Random set of the day: Police Helicopter
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 30014 Police Helicopter, released in 2011. It's one of 29 City sets produced that year. It contains 32 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$4.99.
It's owned by 3182 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
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43 comments on this article
lol helicopter go brrrrrrr
Hmmm... not controversial, but not remotely interesting either.
This set also needs more Blacktron.
I can barely keep interesting, 1990s Police sets straight--and I liked those a LOT at the time! Is there anyone who can keep the 2010s straight?
I'm not sure if the works of Leonardo Da Vinci are appropriate for a modern LEGO City setting.
I like Creator and Star Wars polybags because usually they manage to pack a lot of detail and features into $5 sets usually under 100 pieces. The first Technic polybag ( 30465 ) in decades is impressive for its size and price; packing features that are usually found in $30-40 sets. The licensed polybags often include Minifigures from expensive sets. Yet City, uh, usually stuff like this is the norm. Outside of (the typical prefab) bike and ATV, they usually end up being stuff like this. Usually, overly shrunk vehicles that barely make sense. However, the small carts/food stalls that have been recent fare are quite good.
I bought a large variety of polybags from Target during one of my rare visits there in 2011, but can't recall if this was one of the ones I bought or not.
Out of the dozens of Lego helicopters, this is one of them.
I like the camera but that's about it. Too small to be really interesting. C grade.
Even by polybag copter standards, this one looks pretty bad. The canopy is a nice part and looks good, but it's so weird how it doesn't sit flush with the slope used for the nose. The camera, while a nice part, looks totally out of proportion, too.
Well at least this one has a canopy, preventing the pilot from being decapitated, I suppose.
Well, after yesterday, at least this is a subject that is 100%, undeniably free of any source of controversy!
@guachi:
That’s not a laser?
@chrisaw:
Yes, by all means, let’s protect the poor man from being put out of his misery.
@PurpleDave said:
"Well, after yesterday, at least this is a subject that is 100%, undeniably free of any source of controversy!
@guachi :
That’s not a laser?
@chrisaw :
Yes, by all means, let’s protect the poor man from being put out of his misery."
I mean this guy’s clearly an agent of the surveillance state, but he can’t really surveil that much with his highly unethical camera positioned in such a way. It’s so static and too far back.
Actually not bad for a polybag heli!
@guachi said:
"Out of the dozens of Lego helicopters, this is one of them.
I like the camera but that's about it. Too small to be really interesting. C grade."
Brickset has tagged 469 sets as containing helicopters... that’s a lot of helicopters. A lot of LEGO helicopters are going brrrrrrrr!
Oh, it's so tiny! Not one of their best, not even by polybag standards.
@PurpleDave said:
" @guachi:
That’s not a laser?"
I always assumed that accessory was modeled after a 1970s or 80s Super8 video camera or something similar. The part has been around since 1982.
LCPD Chief: "Ladies and Gentlemen; I give you the latest in Police equipment, crime fighting technology: Brick Thunder!!!"
(Curtain falls; THIS 'helicopter' is on stage)
LCPD Chief: "What th'...WHERE'S THE REST OF IT!?!?!"
Cut to LC Mayor; out on the water...on his new yacht: "Overcosts:D"
A MAN HAS FALLEN INTO THE RIVER IN LEGO CITY! Oh wait, this isn't the rescue helicopter?
It's a hard sell for me unless it comes as a promotion with some kids magazine or news paper.
That's either a very small helicopter or a very large drone
I had the fire version of this thing, 4900. Don’t really know why. Should’ve bought the moon buggy 3365 instead.
@Lego_lord I have this polybag and it did come free with a newspaper !!
Doesn't look like it's too structurally resilient. I don't like this grinning face. Overly expressive faces in these new minifigs are unnatural and ridiculous.
@PurpleDave said:
"Well, after yesterday, at least this is a subject that is 100%, undeniably free of any source of controversy!"
