Review: 60503 Coast Guard Helicopter

What a great random set of the day! I had no clue this existed!

I think it's a great set and it was a fun build. I do think that the rotors are too short and will look at options to lengthen them. I've got plenty of stretchers, so that was the first add when building.

Great review!

Great review with a lot of helpful info and links!

Great review as always, thanks FlagsNZ!

I'd have been all over this (and the ship) if they'd come with some unique equivalent to the orca of a few years ago. One measly shark (and not even one of the big ones) does not a Lego maritime crisis make.

@monkyby87 said:
"I came for the Lego review. I stayed for the real life education. "

Same here!

Now is that trident logo on the life raft a reference to a real life symbol or is it a call back to the Aqua Raiders sets of 2007?

@Denmark_Dragon said:
"Is it fair to assume that the next divers/sea exploration theme will embrace the trident emblem & yellow/red/black color scheme of the survival pod?"

Amen to that. 60462 already introduced one vehicle for that theme.

how hard would converting it to be "the right way" round be? Many asymmetric parts in key areas?

Alternatively: maybe lego world is built for lefties

You could always mirror the build when installing the winch and pilot. thus putting them on the right side of the helicopter.

My only problem with the set is they didn't include a co-pilot torso. would have preferred that over another rescue crew member.

"The use of this red and white life ring as a logo for LEGO coast guard sets goes back forty years."
Shouldn't this be fifty years (1976-2026)?
The link does not work as it refers to a second page. (Use https://brickset.com/sets/tag-Coast-Guard/)

Tempted to get this.

I’ve wanted a life raft like this but never got around to trying to source the triangular pieces.

The last few similar scale Coast Guard helicopters 7738 and 60013 have 6 blades, I think this would look better with 6 but they probably reduced to 4 for cost reasons.

Also would prefer if the grey ‘stub wings’ were wider.

If I get it I’ll make a few tweaks to see if they work.

@Murdoch17 said:
" @Al_S said:
"how hard would converting it to be "the right way" round be? Many asymmetric parts in key areas?

Alternatively: maybe lego world is built for lefties"

As a leftie, that's a world I wish i could live in!"

I can't help but be reminded of last year's April Fool's day article: https://brickset.com/article/120170/[april-fool-s]-lego-to-introduce-left-handed-instructions (I say "article," singular, but you'll never convince me that https://brickset.com/article/120258/minifigures-with-hair-lego-explores-the-road-not-taken wasn't an April Fool's joke, too.)

@chefkaspa said:""The use of this red and white life ring as a logo for LEGO coast guard sets goes back forty years."
Shouldn't this be fifty years (1976-2026)?
The link does not work as it refers to a second page. (Use https://brickset.com/sets/tag-Coast-Guard/)"

Yeah, @FlagsNZ seems to be assuming that you'll have your options set to only view twenty-five sets per page. That *is* the default, but if you have it set to show you any more, since there are only forty-five sets with the tag, there won't be a second page.

Wouldn't it be awesome to get a City helicopter set that has a motorised rotor!

@FlagsNZ wrote:
"There is a note that suggests that the life raft does not float so time is of the essence as there is a shark lurking under the sea."

Surplus Mercury-Redstone 4 life rafts?

@Bolomor said:
"Wold be interesting to see a direct comparison to 7738, the winch on the left side could be form wanting to stay consistent to it and the other coast guard helicopters in the years between. I think its interesting that this set s a clear remake of 7738 while the other were just similar helicopters."

I think what you're seeing is the reaction to overwhelming right-handedness in the world. A right-handed kid will be more likely to hold the helicopter in their right hand as it won't tire as easily as their left. The placement of the winch on the port side leaves it easily accessible by their left hand for operation. They had a similar situation with the large-scale Jellybean Knights, where the torsos were all geared with left-handed attacks because a right-handed kid will hold the character in their right hand, and a right-handed attack would whack them on the knuckles.

