixed non-rubber third wheel under the tail, and is tilted on about a 30 degree angle. It is a more modern design though, with a small black cockpit and wingtip flaps. There are also exaggerated exhausts on the sides of the engine, which are a cool feature, especially as they are not specially made pieces. It is a good quality build, suitable for little hands and is fairly robust once made.
It does not take long to build and seems to be designed with kids in mind. The propeller turns, the wingtip flaps can be adjusted, and the wheels turn—all of which encourage Lego fans young and old to run it along the floor and launch it into the air to swoop in flight. It looks great and is user-friendly, but is perhaps a bit too easy to build.
Grade: 8/10
B-Model: Jet Fighter
The jet was a very quick and easy build, with 29 pieces left over. It is sleek with a slimline body and extra detailing along the side, making it look more interesting than other small Lego planes. It is very different in appearance to the propeller plane and once again has eye-catching bright colours. The jet has a modern design with the same black cockpit as the propeller plane. The tail detail is particularly impressive but is a perhaps bit big for the body. The air intake is also a nice bit of detail. While quite robust, the tail pieces will come off if dropped. Overall this is an interesting and eye-catching design.
Grade: 10/10
C-Model: Helicopter and Landing Pad
This was the easiest set to construct and the most fun to play with. The two parts to the set—the helicopter with turning rotors and the landing pad—allowed more imaginative and complicated play, including take-offs and landings. However there is an odd white piece that sticks out from the side of the landing pad with no obvious function. The helicopter was very small and there were many pieces left over, though this means it fits well into the palm of a kid’s hand. The design of the helicopter is modern with a large cockpit bubble, reminiscent of a Hughes 500. The side of the fuselage also has some nice details. The use of darker colours makes it seem like more of a stealth helicopter than a friendly one.
Grade: 9/10
Conclusion
(By Adrian)
I think this is an appealing small set with great colour use and good playability. To my eyes the engine parts on the primary model are oddly oversized, but both plane models look very nice. The helicopter I find less impressive as a build, but I think it is a good move to include something other than a third plane for the C-Model.
Overall Grade: 8/10
We wish to thank LEGO for providing this set for review. The opinions in this review are not supported or endorsed by LEGO.
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