Cumulonimbus

Small update of the WIP (don't mind the colours): As mentioned before, it has a functional stick which controls the ailerons, and elevators. Another lever moves the flaps. A controlled rudder was not possible at this scale. Th bad news is that the part count currently is 212 and some areas lack structural rigidity. A next iteration will tackle this. Stay tuned...

Thanks, that exaclty the info I was looking for.

Haha, nice solution! It is the essence of the "less is more" philosophy. By the way, is was wondering what those special liftarms are with only holes on the ends. Do you have a part number or numbers of sets which they were part of?

I'm as impressed as any member here, but I have doubts about one thing. I saw your video and noticed that to control this wonderful machine you need to switch the red sliding gears by hand. In my opinion this is not something TLG would do in a set. This made me wonder about "official" methods to control functions. I'm struggeling with this in my own build and am curious if this would affect the scoring.

Very nice, reminds me of the classic model team sets. I like your colorscheme, it is very striking and unusual while using non-exotic colors. I'm very curious about your braking system. Could you tell and/or show more how it works?

After seeing the quality of the MINIs of many other contestants, I decided to completely redesign my entry. I'm currently focusing on adding functionality. My WIP now has elevators and ailerons controlled by the stick. I'm considering working flaps and rudder, but these mechanisms require space which isn't available. I'm thinking about changing the scale, but this might have big impact on the part count. Lots to do and the deadline is approaching. To be continued....

Apart from the fact that it might not be the most sturdy solution, it looks to me that the movement of your mechanism is not fully defined. It is a bit tricky to explain, but by adding an extra pivot between the grey and the yellow part of your linage you have introduced an extra degree of freedom. This means that the linkage can still move independent of the LA. A proper linkage should feel rigid in all its positions and should only be moved by the LA. I think that if you rebuild the yellow part so that it attaches at the same pivot point the grey part is now attached to your tilting bed, you should have a functional mechanism. Good luck! Edit: I made a quick copy of your chassis with the linkage I propose. I couldn't work out the position of your LA from the photo's, so I guesstimated. Open position: And closed:

Yes, I completely agree with this. You need to realise that there is no universal solution. What I was trying to say, is that although the physics and the principle of the mechanisms is the same, each situation requires it's own custom 'version' of the linkage. If you don't have the experience yet, trial and error with real bricks will give you the most insight. There is a graphical method to determine the correct shape of the linkage, but explaining this through this medium is not really feasible. You are entering the world of 4-bar linkages, invest some time to learn how it works and you will be amazed about the potential this mechanism has. If you are interested, a good place to start is the wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia....our-bar_linkage) and this fun site: http://www.mekanizma.../fourbar01.html

Here is what I'm thinking about: It's the same principle, but it's a bit easier to build in Technic than the ones in the photo's I showed earlier. By changing the length of the green and the lime parts and the position of their pivots (shown in red) you can influence the distance this mechanism will travel, how much the mechanism will amplify (or reduce) the travel of the LA and thus the force it will require to lift it. You should build a quick and dirty mock-up with real bricks similar as what I did in the image above, but with the same dimensions as your truck. By playing around with the things I mentioned above, you will quickly find a ratio that will work for you.

Sure, there are many examples: To get an idea how this can be done in Technic, take a look at this topic: http://http://www.eu...showtopic=79396 It is not exactly the same mechanism, but the principle is identical.

Very nice and original. Extremely mesmerizing structures. A very good illustration that the only limitation of Lego is one's imagination.

Allow me to explain some basic physics to give you insight in your design problem: Work is force times displacement. For a given amount of work (lifting the weight of the dump bed), you need to push the bed wth a certain force to a certain angle. As you probably figured out, the Lego LA's have a relatively short displacement in comparison with hydraulic cylinders of the real machines. You solved this by placing the LA closer to the pivot point, which decreased the required displacement. But because the work stays the same, the required force becomes higher. You have two options: on one hand increasing the force by doubling the amount of actuators or choosing for pneumatics for example. On the other hand you can increase the displacement of the actuator, which can be done with a linkage as jorgeopesi pointed out. There are two common options found in the real world: MARREL-type linkage and GARWOOD-type linkage. The following link shows you the difference: http://www.mitsubish...p/index.html?d2 In the following document they call it a scissor hoist: http://bb-truck.com/PDF/industrialhoists.pdf You might need to create some room for it in your chassis though. Good luck.

Nicely done, I really like the fact you used studded Technic pieces. It takes me back to my first Technic sets as a kid.

As it is now, I'm not in love with the 42029, but I'm curious what it could become in the hands of experienced MOD-ers. A live rear axle should be possible, I managed to fit one under my lowered 41999, but it will depend on the desired articulation.

