Where Are All the LEGO Aeroplanes?

9th March 2023

This might seem like a silly question, as LEGO has produced a long line of aviation themed sets over the years. However, the vast majority of these have fallen under the City theme, meaning the aircraft themselves lack detail and are often built using large moulded pieces, which many AFOLs hate.

Other means of transport have gotten a lot more love from LEGO, especially in sets aimed at the older builder. A quick look at the sets released under the Icons, Creator Expert, Advanced Models, Ideas, and Technic themes shows the breakdown of “adult” LEGO vehicles.

Vehicle Type	Icons (2020 - Present)	Creator Expert (2013 - 2021)	Ideas (2011 - Present)	Technic (2012 - Present)	Advanced Models (2000 - 2012)	Total
Cars / Trucks / Bus	6	8	3	88	2	107
Tractors / Machinery	0	0	0	35	0	35
Boats / Submarines	1	1	4	8	3	17
Aeroplanes	0	0	0	8	5	13
Motorbikes	1	1	1	8	0	11
Spacecraft	2	0	4	0y	2	8
Trains	1	2	0	0	3	6
Helicopters	0	0	0	6	0	0

Although aeroplanes sit fourth on this list above, the majority of these are Technic sets, which is not to everyone's taste. For those of us that prefer LEGO system models, you have to go all the way back to the 10226 Sopwith Camel, which was released in 2012. That's over 10 years without a decent LEGO aeroplane.

There are reasons that can explain this, the main one being that many of the iconic aeroplanes we know and love have a military connection, and as we all know, LEGO has a policy not making products that promote or encourage violence in a realistic daily-life scenario. That rules out any current military planes, but does not necessarily exclude historic aircraft no longer in use, as LEGO frequently depicts violence in a historical context (i.e. Castle, Pirates etc).

However, in the hopes that LEGO might address this aeroplane shortage, we've gone ahead and listed five aircraft worthy of their own LEGO set.

1. Concorde

One of the most famous and recognisable planes is the supersonic airliner Concorde, which took its maiden flight in 1969. Corcorde could maintain a speed of up to Mach 2.04, which in layman's terms is 2,167 km/h / 1,347 mph), at an altitude of 60,000 ft (18.3 km). The swooping tailless design with narrow fuselage created a fantastic looking plane that really captured the imagination.

Although Concorde hasn't appeared in any LEGO sets, it has been the subject of a previous LEGO Ideas submission. This was sadly unsuccessful, but there are others you can support.

2. Spirit of St. Louis

The Ryan NYP, as known as the Spirit of St. Louis, was the first plane to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. Pilot Charles Lindbergh achieved this landmark on May 20-21, 1927, when he travelled from New York to Paris in a journey lasting 33 hours and 30 minutes.

This was a big moment in aviation history, as it marked the dawn of transatlantic flight, with passenger numbers and interest in flying soaring in the years that followed.

3. Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 held the passenger capacity record for 37 years, and is easily distinguished by the hump created by the upper deck that's usually reserved for first class passengers. When it was first built, it was more than twice the size of any existing airliner, and Boeing had to build the world's largest building to house it.

The 747 is a real workhorse of the aviation industry, having moved more than 3.5 billion people and counting, which is roughly equivalent to half the world's population.

4. SpaceShipOne

This plane might not be on everyone's radar, pardon the pun, but it was the first private aircraft to go to suborbital space and won the US$10 million Ansari X-prize in 2004. It was designed by famed aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, who had designed dozens of aircraft previously, five of which can be found in the Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum. This is a real aviation geek's plane, but we think a LEGO version would look good on anyone's shelf.

5. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Although this plane was used by the US military, it only performed reconnaissance, which means it could be fair game for a LEGO set. We certainly hope so, as it's one of the coolest looking planes ever made. It's also one of the fastest and still holds the record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, which it set back in 1976, reaching a staggering speed of 3,529.6 km/h / 2,193.2 mph.

Comments