Featured set of the day: Airport
Posted by Huw,
Lluisgib recalls his quest for a set that eluded him as a child and the day it was gifted to him:
It was 1985 when LEGO launched the Airport subtheme. At that time I was 10 and I already had few sets. When I got the catalogue of that year in my hands I fell in love with the set 6392 Airport. One aircraft, one helicopter, a terminal, a runway… It was the perfect set. Some weeks after getting the catalogue, I saw it for first time in a shop near my grandma’s house. I was impressed by the size of the box and the box art. I asked my parents to get it for my birthday.
At that time the economy in Spain was no so good. My parents started a business couple of years before because my father lost his job. He was working as designer of Hi-Fi devices but when Spain opened the import of Japanese devices, the national industry almost disappeared. Due to this, and that we were three brothers, it’s understandable that they were not able to buy it.
Finally, my birthday arrived and I received the aircraft 6368 Jet Airliner. Although it was not the airport, I was very happy. I got my first aircraft for my tiny city. There was just one house (6372 Town House), a police car (6623 Police Car), a gas pump (6610 Gas Pumps) and a couple more sets and road plates. But my desire for the 6392 Airport did not disappear.
I remember taking every night the catalogue, going to the page where there was the display with the airport and spend some time imagining playing with it, doing several take-offs and landings with that beautiful red aircraft with 4 engines.
I never got the set as child. When I was 14, I went to Germany with my parents, so I was able to buy several sets to grow my city, like the beautiful 6349 Holiday Villa and 6590 Vacation Camper, but the airport was not there any more.
Years passed by, and when I entered my 30’s I started being in contact with the incipient AFOL community in Spain. Talking about our LEGO origins with them, one guy told me that he had one spare 6392 Airport used with box for trade. OMG! Really?! I was searching something to trade with this guy. Finally, I offered him 3 sets MISB: 1854 House with Roof-Windows and two Telekom sets, 1198 Telekom Race Cyclists and Service Crew and 1199 Telekom Race Cyclists and Winners' Podium. I don’t know if that was the smartest trade, but my childhood dream came true at that moment!
In 2007, I became LEGO Ambassador for Spain, and I was 4 years representing the Spanish Community in the company. When I decided to leave, the community decided to buy me a present. They collected some money and during the main event I was requested to attend a meeting.
All the community was there and they gave me a wrapped box. When I opened it… There was a 6392 Airport MISB!!! You can see the video of that moment here. This token of appreciation was something I will never forget. I treasure this set forever, not only because I love it, but also because it brings me very good memories of that times when the Spanish community was still one (unfortunately it’s not what’s happening now).
This is the small story of the set I was dreaming for around 20 years, and how this dream finally came true. I recommend everybody this set. It’s only 530 parts but it’s full of playability. It has everything you might find in any airport, in a simple but effective way, Like all the sets from the 80s. It also includes 8 minifigs.
Next step would be how to arrive to the airport. There is one small, unknown set that allows us to go straight from the city to the airport. Its number is 6399 Airport Shuttle, But this is another story...
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34 comments on this article
I had 6368, and my brother had the airport. I could build that jetliner without the instructions. Eventually my brother decided he didn't want the airport anymore so i gladly accepted it. Its still complete and my kids play with it.
I had this set as a child as well... currently this is at my parents' hous, and my nephews play(ed) with it a lot....
In its simplicity a very nice set, that has given me many happy memories.
Excellent article. All good things come to those who wait or want!!
Such a great set! Never got it as a kid either and bought it as an adult just last year. Now it is part of my vintage airport MOC integrating this set along with the airport shuttle I also bought last year. Thank you for the article!
4 stud aircrafts still work the best imo. Not the most accurate scale, but with today's big airplanes, it's almost impossible to have an airport in our cities.
I have a small runway on my layout, mostly used by my rescue helicopter and aerobatic aircraft. Otherwise I would have to gave up of any aerospace project.
I had this airport, got it when I've purchased a large bulk of several other random parts, ended up selling it to another collector.
Pure nostalgia this article... That monorail still appears in my dreams from time to time...
The definition of perfection!
Also the jewel of my collection as a kid...now I have the original I was gifted as a kid and a misb set I acquired last year. Who knows, maybe I'll open it and build it some day...
I love these sort of stories! Thank you, Lluisgib.
Beautiful article! Airport was my first big set when I was 8, a gift when my family moved to Canada. Many happy childhood memories of boarding the aircraft with minifigures, taking off and landing, swooshing the aircraft, and taxiing on the runway.
Great set! My brother and I received this set from our father in 1986, and we had countless hours of fun with it. We did not have any separate road plates which could be placed between buildings, so minifigures in our Lego town would go from the airport's "crossroad" plate directly to the 6384 Police Station or to the 6371 Shell Service Station. But it was not a problem for us, we were happy to have such beautiful Lego sets...
Great story. And yes I agree it had/has great playbility and I know that from experience because I own 6392 and also set 6368. Set 6399 I can't remember ever seeing in the toystores.
The 6392 set was the first LEGO I ever had. Still adorable today!
And I would never ever separate myself from the legendary 6399 monorail which I still proudly exhibit at the LEGO fairs I participate in!