I will look for a way to make the hubs less open. There are several suggestions already made here, but I think the efferman designed hub covers look the best so far.

What can I say ... well played sir. Might need to reconsider my entry . I was wondering what part that liftarm is with only holes at the ends, don't recognise that piece.

Thanks legomuppet9, that is a good suggestion, I was a bit too focussed on the part count to consider panels, but now there is plenty of room for them. Polo-Freak, you're right that white and blue make a great combo. But I already have a similar model as you, I will not 'steal' your color scheme as well . I was experimenting with colors in LDD (with an earlier version of the plane) and got excited: Exhibit A: But then I started checking Brickset which colors were actually available for the parts of this model and a long story short: the main colors for the body must be yellow, black or red. Since the 3x11 panel is only available in white, there are not much options for the wings. I must play around a bit, by replacing some color-critical parts there might be more options. To be continued....

Time for an update on the build progress: I have rebuild the main structure to increase the structural rigidity and create some space to make it easier to reach the control-stick. At the same time, I reduced the part count, currently 164 pieces. I added elevons which can be moved by hand. I don't have pictures of the real thing yet, so here are some screen shots of the model in LDD: What do you think? Next step is to search for feasible colorschemes

I like your cab very much Ti-max, very realistic. Nice work!

Hi all, I would like to present my WIP of my entry for the MINI contest. The model is an aircraft loosly based on the iconic Cessna 172. It has two functions: working ailerons controlled by the stick and a one-cylinder fake engine. Other nice features are the micro seat and a bunch of recent new parts. As said, it is a work in progress, I'm still working on the following points: - Less dense structure without compromising the rigidity - Reduce the part count (205 pieces at the moment) - Find a nice colour scheme which can be build, might need to order some parts for this. - Attempt at a less cramped cockpit - Try to include the iconic wing supports of the real aircraft. I'm very pleased with the results so far and it looks fantastic next to the 42025.

At the moment I don't have much free time to design and build. Maybe other builders feel inspired and could start to work on one of the following modules: - Retractable rear axle module, actuated by pneumatics or mini-LA's, double tires if possible. It should be able to bear some load when lowered (perferably with a 'locked position' similar to an airplane landing gear) - Rear axle module with suspension (springs), double tires if possible - Steered rear axle module, built-in steering angle reduction - Front axle module with suspension (springs), probably 5L frame height. - Middle module with 8258 crane for example, should include neccesary manual drive or motor(s) and controls in my opinion. Battery box (if needed) should not be included in this module, as this will probably be housed somewhere else in the truck depending on available space of a certain design. - Front axle module, with Ackerman steering and realistic steering angle. (suspension optional) - Cabine module(s) with a chosen style (European, American, etc), possibly several versions (sleeper cab, daycab, etc). Beware of the scale when designing these modules, the 8258 was critised for being too narrow in relation to its height. Bonus points for nice colorschemes - Truck engine modules, mayby mimicing famous real engines, a standardised interface (drive, mounting, ...) with the other modules must be designed as well. - Other proposals for modules are welcome of course. Please take a look at the lxf file of 'my' modules before and during designing to make any new modules as compatible as possible. Any improvements of the modules I made are welcome as well. I have seen many great MOC's of trucks at this scale, so i'm convinced this project could turn out great. Happy building!

Actually, it does exist, take a look at the truck in the following (Dutch) article: http://www.bouwmachines.nl/public/bma-2011-06-48.pdf

So far, I didn't have a particular truck in mind. Maybe a European Volvo truck as a sort of tribute to the upcoming 42030? On the other hand I like long nosed trucks, but due to regulations, there are very few here in the Netherlands and I like to build what I see around me. As for the cargo, ... maybe a car transporter, that is rather rare in Technic MOCS?. I have some other interesting ideas about the cargo, but I want to tinker with them in LDD to test the feasibility. Anyway, here is the lxf-files of the modules I have shown earlier: https://www.dropbox....rationTruck.lxf I hope it inspires some builders here to improve, add and combine modules.

Pre-ordered it, I'm very curious. I enjoyed your first book very much.

I have added a steered axle module with pendulum suspension, and two central modules. One has four M motors, the other one is empty, but has folding doors as can be seen on the 8258. This last one could be used to house switches for PF, gearboxes and/or or pneumatics. In an attempt to standardise the frame, I came up with the following rule of thumb: the upper part of the frame is continuous and shouldn't be interrupted by the modules. In the image below this is represented by the green liftarms. The lower part of the frame can be interrupted by the modules, but this means that the modules should be strong and rigid enough to be load bearing. That is all I have time for at the moment, I'm very interested to see and hear ideas, suggestions and modules of other builders. Is there already a dropbox available to upload files or is there another option to share the lxf file I have so far?