Review: 76042 SHIELD Helicarrier - Part 2
Posted by CapnRex101,
76042 SHIELD Helicarrier is available from today to VIP members in Europe. I recommend making your order sooner rather than later if you are intending to buy the set during this 'early access' period as the set is now out of stock in North America, suggesting that it has been incredibly popular so far.
In the second part of our review of the Helicarrier we will be taking a look at the build and the completed model, as well as giving our final thoughts on the largest Super Heroes set released to date. You can read part one here.
No matter how impressive they are, sets of this size are never really about the minifigures. We expect a thoroughly entertaining build and an amazing finished model, so read on to find out whether our expectations were met.
The Build
Almost 3000 pieces should yield a fun build, and as a whole I think they do. There is a satisfying combination of Technic and System construction, although there are relatively few new or unusual techniques used for such a large set, which is perhaps a bit of a shame.
The first bag contains the pieces for the SHIELD minifigure stand. The entire eagle symbol is constructed at a forty-five degree angle, which is rather clever and yields a lovely result. The two dark blue curved slopes forming the base only appear in four other sets, so are quite rare and potentially useful for other SHIELD vehicles if you looking to build your own fleet.
The stand for the Helicarrier is quite simple, using a Technic frame with some black slopes and bricks added to improve its appearance. As with all UCS sets a specifications panel is included, which looks rather nice and, as far as I can see, there are no typing errors!
Construction of the Helicarrier commences next, beginning with the bow of the craft's hull. This part of the build is not unlike assembling a big grey pirate ship as a result of the large hull components which are used, and also includes the laying of the control room floor.
Bag two continues in much the same way, with more large hull sections linked by Technic components and further development of the micro scale control area. Fitting the control panels is a tedious task, using a technique of attaching 1x1 tiles to clips which was previously considered 'illegal.' The same technique will be appearing in 31039 Blue Power Jet this summer as the cockpit display.
Interestingly, a void is left in the underside of the ship towards the rear. I wonder whether this might be intended for modification as it would be the perfect place to put a prison cell like that appearing in the Avengers film. Alternatively, the vehicle may really feature this open area and I have simply not seen an image from that angle with which to compare it.
The third bag almost completes the main hull section and contains a great deal of Technic steps, which will ultimately facilitate the rotating turbines feature. To be honest this is pretty simple stuff and I think it takes up a little more room than necessary.
Slotting together the Technic axles is a bit tricky as you need to hold pieces in place once or twice, but a bit of a challenge now and then during a build only adds to the fun in my opinion. The tan pin you can see in the photo above is where the motor will attach should you wish to power the turbines automatically.
Some curved slopes are inverted and used to great effect just above the control room windscreen, which is not a technique I recall seeing before. They sit flush with the deck when that is added later which looks brilliant when viewed from beneath.
Bag four lays the foundations for the deck and adds some detail on either side of the vehicle. A mixture of slopes and angled plates shapes the hull very nicely, and the number 64 identifies this model as a recreation of the Helicarrier seen in the Avengers rather any subsequent Marvel film.
Unfortunately it is at this point that the build becomes rather duller. The four turbine pods are constructed using bags five to eight, which is inevitable for a symmetrical model like this one so I cannot reasonably penalise it, but it is nevertheless not very entertaining.
There are a few differences between the two at the front and the two at the back, but not enough to maintain much interest once you are onto the third or fourth section. However, some hinges are used to form a ring around each rotor which work brilliantly, and I like the use SNOT building for the smaller air intake and grille details surrounding these turbines.
The ninth bag gets us right back on course, changing up the style of building yet again as we move onto the deck! There are few notable techniques used here but I certainly enjoyed the return to stacking plates and bricks after almost 150 pages of building almost the same module four times over. The two thrusters are added here too which involve construction in several different directions using hinges and brackets.
The launch runway comes next, which at last gives you the full impression fo this model's sheer size as the antennae are added to the bow. The printed runway pieces are excellent, although I have found the lines don't precisely match up in places, so you may have to swap some around to get the most consistent lines.
