Blakbird

Wow, you're right. I didn't actually make the LDraw file, it came from Koyan, I just rendered it. You've been looking very closely! I've fixed the file so that anything I may happen to render in the future will be correct. <hint> If anyone wanted to model the actual printed headlight, that sure would be swell. </hint>

Due to length of time since the last Technicopedia update, there has been some speculation that either I am dead or have been replaced by a doppelganger. While I can neither confirm nor deny these rumors, I can state that I have been working on 1994 for quite a long time, and have been paying special attention to 8880. Such a set deserves the best I can muster, so I've been trying to kick it up a notch. I've put a little sample below of what I've been working on. I hope it will all be worth it! I've also been working hard on the Technic Ldraw model repository as discussed here.

That just sounds like the polarity direction on the controller. There's a little switch by each channel on the controller that lets you reverse them. Reverse one of them and you should be in good shape.

In order to give you a hint I would have to know the answer! I've been working on it for a long time and in fact have been working on 8880 just today. As you can imagine, it is a big job. I'm getting close though so I'd look for an update in the next couple of weeks.

8045 Mini Telescopic Handler I'm guessing that this thing will be about the size of the 8259 Mini Bulldozer. It will be interesting to see what functions they manage to incorporate at this scale. Will it really telescope? Maybe they will use the parts from the 8270 All Terrain Crane. 8046 Helicopter The trend is recent years has been the successive order of the set numbers has roughly corresponded with the relative size of the sets. Given this, I'm thinking this will be a small helicopter and not something big like a Chinook. My bet is for something the size of 8812. If it had the ratcheting rotor mechanism of 8232, that would be great. 8047 Compact Excavator There have been quite a lot of "compact loaders". What will be get from a "compact" excavator? Jennifer Clark set the standard with her JCB JS70. I'm thinking of a small "zero tail swing" unit like a Case CX17B. It seems like this should be tracked rather than wheeled, but we'll see. The 8259 alternate model is a mini model, but the model is still of a full size excavator, so I'm expecting something different. Will this have linear actuators? Will it have pneumatics? I can only dream. 8048 Buggy Please God, let it not be another travesty like 8284. That was OK as an alternate model, but abysmal as a primary. If this is actually a larger size model which will presumably have an engine, steering, and suspension, then it could be a good model. I'm thinking of a studless version of 8428. 4 wheel suspension would be even better. Of course, this all assumes that "buggy" means "dune buggy". Maybe they are referring to they type of buggy pulled behind a horse. 8049 Forest Tractor with Crane This has great potential. The 8443 log loader is one of my favorite models. As pointed out by others though, this could be something even more complex that has a loader as well as a built-in log transportation system. I'd like to see all wheels driven and the possibility of pneumatics make me giggle with glee. Linear actuators are more likely though. On the other hand, an example of lameness would be the same red tractor as in 8063 as seen below. If the fates smile upon me, it may be something like this:

Didn't I post that a long time ago? If not, here it is again: 8458c: Street Sensation Fernando, feel free to add this link to your blog along with the others.

Deal.

I'm glad you like it. Actually, I had forgotten that I even had these. I only found them when some questions came up and I started rummaging around through the box. It is a good thing I printed them since I seem to have lost the source files.

Recently there's been some discussion on the instructions for the 8448 Super Street Sensation. The set comes with printed instructions for the convertible top and for gull wing doors. There are also instructions for the mechanisms of 4 other models on the same chassis. However, the instructions for the bodies of these 4 models were not included and had to be downloaded from LEGO. Thankfully, I had done so years ago and had printed them out. After many requests and lots of scanning, I have made these instructions available. There are deep links below to the files on Brickshelf. I've also uploaded them to Peeron, but I don't know how long it will take for them to show up. Enjoy everyone! Hot Rod Buggy Concept Car Racer

The world is full of coincidences. I had never seen one of these trailers until you posted a picture. Then, the very same day you posted, I saw one just liked this parked only a block from my house.

Greetings to everyone. I still haven't managed to get time to do my review of the full 8258 set, but I figured I could at least offer my thoughts on the B-model. This is not really a proper review since I am not going to rate a B-model, but I'll at least show you some pictures and tell you how it works. The B-model must be built from downloaded PDF instructions. I put my laptop on the table and viewed them in Full Screen mode. It worked very well. Here are the parts prior to build: (this picture is actually from my build of the main model) The truck is very big and looks great, but not have a lot of function considering it's size. Here is the winch, V-8 engine, and opening hood: From the back you can see the opening door and the hitch. The steering control is behind the cab. From the bottom you can see the differential. For size comparison, here it is with 8858. Now we'll look at the trailer. I have never seen such a contraption in real life, but at least they made something cool with all of those crane parts. The trailer is motorized with 3 functions as well as manual outriggers which actually lock over center! This picture taken during the build shows the functions which I have color coded. Yellow is the motor input which splits out to the transmission to control various functions. Green controls the turntable rotation through a worm gear. Red drives the concentric clutch gears which will later pass through the turntable and drive the upper linear actuator. Blue is centered in the turntable and drives the lower linear actuator. Now the turntable is attached. You can see the dual concentric functions in the middle. The clutch gears spin freely on the central axle and have a driving ring between. With the beginnings of the crane built you can see the two separate functions. Here is the completed drive of the lower linear actuator which lifts the boom. This color coded image shows the drive path of the upper actuator which telescopes the platform. I was surprised to see that the angle of the lower boom is not fixed. The links make up a mechanism which can be adjusted to the two positions shown. One works well for stowage and the other allows the platform to reach the ground so someone can board it. Here are the outriggers. Finally, here it is next to the personnel lift for scale. All in all, I'd have to say that this is an excellent alternate model. It was good enough to convince me to buy an extra copy just for this. After the build, there are still 444 parts left over which went into my spare parts collection and will fuel another MOC!