@Freddy_Hodson said:
"I'd have been all over this (and the ship) if they'd come with some unique equivalent to the orca of a few years ago. One measly shark (and not even one of the big ones) does not a Lego maritime crisis make."
Orcas don't typically prey on humans. Human pleasurecraft, yes, but not the actual people. Pelagic sharks, on the other hand, can't afford to pass up a free meal. The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is also sometimes called the Shipwreck Shark because they are always drawn to shipwrecks (and they are believed to have killed a lot of the USS Indianapolis survivors while they waited to be rescued). Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau believed they are the most dangerous shark. Really, your two main threats in this sailor's predicament would be exposure or running out of food/water (well, maybe drowning, if the liferaft won't actually float), but sharks would probably be the top threat if you limited the category to those with a more action-oriented component.

@Mapleleafbricks said:
"My only problem with the set is they didn't include a co-pilot torso. would have preferred that over another rescue crew member."
During a rescue operation, you need someone to actually pilot the craft, you need someone to go down on the winch and secure the victim for rescue, and you need a third person to operate the winch because neither of the other two can do that. A co-pilot isn't strictly necessary, except as a matter of regulatory compliance, unless the pilot becomes incapacitated. And there's only one seat in the cockpit.

Like the chopper,, like the face prints, but won't buy it. I'm very satisfied with 60166!

Excellent review thank you.

Generally the vilification of sharks continues ......

Looks like a good playwithable set and a great review. I'm curious about what sort of vessel has a life raft like the one in the set? And only one survivor...

Excellent review as always.

@PurpleDave said:
"And there's only one seat in the cockpit."
US Coast Guard Dolphins and Jayhawks have two pilots, one rescue swimmer, and a crewman to operate the winch.

@beatnik said:
"Excellent review thank you.

Generally the vilification of sharks continues ......"

For too long, this has been going on. People keep forgetting that sharks aren't just majestic predators, they're also intelligent, curious, social, family-oriented, and they've been known to on occasion even save people. They're patient, loyal...

Oh wait, no. That's wolves, and maybe dolphins. Sharks are terrifying flesh-tubes with meat-grinders for a face. Sorry. I keep getting them mixed up.

@Crux said:
" @beatnik said:
"Excellent review thank you.

Generally the vilification of sharks continues ......"

For too long, this has been going on. People keep forgetting that sharks aren't just majestic predators, they're also intelligent, curious, social, family-oriented, and they've been known to on occasion even save people. They're patient, loyal...

Oh wait, no. That's wolves, and maybe dolphins. Sharks are terrifying flesh-tubes with meat-grinders for a face. Sorry. I keep getting them mixed up."

Sharks don't scare me.

Mainly because I live in Minnesota.

@TheOtherMike said:
"Yeah, @FlagsNZ seems to be assuming that you'll have your options set to only view twenty-five sets per page. That *is* the default, but if you have it set to show you any more, since there are only forty-five sets with the tag, there won't be a second page."
I would never have figured out this. (My setting is 200)

@PurpleDave said:
" @FlagsNZ wrote:
"There is a note that suggests that the life raft does not float so time is of the essence as there is a shark lurking under the sea."

Surplus Mercury-Redstone 4 life rafts?

@Bolomor said:
"Wold be interesting to see a direct comparison to 7738, the winch on the left side could be form wanting to stay consistent to it and the other coast guard helicopters in the years between. I think its interesting that this set s a clear remake of 7738 while the other were just similar helicopters."

I think what you're seeing is the reaction to overwhelming right-handedness in the world. A right-handed kid will be more likely to hold the helicopter in their right hand as it won't tire as easily as their left. The placement of the winch on the port side leaves it easily accessible by their left hand for operation. They had a similar situation with the large-scale Jellybean Knights, where the torsos were all geared with left-handed attacks because a right-handed kid will hold the character in their right hand, and a right-handed attack would whack them on the knuckles.

@Freddy_Hodson said:
"I'd have been all over this (and the ship) if they'd come with some unique equivalent to the orca of a few years ago. One measly shark (and not even one of the big ones) does not a Lego maritime crisis make."
Orcas don't typically prey on humans. Human pleasurecraft, yes, but not the actual people. Pelagic sharks, on the other hand, can't afford to pass up a free meal. The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is also sometimes called the Shipwreck Shark because they are always drawn to shipwrecks (and they are believed to have killed a lot of the USS Indianapolis survivors while they waited to be rescued). Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau believed they are the most dangerous shark. Really, your two main threats in this sailor's predicament would be exposure or running out of food/water (well, maybe drowning, if the liferaft won't actually float), but sharks would probably be the top threat if you limited the category to those with a more action-oriented component.