By this point we are nearing the end as the upper runway, used for landing, is added. This is constructed in much the same way as the lower decking, although some impressive LEGO geometry is used to angle the entire section and create the unusual shape seen in the movies.
It seems unlikely, but the final section, using bags numbered twelve, was probably my favourite of all! To begin with, you finally get a close up look at those delightful nanofigures which is great to see, particularly if you were excited about them like I was. Even more fun however is building the tiny models that occupy the decks of the Helicarrier, including two forklifts which ingeniously make use of roller skates and the rare trans-clear headlight bricks. At last the addition of the command tower fixes the angled upper deck in place and once you have populated the ship, all that is left to do is behold this incredible model!
The Completed Model
Finishing the Helicarrier is a lot like first seeing the box as you are immediately impressed by its enormity. The model measures 80cm or 31 inches long and is pretty weighty as every area is pretty densely packed with pieces.
Before we discuss the Helicarrier, let us take a moment to look at the stands for the minifigures and model. The minifigures are displayed in front of the SHIELD eagle symbol which looks pretty impressive. There is room for all five figures on here and it would be quite easy to extend if you wished to add some of the other avengers I am sure. Displaying the Hulk would require some extensive modification but even that is possible with some extra pieces.
The stand for the Helicarrier is much less interesting. It is almost entirely black like most UCS model stands and features some technical specifications for the ship. Applying this sticker is not easy as you risk trapping air bubbles which are very difficult to get rid of. Hopefully LEGO will one day decide to print these tiles.
The bow of the craft is nicely shaped just as in the film and underneath you can see onto the bridge through the windscreen, although it is rather dark as the tip of the runway extends over it a long way and shades it. The combination of large printed tiles and much smaller stickers on 2x2 and 2x4 tiles looks better than I had anticipated, although the white lines on the stickers are a little brighter than those that are printed, which is very noticeable in certain light conditions.
The final page of the instructions details how to mount one of the mini Quinjets included on a trans-clear pole by fitting it to the side of the hull. There are a lot of studs here which I was not keen on when images first emerged, but in person I think it looks a little better. The number 64 appears once again as a sticker on each side of the model, which is pleasingly accurate to the film.
On the whole the deck is rather plain, although there are some small details printed on the runway panels to break up the light bluish grey and black colour scheme. Placing the mini models and nanofigures on the deck is also very helpful as the odd splash of white and yellow looks superb.
The deck panel between the two forward turbines is removable for access to the tiny control room inside. This is a pretty good representation given the scale and the banks of computer monitors look very impressive, even if they are frustrating to construct. Little details like the stairways and Nick Fury's command station are particularly impressive in my opinion.
It is possible to run a set of Power Functions lights through this area which are then visible through the window at the front. Instructions to do this are included and it really could not be any simpler, providing you can find the necessary components of course.
Behind the bridge is an entire area devoted to holding an AAA battery box and the motor which powers the four turbines. There are instructions for doing all this as well so there should not be any major problems. It is significantly easier than motorising, for example, a train if you ask me!
However, if you do not wish to install Power Functions you can still turn all four turbines at once using a crank at the back of the Helicarrier. The two at the front turn in the opposite direction to those at the rear and at a reasonable speed, although naturally this is dictated by how quickly you turn the handle.
I am not terribly satisfied with the rotors' appearance. The trans-light blue accents do not appear in the Avengers film, which leaves me wondering whether this set is modeled partly after the Helicarriers that appear in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. There the turbines have been replaced by repulsor technology borrowed from Stark Industries, which would explain the bluish tint. They look even worse from underneath as the Technic pieces which link them to the crank at the back are clearly visible, although unless you are displaying the model high on a shelf this will not be much of an issue.
The upper deck was the area I was most disappointed with as I think the deck should be dark bluish grey rather than black, and this is where most of the black plates are located. Unfortunately it looks no better in person than it did in images to me and I would have preferred dark bluish grey, but this is a matter of personal preference as screenshots taken from the films are somewhat ambiguous. I like the inclusion of some stacked crates and fuel tanks up here as they add a bit of colour to the otherwise uniform deck, as do the railings which appear in the movie.
