Random set of the day: Johnny Thunder's Plane

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Johnny Thunder's Plane

Johnny Thunder's Plane

©2000 LEGO Group

Today's random set is 5911 Johnny Thunder's Plane, released in 2000. It's one of 17 Adventurers sets produced that year. It contains 22 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$3.

It's owned by 855 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.


25 comments on this article

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By in Australia,

I loved these little Adventurers sets. I skipped this one, but I picked up Mike's swamp boat (because I wanted that Pteranodon piece).

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By in United States,

Johnny Thunder is the coolest minifig ever. He's so cool, he doesn't even use his hands to fly his plane and instead practices his skills as a sharpshooter by firing between the blades of the propeller, and for good measure, isn't even looking while doing it. He well earns the right to wear the smirk.

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By in United States,

Not too expensive to buy a new one though, Bricklink only has 2, but for ~$20 and ~$22 right now.

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By in United States,

I had this same version of Johnny Thunder. I found his head, torso, and I have tons of those black pants. I will need to Bricklink his hat. Then, I'll have a fully complete childhood minifig.

The plane--a bit comical. Like an ultralight with the biggest engine they could shove in there!

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By in United States,

I absolutely love Johnny Thunder! I have never heard of this set. And I wasn't in my Dark Ages cause I was buying LEGO. Well, new Star Wars LEGO. Lol.

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By in New Zealand,

Looks a lot like the new CMF adventurer minifigure.

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By in United States,

Another “random” Huwbot selection following the CMF ;)

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By in United Kingdom,

Bring back Adventurers!

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By in Netherlands,

This set could be combined with three other sets to build a bigger plane.

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By in United Kingdom,

Nice of Johnny to pop up around the time his new CMF is being talked about :)

@Zordboy: Yeah but they were doing it with a mechanism to time it right. Johnny's doing it by eye, like the legend he is

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By in Latvia,

Hmm, the CMF Series 19 has Johnny Thunder, and it is already available in many countries. Maybe this means more Adventurers RSotD?

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By in Singapore,

Sadly, I never got any of the Dino Island sets. Those looked real fun. I'm happy with my 5988-1 and my Orient Expedition collection though.

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By in Netherlands,

I guess it's not not a plane.

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By in United Kingdom,

Well, that's The Kinks stuck in my head all day.

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By in Hungary,

It's hard to imagine that plane could fly.

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By in United Kingdom,

The Chuck Norris of the LEGO world

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By in Turkey,

When I look at these little sets, I only see the parts. Thunder aside, I didn't find the parts that interesting.

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By in United States,

Hmm just remembered that I have a full Johnny thunder minifig.

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By in Hong Kong,

My first lego set. Those were paired up with some kind of powdered beverage in China back in the days, and are responsible for getting me stuck in this lego addiction lol

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By in United States,

Looks like a farm tractor with wings.

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By in United States,

...Yep thats sure a plane all right I totally see that as airworthy...

But actually though, it's pretty cute.

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By in United States,

This little set doesn't really show it, but the Dino Island phase of the Adventurers theme (in the year 2000) was the nadir. The main sets epitomize the atrocious juniorization of LEGO sets even worse than the Town/City sets at the time. One only needs to look at the largest set, the Dino Research Compound, to see how far set design had fallen. Horrendous lack of color coordination. Jumbled bricks suggesting "walls". Slap-dash, nonsensical vehicles. Symmetry is massacred. Cohesion crucified. It is the death of beautiful play, a silent, but powerful, ally of LEGO sets from previous years. I saw all this at the age of 11 years old, and it was hard to articulate then because I felt like since I was growing up, LEGO sets in general were somehow supposed to suddenly stop becoming appealing to me. But was it me, or was it LEGO? Who was leaving the other behind?

Almost twenty years later, I know the answer. LEGO swung back around and I truly never lost my passion for the brick. But I still feel the same about these Dino Island sets. Adventurers came on the scene in 1998 with such a bang! It reminded me of the arrival of Aquazone just three years earlier. No other original LEGO theme would make such an impact for another three years with the arrival of BIONICLE. And yet, after a less-than-fantastic Amazon adventure in 1999, Dino Island seemed to be a pathetic end to a theme full of promise. It is telling that after Dino Island, Adventurers went on a hiatus until 2003's Orient Expedition, which was amazing, but distanced itself from the earlier iterations by focusing just on the "Orient Expedition" branding. Sad to say, however, that for me, the damage was done. By 2003, it was nothing but BIONICLE and Star Wars for me.

I imagine for those that look back fondly on Dino Island, nostalgia and blind appreciation for what came before (and after) makes them look less critically at these sets. Not to mention the fact that unlike me, a good lot of less-discerning 5 to 7 year olds probably thought Dino Island was great back at the turn of the century and echo that sentiment today in their 20s. They can be forgiven, however.

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