42145 - Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter

[Maaboo the Witch]

Technic versions of real machines sometimes, if not often, have size and length discrepancies; the Mack and A60H especially. But this is a particularly egregious example.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

5 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

A60H especially.

A60H is also a particularly egregious example.

[Maaboo the Witch]

23 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

A60H is also a particularly egregious example.

Fair point.

[HectorMB]

I like it! Probably because I tend to not compare the Lego models with the real ones. I'm aware that there's a reason to call them "licensed", but, honestly, o just care about the set itself and it's mechanisms within in particular. As many other said, there's not a lot of helicopters of a significant size, so this one is quite welcomed.

[HydroWorld Outlook]

Yep, good things come to those who wait all right. That is one awesome helicopter. I am so glad TLG followed through with the variable-pitch rotor function. And we're finally, finally getting that simple battery box that we've had to wait two extra years for. Can't wait to get my hands on it! 

Still no sign of that new five-spoke swashplate piece yet, though. I guess we'll have to wait another month or two until more pictures and the set parts list are released.

Edited June 2, 2022 by HydroWorld Outlook

[nerdsforprez]

Anyone know if the original figures of release date (AUG), price (199.99 USD) and piece count are all correct (2001)? 

 

 

[Krika99]

Very interested in the swashplate solution.

[HectorMB]

57 minutes ago, nerdsforprez said:

Anyone know if the original figures of release date (AUG), price (199.99 USD) and piece count are all correct (2001)? 

 

 

Given the size, I would say that they're correct, but I have no confirmation.

[LvdH]

1 hour ago, nerdsforprez said:

Anyone know if the original figures of release date (AUG), price (199.99 USD) and piece count are all correct (2001)? 

 

 

August is definitely correct. 

You can thank the translator app  

[HydroWorld Outlook]

2 hours ago, Krika99 said:

Very interested in the swashplate solution.

Just found the new upper swashplate piece. It's hidden in the catalog image of the helicopter and attached to this post. Sorry the image is a bit small, but its all I can find at the moment. No lower swashplate yet, though. We'll have to wait for a photo taken from another angle before we get to see what that bottom one looks like.

The new upper swashplate element appears to consist of five beam spokes around a 3M-diameter central hub with a 1x1 plate-sized square opening through the center. A Technic Beam can slide vertically through this opening to presumably maintain the structure of the rotor and connect it to the drive motor, similar in structure to that of the existing 28-tooth turntable we've seen in the past. The beam appears to rotate with this new part in the model.

Based on its apparent design, I personally won't be too surprised if this element is also intended to serve as a new, specialized rotating upper half for the small turntable, in that this part connects with the existing bottom half to form a complete swashplate, in which case the beam would need to be connected to a drive axle in order to make the rotor spin. Presumably, this axle would be connected to some sort of speed transmission within the distribution gearbox to switch between fast and slow rotor speeds, as the set description said. Who knows though, maybe I'm totally wrong.

Edited June 2, 2022 by HydroWorld Outlook

[Johnny1360]

Almost looks like ratchet joints

[Akbalder]

Even if it has 400 more pieces, 200€ seems a lot compared to the regular price of the Osprey (140€).

[Polarlicht]

Well the price right now is 200€, but on release in august, Lego will increase their prices, and this set will be 210€

[Cumulonimbus]

21 hours ago, HydroWorld Outlook said:

The new upper swashplate element appears to consist of five beam spokes around a 3M-diameter central hub with a 1x1 plate-sized square opening through the center. A Technic Beam can slide vertically through this opening to presumably maintain the structure of the rotor and connect it to the drive motor, similar in structure to that of the existing 28-tooth turntable we've seen in the past. The beam appears to rotate with this new part in the model.

This is my interpretation of the same observations:

The central square hole allows a beam to slide through while transferring any rotation of that axle to this starfish piece (and the connected rotor blades). This makes a robust and compact collective pitch control with five rotor blades possible.

The bad news is that this design probably means that the starfish piece will not be able to tilt in relation to the vertical beam. This is a requirement for a cyclic pitch mechanism to work since the swash plate needs to be able to slide up and down in relation to the rotor shaft for collective pitch control while simultaneously be able to tilt along the two axis perpendicular to the main shaft for cyclic pitch controls (resulting in roll and pitch of the helicopter). The rotor of the 8856 had that freedom thanks to a special ball joint piece but that design didn't have the freedom to slide along an axle still limiting its uses.

I would be surprised if a small turntable piece will fit in this new part as you suggest: As a result of the pentagonal outer shape, square hole and injection moulding constraints, the resulting opening at the bottom is very oddly shaped.

I hope I'm wrong, but it seems the illusive realistic swash plate is not here yet.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Cumulonimbus

[Nobricksleft]

39 minutes ago, Cumulonimbus said:

This is my interpretation of the same observations:

The central square hole allows a beam to slide through while transferring any rotation of that axle to this starfish piece (and the connected rotor blades). This makes a robust and compact collective pitch control with five rotor blades possible.