Probably my least favourite part of the entire model is the control tower, which looks dreadful in my opinion. The trans-black piece looks out of place and there is not much detail compared with other areas of the model. I suppose it is nice being able to see some nanofigures through the glass, but I would have preferred an opaque section with much a greater level of detail.
A variety of mini models are included, the first of which are four very simple yellow barriers. You will be pleased to hear that those hazard stripes are printed! The three Quinjets are my favourite, and are actually one of my favourite elements of the entire set, as they look excellent for the scale, with all of the major details captured and some rather interesting building techniques used.
Also included is a trio of fighter jets. These are much simpler than the Quinjets and look a little plain, but they too are very impressive considering the scale and look great sat in a row on the upper deck just like we see them in the film.
Finally, we come to the rather more mundane maintenance vehicles, a fuel tanker and two forklift trucks. There is nothing mundane about the building techniques used though as the tiny forklifts make use of roller skates, trans-clear headlight bricks and neck brackets to form a pair of easily recognisable little models! The inclusion of these vehicles is totally unnecessary but I am very glad of it as these splashes of yellow liven up the deck enormously, which is otherwise filled with dull colours.
Overall
As a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe I was determined to own 76042 SHIELD Helicarrier no matter what it looked like or cost, although that did not stop me from being a little disappointed with elements of the design when the images were at last revealed. In person I like the set more than I did originally, but there are still plenty of things I would like to change, and I probably will where possible.
As far as the set itself is concerned, the most notable problem for me is definitely the black deck panels, which should really be dark bluish grey in my opinion. I love the printed design, so if they could have printed that on grey tiles, that would have been fantastic. Speaking of printing, we have all said the same thing time after time: for a set of this price the stickers all need to be replaced with printed elements.
I would also have liked a minifigure scale interior, and will probably be modifying my model to include one, but the micro scale control room does look great I have to admit.
I am lucky to have received the set free of charge, but when comparing it to something like 10188 Death Star which costs only £5 more in the UK, there is really no competition. That set obviously has far more playability and I would suggest that it even looks better on display as a result of its superior height. For £269.99 or $349.99 I think the Helicarrier feels a bit small, particularly since only five minifigures are included. If Bruce Banner, Agent Coulson and a couple of generic SHIELD Agents were included too, I suspect I would feel differently.
However, I think the set itself is excellent even if the price is rather too high. It looks spectacular on display and is certainly a conversation piece. The minifigures are not hugely impressive but the nanofigures are superb and look great on the deck of the Helicarrier. I am not convinced that they are in scale with the model despite their tiny size, but I still love them.
Ultimately, I think this set is best described as 'imperfect.' I like it very much on the whole, but the relatively few issues are difficult to overlook.
I hope you have enjoyed reading Brickset's review of 76042 SHIELD Helicarrier. Many thanks to Huw for photographing the set and to the CEE team for providing the set for review.
You can order the Helicarrier now, and get a free Winter Soldier polybag if you are in Europe, using these links:
UK (£269.99) | Germany (€349.99) | France (€349.99) | USA ($349.99) | Canada ($399.99)
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39 comments on this article
Amazing! The Technic underside of the boat is really cool, it looks humongous. I'll have to pick this up around the US Winter Soldier Promotion. Marvel is expensive this year...... Great Review, Cap'n'. Looking forward to the next!
Also, the open area behind the control room is for power functions. The one in the very back is some kind of loading dock. It's actually there in the vehicle; you can even access it in the Marvel Superheroes game.
as much as I want to love this set it is a massive FAIL. It seems like TLG aren't even trying.
Thanks for the review Captain! Still undecided about this set. £270 is a lot of money for something that will most likely be a dust magnet sitting on my shelf. Eh, I'll pass on this set... for now.
