HydroWorld Outlook

That is not likely. This 42211 Lunar Rover model appears to be another one of those Technic sets that blurs the lines between fact and fiction; another licensed concept model, so to speak, like the 42081 Zeux set from 2018. As indicated by the logo displayed in the bottom right-hand corner of the set box, "Lunar Outpost" is the name of a real company that is actively creating lunar vehicles for use on future manned missions to the moon. While the top half of the vehicle's design is purely fictional, presumably to attract children towards buying this set (presumably with its two big headlight "eyes"), the bottom half (chassis) of the vehicle is very similar to that of the real vehicles Lunar Outpost has planned, or at least, was going to produce at the time this set was made. Their designs appear to have been refined since then. Here's the hyperlink to their website: https://www.lunaroutpost.com/rovers

All right, then, fair enough. I didn't know there was a dedicated Powered UP topic though, so I'll have to look around for that.

All valid points. Like I said in my previous post, though, I know for a fact that TLG is not planning to release this particular electronics system in other sets. The dumbed-down studded components have been specifically designed for use in LEGO Education, not in LEGO Technic. I do hope, though, that this little system is the beginning of something much bigger, with much more advanced cordless odd-dimensioned Technic electronics (that we haven't seen yet, potentially with greatly expanded programming capabilities) on the horizon. This hypothesis of mine is based on how the WeDo 2.0 and Boost systems were guinea pigs for the full Powered UP system later down the line. Since the Powered UP roadmap only went as far as 2025, and there's been no word of TLG releasing another one, a lot of signs are pointing in the direction of retiring Powered UP sometime in the near future, and a cordless system similar to the one we're seeing now may be it's replacement, especially now that Mindstorms is no longer around. Plus, many of us fans, and more importantly, many parents have criticized the Powered UP system for its massive expense and mobile device-reliant functionality when compared to the old-fashioned Power Functions system. A new cordless system like the one we see now seems to respond very well to those complaints, featuring a physical remote with potential proportional control that can operate the electronics independently of any smart device (saving us the need to use our phones), and components each having their own internal batteries that can be recharged just like the one on the Powered UP Porsche hub (saving us money). So I strongly believe that, depending on how well this test run with their Education division goes, it is entirely plausible that TLG may decide to expand the cordless system with other, more advanced components for use in their consumer-facing sets within the next year or two. If a cordless electronics system doesn't appear in 2026, then we could be in for some major surprises when Technic's 50-year anniversary rolls around in 2027. However, like I also said before, I didn't mean to throw this thread too off-topic. I just thought it was worth pointing out that the cordless system being introduced in Education sets today could be teasing a whole new family of electronics that may enter development if this one proves successful. Such an electronics system may seem like it will be harder for rip-off and third-party companies to replicate than the corded systems we see in today's sets, but I have to admit it, that sounds like a pretty darn effective (and likely) business strategy to me.

Woohoo! New LEGO electronics. Maybe our past predictions about the Powered UP system were correct and it's truly being phased out for good in favor of this new cordless system. And for good reason. It seems our prayers have been answered. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc_0lHbPqtk Chances are strong to the 90th percentile that this new cordless electronics system isn't compatible with Powered UP. If I am correct, then that probably means Powered UP will be axed soon in favor of a brand new cordless system comprising of components with internal rechargeable batteries and easy connectivity, which I already believe is much better. I know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover of course, but this is a really good sign that LEGO is going back to the basics of providing electronics that work independently of an app, which in and of itself is a major improvement. Hallelujah on a physical remote! Hopefully that means no more app-only control of future sets. TLG has made it clear that cordless electronic components will only be present in the Education theme for now, but that hopefully means it won't be long now before a more advanced version of the cordless electronic system (that we haven't seen yet) trickles down to LEGO's consumer-facing lineup to replace Powered UP elements in Technic sets, preferably by the next wave of sets in the first half of 2026. Anyway, didn't mean to go too off-topic here, but it is clear now that TLG is headed in the right direction with their electronics system, and that is really good news, even for 2025.

White is a heck of a lot better looking than tan.

Dang, that dinosaur is pretty cool. I didn't know it had piston engines and buckets and banana gears and all those other pieces. Realistically, though, for a model of this size, there's no possible way that thing is entirely built from just LEGO Technic pieces. Most likely, the dinosaur is built from parts on the outside to make it look like its built from just LEGO pieces, but in reality, its probably hollow with some giant pole or structure hidden inside of it to keep it stable. Yes, its only a static structure, but still, plastic alone isn't strong enough to support all that weight, because that would be way too good to be true.

