KEvron

now this is what i'm talking about! both the theme and the functionality are a complete departure from 1h20xx's forthcoming obligatory suv's/backhoe's/forklift's etc, which have bored me beyond tears for too long now. let's get the designer back on the payroll. KEvron

i don't have any spare parts. KEvron

when all else fails, use the google. KEvron

take a number. KEvron

yeah, i forgot about those. i need to find a good hobby shop and pester the counter help for insight. KEvron

you owe me a solid.... KEvron

okay, since we're talking paint: a while back, i bought some used train crossing gate counter-wieghts (70163). they're metal, not abs, and as i bought them used, the paint had flaked very badly on one of them. i'm gonna go ahead and paint the thing (damage is already done, right?). i figure a Testors model paint should do the job. the problem is: which black? it's been a few decades, but i recall black came in a few shades (degrees?). any of you non-purist heretics out there have any idea which shade best matches lego black? KEvron

*ahem* KEvron

please, don't take my outspoken purist stance as anything more than good-natured ribbing. burn the witch!!1! KEvron

8886 is a converter cable. it'll make your old 9v components compatable with the new PF power point. the other option is to obtain the old style 9v battery box and connector cable. KEvron

am i the only purist up in this joint?! KEvron

this is such a fun moc! made all the more enjoyable by the progress reports. KEvron

only lego?! world wars have erupted over lesser offenses. KEvron

once again, D proves himself to be the go-to man! thanks, again, bub. KEvron

lol! "Drunk!" joe vig looks quite natty in a dinner jacket! KEvron

i don't play with lego, i build with it. i don't mind the egos (can't spell lego without it!), especially my own, but they should end at "look what i did!" KEvron

i hate to post this question publicly, but my searches have been fruitless, and i'm not yet familiar enough with the members of the forum to know to whom i should directly address my questions. the Power Functions power point is clearly different from that of the earlier electrics design. still, i've seen a couple of examples of the old and new being mixed. is 8886 an adapter cable for this purpose? is there a way to make the two compatable without an adapter cable and without cracking open the connectors, say with redundant cabling? also, i've been looking at the PF battery box. the single-button on/off suits my needs better than the deadman's switch found on the earlier designs. one aspect of the older design that i don't like is the amount of pressure needed on the buttons to fire the battery box. does the new sinlge button require as much force to fire the box? is it less or more? any insight would be greatly appreciated. KEvron

for rudimentary flight, the aerodynamics of the props are the only concern. but that prompts the question: just how aerodynamically viable are lego props? we could pay all the attention in the world to the design of an airfoil, but it won't mean diddly if lego's props are more show than blow. the very second i saw it, i recognized that as the work of leo dorst. leo is the godfather of the lego clock. he's the davinci of lego! KEvron

well, if anyone ever does manage to realize a genuine aircraft in lego, it'll undoubtedly be some kind of rudimentary helicopter rather than a plane. airfoil lift is a lot trickier than thrust, especially when lego has already provided several prop designs. and, as DLuders hinted in his penultimate comment, it won't bear it's own power supply. idea for glider: frame it in abs, skin it in lego sails. ....or in these. hey, if it's got a part number, it's a lego element. KEvron

inspired by this, though always attempting to think outside the box, i fecklessly attempted to design an nxt robotic nose in the course of "the family guy" block airing on a local station. alas, it didn't run.... KEvron

you've got to put it into context. at that time, 8880 was, by far, the largest technic set ever released. it's HUGE inventory was a treasure trove of practical elements featuring not just one of the then-new differentials, but THREE! it also featured several of the then-new 16t clutch gears, 81.6mm tires, steering hubs and a new transmission shift. it was also a promise of the monstrous sets that would follow. 8880's success was the precursor to the 'mog. KEvron

thanks, D. not really a master, yet, but "expert" would suit me just fine. i think i might produce more of these study videos; coaxial hand movement, pendulum suspension, etc. i should have included some alternative methods in these two vids. i'll be sure to do so in the next. KEvron

moar flying lego! the brothers montgolfier did just that! KEvron

really, is this a subject worthy of degeneration of community? we have a disagreement of technical terms, but it's a civil disagreement. anger and frustration are perfectly valid emotions, but they're entirely wasted on the internet. everybody, just keep it loose. if you're having a bad time on the internet, then you're doing it wrong. KEvron

1) no. the cable does not contribute to the aerodynamics of the vehicle, nor does it have a positive effect on the the mass of the vehicle. 2) no, but others might say otherwise. 3) regardless of the resolution of this issue here, the sun will rise tomorrow. mercifully, no fate rests on the outcome. KEvron