Friends is a theme I have not forayed into in depth. However, I have purchased the occasional set. I like the look of the Amusement Park Hot Dog Van. Subsequently, I modified it to suit my city. I also bought Andrea’s Accessories Store for parts. The look of it inspired me for a future MOC. The theme is great for colorful parts and loads of windows. However, I did not buy today’s review set for either of those reasons. Not long ago, I reviewed the Passenger Airplane from the City theme. I was curious how the Heartlake City Airplane (41429) compared.
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HEARTLAKE CITY AIRPLANE SUMMARY
- NAME: Heartlake City Airplane
- SET #: 41429
- THEME: Friends
- COST: $99.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 574
- MINI DOLLS: 3
- RELEASE DATE: August 24, 2020
HEARTLAKE CITY AIRPLANE QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 78% (At full price, you get a satisfactory cost-per-brick and average build time.)
- BUILD: 85% (One design flaw that bothers me a lot is the lack of a door, otherwise it is nice.)
- MINI DOLLS: 86% (Lots of accessories, decent character designs, merely satisfactory brick:fig.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 95% (Great build for AFOLs and KFOLs alike, just wish it was Minifigure scale.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 86%
HEARTLAKE CITY AIRPLANE REVIEW
VALUE: 78%
Heartlake City Airplane costs $99.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit contains 574 pieces. As such, the cost-per-brick is $0.17. For comparison, my average cost-per-brick is $0.14. Therefore, this airplane is on the pricier side. However, the value is still borderline satisfactory in my book. Compared to all other LEGO® sets, I rate the value-per-brick at 70%. If you look at just Friends sets, the kit fares a little better. I do not have much data on the theme. Based on the few sets I have, my average cost-per-brick for Friends sets is $0.158. Subsequently, if you compare Heartlake City Airplane to other Friends sets, it earns 76% in this category. Looking at these two scores together, I rate the value-per-brick at 73%.
I built this set in 134 minutes (two hours and 14 minutes). Therefore, at full price the cost-per-minute is $0.75. Comparatively, my overall cost-per-minute is $0.831. Based on my limited data for the Friends theme, the same indicator is $0.75. As such, this set gives you a good amount of build time compared to all other sets (84%), and an average build time for the theme (80%). I rate the build-time value at 82%.
Considering the value of this set as a whole, I rate it at 78% when purchasing at full price. That is within the score range I would consider as average. However, even a modest discount of 15% brings the overall value up to 84%. That is still within my average-range, but at the upper end.
BUILD: 85%
Heartlake City Airplane (41429) comes with two small builds. First, you assemble a departures desk. There is nothing spectacular about it. However, the assembly does compliment the set. Similarly, the second small build is a set of stairs to help mini dolls board the plane. While it also compliments the main build, it ultimately proves useless because the plane itself has no doors. I am happy to note that neither of these small builds takes away from the detail of the main airplane build.
Ultimately, my main beef with this set is the lack of an entry point for characters. Otherwise, the set features fun details. For example, the plane has a galley right behind the cockpit with a coffee machine and blender. Additionally, the cabin seats have onboard entertainment screens (stickers), and there are overhead storage compartments. The plane even has a decent refreshment trolley. However, my favorite detail is one that made me laugh out loud while building. You build a piece of poo into the fuselage under the toilet in the bathroom. The detail is not visible or accessible in the completed model. However, it is amusing to know it is there. Perhaps it is a little toilet humor for the countless dads who will build this set for their little kids. Incidentally, I was not expecting that from a Friends set.
I did not expect toilet humor from a Friends set.
I enjoyed building Heartlake City Airplane. The detailing on the plane is nice. As mentioned earlier, I do not like that it does not have a door. Additionally, while I like the overhead compartments, the exposed underside of plates looks messy. Using SNOT (studs-not-on-top) techniques would improve the look. The lack of SNOT bothers me less than the lack of a door though. Overall, I rate this build at 85%.
MINI DOLLS: 86%
Heartlake City Airplane (41429) comes with three mini dolls. The articulation is not the same as a Minifigure. However, they still feature a moveable hip joint. Each features a hairpiece or hat, unique face printing, front torso printing, and printed on shoes. However, only one has any rear torso printing. In terms of accessories, the kit includes two pairs of sunglasses, a dog, three mugs, a printed tile phone, two printed tile consoles, two briefcases, a large suitcase, a surfboard, a pair of flippers, and a snorkeling helmet. While I am not a fan of mini dolls, these are decently detailed. Additionally, the large number of accessories makes up for my distaste for the dolls. I rate the design score at 100%.
Three characters in a 574-piece kit equates to 191 bricks-per-mini-doll. For a kit this size, that is satisfactory. However, if these were proper Minifigures, I expect four in a 574-piece set. Compared to all other LEGO® sets, that earns a ratio score of 70%. Based on my limited Friends theme data, the set does not fare much better. My average there is 153:1, meaning this set earns 72%. Taken together, the ratio score is 71%. Subsequently, averaging this with the design score gives an overall mini doll grade of 86%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 95%
I like the Heartlake City Airplane. As an AFOL, I plan to keep this set built. I recently suspended my City Passenger Airplane above my LEGO® city. I plan to do the same with this one. It is like I have competing airlines now. However, since I prefer Minifigures to mini dolls, I will modify the plane first to make the seating Minifigure scale. I think this plane has value for city-builders beyond the target Friends-theme audience. I could be wrong, but I think most AFOLs prefer Minifigures to mini dolls. Therefore, since it needs modification, I rate the entertainment factor for grown-ups at 90%.
For kids, this set is a lot of fun. My nieces were certainly a little jealous when I told them I had this plane. The interior of the airplane is easy to access and contains loads of details. Despite being a set targeted for girls, I think boys will get just as much of out this kit. Airplanes are fun to play with. Some boys might have issues with gender-imposed stereotypes though. However, it is a fun set to use to work through those if they are an issue. I rate the KFOL score at 100%. Taken with the AFOL score, that gives an overall entertainment rating of 95%.
OVERALL SCORE: 86%
Heartlake City Airplane (41429) is a solid set. The airplane features a lot of detail, except for the lack of an outer door. Additionally, the kit comes with a lot of accessories. Personally, I do not like mini dolls, but these are probably fine for fans of the Friends theme. The value is within the range I consider to be average but leans towards to pricier side. All the same, I recommend this set. However, wait for a sale. 15% off makes the price much more appealing. Additionally, that level of discount is not hard to come by. What are your thoughts on the Heartlake City Airplane (41429)? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Heartlake City Airplane (41429) below.
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