The Cargo Terminal is a new city set that is planned to be on stores next summer, and as you might see is an improvement of the 2008 cargo plane (7734) or if you prefer is a good adaptation of the Airport Airplane (3182) to the cargo’s environment. In this case, both planes are basically the same.

The set, besides the majestic plane (it has exactly forty eight cm long, the same that the 3182) has also a control tower and three ground vehicles which are a little Octan support vehicle, a forklift and a completely new elevator that will simply and easily carry the goods from the pallets or from another vehicles until the plane’s doors. The mini-figures will be five (three workers including the vehicles drivers, the tower controller and the pilot.Starting by the set’s star, the plane, it is definitely a must. I have the passengers’ version, and just as I saw the new 60022, I recognized my red passengers’ plane. Most of the plane’s parts are the same of the 2010 model. The nose at the front is exactly the same (I wonder how will be the cockpit, will it have two pilot’s seats just as the passengers version?), and the cargo space is also similar to the passenger’s area only with the difference that the new plane has two doors for the goods shipment instead of the single door for the passengers.

The landing gear, with a single but rotatable wheel at the front and a couple of twin wheels at the back, as well as the wide wings (they are 44 cm wide) that are a single piece, are also the same of the 3182. At the back, the tail is also similar however the small wings, this time, are a bit different and have a more realistic look.

In terms of building, the plane is built with large blocks cleverly attached with small technic pieces to each other. Six large bricks will constitute the base, including the nose and the tail. The same happens with the top, including the access doors to the cargo hold. I must say, that looking at the pictures, I have one doubt, as it concerns to these parts: that little window near the cackpit, is there just for the design or does it hide a little support room for the pilots?

Finally this plane looks more powerful that the previous passenger model and also then its cargo brother. It has four engines (which basically are similar) instead of the two mounted on the passenger version and instead of the couple of propeller’s engines mounted on the 7734 cargo plane.

Enough of planes, let’s have a look at the ground, where we may find a nice elevator, a forklift, a gasoline support vehicle and a few pallets with different kinds of goods. No matter what their features are, the three have one great thing in common, they’re really airport vehicles with those weird forms and strange design.

The forklift is definitely the less strange, being a vehicle that has been seen all over the last year on different city sets. It has a nice elevating mechanism that deals pretty well with the pallet’s weight and besides the engine at the back and a couple of lights, it also has a nice protection structure for the driver.

The Octan’s vehicle is the smallest of the three, it has a handler as a control instead of the traditional steering wheel and at the back we can see a small gasoline deposit with a coiled hose at the right side. Honestly, the guys are not planning to attest the plane with that little vehicle, aren’t they?

Finally there is the most interesting and new, a conveyor car. With a complete flat design, it has next to the driver’s seat, on the right side, a loading elevator, built with a few technic pieces that not only raise to the ideal position but also is capable of loading the plane thanks to a rolling mechanism or platform. This one is triggered and controlled through a lever that is placed at the right side, near the ground.

Besides this huge feature, the vehicle is simply great and at the same time pretty strange. It is not very long as you can see through the pictures, it is rather short and at the same time is very large, being eight studs wide.  So, it is not wonder that it has space for a good driving seat, a big engine and the usual traffic and warning lights.

The Control tower has three levels, being the first two a cylindrical base for the control room. Inside, I can imagine – as it is rather similar to the airport tower, only a bit smaller-that it has a bunch of control panels, communication equipment and a full glass window in order to give the controller the best angle of the entire airfield.

Globally this set is an outstanding set, not only in terms of beauty but also in terms of features and playability. Reserve a considerable space for the plane in your city because its wingspan is really big. Talking about the price, expect something around the seventy or eighty dollars, but definitely this cargo terminal worth it.

—Update 1^st March—

Finally, the first official pictures of the cargo terminal are surfing on the net. Here we can see more clearly all the nice details of this sets and specially a great feature at the back of the plane. Although it is not very realistic, it’s obvious that the access to the interior is rather improved and the playability wins a lot with that.

The tail of the plane opens widely and it’s secured with a red clip. There is space, in terms of building, for a second clip so I presume that if there is only one, it must be sufficiently safe, especially when the plane takes off. Enjoy the new images!!