In a surprise move, the LEGO® Group announced that the Technic Osprey was cancelled. The news comes a mere 11 days before the set was scheduled to hit store shelves on August 1, 2020. The LEGO® Group released the following statement concerning the cancellation:
The LEGO Technic Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was designed to highlight the important role the aircraft plays in search and rescue efforts. While the set clearly depicts how a rescue version of the plane might look, the aircraft is only used by the military. We have a long-standing policy not to create sets which feature real military vehicles, so it has been decided not to proceed with the launch of this product.
We appreciate that some fans who were looking forward to this set may be disappointed, but we believe it’s important to ensure that we uphold our brand values.
Public outcry may have prompted the cancellation.
While no mention was made in the statement, the announcement comes after the German Peace Society launched a campaign to stop the release of the set. Incidentally, the German Peace Society was founded in 1892. They went through a period of suppression under Nazi rule, but re-launched in 1945. Their online petition argued that the LEGO® Group was directly supporting arms manufacturers through licensing fees. In truth, a portion of each Osprey sale would go to the licensing company. Consequently, the LEGO® Group would be paying fees to military contractors.
The LEGO® Group clearly produced a rescue version of the aircraft. However, the Osprey does not have any civilian applications at this time. The German Peace Society maintains that they would not have started this campaign if the set had been generic. The license with Bell and Boeing prompted the petition and public outcry. Interestingly, some Osprey sets did make it out into the wild. The LEGO® Group will not recall sets that are already for sale (some retailers start early). However, they will not ship any more sets in the future. This sudden move has made the Osprey one of the rarest LEGO® sets out there. Secondary market prices will undoubtedly sky-rocket. What are your thoughts on the Technic Osprey being cancelled? Leave a comment below or send me a line on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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