The Quinjet is easily one of the most recognisable aircrafts from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Ever since seeing the LEGO 6869 Quinjet on shelves in 2012 I have wanted it. However, I was more into Star Wars at the time so I didn’t get it.

I recently bought the set from Firestar Toys, and with the rumoured Infinity Saga wave of LEGO sets based on the Earlier MCU movies releasing later this year, I thought I would give it a review.

The Quinjet is the primary aircraft used by S.H.I.E.L.D, and later The Avengers in both the comics and the MCU, with a unique profile and design. This set is based on its first MCU appearance and sports the S.H.I.E.L.D insignias on the wings. The Quinjet is used in the film by S.H.I.E.L.D to first recruit and transport the members of The Avengers to the Helicarrier. They can be seen again later in the film when The Avengers “requisition” one from some S.H.I.E.L.D agents on the Helicarrier, so they can fly to New York to stop Loki from destroying both the city, and the world.

I will start with some information about the set then dive into the review.

• Name: Quinjet Aerial Battle
• Set Number: 6869
• Year released: 2012
• RRP: £69.99
• Pieces: 735
• Theme: Marvel Super Heroes – The Avengers
• Minifigures: 5

The Minifigures

As I bought the set from Firestar Toys, the minifigures were not included. However, I already had Loki and the Chitauri minifigures.  Out of the 3 Avengers from the set which I don’t own, the only desirable one is Iron Man Mk7 for reasons I will explain later.

The first minifigure I will start with is Loki. Loki is the main villain in the film, so it is good to get him in this set as it is based on the final act of the film. The minifigure representation of him is quite accurate to his appearance in the film. The torso print is nice and flows into the leg print, with the Asgardian design consistent in both. The helmet piece features his iconic golden horns, which he wears in parts of the film. The figure also has a green cape, in the old paper style as the set is from 2012. The face print is quite generic and has been used for various characters, however it does look like Tom Hiddleston, so it was a good choice. The figure appeared in 2 other sets in 2012, 6867 and 6868, so he isn’t exclusive but still a very good figure. 8/10

Next is the Chitauri foot soldier. This figure is based on the Chitauri aliens we see in the final battle in the film. The design is nicely detailed with printing on both sides of the torso accurate to the armour they wear when they invade New York. The face detailing is printed on a gold head which represents the battle masks they wear in the film, the newer 2019 Chitauri figures from sets 76126 and 76144 do not have the masks. This figure also has purple hands, which are still quite rare. This Chitauri appears in 6865 too, so he’s quite easy to collect in mass which is great as you can get lots of them to recreate the final battle from the film. Despite not being exclusive I still really like this figure. 7/10

Next up is Thor. This is the first Thor minifigure that LEGO produced and is quite good for a first attempt. It’s reasonably accurate to his appearance in the film, featuring the Asgardian battle armour printed on both sides of the torso. He also has light grey arms, representative of the metal scales. He has a red cape in the old paper style, which works well. The face prints are both good, on one side of the head there is a stern expression, and on the other he has his teeth bared in an angry expression. These are both appropriate for the set as it is based on the climactic battle at the end of the film.

Both prints have a dark tan colour beard printed on and resemble Chris Hemsworth as he appears in the earlier MCU films. The hair is quite striking with how blonde it is, but it works quite well as it is based on his look in ‘The Avengers’. The legs are plain blue and look a bit out of place given the detailed print on his torso, perhaps they could have benefitted with some boot detailing. Thor also comes with his hammer Mjölnir, which is a great accessory. This Thor was also available in a polybag and 6868. Regardless, this figure is still a good inclusion in the set, but maybe some extra detailing, exclusive to this version, would have made him more desirable. 7/10

The penultimate minifigure is Iron Man (MK7). This figure is great and is hands down the best in the set. This is based on the suit which is seen in final battle in New York. We see the MK7 when Tony Stark is thrown from his penthouse in Stark Tower by Loki, we then see Stark suit up mid-air as the MK7 locks on to him. The figure does a great job of capturing the look of its on-screen counterpart. As one of the first Iron Man minifigures created for the Marvel theme, it included the then brand new, 2-piece helmet mould with the flip up face plate. If you lift the face plate it reveals Tony Stark. He has a smirking expression which fits the character well, and an angry expression which is also fitting if you want to recreate the battle scenes, both prints resemble Robert Downey Jr.