Which of Nathanael's models? He's got a "sport car" made only from 8458, a GT car which also has a transmission, and a "super car" which includes many of the parts from 8466. As far as I have been able to tell, there is no complete LDraw model for the latter, so considerable speculation would be needed to build it. I'd be interested to see if anyone has tried.

This is certainly something I'd like to do. Ultimately, I'd like to build all of the models from the Idea Books, but these are low on the priority list at the moment. To do even the rendered animations, I would need LDraw files of the models. Feel free to submit some! I have made the large programmble crane from 8888 for myself, and Berndasbrot has made the plotter. I'd certainly like to do the airplane made from the Control Center.

I'm always open to suggestions. I want Technicopedia to meet the needs of those who use it. I no longer have 7471, but I have built it and I agree that is a "Technic" set in every meaningful respect.

It's going to be a b!tch to do a stop-motion animation......

That blue pin is a bit of a mystery. After staring it for a few minutes, my guess it that it is there to prevent you from installing the whole box upside down. If you put in it upside down with the pin on the right, then the outboard axle would not fit. As for the non-friction pins, when they are used on a non-rotating joint it is usually because those pins were needed for the alternate model. For the cabin, it doesn't really matter whether they have friction or not, so this allowed them to work for both.

Thanks for your praise. It makes the whole project worthwhile. You won't have long to wait for 1994. I am working on it right now! In fact I had to stop to type this message. As for the boxes, I had thought of that idea along with the instructions changing over time. However, box art and instructions are copyrighted and I am trying very hard to have everything on the site be my own work so I don't have to deal with the copyright and "fair use" quagmire. I may change my mind some day. Thanks for the advice! I actually don't have 10178. However, there was another walking AT-AT which was a Mindstorms set released as the Dark Side Developer Kit (9754). I have that one.

I don't know about yours, but my 8448 only came with full instructions for the convertible version and the gull wing version. Then there are also mechanism instructions of 4 other models (Buggy, Hot Rod, Racer, & Concept Car). All use the same chassis. You can see in the scan from the main instructions that the models are incomplete. If you wanted the full instructions for the other models, you had to download them. Thankfully, I printed them all out so I have them. I scanned an example shown below. The instructions were fairly crude by LEGO standards in that they only included photographs and had many parts in each step. I'm not sure if there is any way to get them any more.

Next update coming soon. ????? 10174 doesn't have any Technic functions. But I will be adding the Technic Star Wars sets like the Destroyer Droid and Hailfire Droid.

As I mentioned above, it is not a bad tractor. But the fact is that they nullified two of the most obvious and useful features by removing the implements and replacing them with a trailer. As with any review, of course, all of this is a matter of opinion. I have no doubt that others will love this set and the lack of an implement will merely be an inspiration to create one. P.S. I just noticed my new title under my avatar. Now that's a cool title!!

I've actually noticed the same thing in a couple of recent sets, so it isn't just you. The ratios of "normal" parts to "new" were about the same. I'd guess they are in the midst of a minor part update and so we are getting both at the moment. They fit and move the same, so the differences are purely in the close details.

Reviews that are always positive don't mean anything. I'm honest about what I think. Don't worry, I would have bought it anyway. You just sped up the process. Yes, definitely. Perhaps I should qualify the statements I made in my review. It is NOT a bad tractor. In fact, I like 8284 very much and this is basically the same thing. I am simply upset that TLG chose to re-release a set for MORE money with LESS functionality and design details which obviously do not fit together. An AFOL could certainly make some nice implements for this and make it a great model. But TLG did not make it a great model. And by the way, I just checked the LEGO website and the B-model instructions are not even available.

I think those who didn't see the first tractor will be left scratching their heads. They will wonder, "what are these extra features for that don't do anything? Did I build the model wrong?" Imagine a child (in the target age bracket) building a Technic model for the first time and how confused they might be about those extra useless gears and cranks.