I wouldn't be so sure. After all, this set depicts the stereotypical male yellow policeman, helicopter pilot no less. This should at least have been a female minifig, or better still a disabled transgender person of colour (or of Native American descent), to better represent the diverse range of police officers.
Discuss!
P. S. : (in my best Jeremy Clarkson voice) "Should I have in any way offended anyone by my comment, I am deeply sorry".
;-)
I rather like the helicopter actually, for a polybag. It seems complete, as opposed to the former police RSOTD: https://brickset.com/article/60622/random-set-of-the-day-police-car (which even had a box, oh boy).
i personally think 4991 is a bit better in this regard with the added function of an opening cockpit
@FilleLego: You kids these days with your "hinges" and "canopies" and things like that; not willing to partially dismantle a vehicle when you want to get in or out.
I wonder if somebody's keeping track of set appearances of helicopters, motorcycles, water-scooters and ATVs. How many there are and how fast the numbers grow.
My favorite small police helicopter is still 645.
The police minifigure at least seems to be enjoying his death-copter.
@Lego_lord said:
"It's a hard sell for me unless it comes as a promotion with some kids magazine or news paper."
Well you’re in luck, because in the UK this was free with the Sun, a kids magazine.
@CarolinaOnMyMind said:
"Hmmm... not controversial, but not remotely interesting either. "
It's a miniature flying gunboat for gosh sakes! It's even got a plasma spewing missile launcher ready to melt down first and ask questions later... At least that's what those pieces always were when I had them as a child. Ok, I still pretend their laser bazookas... and sometimes I make explosion noises ; )
PS. Just look at that deranged look on the pilot's face. He's obviously gone mad w/powers of destruction.
I will just add that I clicked on the helicopter tag to look at all the helicopters, and discovered the giant robot-crocodile-helicopter 70227-1.
@AustinPowers said:
"My favorite small police helicopter is still 645. "
Totally agree. To me what annoys me the most with helicopters is the new parts they use. The rotor parts are very ugly nowadays. Also the 1 part skids (poop - part of other parts) is an abomination (as seen in 7238 and 7741). I like when skids are built. So 30014 is not bad in that respect - also it does not use the new rotor part - not quite sure if this could fly with such small blades though. It always depends on the price but this model here is not that bad.
This is almost identical to 4991. A search for helicopter returns 124 results - one of which is a book.
@guachi:
Looks like it only shoots in sepia tone. And has a laser sight to make sure you’ve got it pointed in the right direction.
Not controversial? Do you guys even know what ACAB means? Sheesh!
@Nick said:
"Not controversial? Do you guys even know what ACAB means? Sheesh!"
Of course. We all know ACAB means “All Choppers Are Beautiful”, but I have to disagree. This one is rather small and ugly.
Hey, you’re right—it IS controversial!
@Kynareth I think it was the Mirror not the Sun. Not that there's much difference obviously.
Can't beat 653 from the best Lego era, with no pesky minifigures!
@sjr60 said:
"Can't beat 653 from the best Lego era, with no pesky minifigures!"
The Red Cross is a protected and copyrighted symbol. Its usage in this Lego set is problematic, to say the least.
I was today years old when I learned that not only this one exists, but also a fire helecopter version 4900 and Police version in 4991. This design has been copied a lot!
@jkb said:
"I wonder if somebody's keeping track of set appearances of helicopters, motorcycles, water-scooters and ATVs. How many there are and how fast the numbers grow."
You have to keep male and female helicopters apart. Otherwise, they reproduce uncontrollably.
@sjr60 said:
"Can't beat 653 from the best Lego era, with no pesky minifigures!"
I have this one. I remember the skids and the tail invariably falling off when I was swooshing it around (was a toddler - and was able to build it without 342 pages of instruction!)
@skypilot22 said: "I had the fire version of this thing, 4900. Don’t really know why. Should’ve bought the moon buggy 3365 instead."
I think it's really interesting that they turned a fire helicopter into a police helicopter just by swapping the red pieces out for blue pieces, and giving a different accessory. A little uninspired, but still interesting.