howitzer

Yep, if the aim here is to inspire creativity and show off the multitude of models that can be built from the same parts, I'd say bring back the universal sets and ditch the B-models. There has been some great B-models over the years, but most of the time they're just not that good.

Sometimes wheel+tyre-combo is more expensive in Bricklink than wheels and tyres shopped separately, I found out about this when I shopped for Claas tyres. Together as one piece they were like 12€ and separately maybe 3€. I don't know if the same principle applies to Porsche wheels though, considering the Claas tyres come in many different sets unlike those from Porsche.

I've always built B-models (for sets which have them) but I've never felt that a B-model deserves a lot of time on my shelf. Somehow they always seem to completely fall flat on expectations the A-models have set, even if I realize they're created as some kind of afterthought when the inventory of the A-model has been decided. Before the wide distribution of instructions over the Internet B-models really served a purpose of showing alternative ways of using the same set of parts but that purpose is pretty much obsolete now that we can get our hands on numerous C-models online, and many times with much better quality than what TLG can provide. So I'm not really one to be disappointed by the lack of B-models in 2020 selection, but otherwise this year didn't offer much for me. I have no interest in the Lambo (unless I can get it for 150€ or something) and the Volvo doesn't seem worth the money either. Concrete mixer is fine but lacks interesting functions and as for new parts, I'm not really interested in those drum parts. Osprey appears to be great and the one larger set I'm going to buy this year. As for the first half, the mobile crane was a functional disappointment too, offering little new in the way of functions. Charger has some nice parts, but I'm still not a car guy so I guess I'll get those parts separately. Ducati is great too, but I'm not a motorcycle guy either so I don't see myself buying it unless there's a nice sale for it. Catamaran I thought about as it was on sale, but decided to skip, as good playability really requires water and that's impractical and I have no other use for those hull parts. Mini Claas and Buggy I just might get, those seem very nice for the price. Pullbacks and the Stuntshow aren't interesting either, as they don't offer much beside parts.

Nothing worth showing, I've been too busy the last couple of days to get any real progress done :( But I'll make sure to post photos when there's something to show!

Thanks for you insightful comments. I was indeed relying on the sliding motion of the CV joints to counter the effects of incorrect geometry, but I think that part is fixable so that the sliding travel is at least a lot shorter. I think the steering connector will stay in place much better if I turn the dark tan 5L axle other way around, as then the end stop will prevent the connector sliding out and in the other end the high-friction connectors will help to keep the axle in place. Or maybe I'll try to invent some other type of steering arm, if it the sliding out becomes a problem during play. The springs indeed are problematic due to their short travel but I'm not sure what I could do to solve this issue, short of getting a new set of springs (48912 maybe? but those are very expensive). I created the virtual pivot steering specifically to minimize the torsional forces during steering so I hope what's left of the torsional stress isn't a problem. At least the pivot is now at the edge of the tire, instead of couple of studs inboard. Live axle solution might be my next step if the current basic design doesn't work out, but I had a bit of a real-life testing on the other day and the entire assembly held together very nicely. Last few days have been busy with the midsummer's eve and all so I haven't had the chance to implement new fixes but I hope to get something done today or next week.

Of course it's not that simple, the IP laws are complex and convoluted and details and interpretations vary from country to country. But if you make a MOC based on a real car, I'd say it's quite a hard to argue for any sort of copyright over that MOC, as the design is made and owned by someone else and it's not even a part of a larger creative work (like a photograph of a cityscape with cars in it might be).

Creative works are always subject to copyright, and it doesn't matter if the medium is Lego or paint and canvas. The problem here arises on the definition of what's creative work and what's not, but MOCs based on real world vehicles cannot be copyrighted by the MOC designer, as the copyright already belongs to the company owning the rights of the real vehicle. Something like Akiyuki's GBC designs, however, could conceivably be protected by copyright laws as a kinetic sculpture, but it's hard to say for sure without an actual court ruling on the matter. Patents are completely different and for patent to be granted, one must invent something genuinely new. So it's really hard to see how a car MOC could be patentable, as it's hard to see how building with Lego would allow any sort of novel functionality that isn't already invented for real vehicles or other electromechanical devices. Trademarks are yet different animal, and it's more like a protection of identity, to make sure that products of one company can't be mistaken to being made or endorsed by another entity so it's not exactly about the product itself, but about how it's presented to the public. So if a building blocks company produces an original design but presents it like a Lego product (packaging design, logo, etc.) it's a violation of trademark laws but if they present it as clearly distinguishable from Lego products it's perfectly legitimate as far as trademarks are considered.