Marcos has done a great job but my opinions also follow Chris'. I was always going to get this set but the price was always an issue in comparison with other spectacular sets LEGO released. I was hoping for this to be on sale in a year or two at Smyths or purchase it during a double points month. I really find it annoying that they are also throwing a free Winter Solider minifigure with this set to make people buy it during the first few weeks of release. This year my budget is mainly going towards MOC's for Brick2015, so now I'm stuck. Should I wait and hope the Winter Solider will be available later in the year or pull the trigger now?
have you got pics of the light up parts? or a video of the motor function for the fans?
I have read all the reviews now (which are pretty great - thank you for that) and although I think it looks a bit better in the photos made by Huw from other angles than TLG provides I also still think this set is massive out of proportion?
Is that just me or would another 10-20cm in length helped that thing very much for being more realistic? It just seems very square in length and height and turbine-position.... :(
The model is obviously not perfect. None is. But it's within what LEGO does and that said I don't understand what some people were actually expecting.
Of course it could be cheaper, I mean all LEGO could be cheaper. Who doesn't want cheaper LEGO after all? I know I do.
My only small complaint is the minifig choice really but to be honest I'd totally get this set without minifigures even.
"For £269.99 or $349.99 I think the Helicarrier feels a bit small"
Don't forget that it's a licensed set and licensed sets are more expensive. Really though, i think it looks epic and if i had the money for it i would definitely not complain. I would love to pick up one of those jets and swoosh it around. And ofcourse admire the model in it's great scale.
First the review is all like "Whow, it looks great, i like the angled runway construction, oh my god nanofigures, oh whow those vehicles are so great, it's so freaking big, ahhhh i love it!!!" and then in the end it's all like "Hm. The rotors are in the wrong colour and it's pricey, and when i say it's pricey i complain about the lack of figures rather than it being FREAKING GIGANTIC. This set is imperfect!". I don't really get that.
Not only that, but what's the big deal with the minifigures? You can't even do anything with them as the set is scaled for the nanofigures. And there's plenty of nanofigures in the set. In the Death Star that you compared the Helicarrier with, you get 24 minifigures to play with, and in the Helicarrier you get 12 nanofigures to play with. It'd be like adding five minifigure clocks to the Death Star and then complaining there's not enough, yet there's plenty of minifigures to play with.
OK, the mini models are just spectacular! If they released a little add-on with mini models, that would be pretty sweet... but thanks to the power functions, there's just so much wasted space inside that thing. Even if I had $350, I would not get this one.
EDIT: And the front end is far too short! What's up with that?!
Pretty impressive model, but way overpriced. I'll pass on this one...
Nice enough but whenever I'll go shopping for LEGO with this kind of money, something else will catch my eye as a must-buy before this set. I don't expect I'll end up buying it.
Cheers for the great review. It does feel a little overpriced and there are things I think they could have done better, but nothing I've seen is a deal breaker for me. Looking forward to building my own now!
Well, it is already on its way to Amsterdam. I do agree about the high price, but I got a €30 discount from my VIP-points and €320 is a much more reasonable price. Please also take into consideration this is a) a licensed set, b) has some printed parts and printing is expensive (I can imagine the nanofigs are expensive to produce) and c) it has quite some big pieces, like all the 8x16 tiles and the hull-pieces.
CapnRex101 - Regarding the void at the rear of the carrier, that's the notch where the fighter jet attempts to distract Hulk by shooting at him in Avengers. Rewatching the scene, the area is open from underneath and behind. http://youtu.be/qenJDU3gzA0
I had really high hopes for this, but having read the review, and more importantly, just been down to Lego Westfield at lunchtime, I've changed my mind.
At something like £199, I'd probably have gone for it, but at £279 it simply isn't big enough or detailed enough. I know it's nearly three feet long, but now I've seen it 'in the plastic', I'm just a bit... underwhelmed.
I'll save my money for the 2H 2015 Technic.
Any else think the sh037 Hulk minifigure (http://brickset.com/minifigs/sh037/Hulk) would look awesome next to the nanofigures?
