nerdsforprez

Looks like with TLG swashplate, not with your own, improved swashplate? Something with 6 blades, in the Sea Stallion family would be awesome.

i also saw this on YT. Lots of projects going on, but I would really like to build this someday. Beautiful build. Thanks for sharing...

Wow... would that mean a whole new mould? Are they that much thicker? but @efferman's weren't. Be interesting to hear from others....

Hmm... I can try this when I get home. I may try to cancel my order and re-order with the 5.9mm size. If I understate for last comments correctly, you presume the 5.9 towball size will work the best, right? I also have the old blades (with black tips). I will weigh both when I get home. I can't imagine a reason for the discrepancy, other than just manufacture variability. The little bit of paint on each one can't make a huge difference....

Same. Purchased, along with a bunch of other stuff. Awesome store you got there @efferman

Not necessarily. I think they are great for crawlers, or hauling trucks that need torque/power but move slow. See above. I've used SS axles in my crawlers for years with minimal problems...

Given that your version is a stud less than TLG version would it be possible to create a swashplate similar to TLG, with room for five blades (not six, like the other one you have up on shapeways) that would fit 420145? Would be interesting to compare the two in terms of movement and smoothness...

Great modifications @efferman! And now that they are PDF it is easier to track what was actually changed. One question... the rotor has been lowered by two studs, but is there room to power even more? If one were to buy the shorter pushrods that you posted earlier, could the rotor be lowered even further? Or would it clash into something?

Just a thought. Certainly not worth it for an N of one, unless others are interested. Or, something akin to multiple fans, giving the appearance of a real turboshaft engine...

Awesome stuff Michael. I will definitely taking a closer look this weekend and make a purchase. BTW.. I see that you have turbofan blades in there (14 wide). If there were an element smaller, but similar appearance. that would fit the fan blades in the turboshaft engines of 42145 I would definitely buy that as well....

Crimony. What a machine. What a drivetrain. Certainly this is one of the best performance all-Lego builds out there. Ugly as hell but a technical heaven. Thanks for sharing....

Oh duh. I would love to see someone come up a version of the super stallion using this in technic, perhaps with the functionality of 42145. Most versions are 7 blades, but I think there are some with 6. Scratch that. Sea Stallion has the 6 blades. Super Stallion variants have the 7th.

@efferman can you clarify for us noobs the differences and applications of this improved design? Also, will these, along with the elements below be for sale on shapeways?

I do believe this is a first? Not an illegal connection per se, rather an illegal connection with a flex axle going through it.....? Not sure, but I have not seen it before...

I am finishing bag 2 I believe. So, at the front of the cabin, where the red 3L liftarm meets the black 7L liftarm is not a real connection? It is simply an illegal connection, that since it does not match up has the flex-axle going through? Must say, that is odd. However, at least at this juncture things seem pretty robust. Agree with what has been said by others, this is a wonderful model and fun to build. I have colored the hideous gear colors and replaced color vomit as much as I can, and despite that boring, tedious process am still very much enjoying the build. I will post pics later....

I do not believe this would remain together with the gear setting on high....

So, I have those axles. Bought them many years ago from Brick Machine Shop out of California, USA. However, it appears as though the store is not up any more. And I can't find them online. Here is an example of another metal part they made: They are excellent for the right applications. I have not actually harmed them, too expensive, but I have used them strategically and I don't think they have added too much to the weight of my builds. Mostly in rock crawlers, for the axles in the wheel hubs. (check 42 seconds into the first video, 31 seconds into the second). Not necessarily. If used very strategically and at a minimum you can be be fine. I have used them for years in my crawlers without incident....

Definitely worth it. I am building mine right now, slowly, but wondering if I should just wait until all these improvements are done. Suppose I should build it all now, even though I will have to rebuild, just to compare all the old things to the new changes. Fun stuff so far....

I also agree the rear. Panels>stacked liftarms. Overall, the set is starting to look pretty sharp now....

Excellent. I think this was one of the most anticipated modifications...... and you just did it...

This indeed is awesome Efferman. Is there any way these will become available for purchase?

Not sure I like how the turboshaft engine bypass the fans in said engine and just use rim parts. Thoughts if the rims are replaced with a series of gears; the teeth look to me like fan blades.....

This we can agree on, sadly. And your right, it does nothing to complain... except personal catharsis. Which ashamedly, I am not above. My airbus came last night. Excited to build my first set in several years. And yes, I will be replacing colors and hopefully modifying/improving it.

Recent posts have addressed this. I really think we are in danger of a false comparison here. We bandy about the phrase "color-code" between what TLG is using and what is seen in the real-world applications like they are the same thing. I am not sure that is the case. I do not see what TLG is doing is color coding AT ALL. There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason to their color patterns and applications to certain drives, functions, etc. The only so called pattern I see is "make this look different from that", which, in models containing 200+ lots at times we can easily have, i dunno, haven't counted, but 10-20 different colors, often in very bright psychedelic colors, in ONE chassis? This is not color-coding. This is, aptly described as "color vomit." I don't think anyone realistically wants NO color differentiation. All we are asking for is some pattern, some plan, some cohesiveness between colors and functions, lateralization, etc. I personally, do not see that in recent large models. I see vomit. And to your second point, I see this as unhelpful. We are already putting down 3-4 hundred dollars (I am in the US) on larger sets, sometimes more. So I am supposed to replace all the internals to an already overpriced set? Also, have you ever even practiced what you are recommending? I have. It is extremely time-consuming and boring. I know we all fall somewhere on the continuum of complaints with TLG, overall, for me still a big fan. Love MOCing, assembling official sets, not so much. This is one of the primary reasons. I do not feel I am assembling a premium set. I feel, like my wife's voice whining in my head, that indeed I am simply assembling a child's toy.

I would argue that the tread is not going towards color coding. Color coding implies a code, or in other words a plan or some sort of organized pattern. There does not appear to be any such thing with recent trends. Coloring axles of drivetrain one color, axles of another function another color, etc. would be color coding. Or certain elements on right-side one color, lft side, another, etc. Thats color coding. The recent trend really is best personified IMO with the apt-phrase of color vomit. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to alot of it. Or at least a quantify and shade of color that actually can become a distraction itself....