Neat! I saw the video on YouTube and I must say that I'm quite impressed. I've never seen this many mechanical functions packed into one Technic aircraft before.

Thanks, Milan. :)

I would respectfully say that this 2026 thread should be allowed to remain existing but the title should be edited, if possible to follow proper grammar conventions as indicated in the rules of this forum. If that is not appropriate, then I would strongly recommend that this topic be merged into a larger speculatory thread instead. But perhaps it would more advisable to let our forum moderators clear up this issue. @Jim or @Milan, what do you believe should be done with this topic?

All valid points. Though while I believe you are correct about using the new part as a waist joint, I didn't mention it only because I thought the existing Technic spur-bevel gear-hybrid turntables (28-tooth and 60-tooth) meshing with gears on friction pins was a good enough solution already in most cases. Still, if this new part is in fact suggesting a future with non-vehicle Technic sets, this could be a very positive sign for the Technic theme as a whole, especially when you consider that we may be getting a new and improved electronics system (one that goes back to good ol' Power Functions roots) as well if forum predictions are correct about an imminent retirement for Powered Up. And if we do indeed get another big mech in 2025/2026, or a studless 8852 update for Technic's 50th anniversary in 2027, I sure hope we see these new joints used in bulk so that the cost of the part will drop. It would be nice to see them motorized as well, since the joint relies on the principle of rotating gears. Before someone else comes along to remind me, I know wishes and speculation have their own topic already, so I hope I didn't derail this thread too much, and I apologize in advance to all users who reply after me if I did. To summarize, this new heavy-duty swivel joint is a very fascinating and interesting that I believe will be very useful.

Good! So that means TLG should have no more excuses for large, heavy mechs without proper arm and knee articulation (cough, cough, Ninjago Movie Fire Mech, cough, cough). Although unlikely, I am curious to see if this joint signals a future with a non- vehicle Technic sets like the action figures and robots we used to get. Perhaps, if we are fortunate enough, we could see these joints used in a studless, modern, scaled-up reincarnation of the old 8852 robot set in 2027 for Technic's 50th anniversary. Technic sets using this new part are unlikely from my understanding, and after the T-Rex skeleton we will likely see them appear in Star Wars and other action-themed sets first, but I am curious about the potential of motorizing this part of it does appear in a Technic set.

It's not too big at all. The futuristic aircraft I am building is a flying colony vessel and therefore very massively large, so bearings like the ones you've built would be perfectly-sized for my application. That said, however, I do get where your coming from with the RPM, and I am planning to primarily use magnetic bearings, with the steel ball bearings for additional support, to stablize each proprotor fan propeller while maintaining free rotation. Alternatively, if this doesn't work I may use a roller bearing setup with the "banana" gear racks like the one TLG developed for the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane, but reinforced and modified to effectively operate in a vertical (axial) plane when the shrouded fan units are tilted forward for horizontal flight. Since the proprotor fan propellers will be mounted coaxially (they will contra-rotate) inside shroud units that will tilt 90 degrees, I may also consider using this setup to help support the weight of the shroud when swiveling between the vertical and horizontal flight positions. So even if the bearings can't spin at sufficiently high rotation speeds to work for the propellers, I believe they should at least be useful for the vertical-takeoff-and-landing transformation function, since the shrouded fan units themselves will not need to rotate in complete circles and can be geared down to a lower speed. In any case I, unfortunately, will need to stick with just the LEGO parts I currently own when building all of this. I will already need to build the colony aircraft's fuselage out of PVC pipes due to the otherwise higher monetary construction costs associated with its massive size, so I can't (realistically) afford all the costs of going out and buy additional professional-grade materials on top of that. And I have explored third-party liftarms with ball bearings, but given the large sizes and weights of the centrifugally-reinforced propellers I am constructing, any Technic beam-sized bearing diameters would be too small and too weak to work effectively. I don't mean to derail your topic, so I very greatly apologize if my posts appeared to do so (I wouldn't want Milan upset with me). Thank you so much for all the tips and I look forward to any further updates on the Metal Lathe. :)

Sounds good! Looking forward to seeing them!

