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40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute is a Promotional set that was released on March 6, 2021.

Background[]

Amelia Mary Earhart (born July 24, 1897 – disappeared July 2, 1937, declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.

Born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, and later in Des Moines, Iowa, Earhart developed a passion for adventure at a young age, steadily gaining flying experience from her twenties. In 1928, Earhart became the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane (accompanying pilot Wilmer Stultz), for which she achieved celebrity status. In 1932, piloting a Lockheed Vega 5B, Earhart made a nonstop solo transatlantic flight, becoming the first woman to achieve such a feat. She received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for this accomplishment. In 1935, Earhart became a visiting faculty member at Purdue University as an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to women students. She was also a member of the National Woman's Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. Known as one of the most inspirational American figures in aviation from the late 1920s throughout the 1930s, Earhart's legacy is often compared to the early aeronautical career of pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, as well as to figures like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt for their close friendship and lasting impact on the issue of women's causes from that period.

During an attempt at becoming the first female to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. The two were last seen in Lae, New Guinea, on July 2, 1937, on the last land stop before Howland Island and one of their final legs of the flight. She presumably lost her life in the Pacific during the circumnavigation, just three weeks prior to her fortieth birthday. Nearly one year and six months after she and Noonan disappeared, Earhart was officially declared dead. Investigations and significant public interest in their disappearance still continue over 80 years later.

Decades after her presumed death, Earhart was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1968 and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1973. She now has several commemorative memorials named in her honor around the United States, including an urban park, an airport, a residence hall, a museum, a research foundation, a bridge, a cargo ship, an earth-fill dam, four schools, a hotel, a playhouse, a library, multiple roads, and more. She also has a minor planet, planetary corona and newly-discovered lunar crater named after her. She is ranked ninth on Flying's list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation.

LEGO.com Description[]

LEGO.com-icon-yellow This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. (visit this item’s product page)

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we spoke with Mel Caddick, the LEGO® designer behind our cool new Amelia Earhart Tribute set!

Question: How would you describe Amelia Earhart? What does she represent to you?
Answer: Amelia Earhart was a great icon, a pioneer and an author. As the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic, she was clearly very adventurous and determined and I think her story inspires anyone who wishes to pursue their dreams.
Amelia Earhart taught us that passions, aspirations and courage know no gender – a legacy not passed on by many, and for that I think we found the perfect personality to celebrate for 2021 International Women’s Day.

Question: What inspired you to create this model?
Answer: We were inspired by Amelia Earhart’s groundbreaking achievement of being the first woman to do a Transatlantic solo flight. The red Lockheed 5B Vega was the plane in 1932 that she used to cross the Atlantic alone. Naturally, this was the perfect model to represent her achievements.

Question: What did you want people to learn from this model?
Answer: I am hoping the model of Amelia Earhart can inspire and encourage, not only women, but all people around the world, to be curious and brave about their passions and aspirations – especially when facing rigid traditions, structures or the likes, that tries to keep them down. Passions and aspirations are fragile, and they need nurturing, space and determination to unfold – and that is exactly what Amelia Earhart taught us.

Question: How did you approach the development of the model?
Answer: We started with some blueprints of the red Lockheed 5B Vega plane and tried to find elements that could help bring it to life. It was really important that we kept the model as true to the original as possible; to include the yellow lines, the decorations and the shape of the plane. We really wanted Amelia Earhart to be represented as a Minifigure, so we created an exclusive new design especially for her by including it in this model.

Question: What do you like most about working with the LEGO Group?
Answer: It is a childhood dream to be working here. I have been here since 2008 and for the past 10 years as a designer working with the LEGO bricks creating products. What I love about the bricks is that the possibilities are endless, only your imagination is the limit.
I love being able to work on many different products, especially with a strong and inspiring story like Amelia Earhart's. It is a privilege to be able to create products that inspire children and adults of all ages all around the world

Question: What other projects have you worked on?
Answer: One of the latest products is Charles Dickens Tribute and Gift with purchase Vintage Car. What I really like about working on these projects, is in the same way with Amelia Earhart, you get to know people who are incredibly talented and passionate. So many people are doing incredible things every day, but we only have so little time to stop, think and listen to the story of someone new. To these kinds of projects, there is just a deeper level of meaning, which I personally find very purposeful.


Gallery[]

Minifigures Included[]

Notes[]

  • This set was released as a promotional giveaway with qualifying purchases.

External Links[]

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