42145 Airbus Rescue Helicopter MODs and Improvements

[efferman]

1 hour ago, steph77 said:

It was really hard to put the 3 parts together, it asked a lot of force to clic them. 

Received my copy today and the force was higher than expected, but after a few rotations it works pretty fine.

[steph77]

3 minutes ago, efferman said:

it works pretty fine.

True, and the maximum tilt angle is pretty fine too.

[nerdsforprez]

On 8/16/2022 at 2:54 AM, efferman said:

Sure

1.) Changed nearly the complete linkeage for cyclic and collective Pitch. Now it can stand in the same speed forward and backward This was a side effect of lowering the mechanism.

2.) The rotor is lowered by two studs.

3.) Modified linkage between the landing gear. The original one had a big collision with the new pitch control.

4.) Smaller and more flat front cover.

5.) Modified winch to make it less bulky.

6.) Longer sidepods.

So @efferman, I see that you really have made two different improvements.  V1 is above, on page three, but V2 below (on page 4) is completely different (lowered whole rotator head by three studs instead of two). Which of the two version do you think are the best?  And which is reflected in the instructions you provided on rebrickable?  

On 8/18/2022 at 8:19 AM, efferman said:

 

Btw, i found a solution to lower the main rotor by 3 studs more.

 

Edited August 27, 2022 by nerdsforprez

[efferman]

11 minutes ago, nerdsforprez said:

And which is reflected in the instructions you provided on rebrickable?  

The first one. The second one is for something different 

[nerdsforprez]

I assume the second version will fit with the new landing gear linkages in the instructions?  

[efferman]

Tomorrow i try it to adapt for the Airbus 

Edited August 27, 2022 by efferman

[efferman]

2 studs lower is possible, but needs many changes behind the rotor. And a few of them are still to do.

[nerdsforprez]

  So it looks like we have V1 and V2.  I am working on V1 for my Airbus now.  Not sure I will need to lower it even more.  V1 might be enough for me.  

Btw... I got my shapeways order early. My swashplate works great as well.  But because it has a fourth towball attachment, instead of Lego's pinhole, not sure I will try to incorporate it in my modifications.  

[nerdsforprez]

On 8/25/2022 at 4:42 AM, steph77 said:

But after, it is absolutely awesome...video to come soon.

Perfect balanced, realistic movements. Just the pin ball that really will be better hold in place with @efferman 's mod.

I realize we will not be able to add @efferman's swashplate design into 42145 unless there are some modifications in the back of the mechanism that holds the swashplate into position.  As it stands now, TLG's swashplate design has a pinhole, which they use in their design with a pin, not a towball).  The best part I can think of to use to hold the back of the swashplate is the same that @effermanused in the front for his V1 improvement, a 5x1 steering arm with towball socket.  Which would still mean for some modifications there, since the steering arm is longer than the liftarm used in that section...

Edited August 28, 2022 by nerdsforprez

[SNIPE]

I would still like space for cargo, maybe theres a way to remove those 2 red axles that stick down?

Also can't the spare battery box lever be used as the pivot for the landing gear, saving a bit of space.

(though I am using a buwizz 3.0 when I get one and some PU LEDS)

Edited August 29, 2022 by SNIPE

[efferman]

7 hours ago, SNIPE said:

I would still like space for cargo, maybe theres a way to remove those 2 red axles that stick down

For more space inside i could possibly use an idea from the New Version,  but the ultra low Rotor seems Not possible with free passenger space.

Edit:

This should solve the indoorspace problem and the swashplate guidance in the back shouldn't be neccessary .

Edited August 29, 2022 by efferman

[SNIPE]

15 hours ago, efferman said:

This should solve the indoorspace problem and the swashplate guidance in the back shouldn't be neccessary .

Thanks 👍

[Cumulonimbus]

For the first time in a very long time, I have bought myself a new Technic set. A new Technic helicopter with realistic pitch mechanisms was really tempting, despite the high price tag. The modifications @efferman presented here won me over. So I recently finished the Efferman V1 MOD of this set and I thought I could share some experiences and tips for anyone who considers this MOD.
Disclaimer: I have not built the original set, so I can’t really compare the two. Also note that the following is not meant as critique to the excellent work of Efferman but is merely my feedback for anyone who might find this useful.

The following images should help illustrating my comments:

Instruction errors

I found two errors in the manual which could be confusing or cause frustration:

• Step 173: The black 2M axle connector should not be added to this sub-assembly, it is already present In the main assembly.
• Step 267: the 3L pin is upside down. In its current position, parts of the next steps cannot be mounted correctly.