Wow! Great work so far! Can't wait to see the finished model!

Amazing work! I have to say that your project is very well done, especially given the tight TC28 contest timeline. I am very interested in the large and sophisticated bearing system that you used for your metal lathe model. I am currently working on a very large colony ship aircraft with shrouded proprotor fan propellers that must spin at very high rotation speeds, faster than any normal LEGO axle would be able to spin inside of a pin hole before melting (due to the friction created when rotating). Therefore, mounting the propeller shafts on ball bearings seems to be the most promising solution for achieving higher rotation speeds with less friction generated. I have been looking for the most economical way to build ball bearings using LEGO Technic pieces. I've watched the Akiyuki Brick Channel's video but I am very intrigued by your solution as well. Is there a chance you could post more photos of how you accomplished this system? Thanks so much in advance and once again, excellent work on your model. :)

No large major aircraft I meant. Sorry.

We can try. Can you maybe provide us with a picture and hyperlinks to the part IDs?

Yes, but that set wasn't called an "Osprey" at all because it wasn't licensed. Unfortunately, most Technic sets nowadays are licensed to increase sales. A major limitation of licenses is that the model must resemble it's real-life counterpart. Since 42113 was licensed by Bell-Boeing and featured a V-22 Osprey aircraft that is only used in the Air Force with no civilian version in active service, TLG couldn't make the set because it went against their commitment to avoiding military vehicles. Anyhoo, sorry for derailing this conversation, everyone. We are talking about 2025 sets in this topic, and from the way things are looking there will not be any aircraft on the Technic assembly line this year anyway. And so we return to TLG's normal routine of Technic cars and construction vehicles...

It's like a more realistic version of the Blade Runner Spinner aircraft! Very nicely done.

Wow! Amazing work, @jamesonk83! You've done an incredible job on this model, and I greatly look forward to seeing the final version. I also can't wait to build this for myself once the instructions are out! :)

Nice work on this! I really like that propeller design too.

Wow! Great job! I like your design! When I saw the first photos of you building this truck, I thought it was going to be more like a semi-truck with an aircraft simulator trailer, because that is the design I personally have gotten used to seeing, but I like the integrated design you accomplished here better. It makes good use of that otherwise empty space immediately behind the cab. Once again, great work! :)

Wow! Nice work! Your vehicle looks great! Can wait to see the final version! :) Are you going to be posting additional images of it on Flickr?

Great reviews! Although, now that I have watched these firsthand reviews of the set, I will briefly say that I am very curious why TLG designed the new hub to have those two additional rotating outputs on the back side of it that we didn't see used in this set. It would make no sense to drive wheels with those outputs since there are already dedicated outputs for that on the sides of the unit, but it would make a lot of sense to drive boat propellers with them, because you would not need any 90-degree gear connections to change the axle mounting direction. So I am really starting to wonder if this is an early, obvious teaser for an RC boat set, or better yet, an amphibious vehicle set that we'll be getting from Technic sometime next year. I know that's probably a whole other conversation for a whole other topic on this forum, but I just thought maybe I should point that out real quick in case it is, in fact, a huge and important clue for next year's sets. Because this hub seems to perform surprisingly better than I thought it would in this set, and it would only make sense for TLG to want to reuse this part as much as possible in future sets to drive costs down.

Since we had Technic space sets this year, perhaps it would make sense for there to be underwater Technic sets next year? Sometimes LEGO will follow a space, sea pattern with their sets like did for City and Friends. Plus, vehicles and structures from space and sea use the same airlock connector pieces anyways. And besides, we haven't gotten any proper lines of underwater sci-fi sets since Atlantis, really (subthemes Ninjago Seabound and City Deep Sea Explorers technically don't count.) Another cross-theme wave dedicated to Aquazone or some other related branding would be ideal. If I am correct and such sets are released, I would anticipate most if not all of the Technic models would have manual functions like the space models did (as to anticipate children wanting to play with them in water), unless some new underwater motor system is introduced for the Powered UP System (like the one Playmobil has). A new underwater motor is definitely unlikely until proven otherwise by TLG, but even with manual functions any underwater Technic model would be greatly appreciated, since no underwater Technic vehicles have been released since that yellow submarine set with the CD-ROM back in 1997 (the mini-sub in 2015's Deep Sea Explorer set doesn't really count.)