Review: LEGO 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute (Gift with Purchase)
March 2, 2021
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LEGO is going full steam with Gift with Purchases this year – no more cruddy polybags (although those are still around) to entice you to shop direct from LEGO, we now seem to be getting an awesome exclusive GWP seemingly every month.
To observe International Women’s Day on 8 March, LEGO have decided to launch their next historical GWP, (after November’s Charles Dickens Tribute) – 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute
Please enjoy this short review of the soon-to-be-available LEGO Amelia Earhart Tribute set!
This is promotional set that will be available from 6-14 March 2021, when you purchase above a certain threshold from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.
Special thanks to LEGO for providing this review set.
Name: Amelia Earhart Tribute
Set Number: 40450
Pieces: 203
Price: N/A (Gift with Purchase from LEGO.com)
Exclusive to: LEGO Brand Retail Stores, LEGO.com
Theme: Promotional, Historical Tributes
Release Date: 6 March 2021
Amelia Earhart was a pioneer in the aviation world, and was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
An accomplished aviator in her own right, on 20 May 1932, 34-year-old Earhart set off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, travelling 4 hours and 56 minutes before landing in a pasture at Culmore, north of Derry, Northern Ireland.
She piloted a bright red Lockheed Vega 5B which is usually kept at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum.
I can’t think of a better female role model that LEGO has selected to commemorate International Women’s Day, especially since we get a terrific model as well.
The box design is outstanding, following the design precedent set by the Charles Dickens Tribute with the slightly aged paper to give it that historic look. It’s peppered with really cool illustrations and motifs on nearly every side.
The instruction manual contains a lovely 2-page spread of Amelia’s history and achievements. Amelia sadly disappeared under mysterious circumstances, but I’m really glad none of that is mentioned here, as the her disappearance has largely overshadowed her distinguishing triumphs as an aviator and role model.
Sadly, the sad contains a large number of stickers used to decorate her plane.
Here’s a look at the LEGO Amelia Earhart minifigure, featuring a brown leather flight jacket with a scarf, and an exclusive new one-sided head.
She has nougat pants, and goggles on her helmet.
Here’s a look at her back printing, which features some nice stitching details.
Here’s a look at her map which charts her route across the Atlantic ocean. Disappointingly, it’s a sticker!
Here’s a look at the completed model of the Lockheed Vega, which is housed on a pretty large black base.
It’s designed very much like a plane model that aviation enthusiasts display on their shelves or desks. I love the simple aesthetic of it combined with the base which provides some nice contrast against the bright colour scheme.
Here’s a look at the base.
And a closer look at the stickered plaque. I really like the faint airplane silhouette and screw-details on the plaque. Great job graphic designers!
I’m not a particularly hardcore aviation buff, but I really appreciated how well they translated the shape and design of Amelia’s Lockheed Vega into LEGO.
The curves and wheel fairings seem really ingenious, and I really like the technique used to create the propeller out of oars.
To get as accurate to the actual model as possible, the model employs plenty of stickers throughout the plane – the one on the tips of the wings with the plane’s registration number NR-7952 is unfortunately in a darker shade of red, which isn’t immediately obvious but will annoy perfectionists.
Here’s a look at the yellow strip that runs along the side of the plane – to get the strip as straight as possible, you’ll need expert stickering skills – I think I did okay here which is a bit of a surprise as I usually botch stickers up.
Lastly, here’s a look at the underside of the plane.
What I liked:
- A really awesome subject title translated beautifully to LEGO
- Great set for history buffs that ties in really well with the message of International Women’s Day
- Looks fantastic on display without taking up too much space
What I didn’t like:
- All the stickers involved
Final Thoughts: LEGO have knocked it out of the park with the LEGO Amelia Earhart Tribute, and I highly recommend trying to get it.
The recent spate of GWPs have been excellent, which is not great for anyone’s wallet, and this is one of the standout promotional sets released in 2021.
It’s a fun model to build and display, and having an official Amelia Earhart minifigure is a fantastic bonus. It’s eye-catching, and captures a subject that LEGO hardly touches these days – historical airplanes.
Most importantly, I really like what this set represents and what LEGO is trying to say with the release of this – that the achievements of women can and should be celebrated through play.
With International Women’s Day coming up, if you have a daughter or want to gift a set that doubles as a great learning tool to a young lady, 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute ticks all the right boxes.
This set, with only 203 pieces accomplishes The LEGO Group’s Mission Statement “Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” in more ways than one, and as a dad, I found being able to tell her the story of Amelia Earhart, and most importantly that women can do anything that men can do a particularly poignant experience that was enabled by this collection of bricks.
Rating: 4/5
The LEGO 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute will be available from LEGO.com (and LEGO Brand Stores) from 6-14 March 2021 onwards, and will be free with purchases of US$99, AU$169, and £99.
This is going to be an extremely popular GWP, so I expect it to sell out really really quickly. If you really want it, be prepared to act quickly on it as soon as the clock strikes midnight in your timezone.
It’s a great time to pick some new LEGO up with new releases such as LEGO Vidiyo, new Raya and the Last Dragon, Ninjago The Island, Technic and Monkie Kid sets now available online.
What do you think of LEGO’s GWPs so far in 2021? Let me know in the comments if you’ll be ordering something to qualify for the Amelia Earhart Tribute!
Special thanks to LEGO for providing this set for review.