@Mapleleafbricks said:
"My only problem with the set is they didn't include a co-pilot torso. would have preferred that over another rescue crew member."
During a rescue operation, you need someone to actually pilot the craft, you need someone to go down on the winch and secure the victim for rescue, and you need a third person to operate the winch because neither of the other two can do that. A co-pilot isn't strictly necessary, except as a matter of regulatory compliance, unless the pilot becomes incapacitated. And there's only one seat in the cockpit."

...or maybe the winch on the port side is Lego trying to more inclusive of left handed helicopter pilots...

@beatnik said:
"Excellent review thank you.

Generally the vilification of sharks continues ......"

They’re definitely not the monster cold-blooded killers depicted in Jaws (I think the author even expressed regret at writing that book after the movie came out). But you do need to respect their presence, and know where it’s not safe to go. There are beaches that were safe for decades, and suddenly had a rash of shark attacks. One in California, they determined that the sea lion population had recovered to the point that sharks _returned_ to what used to be a prime feeding ground, and had become a popular surfing beach when the sea lion population was in critical shape. Then there was an area in South Africa where it was determined that shark dive tour boats were chumming the water to lure them in, which naturally made the sharks that showed up extra aggressive. And an island had problems because dead cattle were being thrown off a bluff into waters near a popular beach. So most problems seem to arise because we create a situation that both lures sharks in and teaches them that there’s food to be found there.

But juvenile sharks in nurseries are still learning what’s edible and what isn’t, and the only way to test is to taste. Oceanic Whitetips follow ships at sea and are necessarily opportunistic feeders. Tiger sharks are like goats in that they’ll eat just about anything. And Bull Sharks are one of the most aggressive species, so sometimes it’s just the species you need to be careful around.

Many species are very safe. Whale Sharks are the gentlest underwater school bus you’ll ever meet. Nurse sharks will probably only bite if you shove your hand under their mouth. Aquarium of the Pacific has a shark petting pool filled with Epaulette Sharks (one of my favorite species), Zebra Sharks, and Bamboo Sharks (like Nurse Sharks, just don’t stick your hand under their heads and they won’t nibble at you), plus one or two types of rays. There’s even one species of shark that has been determined to subsist primarily off of sea grass! So not all of them are dangerous, but you do need to be aware of which ones are, and when you need to get the heck out of the water.

I don’t know of any shark that matches the shape of the original LEGO design, with that very broad head. The Agents shark looks like a pretty good match for a Great White (and I don’t remember the species, but both of the standard prints of the newer ray mold are based on real species).

@daewoo said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"And there's only one seat in the cockpit."
US Coast Guard Dolphins and Jayhawks have two pilots, one rescue swimmer, and a crewman to operate the winch."

Sure, but again, that’s FAA regulations, and because something could always happen to the pilot midflight. But the set only has a single-seater cockpit, with no apparent access to the rest of the interior, so what would be the point of including a copilot?

@Crux said:
"That's wolves, and maybe dolphins."

Dude, dolphins are jerks. Bottlenose Dolphins in particular have been observed to kill other species of dolphins and play with the corpses. That said, yea I did take an opportunity to pet one when I accidentally got separated from my family at Sea World and just figured I’d spend the day seeing all the things I wanted instead of wasting half of it trying to locate them, and the other half trying to figure out what the group wanted to do. And just as the dolphin peeled off to head into the middle of the pool, my family showed up. Still, that’s just _one_ dolphin, when the entire species has been known to abandon all of us in times of crisis, like construction on an interstellar bypass.

There is actually two seats in the set for pilot and co-pilot. I built this set and loved it, and am buying another pilot minifigure to complete the crew.

I want to make a “sharks are smooth” joke but I’m not sure if anyone else has spent enough time on tumblr to get that one.

… Also Lego sharks definitely are smooth.

@FlagsNZ said:
" @Mapleleafbricks said:
"
There is actually two seats in the set for pilot and co-pilot. I built this set and loved it, and am buying another pilot minifigure to complete the crew."

