Timewhatistime

Very, very nice 20t azur gear! It makes the bike's appearance very special and unique. Well done, tasteful choice by TLG's professional designers. A possible alternative colour would have been lbg...

I am not quite sure about this statement. As far as my copy of 8043 is concerned, the functions (driving/turning vs. digging) can be selected by the fourth M-motor, which is remote controlled (as well as the other three M-motors).

Oh yes! What the hell has happened to the front "axle"? How are these parts supposed to fit to appear like in that image?

Yes! In the quarter ellipse part we already know, the axle hole is located in the corner (and the other holes are pin holes). Weird!

This makes sense and increases rigidity with the # 1 connector being attached to the 3x5 flip-flop beam.

The 1 L liftarm (lime / dbg) is a weird choice by TLG. A 2 L liftarm could have connected the base (3 L orange liftarms) with the cabin for much more stabilty. One can feel how flimsy the cabin is by simply looking at it.

The lime part is correct I believe. It's a 1 L liftarm in dbg. What are the two grey axle parts going through the rear 5 L thin liftarms? If they were simple grey 3 L axles, the colour choice would be a little bit weird. The other 3 L axles in this set are obviously yellow. (...which isn't a good decision in an orange vehicle...) Edit: Ah, I see! These parts are the 3 L pinhole with axles in dbg!

1.) Is there a reason why the blue pin (either 3 L pin or 2 L axle pin) between the turntable and the bed is partly visible, viz. with its 1 L pin end? Could it be replaced by a black 2 L pin or 3 L pin with axle hole or at least covered by a black 1 L liftarm? 2.) As far as I see, the grabber relies on a part which is connected to the black axle connector nr. 1 (where a blue pin isn't inserted completely). How do you make this assembly resistant against being torn apart when the grabber lifts some load?

Well, TLG's business is (nearly) all about selling complete sets for astronomical prices - not about providing us AFOLs and MOCers with the single parts "we find useful" or consider as "systematic". So, the a-few-new-parts-per-year-policy is even more important for TLG since single parts are available via Ebay, Bricklink etc.

I believe it was here in the Eurobricks-Forum that someone wrote: "The 11 L axle is the part we knew that TLG would release it some day." It took some decades... Observing new releases and new parts over the last 35 years, I am not fully convinced that TLG designers really avoid new parts. Rather, they seem to keep the number of new parts low, but relatively constant each year. On the one hand, TLG tries to keep the costs for producing as low as possible - this means using the molds over years and decades without introducing too much new parts. On the other hands, TLG has to offer reasons to buy the new sets. The only way to achieve this, is to intruduce a handful of new parts each year which cannot already be included the collection of the customers. If TLG did not follow this strategy, customers would be able to build new sets completely with the old parts just from their personal collection (provided that their collection has reached some "critical mass" and is big enough) - and so they wouldn't buy any new sets.

The strings in Lego sets are official parts qua being included in these sets; same holds for the hoses. If I take my shoelace or some random wire from my vacuum cleaner to solve the mechanical problems in a MOC, this means leaving the Lego realm.

The challenge to build Lego models is building them with Lego parts. The whole point is that the collection of existing parts is restricted (to about 80.000 official parts). Allowing wire, strings etc. makes the whole challenge senseless. The challenge in building Lego models is to build them with Lego parts. The whole point is that the collection of existing parts is restricted (to more than 80.000 official parts). Allowing wire, strings etc. makes the whole challenge senseless.

Yes, this is true. However, we have to evaluate if we really want to have odd spacings; and if we do, to what extend and with which consequences. Odd spacings are followed by many more odd spacings - it takes some effort to get rid of this oddity afterwards: Once you build an oddity, some unpleasant obligations result to bring things back to "normal" spacings. In the studless world there are - mostly - just two basic measurements: 1 L and 0.5 L This makes it very easy to achieve the usually needed distances - in all three dimensions. Whereas in the studded world some spacings are very privileged (3 L e.g., by brick + 2 plates + brick) and some others spacings are nearly impossible to build (4 L e.g., if not in the "main dimension").

We underestimate three important properties of studless beams - which are imho big advantages over the studded predecessors: 1.) Density For example, three stacked studless beams/liftarms take less space than two studded beams (with two plates between them to allow bracing). This property allows more functions, mote complex gearboxes etc. 2.) Built-in SNOT: Studless beams don't have the privileged orientation which studded beams have. It's much easier to "build in every direction". Again, this is required for density and complexity. 3.) Easier mathematics: Building studless means easier configuration of the distances needed, e.g. for meshing gears. Constructing the correct distances with bricks and plates always was a pain in the a$$; same for pythagorean triangles and other angles.

What's the Item No. of the wire? Is it already registered at Bricklink or do we have to update the Bricklink files?

The steering wheel turns into the wrong direction - looks quite funny...

Thank you very much for your answer. You got exactly what I was wondering about. Now it is clear! Of course, the grey 20t gear is an idle gear which spins freely on the "turntable axle" and connects both outriggers. And of course, you didn't use the "normal" 20t bevel gears in two different colours! :-)

Ah? Thanks for the clarification! It seemed as if the outriggers were driven from the upper structure (brown axle through the turntable, grey 2L axle connector, grey 20t bevel gear on vertical axle... and finally the two tan 20t bevel gears on the two horizontal axles to the outriggers). So another question emerges: Which function is driven by the axle which goes through the turntable?

Hmm, tasty sausages!

I really like that you avoided visible color v§$%&: Black Liftarms are combined with black pins, blue liftarms are combined with blue pins (mostly). Even at the cabin there are mostly white pins! So everything looks clean and intended. This has to be appreciated! There is a gray 16 t spur gear located within the turntable on one of the axes which are driving the outriggers. What's its purpose?

I have never seen such a combination of a pair of 12t/20t bevel gears to transmit more torque. This is a very good idea (I wouldn't ever had)!

It was my fault - a mistake in vocabulary. English isn't my first language. Everything is fine about the fire department truck - and this was what I really hoped for! I beg your pardon for the confusion which I might have spread.

I just took another look into the [TC27] rules: "CONTEST SPECIFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS The entry needs to have a name. The entry needs to be a vehicle. The entry needs to use four or six wheels using the 49.5 x 20 tires. These wheels need to be used to drive the vehicle. Extra wheels/tires can be used for decorative purposes. The entry needs to be non-licensed/non-branded. The entry needs to be studless. Some studded System parts are okay, but model team is not permitted. Pullback Motor is permitted. Pneumatics are permitted. Cutting pneumatic hoses is permitted. 3rd party strings, hoses and rubber bands are permitted. LEDs are permitted. Electronics (PF elements, SBricks and Mindstorms) are permitted. There is a limit of single battery box and four motors." Does the rule about Pneumatics still apply? I hope it doesn't...

At first, the colour seemed a little bit odd for me... then I saw the liftarms (e.g. 5 L and 9 L in Video, 00:40 min)... this MOC ist not built of LEGO parts.

Simply great! It is a new principle, and it uses some features which have not been used for this purpose: the moving in the frictionless axle holders of the cv joints... and the usage of the 2L worm gear as miniature gear rack. Nice!!! There is an minor mistake in the description, but the image instantly clarifies it: On the steering shaft for the rear axle there is a 8z gear and a knob gear separated by 2 studs (not 1). Question: Is the backlash (which results from 3 (or even 6) 8z gears) within an acceptable range?