Stunt 'Copter N' Truck 

       
 
 
Stunt Copter N Truck
Stunt Copter N Truck box Stunt Copter N Truck monster truck Stunt Copter N Truck driver Stunt Copter N Truck changing tire Stunt Copter N Truck driver Stunt Copter N Truck rear

 

Released in 1988, the LEGO Stunt 'Copter N' Truck was a unique take on the then-standard semi truck design. With the front end built from a short stack of 3x4 wings, sloped fender piece, dual round headlights, and old-school grille, it created a more interesting "streamlined" hood than previous conventional cab trucks (and was very similar to real-world vintage Autocar or Peterbilt trucks). The chassis has a nearly identical construction to what we saw the previous year in the Big Rig Truck Stop, which provided a great visual continuity in the Town series. The trailers can even be swapped among the various tractors, so long as you remove the hitch pin from the Truck Stop's flat bed. The truck's doors were shared with the Road & Trail 4x4, and these were the only two sets ever to use this deco. It's topped with a pair of caution flashers and a single antenna.

The trailer for the Stunt Copter is a three-axle lowboy, and the first one with a sloped deck. Because it is brick-built, the sloped area is much wider than it would be on an actual truck. Chalk this up to artistic license, or pretend that part of the trailer has tool boxes or other storage compartments. A hinged stand under the main deck allows you to leave the trailer parked while the tractor drives away, and a pair of red guards dress up the raised part of the deck and keep minifigs safe from the helicopter's tail rotor. The helicopter is held in place thanks to a set of three standoffs, two that capture the heli's skid arms and one that plugs into the bottom of the tail under the rotor. These hold it just securely enough that it doesn't flop about, but it can still be removed easily.

The helicopter used an all-new canopy piece, replacing the old stacked windshields to create the "bubble" front, and a new version of the 5-stud propellor base. Both are vast improvements over their older counterparts: the canopy because whenever a transparent object can be made out of fewer pieces the better it is, and the rotor because it allowed propellors to be mounted with any standard connector pin. The tail rotor was first introduced in 1987, so it was also a relatively new piece at the time. The lights mounted on a hinge under the canopy, the subtle exhaust tips flanking the tail, and the clever use of jumper plates and a hitch plate to center the tail all work towards giving this a very polished look.

Two minifigs are included, both with red legs, white "S" torsos with white arms, and standard yellow smiley heads. The truck driver has a red cap, while the pilot has a white helmet with a flip-down transparent blue visor (also a relatively new piece, first introduced in Space-themed sets in 1987).

Overall, this was a great set. It made good use of new parts, but maintained a traditional build style with limited specialty pieces and a 4 stud wide design. The black with red and yellow stripes makes for a striking look, and the gray parts compliment the other colors perfectly. Some clever assembly techniques, a very "swooshable" helicopter, and a new vehicle to park at the already cool Big Rig Truck Stop just add to the package. If you like older LEGO Town sets, it's well worth tracking this one down.

 

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