HydroWorld Outlook

Never mind my idea of this new swashplate element interfacing with the 28-tooth bottom half. Looks like we're getting a totally new piece for that.

There already was a four-blade swashplate part set released in 1991.

Possibly. I would suppose there would be some sort of lower assembly with a turntable attachment that allows the rotor to spin while its being tilted. Maybe the drive axle has a universal joint to transfer the moving rotation. But we won't know for sure until a scattered-out parts image (a photo of someone building the set with the parts scattered out all over the table, like the ones we got for previous sets) or the official parts list is released. Like the one that was just posted a few seconds ago.

These new swashplate elements are almost if not exactly a five-blade resurrection of the older four-blade swashplate elements from 1991.

No problem.

At this time, I am very pleased to report that we now officially have clearer, higher-resolution images of the new set. And with that news comes a plain and clear visual of the new lower swashplate element. The new lower swashplate piece consists of a ring with five Technic pin holes around it, into which towballs can be inserted. This new piece will be used to rotate the rotor. Additionally, It has also been officially confirmed that this swashplate will indeed be able to tilt, meaning that this helicopter will indeed have cyclic pitch. :)

Well, if you look closer at the helicopter's rotor in the catalog image, the hub of this new starfish-shaped element is circular, not pentagonal. That's how I know there's a very strong likelihood that it will work with the bottom half of the small turntable.

Just found the new upper swashplate piece. It's hidden in the catalog image of the helicopter and attached to this post. Sorry the image is a bit small, but its all I can find at the moment. No lower swashplate yet, though. We'll have to wait for a photo taken from another angle before we get to see what that bottom one looks like. The new upper swashplate element appears to consist of five beam spokes around a 3M-diameter central hub with a 1x1 plate-sized square opening through the center. A Technic Beam can slide vertically through this opening to presumably maintain the structure of the rotor and connect it to the drive motor, similar in structure to that of the existing 28-tooth turntable we've seen in the past. The beam appears to rotate with this new part in the model. Based on its apparent design, I personally won't be too surprised if this element is also intended to serve as a new, specialized rotating upper half for the small turntable, in that this part connects with the existing bottom half to form a complete swashplate, in which case the beam would need to be connected to a drive axle in order to make the rotor spin. Presumably, this axle would be connected to some sort of speed transmission within the distribution gearbox to switch between fast and slow rotor speeds, as the set description said. Who knows though, maybe I'm totally wrong.

Yep, good things come to those who wait all right. That is one awesome helicopter. I am so glad TLG followed through with the variable-pitch rotor function. And we're finally, finally getting that simple battery box that we've had to wait two extra years for. Can't wait to get my hands on it! Still no sign of that new five-spoke swashplate piece yet, though. I guess we'll have to wait another month or two until more pictures and the set parts list are released.

Well, it also has brick-built rotor blades, so yeah, makes sense that it wouldn't be that big. My hope is that is just big enough to supersede past Technic aircraft for all the time we've been waiting.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. It's a bit weird that they would do this, so it could be an error, but there's still a slight chance it could be true. Maybe it has more parts than we think, maybe it doesn't. Who knows. But hopefully by late next month (June) we will finally start seeing official images of these sets, and at that point we will have a better glimpse as to how many parts it really has.

We (might) have an update, everybody. An article was just published last week on the Paris Beacon Website April 28 highlighting the new LEGO sets coming Summer 2022. And as it turns out, the 42145 set is now listed at €399.99 with 3,778 pieces, just like the Ferrari Daytona. This may or may not be a typo, but the same listing is starting to show up on many other sites as well, including Jay's Brick Blog and Brick Fanatics, so I suppose the official parts count still remains to be seen. This helicopter may be bigger with a lot more functions than we thought...

Maybe. But if that really were the case, it would make more sense for TLG to redesign the battery box's layout while they're at it. No point in having a dumb battery box with only two switches and two ports when they could have a far more efficient battery box with four ports and four speed control dials. But let's wait and see what the Summer sets bring. Maybe we'll be surprised, maybe we won't.

Because it's listed as 45% off on the LEGO Shop-At-Home website, or it was. Now it's completely out of stock. See for yourself: https://www.lego.com/en-si/product/battery-box-88015 Usually if a LEGO product is on sale for only 55% of its original price, that usually means its getting discontinued. Unbrickme even posted an entire video about it. See for yourself here: That's highly plausible, but we have no official confirmation of that yet. And this is now the second time LEGO has pulled this battery box off the shelves. It happened once at the end of last year. I emailed LEGO myself asking why this was the case, and they immediately responded saying that the battery box was discontinued. Then the Battery Box came back for a few months before it went on sale and then out of stock.

Awesome features, but did Promobricks ever say anything about the Helicopter is going to be powered since they're clearly discontinuing the Simple Battery Box?

Those new gears are exciting.

That's what you'd think. But this is now the second time that LEGO has pulled this battery box off the shelves. They actually did this in October, not long after the Bluetooth Control+ Hub version with screws was first revealed. I actually emailed LEGO about this myself shortly after it was pulled off the website, and they promptly responded back telling me it was discontinued. And yet, these battery boxes were reinstated about two weeks later, still without screws. Now they're being discontinued again, so who knows what's really going on.

It is highly likely that the LEGO Powered UP Simply Battery Hub might be discontinued, and/or replaced in the coming months. It is currently out of stock and listed as 45% percent off, which is usually a dead giveaway for a retiring set. Perhaps this could mean that its being redesigned to fit in with the upcoming Technic sets, such as the 42145 Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter, to accommodate more motor ports and possibly a speed control dial as well. However, what this does mean is that the previous version of the Battery Box, or the one featured in the cancelled 42113 set, will now become extremely hard to buy and eventually impossible to get.

Well, no matter how they accomplish the rotor, I am very excited to see that TLG is releasing another large Technic aircraft. This is a fantastic way to also celebrate the official 10-year anniversary of the original 9396 Helicopter set from 2012. Although, I don't know how it's going to be powered. There is a very strong possibility that the LEGO Powered UP Simply Battery Hub might be discontinued, and/or replaced in the coming months. It is currently out of stock and listed as 45% percent off, which is usually a dead giveaway for a retiring set.

They don't necessarily bend. The central section that slides vertically along the axle isn't that stable and difficult to drive with an axle, but no parts are being stressed here. Oh, well, maybe you're right. I was looking at this: Geodesic Dome - Pentagon Hub The image for the Pentagon hub used all no.5 axle connectors. I thought that was a legal connection.

Yes there is. See above.

Actually, an adjustable five-bladed rotor can easily be achieved by using the existing No. 5 LEGO Technic Axle Connectors along with some steering links. And its already been done, too. See for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb8WcolGNzA That would be cool, but that could require a remote control system, which LEGO Powered UP currently does not provide outside of the Control+ System.

That's easy. All of them.

Thanks!

You definitely have my vote for Wet Nellie. It's time that we see a proper amphibious vehicle as a LEGO Technic set for once. And it's a submarine... We haven't seen a submarine in LEGO Technic since that last one (8250) in 1997.