HydroWorld Outlook

By the way, I should point out that I would still be fine with another car next year, if they made a more interesting one. I would personally like to see the Terrafugia TF-X or Aeromobil 4.0 Flying Car in LEGO Technic. Or, better yet, maybe a large amphibious vehicle, like this. We haven't seen official Technic sets with amphibious vehicles in them before, minus hovercrafts and the 3-in-1 Amphipower Car set from 1996.

You're right. I really do like watercraft, but I also know that LEGO would never put their existing electronics at risk by developing a product that would simply break itself. That would be wasting money creating the motors and hubs that would need to be included in the set, only to get them destroyed when tested in water. (Has anyone ever dared to test their Control+ elements in water? I didn't think so.) They would have to create an entirely new waterproof motor system, and knowing them, they would not just give us that gift on a silver platter for less than $200, at least. So an aircraft set that does not require water to work is far more likely and reasonable at the moment. Totally agree with you. That would be ideal, but at the same time it might not be practical unless LEGO develops a new high-speed motor that can make the model fly, since it is Control+. But who knows? We'll see. Oh, on second thought, the big aircraft I want can wait until the second wave, if what you are saying is correct. That would give the designers more time to develop the model, which allows it to be bigger and have more functions. Take the 42131 for example. They've been working on that model all year, and look how awesome the final product is. The bigger the aircraft is, the better it'll be.

I wonder what that big flagship set is (42141). I am keeping my fingers crossed that we get a big aircraft this time and not just another boring land vehicle.

If you would like your helicopter rotors to spin much faster, I strongly recommend using a Power Functions-compatible BuWizz motor to drive the axle that spins the rotor head. It would look a lot more realistic to the speed that a real helicopter rotor spins at, but hey, its just an idea.

I absolutely agree with you.

Well, if they're going to mark all their huge, flagship Technic sets with an "18+" label, then they don't have a choice but to listen to us adult fans. I will. Thank you!

Exactly.

Trust me, I love how big this set looks. But aren't these big construction vehicles becoming a little too...you know? Repetitive? I mean, massive Technic sets are awesome. No doubt about that. But I really think these large models themselves should become a little more interesting. I honestly think we should start seeing large aircraft and watercraft at these more massive scales and piece counts. Seriously, think about it. These models could be remotely-controlled (with an actual remote, if possible). Maybe we could even see flying models for the first time. Just something outside of cars, trucks, and construction vehicles, for once. Aircraft and Watercraft receive too little attention in LEGO Technic.

I really like your design for a helicopter swashplate gearbox, and I am so inspired by this that it would be the perfect solution for controlling the rotors in my large hovercraft model. When you have the time, is there a chance you can release instructions or a video on how to construct the gearbox?