The torso is good and features the more traditional circular Arc reactor chest piece with some nice gold highlights. It also has the break flaps and boosters printed on the back of the torso. The legs have gold highlights on the thigh armour, with some dark grey detailing too. He also features some 1×1 Translucent light blue studs and cylinders which act as the jet thrusters so you can simulate him flying. This particular figure is exclusive to the set, but LEGO released a slightly altered one in 10721. Overall, this figure is a solid addition to any Marvel collection. 9/10

 

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Finally for figures, we have Black Widow. This is definitely the worst minifigure in the 2012 Avengers wave. This is for a few reasons. Her hair is the wrong style for her appearance in The Avengers. Her face print bears no resemblance to Scarlett Johansson at all and her costume isn’t really accurate to the S.H.I.E.L.D jumpsuit she wears in the film. Unfortunately, this figure appears to have fallen into a common Marvel minifigure issue, the majority of the sets are created to be released with the film’s release, and so the sets will be in production parallel to the films production, thus LEGO uses the concept art from the film to create the sets and designs. Sometimes the final design which is used is different to the LEGO minifigure, by which point it’s too late to change.

The printing on the torso and legs for this figure is great…for an Iron Man 2 based Black Widow, not an Avengers one however. The belt and buckles for the gun holsters are quite nicely detailed and the blue highlights represent the electrical stun system we see her use in later Avengers films. If you switched the face print with her most recent one, this figure could be a 7/10. However, as it is without modifications 5/10

The Build

Now I have covered the figures, I will move onto the set. Before I start with the Quinjet, I will briefly go over the Chitauri Chariot. This side build is similar to the Chitauri speeder in 6865, however this is slightly different and has a chariot platform attached for Loki to sit on. It is a good replica to the on-screen model we see in the battle of New York and has the gold and purple motif seen with all Chitauri related things. The sticker is quite detailed and adds to the design of the chariot. Also, I like the use of the chalice elements as blasters on the sides of the craft. That’s about it for the chariot so now I will move on to the Quinjet.

The Quinjet is easily my favourite set from the 2012 Avengers wave. The build is interesting, and the final product is similar in size to the 76126 Ultimate Quinjet. The build starts with the front cockpit then you build the main section before building both wings and attaching them. Then you continue the central section and add the drone holder, and finally build the 2 engine thrusters. The final build strongly resembles the in-universe craft and replicates the correct angles and shapes to finish off the unique design. The main play feature of the craft is located within the very heart of the set. The drone bay holds a small S.H.I.E.L.D drone which can be deployed when you press down on the red 1×1 located on the roof. This feature is great for playability but is easily removable if you want the set to be a display piece.

There are also racks of flick fire missiles located under the wings. These are fine as play features but again, if you don’t like them, they are easy to remove. I personally don’t mind them, but I can see why some people may not like them. The final play feature is the opening ramp on the back as this is back area can be used as a prison section when the Avengers capture Loki as there is an opening hatch on the roof so you can put figures in from above and release them if you open the ramp. This area is a huge plus point to the set because there is enough room in there to fit all of the Avengers, minus the Hulk bigfig (you can fit 16 regular minifigures without accessories if you pack them in like sardines).

There are also 2 seats inside the main body behind the cockpit pod. So, you can fit 3 seated in the front section and 3 seated in the back area or up to 16 lying down. The final features of the set are the poseable wing tips and jet pods. The wing tips are connected by a technic peg with hinge so the wings can be rotated 360o around and 90o down to make the angles we see in the film. The engine pods are attached by clips and hinges and can move however they are only attached this way to match the way they look in the film.

Design-wise the model is true to its in-universe counterpart and is a great set despite its age. The set does rely on stickers however, for a lot of the details such as the S.H.I.E.L.D logos on the wings and the computer terminals inside the Quinjet, along with the drone. The Chitauri Chariot also has stickers on it. They are clear backed stickers, so I would suggest using tweezers to avoid getting fingerprints on them.

The Quinjet is the main draw of the set for me as most of the figures are easily accessible in other sets with just 2 exclusives of which only the Iron Man minifigure is desirable. However, the set is still one of my favourite Marvel sets due to the build and overall design of the craft. The figure selection is good, but it is somewhat disappointing that the figures are the same as they appear in the other sets. They would be more desirable if they featured additional prints which give them some more collectability value.

I would recommend the LEGO set 6869 to any MCU/Marvel fans that like the Quinjet design. However, if you already own the non-exclusive figures, and aren’t bothered about the other 2 you may as well buy just the build section and use your own figures, as LEGO have vastly improved the designs and likenesses over the last 9 years. Overall, I’d give this set a 9/10.

 

If you want to read a comparison of all the LEGO Quinjets, click here.

 

Images from Brickset

 

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