Manual unclarities

The manual is a bit unclear in some places. I do not consider these as errors, but it will require some building prowess to understand the building step correctly:

• Strings, power cables and stickers are not shown in this manual. Referring to the original manual will help you here. The one thing I did struggle with was threading the motor cable through the build in step 423. I also needed to remove the door to be able to insert the connector to the battery box.
• Step 428 shows a grey 5M axle, while a black 6M axle is noted and needed.
• Step 442: The correct orientation of the ball in the swash plate assembly is not that clear. Since the image is a bit simplified (the black half is also shown as grey) it could be confusing. The original manual helped me here.
• Step 460: When assembling the rotor head, care must be taken to correctly orient the swash plate, starfish piece and the vertical beam. The parts have some arrows for orientation, but these are not shown in the new manual. When in doubt, look to the original manual.
• Step 633: the cover sub-assembly cannot slide in its place because the rail holder at the end is already in place. Simply turn the white connectors out of the way before adding the sub-assembly.

Other note
Maybe it's obvious for others, but it wasn't for me: You will need a number of parts which are not included in the original set, including three examples of the new 1x2x3 panels (sorry, I'm not familiar with all the part names). I will need to order some parts in white, since I did not have them in my inventory.

In conclusion, I’m very happy how this set turned out with this mod. The movements feel very positive and some of the proportions issues have been solved, I really appreciate the hard work Efferman has put in to design the improvements, making a manual for the complete build and providing that manual free of charge. It is definitely a strongly recommended MOD, but remember that it will require some building experience and extra parts to finish it.

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Cumulonimbus
Fixed some typos.

[efferman]

Thanks for your feedback! I will check the instruction.

[nerdsforprez]

57 minutes ago, Cumulonimbus said:

For the first time in a very long time, I have bought myself a new Technic set. A new Technic helicopter with realistic pitch mechanisms was really tempting, despite the high price tag. The modifications @efferman presented here won me over. So I recently finished the Efferman V1 MOD of this set and I thought I could share some experiences and tips for anyone who considers this MOD.
Disclaimer: I have not built the original set, so I can’t really compare the two. Also note that the following is not meant as critique to the excellent work of Efferman but is merely my feedback for anyone who might find this useful.

The following images should help illustrating my comments:

Instruction errors

I found two errors in the manual which could be confusing or cause frustration:

• Step 173: The black 2M axle connector should not be added to this subassembly, it is already present In the main assembly.
• Step 267: the 3L pin is upside down. In its current position, parts of the next steps cannot be mounted correctly.

Manual unclarities

The manual is a bit unclear in some places.I do not consider these as errors, but it will require some building prowess to understand the building step correctly:

• Strings, power cables and stickers are not shown in this manual. Referring to the original manual will help you here. The one thing I did struggle with was threading the motor cable through the build in step  423. I also needed to remove the door to be able to insert the connector to the battery box.
• Step 428 shows a grey 5M axle, while a black 6M axle is noted.
• Step 460: When assembling the rotor head, care must be taken to correctly orient the swash plate, starfish piece and the vertical beam. When in doubt refer to the original manual.
• Step 634: the cover sub-assembly cannot slide in its place because the rail holder at the end is already in place.

Other note
Maybe it's obvious for others, but it wasn't for me: You will need a number of parts which are not included in the original set, including three examples of the new 1x3x1 panels (sorry, I'm not familiar with all the part names). I will need to order some parts in white, since I did not have them in my inventory.

In conclusion, I’m very happy how this set turned out with this mod. The movements feel very positive and some of the proportions issues have been solved, I really appreciate the hard work Efferman has put in to design the improvements, making a manual for the complete build and providing that manual free of charge. It is definitely a strongly recommended MOD, but remember that it will require some building experience and extra parts to finish it.

 

I second all these.  I came across these as well, and I liked how you articulated this.  Not really errors per se, but building @efferman's edits require some inductive, rather than deductive thinking. Which actually is to be encouraged. 

I did build the original Lego version and I can tell readers that V1 edits from @effermanare much better.  Not to mention the movement of both the cyclic and collective are much improvement and there is a greater range.  Yes, there are a number of additional parts needed, and I did not understand this immediately, but it was easy enough to deduce. 

[efferman]

The instruction is edited. Please check if the instruction is now more clear and correct.

[Cumulonimbus]

2 hours ago, efferman said:

The instruction is edited. Please check if the instruction is now more clear and correct.

