pleegwat

I think I've seen TLG use a pin with ball to keep the 5l beam in place in a similar situation.

Yup, that's definitely the bottom of the battery box between and in front of the rear wheels. Based on the visible connector wire, the motor sits behind it. I do not see the motor on/off control on the displayed side, so it must be on the other side. The winch gearing looks weird running along the outside like that. I suspect the secondary hook below the centre of the helicopter is not connected to a winch? If it were, I would have expected that to be a listed feature. On overly close inspection, is that still the old battery box cover which closes with clips? Would probably still be the new one in the box.

Thanks for all the tips. Good call on the backdrop. I probably would have gone for my normal wood-print desk and not realised my mistake till afterwards. I've got a plain gray bedsheet which should be serviceable as a backdrop. I'll have to look into camera mounting - I will be using my phone as I don't have a dedicated camera, and I do not have a tripod but I've built a phone-camera mount one out of lego before and can do it again.

I'm planning to disassemble a MOC, and am considering making a photo series during the disassembly. I've never done that before. Does anyone have any tips for optimum result?

I'm pretty sure those are supposed to be straight. Might be manufacturing, might have happened afterwards?

A full stud, I think, which is rather easier to implement than half-stud Ackermann.

And it actually did get reused in two other helicopters in 1995 and 1999, according to rebrickable.

You're not wrong.

There's the airbus.

Guess they've been taking hints from the software industry.

I have a closed container with a small number of parts in a dark greenish grey, originating from a set from the late nineties. These parts are indistinguishable from DBG to my eyes, except in specific lighting conditions.

I suspect not at a convenient angle. The 22z is closer to a crown gear than a bevel one.

Not really, And simply handling a piece when you are about to use it tends to knock off most dust.

I use these open bins, though I don't think I got them from this retailer. https://www.automotive-line.nl/product/magazijnbak-217-x-360-x-155-mm-zwart/ Currently six of them for panels. Mostly the numbered panels share two bins, one for left-handed and one for right-handed panels.

I suspect mirroring this vertically around the axle would significantly improve rigidity. But I guess you don't have the ground clearance for that?

How about a displaced lever, like in 42114? Step 228 on page 143 shows a decent view.

Why not both? My gut feeling is that a ring below the axle would be tricky to bear load, but it may help stabilise the wheel assembly if it's locked in between rings above and below.

The ATAT ring only just fits around a standard turntable. So if they're using it, then either they use some form of 'centreless' setup, or the centre is formed by a small (28z) turntable. The latter feels unlikely; I am not sure how feasible the former is.

A differential has three sides: Left, right, and carrier. Usually you apply power to one side and it then distributes over the other two. If you're leaving one side idle, then all power will end up going to that side (because no resistance) and none will be transferred to the other.

Larger configurations may be possible with additional parts (which would likely translate to buying the set twice). I doubt they'd include instructions for that though.

Yeah, the only real difference between fitting a PF or C+ L motor is the extra stud of length on the C+ one. M motors are skinnier and fit in a 3x3 square tube, but they're a pain in the backside to mount in studless.

Looks like a nice block. I definitely agree on the preference for 'micro' engines. The standard cylinder molds may have a more realistic reciprocating motion, but these are more flexible in layout, and you can hear them even when the cover is closed.

Looks like 3x11 to me. Or are there two new 3-wide frames and are you looking at a different one?

That would reinforce the theory that these are 'real' new gears. If they are just recolours or non-bevel 12/20 gears, it makes little sense to produce a different colour for prototype.

Even for gearbox design, adding more clutch gears makes more sense than adding 14z/18z gears with axle holes. I say it's just orange 16zs.