Airplane, or plumbing van? It's up to you in…

Set Title: The Flying Flusher

Set #: 70811

Theme: The LEGO Movie

Pieces: 351

Minifigures: 3

Year of Release: 2014

Price at Release: USD 30

Browse the pictures? Flickr set

INTRODUCTION

This was another "neither here nor there" set for me. Besides for the Doctor figure, which looked cool, I didn't have many thoughts one way or another about it. Let's see what kind of thoughts building the thing will give me.

BOX

The art is pretty unremarkable. It's an airplane that I guess shoots plungers and vaguely looks like it was made out of a truck, but not even that much. The alternate model in the corner looks much more interesting.

The back shows both models, including the hilarious exploding porta potty. The plane seems to pale in comparison.

Some nice-looking minifigures in our lineup - nice overalls and a new doctor print. I look forward to these.

CONTENTS

Again, no numbered bags in these 2-in-1 sets. I spy some nice white and blue here.

All of the 2-in-1s have three booklets: one for the micromanager, a "number 2" for the flying a machine, and a third for the alternate build. This set has got a small, inoffensive sticker sheet.

Same dully-colored, easy-to-follow instructions as the rest.

MINIFIGURES

Nice guys here: Plumber Joe, his apprentice Alfie, and Dr. McScrubs. Great prints all around; I believe Joe's face is new, and McScrubs' definitely is. Great to get the hair on the Dr. now in dark brown.

McScrubs has a hilarious alternate scared face, and Joe has some nice bushy eyebrows.

Everybody has some good back printing too.

SET - MICROMANAGER

Like the micromanager in the Castle Cavalry, this guy can fold up. But it looks kind of helpless this way.

Time to fold out his legs!

Isn't it just adorable? These things are very endearing. This one seems to have a nerdy, braniac personality to me. Something about the little legs and big head - very thoughtful.

This one doesn't need tail lights since it walks.

SET - FLYING FLUSHER

Building the plane leaves a fair number of parts leftover. Nothing all the exciting, besides the door perhaps, but here they are:

I'll be up-front, I really don't care for this model. It's dull, it's too boxy for a plane, and it doesn't even look that much like a truck converted into a plane, which I think is the point of these.

The targeting chair on the back is a nice assembly. It's about the only thing that really looks good on this model.

The sides open, but there's nothing in there besides some poles.

I guess in this picture it looks kind of chubby and cute, but it'd be a lot nicer if it was flatter and more sleek. The color scheme is fine, but doesn't particularly pop.

The front has a Joe's Plumbing logo on the very thick wheel assembly. The other logo is behind the pilot.

Not much in the cockpit - just enough room for the pilot.

SET - TRUCK

The truck also leaves a few leftovers, including one of the new inverted dome pieces! Yum.

First to build is the porta potty. It looks great! It uses some nice new parts too, like the big wedge piece newly redesigned with complete stud compatability on the sides, and a bunch of the 1x2 slope piece.

The back has a nice little detail of vents to get the smells out.

The inside is great too. The toilet is a nice design, and the designer included a flushing button and toilet paper roll. A lot of detail packed into a small space.

You can add the water flames to put it out of commission if you wish.

The trucks is very chubby and cute. This color scheme looks nice on a truck (almost police-like, isn't it), and it does look like the type of van that would be used for a plumber. The big logo is lovely, as is the assymetry of the stuff on the roof.

It's got two doors, which keep it from looking bland all around. It's a pleasant truck from all angles.

The back door provides access to te ginormous plungers, needed for ginormous potty explosions!

The side door provides access to… this thing. I have no idea what this is. It doesn't go anywhere - it's stuck down to the truck. Can anybody shed light on it?

The entire interior is open, which actually fits for a van like this. There's plenty of room for both plumbers in there, as demonstrated. Alfie just has to be a bit uncomfortable, but he's an apprentice, so it comes with the territory.

COMPLETE SET and CONCLUSION

Overall, a very pleasant set when it comes to the truck and porta potty model. The plane is complete bleh, but as a truck this set is pretty nice. Especially for City builders, this is an unusual subject for a truck, and the minifigures are very nice and handy. Are a truck, porta potty, and robot really worth $30? I don't know, but it's a very nice truck and porta potty, and a cute robot, with plenty of parts. So I guess so.

Two more 2-in-1s to go!

Edited January 1, 201411 yr by Rufus
Indexed

The doctor torso look great - any chance these will used for future hospital sets or will these remain unique to the film sets? The rest of the set is fairly good and nice to have something that isn't police/fire/construction. I may buy this but only after the ice cream van.

Thanks for all these reviews! I'm totally getting this one.

