Pictorial review: 8434 Aircraft

[Lost_In_Noise]

8434 was released in 2004, contains 445 pieces, and features tilting rotors and pneumatic landing gear.

The set has an unique color combination of red, silver and pearl dark gray. It is a somewhat rare set, and I had to wait 4 months for any to be availible on BrickLink.

The silver hoses are also used in 8466 and 8458, but the panels are never seen in this color in any other Technic set.

The "Bionicle Weapon Air Katana" is never used in any other Technic set.

The "Technic, Gear Timing Wheel 8 Tooth" is only used in 8479 Barcode Multi Set, which I don't have. In this model it doesn't serve a function.

The color separation in this set is horrible. I have to keep this picture in front of me at all times to remind me that Brown is PDG and Gray is Black.

Well, enough whining, let's get building.

Starting out with the frame, I noticed how those blue frictionless pins stood out from the other parts. Checking BrickLink however, I think these pins with black color went out of production in 2002.

The shape is starting to form at step 10, although I think it loks more like a helicopter at this point. There are a total of 52 steps for this model.

Tail section almost finished.

We begin to construct the landing gear mechanism at step 18.

Next is the arm with a pneumatic cylinder to lower the landing gear.

In place at step 20.

Landing gear in place. You can see how it will be operated via the PDG 15L beam.

The gear setup for tilting the rotors are placed.

Chassis is reinforced at the left side.

Adding the canopy roof next.

The nose has its own separate instructions.

Lovely printed tiles make out the instruments.

Canopy added to the superstructure. Flex axles makes out the windows.

Left side landing wheel in place.

Some panels finished left side.

Left side wing is mounted.

Right landing gear is placed on the same axle as the left one. They can be pushed upwards, loading the damped spring.

A flex axle and some panels finishes the right side.

The right wing is, suprisingly, exactly the same as the left. This thing is beginning to look like an aircraft.

This red 24T gear is placed on top of the worm screw, and kept in place by 2 6 axles. The axle will rotate the rotors.

Two red "Axle and pin connector, perpendicular" is added to prevent the rotors from pointing downwards. Now that would be a bad thing.

The axles are extended to the tip of the wings, and some lights are placed in front.

Now the wings are ready to have the motors attached, but first some panels and flex axles.

The engines themselves consists of 30 pieces each.

So you thought those gears were really gears?

Both engine houses placed, now the turbines are next.

Done. Now all that remains are prop blades, or Bionicle katanas. If you look closely, you'll notice they have axles at the ends. They each fit into the holes on the "Pin Double with Axle Hole" on the turbines.

Finished. This plane looks very sharp. It resembles the V22 osprey.

Landing gear lowered:

Raised:

In comparison with 9394, 8204, 8222, 8836 and 8855. Sadly, I don't have the 8425 Black Hawk to compare it with.

Thanks for reading/watching. Vote on the poll, and feel free to ask questions or comment.

Big pics availible @ Brickshelf

Edited September 28, 2012 by Lost_In_Noise

[warpug]

Nice job on the review!

[rener]

Nice review of a (IMHO) not so nice plane. Thanks to your pictures I now more appreciate the looks of the model, and it also seems to contain quite a lot rare parts. Functionality however looks to be very minimal. I do own 8425 and this model seems to be its successor. 8425 however has more functions and way more (functional!) gears. I don't like it that you have to push the landing wheels manually to retract them, but as this is done via an air cilinder that is acceptable. Manually pushing the propellors is not. Especially since there are two of them, a single mechanism to drive them both at the same time would have been mandatory.

Thanks again for your review and very nice pics though! Keep on going!

René

[TimH]

Nice review.

[RohanBeckett]

agreed.. nice review.. although probably a few too many photos of the build process.

This was my 2nd set after returning from my dark ages (after the 8436 Truck)

I was VERY disappointed in this set.. I reckon if this came out in the 80's, at least there'd be a crank on the side, to make the propellers go!

I think at this stage, TLG was still finding their feet with studless construction... it would be a few years later before most models really matured, with design and functionality

RB

[SheepEater]

Complete garbage (the set, that is).

Track this one instead.

Edited August 22, 2012 by SheepEater

[rener]

Complete garbage (the set, that is).

Track this one instead.

Exactly! And with a nice alternative model too...

[legolijntje]

Memories...

This was my very first Lego Technic set (not first lego set) and although it's not the best set ever, it's stil one of my favorites

[grohl]

I bought the set 5 years ago for 50% of the original price and I was very disappointed with the functionality. On the other hand, I bought it mainly for the parts and I quite liked the other ideas for alternate models.

[Saberwing40k]

I actually have this set. It looks really cool, but I like it for the parts better. Lego just doesn't make colors like this anymore. It happens to look very good with metallic green, and I have in fact made a robot with those two colors.