Return Home News Reference Discussion Forums
Welcome,
BZPower Guest
.

Login | Register | Retrieve Password



Site Links
    - Forums Reference
    - Become a Member
    - Premier Membership
    - Timeline
    - Set Database
    - Parent's Guide
    - Collectibles
    - Good Guys
    - Bad Guys
    - Mythology
    - Story Sources
    - Official Greg Discussion
    - Product Reviews
    - Tool Kit
    - Wild Kraata Colors
    - BZPowercast
    - Mata Nui Translater
    - History of Bionicle
    - Accessories
    - Games
  • About BZPower
  •     - Staff
        - Site History
        - Contact Us

    Discuss This Story ReviewSaturday, June 30th, 2012 at 11:44pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager
    [Source: Sumiki]

    Today brings us a review of a rather unique set. We announced earlier the new Sopwith Camel D2C set, as well as the miniature version being released as a promotional item. Forum Mentor Sumiki was able to snag a copy of 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel and has reviewed it for your reading pleasure. Go take a look and see if this is something you need to add to your collection!

    Presentation
    From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 01

    It's a bag. It's a very nice bag, but it's still a bag. The front looks sort of nice but the back is pure, unadulterated Legalese, a language I am not particularly fluent in. I felt that there was no reason to take a picture of that; no one buys sets for the package backs in the first place. Moving swiftly along.

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 02

    As usual for sets with small parts, they come in their own little clear bag. There's also the instruction manual, which for some reason I think is nostalgic - probably because it folds out.

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 03

    I don't believe any of these parts are new, but there are some molds and parts that, as of yet, I have not encountered. Plus, sand green is pretty darn awesome, and there are thirteen plates of it in the model.

    Building
    Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 04 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 05 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 06 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 07

    It wasn't the most straightforward build I've ever tackled (those would be the first wave of HF heroes), but it wasn't complex either. It's a free set, so I didn't anticipate anything challenging on the build front.

    I accidentally put an extra sand green 1x3 tile on its left wing instead of more towards the center of the wing, but that was my mistake and it only appeared in one picture. I'm not sure how (or why) I did that, but fortunately I was able to rectify it.

    Set Design
    Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 08 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 09 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 10 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 11 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 12

    It looks remarkably like a plane.

    As I've said, it's a free set, so I didn't expect a whole lot from it. However, after the build was over, I stepped back and said to myself "this is actually pretty darn good." Yeah, it's small, but that doesn't make it bad. If you want a bigger version, then all you have to do is buy it. It's solid and lightweight, and there are four extra parts left over.

    The "target" design that's emulated on the wings sticks up strangely, but the only way to do it otherwise would be to print (or provide stickers for - ugh) 2x2 round tiles. But it's only a minor qualm and doesn't detract from the set's design or playability. I like the tail, but it'd be better if an inverse cheese slope existed. As it is, the tail's bottom ends abruptly, but it's even more minor than the target issue. There are so few things I don't like about this set that I have to really nitpick to find something.

    Playability
    The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 13

    STRAFE ALL THE HEROES

    Being a simple set, there's hardly a function to be found on it aside from its wheels and propellor, which aren't really "functions" in the true sense of the term. Now, it really would have been nice if it came with some sort of working machine gun. (No, I don't care if they would have been both ridiculously oversized and historically inaccurate; I can dream, can't I?)

    40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 14 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel Review 15

    It's fun to spin the propellor, make airplane-like noises, and have it fly around the room once or twice. It would have been nice if I had another plane of the same scale to recreate a dogfight, but c'est la vie.

    Final Thoughts
    Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?

    Pros
    What's to like?

    • If you get it, then you got it for free
    • Free stuff is good
    • (That's rule #1 of life)
    • Sand green!

    Cons
    What's not to like?

    • Does not have a functioning machine gun
    • Tiny, tiny issues with wing targets and tail

    I cannot, in good conscience, bring myself to dislike this set. However, the only way you're going to get it is if you get it for free, and I don't think that it's worth getting something that you don't want just for the sake of getting this.

    Thanks of course go to Sumiki for taking the time to review this set (even if it's a small one :P). Be sure to leave any questions, comments, or feedback you may have in the Talkback. And don't forget to keep checking back for more reviews and all the latest LEGO news!

    Discuss This Story

    « Return to News

    LEGO® and BIONICLE are trademarks of the LEGO Group. BZPower is not authorized or endorsed by TLG. All non-LEGO images & contents are copyright BZPower.com and are not authorized or approved by the LEGO Group. BZPower.com logo & graphic design are copyrights of the owners of this site. ©2001-2024