Maybe, if the opening is big enough for both entering and exiting balls to pass simultaneously. I guess we'll see soon enough after the set is released if something like this is feasible.

The other end appears to be closed so I don't immediately see how it could be useful in GBC's. I'm sure that GBC makers will invent some use for it though, but I doubt that played any role in design considerations.

I think someone somewhere mentioned that there would be new differentials on the axles and old style in the middle so 4 differentials total, 3 of which are new.

Some people have complained that the newer tan gears are slightly too large, producing much more friction than they should. This is probably issue related to specific factory/batch, because other recent tan gears work as they should.

I don't have those springs, but maybe this design could be adapted to fit the 6,5L ones, which are the only springs I own (in hard and soft varieties). I don't have the PF servo either, but I din't plan to motorize this thing anyway so that's not a problem.

Oh, nice, talk about creative part usage. Although that makes it even stranger to use a white mudguard here, as the surrounding parts are LBG. I'm sure others noticed already but I only now took a close look at the water tank behind the cabin and noticed that there's the new biscuit part in white, which is a new colour too. I have to say though, that the tank looks absolutely horrible, it really needs something to cap the ends. Maybe a white 4x4 dish would do, as 5x5 dishes don't exist.

I'm pretty sure the decision to make a whole new drum part is an economical one, because even if it's a big part that has few uses, the only other options would've been either not making a concrete mixer or making an ugly panel-built drum or brick-built one with a huge number of parts, most of them not Technic. Besides, large single-purpose parts have been with TLG for a long, long time as there are hundreds of boat-related parts that are somewhere between hard and impossible to use as anything else beside their original purpose. And who knows, maybe we'll get another concrete mixer in a couple of years, perhaps in another colour and different style/functions.

I thank you for your apology, even if I took no offense on your first comment because as you said, you have nothing to gain by bashing beginners on their horrible assemblies. Even if your comment wasn't directly helpful, it pushed me to think of something else so my next iteration came out much better. I really appreciate your contributions to the community and the designs you share so I hope you stay active here in EB too.

I think there's two tan axles with middle stop, connected to the tan bevel gears. So the middle tan gear can turn the other two, but in different directions, which is compensated with the placement of the driving gears for LA's to make them move equally. I think you can even see the end of the axle if you look very closely the edge of the gear where it obscures the other axle.

I'm pretty sure it's not rechargeable, considering the reasons why TLG doesn't make every power source rechargeable already. But being dumb, it's much easier to integrate into MOCs than the smart hubs so it's a welcome addition in any case.

Yeah, maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part to interpret the design as collective pitch. Would be awesome but I don't think it's there.

There appears to be 1x3 dark blue liftarms in the top back corners of the cabin. It has also appeared in couple of Bionicle sets about 15 years ago. There are also few other dark blue liftarms that have only appeared in Bionicle sets long ago.

I completely agree, there doesn't seem to be anything interesting going on in this set.

The structure behind the proptors make me think there could be some sort of collective pitch, if that's true this will easily be the best set of 2020, and the only one I'm considering to buy even without a huge discount.

No LBG mudguard, sadly it appears to be white.

Let's focus on my MOC and how to improve on it, please no more commentary on anyone's attitude or whatever in this topic. @Sariel Thanks for drawing the pic, I'll try to fix the geometry. Although, even the geometry as it is now isn't problematic at all in practice, as the axle touching the connector only happens at the very end of the movement. But I guess it's better to attempt to build it right to eliminate as much potential problems as possible. Well, there was an explicit wish to have it "bouncy" so realism isn't really the point here. But yeah, I think I have now what I need to finish the suspension and can get on to building something functional for it, and to make it look nice.

Yep, huge disappointment if the suspension is something simple and many times seen or even worse if there's no suspension at all. At this scale and price point I'd expect a proper (and as authentic as possible) suspension.

How about this: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2476 Then just snot a 1x2 Technic brick or something similar to the deck where the turrets are attached.