Yes, you are right. There are two seats in the cockpit. That is why that special 2x6 black plate has be incorporated into the cockpit."

Honestly, it is my favorite piece that Lego has ever made. So many vehicle uses already, and more to come.
It is so useful to me when i build MOC cars. I have placed an order for a handful of them.

@Hiratha said:
"I want to make a “sharks are smooth” joke but I’m not sure if anyone else has spent enough time on tumblr to get that one.

… Also Lego sharks definitely are smooth."

Smooth lions are eating me. (Tumblr is the only social media platform I use, and I think @Andrusi may be on there too, as there's a reblog chain I've added to that had a user named that. The chain dealt with Transformers, which I *know* that they're a fan of that.)

@Mapleleafbricks said:
" @FlagsNZ said:
" @Mapleleafbricks said:
"
There is actually two seats in the set for pilot and co-pilot. I built this set and loved it, and am buying another pilot minifigure to complete the crew."

Yes, you are right. There are two seats in the cockpit. That is why that special 2x6 black plate has be incorporated into the cockpit."

Honestly, it is my favorite piece that Lego has ever made. So many vehicle uses already, and more to come.
It is so useful to me when i build MOC cars. I have placed an order for a handful of them."

Honestly, I forgot that piece existed, because it's just a less versatile (though admittedly probably more robust) POOP of a technique I came up with about 19 years ago. And I had to scroll all the way back up to Bag 2 pics to see how there could be two seats in the cockpit. The photos downstream are angled in such a way that they make the pilot look centered as in a fighter jet cockpit. Still, the co-pilot is fifth in terms of being essential to the play action depicted, after the four included minifigs. If they had to leave one person out, that's the one that makes sense. It's not a licensed IP, so easy enough to pick up the extra parts on OPAB and make a co-pilot.

@TheOtherMike said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I want to make a “sharks are smooth” joke but I’m not sure if anyone else has spent enough time on tumblr to get that one.

… Also Lego sharks definitely are smooth."

Smooth lions are eating me. (Tumblr is the only social media platform I use, and I think @Andrusi may be on there too, as there's a reblog chain I've added to that had a user named that. The chain dealt with Transformers, which I *know* that they're a fan of that.)"

It didn't happen to be the post about Actual Transformer Names, did it?

@Andrusi said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I want to make a “sharks are smooth” joke but I’m not sure if anyone else has spent enough time on tumblr to get that one.

… Also Lego sharks definitely are smooth."

Smooth lions are eating me. (Tumblr is the only social media platform I use, and I think @Andrusi may be on there too, as there's a reblog chain I've added to that had a user named that. The chain dealt with Transformers, which I *know* that they're a fan of that.)"

It didn't happen to be the post about Actual Transformer Names, did it?"

No, it was a post about Sonic the Hedgehog reading a comic book about a superhero who looked like Optimus Prime.

@TheOtherMike said:
" @Andrusi said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I want to make a “sharks are smooth” joke but I’m not sure if anyone else has spent enough time on tumblr to get that one.

… Also Lego sharks definitely are smooth."

Smooth lions are eating me. (Tumblr is the only social media platform I use, and I think @Andrusi may be on there too, as there's a reblog chain I've added to that had a user named that. The chain dealt with Transformers, which I *know* that they're a fan of that.)"

It didn't happen to be the post about Actual Transformer Names, did it?"

No, it was a post about Sonic the Hedgehog reading a comic book about a superhero who looked like Optimus Prime."

Oh! That's even more Specifically Me.

RRRRUUUNNN!!! GO! GET TO THE CHOPPA!!

In all honesty, gotta love the new Lego City helicopters..

The jungle helicopter 60437 is the crown jewel of my vehicle display; SO much space inside!

@FlagsNZ said:
"The helicopter's winch is on the port (left) side of the Coast Guard Helicopter.

This is somewhat unconventional, as nearly all rescue helicopters have their winches on the starboard (right) side. This is because helicopter pilots usually sit in the right-hand seat."

Except, apparently, in New Zealand.

https://taranakioffshorewind.co.nz/assets/Uploads/helicopter__ResizedImageWzYwMCw0NTBd.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpuYn_d7i0Y