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10024 Red Baron
<http://guide.lugnet.com/set/10024>
Ages: 12+
Pieces: 682
Released: 2002
Many pages of instructions.
Price Range: $A78ish (I bought it as half the Famous Planes Kit back in
June, but only now got around to building it)
RATINGS (Scale: Must-Have Excellent Very-Good Good Fair Poor)
Set: Excellent / Model: Excellent / Playability: Very Good
STICKERS?
Yes. But you can always leave them off. I did. (Although a stickerless Baron
is not as nice looking as a fully stickered one.)
SET DESCRIPTION
The set builds up into a satisfyingly large, satisfyingly robust,
satisfyingly recognisable Red Baron triplane.
It is slightly shorter and has a shorter wingspan thant the Sopwith Camel,
but is taller and feels much stronger.
New 2002 elements (the 2x4 wedge plates, 12x3x1 wedges) are well used, and
wishbone suspension arms have been used as wing struts instead of the more
traditional technic pieces used on the Camel.
SPECIAL ELEMENTS
There are some great (and surprising) elements in this set.
The use of the wishbone suspension arms and the 12x3x1 wedges has been
mentioned above. But there are lots of great parts used to achieve the look
of the triplane. The tailplane, based on a pair of 8x8 plates without
corners and the white tailfin are great.
An unusual brown minifig shovel is used as a tailskid - and provides some
springiness on landing.
IMPRESSION
The most striking thing about this set is it's redness. When I opened the
box, I was confronted with a sea of red - sure there are pieces in other
colours (white, brown, two shades of grey, yellow and blue) - but the set is
overwhelmingly red (which is to be expected, I guess).
As you would expect, I have done the numbers, and was surprised to find that
only 57% of the parts in this set are red. However, almost all the large
parts (6xn plates, 4xn plates, 12x3x1 wedges) are red, so on a volume basis,
I'll stick to the 'overwhelmingly red' claim.
RATING
Set Rating:
Excellent. A great selection of parts.
Model Rating:
This is an excellent model, no question. It is a well executed model of a
real plane..
Playability:
Very good. While much more swooshable than the 'Camel (it's a bit more
compact, and a whole lot sturdier) it is still lacking a pilot (Jack Stone
doesn't look too bad in the 'Camel cockpit, but he sits far too low in the
Baron) - an amputee tech fig might work...
The control surfaces move, but the control levers tend to be a bit fagile.
LIKES/DISLIKES
Likes:
-Colour scheme
-It is far more robust than the 'Camel
-Parts selection, in particular a great variety of red plates.
-Clever parts selection (spiral staircase axles for machine guns, minifig
shovel for tailskid)
Dislikes:
-Stickers.
ERRORS
I'm not sure if it was LEGO's or mine, but at the end of construction I was
missing a red 2x4 plate and had a surplus red 4x6 plate. I can't spot
anything I did wrong, but it seems a very strange error for LEGO to make, so
my money's on it being my error.
EXTRA ELEMENTS
The usual extra 1x1 round plates and an extra 1x1 grey tile with printed
gauge. And the red 4x6 mentioned above.
CONCLUSION
The 'Camel was good, the 'Baron is even better.
I highly recommended this set.
REVIEWER INFORMATION
Review Written: 28 November 2002
By: Richie Dulin
Age: 34
Favorite Lines/Themes: Mostly maritime, particularly pirate.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: 10024Red Baron
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| Thanks for the review, Richie. (...) Here I would have to disagree. I don't find either of the Camel or the Baron to be particularly sturdy and hence not particularly swooshable. The new struts on the Baron seem to come apart as much as the Camel's (...) (22 years ago, 28-Nov-02, to lugnet.reviews, lugnet.loc.au)
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