I have checked your rev_1 instructions and they look good. The two errors have been fixed and the other issues have been greatly improved. For the record: I understand the limitations Efferman has when making these instructions, so any builder will still need to follow the original instructions for guidance for the stickers, cables and strings if needed.

Great work as usual, thank you very much! I look forward to your custom helicopter build.

[WW Bricks Studio]

Hi guys, this is my LEGO Technic 42145 Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter - German WW2 Messerschmitt Bf109G RC MOC, wish u like it!

https://youtu.be/nbEL7CSE6u4

[nerdsforprez]

Oh this is very cool indeed. Almost a B model.  Thxs for sharing...

 

[SNIPE]

On 9/4/2022 at 8:51 AM, efferman said:

The instruction is edited. Please check if the instruction is now more clear and correct.

Is the mod that shortens the red axles inside of the cargo bay part of the instructions?

Just cause I can't figure out how to mod it from images alone.

regards, Snipe

[efferman]

3 hours ago, SNIPE said:

Is the mod that shortens the red axles inside of the cargo bay part of the instructions?

sorry, no. I try to make one this weekend when an instruction is neccessary.

[efferman]

Done! I hope there are no bugs in the instruction.

https://bricksafe.com/files/efferman/42145/42145_mod_instruction_v1.2.io

https://bricksafe.com/files/efferman/42145/42145_mod_instruction_v1.2.pdf

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by efferman

[SNIPE]

On 10/2/2022 at 12:39 PM, efferman said:

Done! I hope there are no bugs in the instruction.

https://bricksafe.com/files/efferman/42145/42145_v1.1.pdf

https://bricksafe.com/files/efferman/42145/42145_v1.1.io

 

thanks, ill check shortly :)

[nerdsforprez]

So, I am nearly finished with all my modifications of the set.  I made @efferman's V.1 version, but they added my own twist.  I did not like how slow, even in the high gear, the rotor spin was, not to mention how the single motor seemed to struggle with the set being in the high gear.  I also did not like how the motor stuck out of the fuselage of the set.  IMO, tacky.  So, I removed the high/low gears in the drive train, and replaced with 2L PF motors.  Replaced dumb BB with BuWizz.  Other gears/functions are the preserved.  Adjusted the drivetrain so that the rotors are approx. 2x as fast as the original set.  Final drive train is something like 1:1.2 (approximation) for the main rotor.  And b/c the motors are where the old H/L gears were, there is no motor sticking out of the fuselage.  This allowed me to complete the opening where the motor used to be, and provide more support for the tail, making it MUCH more firmer.   Still have alot of room there, even enough for an M motor or perhaps a light pack or something.  Not sure I will add something there though.  Overall, I feel it is a huge improvement, especially with @efferman's V1 improvements.  I leave out of town tonight, but when I am back in town I can submit some pics as well as a video showing it all.  Quite fast.  

[blbills]

I wanted to share my modified 42145 H175 Airbus Helicopter.  I was fortunate enough to pick this up on the release day back in August and build it per the instructions first.  First off, fantastic build.  I've been a collector of Technic helicopter sets since my youth and this one by far takes the cake.  However, as a pilot, there were a few elements that bothered me.  It started with the bulky rotorhead and the significant height it protruded above the helicopter.  After that I had a desire to reduce the functional slop in all the linkages and structure (namely the tail assembly and rotor shaft).  At that point I was essentially starting from scratch and made an effort to more resemble the full scale aircraft.  Below is a high-level list of some of the modifications I made.  I hope you all enjoy!

• Lower profile rotor head
• Reduced height main shaft
• Reduced the height of the entire helicopter by 1 stud (this required significant modifications throughout)
• Removed horizontal tail supports and cleaned up tail area
• Added additional friction pins to the tail assembly to improve rigidity
• Added additional support to the base of the main shaft to greatly reduce lateral slop in rotor head
• Implemented a variation of @efferman's cyclic and collective modifications to improve controllability (this required ground-up redesign of the internals to include the landing gear retract mechanism)
• Reduced profile winch mechanism for a more scale-like appearance
• Redesigned nose section to make it more streamline and scale-like
• Replaced the black pitot tubes with gray (no such thing as a colored pitot tube in the aviation world) Also the black ones would occasionally interfere with cyclic actions
• Major overhaul of the upper section of the helicopter (while maintaining the aft removable cowling over the engine assembly) to make it more scale-like
• Removed camera sensor and search light (just because I like the streamlined look without)
• Lots of color matching to improve cosmetics

 

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAbgMq

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by blbills