Thank you for the review! I am happy for everyone who gets this set and loves it - but if I had the chance I'd rather put that amount of money on the SSD, a new PS4 or XOne. It's just too much for this set.
The illegal built of tile-in-clip was with the old-style clip: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2555
In this set it is a variant that looks more like other clips and minifig hands: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=15712
Alternative explanation: what is illegal is putting a plate in the clip. The tile has a grood which reduces "occupied" space in the clip, hence no stress on it
Great review and many thanks for it. I agree the control tower looks to small in comparison to the model. After reading this I still want it but not as much as before reading the review. Personally I have the Tumbler, Slave 1 and the modulars before this now.
Sold out yes, but I reckon 95% will never be built, the packets opened only to sort the parts for sale.
PS Though I shouldn't complain, I want those runway plates.
"but when comparing it to something like 10188 Death Star which costs only £5 more in the UK"
If you take inflation into account, the Death Star costs over 40 squids more. ;o)
It's impressive something like this can be built in LEGO, but it's not for me. Just too much of the same for my liking. That being said I try to avoid the licensed set as much as possible given that they tend to be relatively numerous for certain themes and somewhat more expensive. But my bank account isn't complaining and it just leaves me with more to spend on all the goodies to come. Wouldn't mind owning the display stand with the mini figures though :)
Great review, thanks! I like how much the start of the build was like the laying of a ships keel. Just need to hide a gold coin under the deck towards the prow like in set 10241-1 (Maersk Line Triple-E) for good luck.
Yeah that void at the rear is actually supposed to be there. It's a scooped out area meant to give multiple decks direct access for things like cargo loading or an assault offloading. It would also be the launch and landing bay for the classic flying cars.
could someone link me to the power function stuff needed please :)
8883, 88000 and 8870
Meh, didn't realise some of the deck was made out of stickers too. That's really put me off buying it.
Ir really is an amazing set but way over my budget.
I'm still saving up for the Tumbler! Plus this would absorb every last square inch of display space. I'm glad LEGO offered it, but I can't imagine buying it.
cheers wene, So i ordered myself one of these to act as the light wire and M-motor for the set (that will work right?) http://www.ebay.co.u...TRK:MEBIDX:IT?? , But finding 88000 for a reasonable price is becoming difficult, Any ideas? And once i have one of them thats it right?:) Sorry for being awkward, I like to consider my knowledge of marvel fairly good but my Power functions knowledge is useless :D
I wouldn't stress about adding power functions. You'll turn it on for 1 minute then probably not bother again. It's too noisy for one thing.
Excellent review! I won't be buying this set but I was curious about it (I did buy The Tumbler though). Do you see the nanofigures as an evolution for Lego and think that someday (maybe the near future) more Lego sets will have them?
Those runway tiles will be perfect for a city MOC :)
What an amazing set that I can never even dream of getting! As for the tedious symmetrical turbines, I find that it is easier to do them simultaneously. That's what I usually do with STAR WARS Ships.
I was going to buy this, but I think I'd rather eat this month.
Cheers huw, I might not bother then :( , BTW with the lager battery pack part 8881, would it still work and would it fit in? As i presume it does a similar job??? cheers
Finally an option for a Galactus minifigure! LEGO could include the Minifigure Trophy of the heroes in a set and have Galactus as a regular Minifigure. Similar to what they done with the Ant-man set.
I will admit is a beautiful set. But at 500AUD for 3000 pieces to make a static model, I think will give it a miss. I would rather buy another modular set or two and part it out for the same amount of money. I would happily pay the American equivalent price of 349AUD or 500AUD for a 4000/4500/5000 peice set. Once again, Lego screwing the Aussies and South East Asians.
The final product is impressive. I agree that it does look small for the price. I'm sure the piece count reflects a lot of smaller pieces (obviously since it is a microscale version of the carrier).
I like seeing dark bley ship hull pieces. Although I don't know if I ever plan on building a dark bley pirate ship, but it is a possibility now.
The mini quinjet does look superb, and I think I will look to build at least one of those for myself and pass on the rest of the set.