The bad news is that this design probably means that the starfish piece will not be able to tilt in relation to the vertical beam. This is a requirement for a cyclic pitch mechanism to work since the swash plate needs to be able to slide up and down in relation to the rotor shaft for collective pitch control while simultaneously be able to tilt along the two axis perpendicular to the main shaft for cyclic pitch controls (resulting in roll and pitch of the helicopter). The rotor of the 8856 had that freedom thanks to a special ball joint piece but that design didn't have the freedom to slide along an axle still limiting its uses.

I would be surprised if a small turntable piece will fit in this new part as you suggest: As a result of the pentagonal outer shape, square hole and injection moulding constraints, the resulting opening at the bottom is very oddly shaped.

I hope I'm wrong, but it seems the illusive realistic swash plate is not here yet.

If 42145 doesn't have cyclic control then the swashplate doesn't need to tilt. One possibility is they have the same piece sliding up and down on the rotor shaft below the rotor (hidden by the tall superstructure above the cockpit), it's movement controlled by a vertical translation mechanism decoupled from the rotor rotation. I also hope I'm wrong.

One thing is sure, a square opening is ripe for stress cracks.

[allanp]

I am thinking (and hoping) that the upper starfish piece doesn't move and is fixed to the shaft/beam/whatever it may be. To be authentic then the swashplate (the part that can't be seen) is the only part that moves up/down and tilts. 

[technicfanatic]

The helicopter its modeled on doesn't look exactly snazzy, but the LEGO model looks ponderous and ugly to me. I have liked all the previous helicopter LEGOs so I am a bit disappointed. I'm looking forward to what the swash plate mechanism looks like, though.

[Maaboo the Witch]

1 minute ago, technicfanatic said:

The helicopter its modeled on doesn't look exactly snazzy, but the LEGO model looks ponderous and ugly to me.

It is extremely chonky. I think that's down to accommodating the mahoosive battery box.

[HydroWorld Outlook]

On 6/3/2022 at 9:28 AM, Cumulonimbus said:

I would be surprised if a small turntable piece will fit in this new part as you suggest: As a result of the pentagonal outer shape, square hole and injection moulding constraints, the resulting opening at the bottom is very oddly shaped.

I hope I'm wrong, but it seems the illusive realistic swash plate is not here yet.

Well, if you look closer at the helicopter's rotor in the catalog image, the hub of this new starfish-shaped element is circular, not pentagonal. That's how I know there's a very strong likelihood that it will work with the bottom half of the small turntable.

[nerdsforprez]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:24 AM, Maaboo35 said:

It is extremely chonky. I think that's down to accommodating the mahoosive battery box.

I actually hope that is the case?  If so, one can replace the BB with a third party solution that is smaller and can then adjust the dimensions.  If this is the case, I actually may purchase this one...

[XenoRad]

If the functions are smooth and easy to operate and plenty, then this could be interesting.

Otherwise, at 72 cm long, it's way too big for the inaccuracies in proportions, and the sides look like a mess of beams.

 

Both 9396 and 42052, despite being smaller and with less parts, look like more cohesive designs.

[HectorMB]

I don't use to guess about this kind of stuff but I think that:

-despite the circular shape of the starfish-rotor piece, I don't think it will fit in a baseplate. I'm not sure until which extent it would be useful at the end. Or at least in this setup.

-there are two ways to rotate the rotor: roatating the base of the blade links or transmitting the power through the central liftarm. The first option would not be the best solution, probably, as the blade links may tend to get disconnected. If the power is transmitted via the liftarm, to tilt the rotor is going to be difficult (unless, to do so, you tilt the base to which the blade links should be attached and that remains hidden in the photos. 

 

Anyways, to me it's an interesting model with some interesting functions. 

[Cumulonimbus]

18 hours ago, HydroWorld Outlook said:

Well, if you look closer at the helicopter's rotor in the catalog image, the hub of this new starfish-shaped element is circular, not pentagonal. That's how I know there's a very strong likelihood that it will work with the bottom half of the small turntable.

I zoomed in quite a bit on the available image and I thought I saw corners in that hub, hence my assumption that it might be pentagonal. I agree it would make more sense if it was circular and could interface with the turntable part. In that case, I think this assembly will act as the swashplate to which the black steering links are connected.

Anyway, a Lego mechanism which integrates cyclic and collective pitch control is still rather difficult to achieve with these parts.

Edit: I updated my image (see below), but now I'm confused: At first I thought the starfish piece would snap with 'LOWER PART FOR TURNTABLE z28'. But then I realized that this piece has a square hole as well. Inserting a beam through both would block any rotation, so I'm interested how this is solved in this set.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Cumulonimbus
Added a new version of my image

[steph77]

This is what i am planning to do with this set...

If and only if, it has a new swashplate part, obviously:

Proportion looks better, no?

 

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by steph77

[dhc6twinotter]

I’ve seen a few more pictures, and there is definitely a new five-sided swash plate.  The cockpit has both collective and cyclic controls as well.  

The proportions are a bit goofy, but I love that Lego actually has collective and cyclic in this model.  It’ll probably be the first Technic set I’ve purchased since the Xerion.