Excellent review! :) However I think I may go for the Metalbeard set over any of these 2 in 1 sets. Also "Like the micromanager in the Castle Cavalry, this guy can fold up. But it looks kind of helpless this way." maybe that's the Micro managers weakness? Like the heroes have to try to disable them by knocking out their legs? Just an idea.

As you say, great truck!

I am curious to see how people will modify the alternate build to improve it!

Thanks for the review. I think the truck looks fantastic. I don't know about thirty dollars fantastic but, hey. The thing in the truck could be a reel for the roto-rooter maybe. Also, I have never seen a classy porto potty with actual plumbing, could it be Japanese?

Very nice set - and one of the more original sets in the line. The minifies are also adoring

Another great review.

I like the truck better than the flying version and it looks like it has som nice pipedetails.

Good review! I'm very fond of both modes: the truck and the flying machine. I think making the flying machine sleeker would kind of ruin the look. As I understand it, it's supposed to look silly and ridiculous. It's far from the kind of model that President Business would approve, but that spirit of reckless and unbridled creativity is exactly what makes it the perfect weapon against his Micro-Managers.

The water pipe cannons and the plunger cannon on the flying machine are ingenious, as is that gunner's seat with a toilet bowl windscreen! The Porta-Potty in the converted model definitely sets a high standard for such models with its high detail. I was not sure how well the "wing" elements would work as its sides, but they end up giving it a very nice shape. The truck is also a nice, sensible-looking model.

Ah, this has to be my favorite! I well definitely grab this one for both models.

This is a very nice and interesting truck. I will probably get it for the variety in my CITY as it is not something I have thought of making myself yet.

I have to say that as with most of these sets the plane version does not really do anything for me. It looks like the kind of thing that a five year old would make having had the truck built for them by a parent and then bits being pulled off and used elsewhere, then the rest dragged out of the toy box and random bits stuck on to make a rubbish plane.

But i guess that is the whole point of them isn't it? It is exactly the sort of thing I would have done when i was five and thought it cool! It is good to see though that so many of these sets can be made into a 'sensible' model for us AFOLs as well as a good plaything for our younger friends. In that way the set appeals to all and is in the true nature of what LEGO is all about!

Good review; I really like the truck. Just me or is this the first Lego port-a-potty?

Just me or is this the first Lego port-a-potty?

I know of at least one other, in this City set from 2006. The toilet construction is remarkably similar.

My wallet keeps whimpering as I read your reviews of the LM sets. It just ran under the bed as I drool over the van pics. Love that thing.

Hey, great review, thanks!

The plane looks fun to play with, and that van is a keeper! $30 is a tad high, but maybe it'll go on sale sometime.

Joe

Good review, as always. The alternative build is fairly neat, I could definetely see it being useful for city builders.

Edited December 31, 201311 yr by Hive

Maybe it's a pipe bending machine?

Thanks for this and the many other Lego Movie set reviews, Clone O'Patra. I liked this one already just for namesake! Haha. The main builds are weird but that's what makes them so interesting and far from the norm of what we usually get. $30 is actually pretty good considering everything you get; 351 parts including three minifigures. I bought a bunch of the Series 9 Plumber so this will be perfect as their mode of transportation.

Thank you for this great review, Clone O'Patra!

Although I don't like the flying flusher machine, I do really like the flusher's car with the mobile toilet! So I voted for neato!

Con:

- no car doors

- no roller gate on the left side (would have looked better if the sign was on the back and therefore the second roller gate on the left side)

- too less interior inside the van

Pro:

+ new amazing flusher minifigure

+ amazing design of the van

+ decent number of accessory

+ brilliant design of the mobile toilet

An excellent set which I for sure will buy since you can easily use and add it to your Lego City (and the City theme will for sure never get a flusher's van)!

Klaus-Dieter

Not that I'm complaining about more inverted domes- but it is curious they did not re-use the plunger piece from the CMF series.

May have to get a pair to build a plumbing shop and get a his & hers portra-potty pair bonus. I think the device is a Roto-Rooter use to clear pipes.

Excellent review 'CoP'.....I'll be buying one to build as a plumber's van and have the doctor for a hospital MOC I'm thinking of building......and that funny technic built device there inside the van.....easy and I have made a few more realistic one's in the past......a drain cleaning machine.

Brick On Review On 'CoP' !

I recon those plumbers are cool and will have to get this set for MOC purposes.

All I need now is to find a torso suitable for an electrician and I am set :)

Probably my second or third favorite of the line. And I think the minifigures are great. Could have used a "plumber's crack" for some back printing, however. :)

Cool review yet again, Clone O'Patra! Although the scrubs on the doctor should be a different colour...