This article brought such a huge smile to my face, thank you! I remember it being my one big present for Christmas in '85 or maybe '86. I ran across the instruction book the other day when digging out the book for 6080 King's Castle, which my 4 y/o son and I rebuilt over the weekend (after being inspired by building a sand castle in his sandbox). This is on my "Needs Rebuilt Soon" list, along w/a few others. About 4-5 years ago my mom came by after Garage Sale shopping w/a used but complete in box and in near mint condition 6396. She only paid 12.00 for it and I quickly built it right away. It's been occupying a rather odd spot beside 10236 Ewok Village ever since :)
6399 isn’t that forgotten. One of the forthcoming Series 20 CMFs, Drone Boy, has the monorail stop’s logo on his shirt.
I got this set for my 10th birthday in 1987. So many hours spent playing with it. Thanks for having this in the spotlight today :)
Another great read! I love these featured set of the day articles! Thanks for contributing, @Lluisgib !
@Zander said:
"6399 isn’t that forgotten. One of the forthcoming Series 20 CMFs, Drone Boy, has the monorail stop’s logo on his shirt."
That might've been tounge-in-cheeck, he also calls it small, lol.
What a beautiful set. Everything you need for an airport.
I still have and love this set. I loved taking off down that lit up runway as a kid. Hey, I'm going to go put it together later today and do just that again.
Good read! It seems a common theme. I also had the smaller jet and my older brother had the full airport. Now I'm getting nostalgic for classic sets again. Luckily I just found the key pieces for Galaxy Explorer in my kids parts' bins today. All that is except those damn breakable tail fins...
I was lucky enough to receive BOTH the Airport, and Airport Shuttle as a child! And I still have both, 99% complete - and with the monorail still in perfect working order!
Anyone in Australia keen to buy one or both from me? (With instructions, but no boxes)
I so want to find that set.
I grew up with this set as one of my main ones. I let my youngest son play with it regularly and after fixing his take a parts I can still build it to this day almost do it without instruction. My childhood favorites went from yellow castle to airport to black seas barracuda. Then my dark years.
I don't have the airport but I, too, got the 6368 private airplane. The airport was very cool though. I remember looking at the pictures and dreaming of it.
Thank you for this set feature today, because the moment I saw the photo I remembered immediately that I had this set as a child! And it was always one of my favorites! This brings back so many memories
Personally I am yet to go after this airport. However, for now, I am quite pleased with the possession of 6396 and 6399 which is a magnificent combo.
This was probably my second favourite set as a kid (right after Metro Station) and we still play with it when we are on holiday at my mum's - my son absolutely loves it, 4-wide planes were so great.
Wonderful story!
Absolutely love this set and loved it as a child in the 1980s. I can remember sending the luggage through to the back side of the airport terminal, loading up the luggage cart, zooming around the house with the plane and helicopter, and spinning the radar dish on the top of the air traffic control tower.
As an adult I had the set image printed for my Brickfair badge!
Great article @Lluisgib! Fond memories of a well respected and cherished set. Nostalgia wise the set is a 10/10. Retrospectively, this set came with everything you needed. Couldn’t ask for more from this set!
Very nice story. I also really enjoyed this set as a child and I spent many hours playing with it. It was an integral component to my Lego City. Unfortunately, I damaged many pieces of the airplane when trying to clean off some sticky bubble-gum using a harsh chemical. The other year, I placed a few orders for replacement parts from the second-hand market to restore this set for my children. Now it is part of their Lego city.
To my surprise, just recently, someone was selling this same set in my neighbourhood for a very inexpensive price. It was almost complete with original packaging and instructions that were in better shape than mine - even the stickers were better applied that my own copy. So I purchased it without hesitation and restored to be comlete, and now I have two airports. I downloaded a .PDF of the instructions and printed them with the pages flipped horizontally, so that I could build the set in reverse. With the use of a few additional parts, I have now connected the two airports back-to-back to create a single "large" terminal. The extra runway base plates have been repurposed as a grassy suburban street.
Thank you for an excellent story. As I read it, cannot help but think of my receiving this set as a Christmas gift during the mid 80's. It was an awesome set, with many firsts for me. Fortunately my set has withstood the test of time. Right now it sits quietly in its mint box, with plastic inserts and instructions. With all this free time right now over the pandemic, I just might have to get it out once again and rebuild it.
I had this set. It was among my favorite Town sets. All I have today are the base plates. But it’s better than nothing.
I was lucky enough to receive 6368 for my 12th birthday in 1985; and enough money from generous family members that I could buy 6392. It was one of my favourite sets. Sadly I sold everything but my Technic Lego when I was 17 or 18, so I no longer have them.
I did spot the a couple of badly beaten boxes of the airport monorail in the stock room at Toys R Us in Oxford in 1995; sadly as an impecunious student I didn’t think to offer them a small sum to have one.
Regrets, I have a few...
Yes I remember this, an ultimate play set, dreamed about it, never got it though.. I think the runway was rather on the right side in my memories..
6368 Jet Airliner... one of the best sets I got when I was a kid.
But mine lands at the other airport of the era: 6396 International Jetport!