8063 Tractor with Trailer Based on some input from other readers here, I went and checked my local Toys 'R Us and found the new 8063 tractor set in a nice big shiny box. I'm a Technic fan. A HUGE Technic fan. I buy every set whether it looks any good or not. It's not easy to disappoint me given how enthused I am about the whole thing in general, but I was certainly disappointed here. Read on to find out why. I thought about reviewing it two different ways: one as an independent set release, and one as a comparison to the previous 8284 tractor , but in the end I decided that this was unnecessary since the same conclusions apply. I'll be anticipating the questions from you, the readers, and I'll incorporate the answers into my review. Vital Statistics Set 8063 (Weird set number. This series not used since the old Universal Sets) 1100 Pieces Build time was about 2.5 hours (including taking all the pictures) The Box The box is quite large. Pictures of the front and back can be seen below. This is one of the boxes in which you need to cut the rear corners to get it open. Unlike many of these boxes, everything inside was in good shape with no squashing of the instructions. In fact, they look like they came right off of the presses. The Instructions There are 2 instruction books. Q: Since this set is clearly two distinct models, a tractor and a trailer, each instruction book covers one of these right? A: Wrong. The division between instruction books occurs in an arbitrary location near the end of the tractor model. There are no printed instructions for the B model; those muse be downloaded. Like all the newer sets, these instructions come with a parts list at the end. Inside the Box There are 7 bags inside the box as well as a few loose pieces which I'll discuss a bit later. The bags are numbered into two groups. The first group is for the tractor, the second group is for the trailer. There are smaller bags of small parts inside the larger bags. New and/or Noteworthy Parts Q: With 1100 parts, there must be a lot of new stuff here! A: Wrong. Since the tractor is nearly identical to the old 8284 tractor, there are no new parts here except for the engine compartment side panels. These are slightly flatter than the old versions. The trailer uses 13 of the new larger panels in green (TLG #62531) as previously described in my hauler review. Based on early photos, I thought these were going to be sand green (like the Statue of Liberty 3450), but they are actually regular green. If you want a big pile of these panels, this is the place to get them. There's also one of the linear actuators in the trailer. The differential in the tractor is the same as that in 8284 which is NOT the newest version. Since the gear mating with the diff ring gear is a spur gear, it would have been difficult to integrate the new diff bevel gear without a significant redesign. The Build If you've built 8284 before, you will find this very familiar. The tractor is actually rather complex and, due to the use of 8 32009 "Technic Beam 3 x 3.8 x 7 Liftarm Bent 45 Double", the frame is very rigid. The trailer build is very redundant due to the use of so many panels.This first image shows the core of all of the functions of the tractor. I've color coded the functions for reference: Green: This is the steering. Overhead Hand of God control the front rack and pinion. The whole front steering assembly is pendular, so the steering axle also provided the structural support. Note that the steering axles pass through a 16 tooth concentric idler gear. Blue: This is the drive train. The differential will mate with the rear double bevel gear. Torque goes through the driving ring center and up to the crankshaft of the engine. Yellow: This is the Power Take Off (PTO). When the red driving ring is engaged, this is driven off the rear wheels. Red: This is the worm gear lift for the rear implements. Q: Why is there a worm gear lift for the rear implements? Are there any rear implements? A: No. The worm gear pivots some liftarms which are not attached to anything. Q: Why is there a PTO? Does it drive anything? A: No. The PTO hangs uselessly out the back. When engaged with the driving ring, it uselessly spins. Q: OK, if these major functions don't actually do anything on the main model, they must at least drive the B-model right? A: No. The B model doesn't use them either. Q: Well there must at least be some photographs on the box or in the instructions of possible implements which use these features right? A: Wrong. These two major functions of the model do nothing at all and were obviously only included because the previous tractor had them. They are wasted on this model. In fact, the trailer does not really even come with enough gears and axles to build any suitable implement if you wanted to. This shows some more of the structure attached as well as the rear differential and the seat. Now we can see the inline 4 cylinder engine. There haven't been very many inline LEGO engines. You can also see the steering assembly and the pendular suspension highlighted in yellow. Note that, in this case, the engine block actually forms a structural part of the forward frame. The build of the trailer was so straightforward that I did not take any photographs. It is really just a frame, so panels, and a linear actuator. The Verdict Now we'll take a look at the completed model. It is actually quite attractive and very large. The engine cover opens up and exposes the engine. The overhead Hand of God gears controls the steering. The rear gear controls the lift. The red lever on the right engages the PTO. The engine is driven by the rear wheels. The gear on the side of the trailer controls the dumping mechanism. A liftarm on the front of the trailer supports the tongue when disconnected. Q: This is not that compelling. Does the B-model at least do something new? A: No. In fact there isn't even a B-model of the tractor. The B-model is just a different trailer. This set is lame. It doesn't function with itself and seems cobbled together. The idea of a tractor and a trailer is a good one, but they need to be designed to go together, which these are not. With no implements, the tractor is not even good as a standalone model. Price: 4/10 (quite a few pieces, but too much money for a set that doesn't work) Functions: 2/10 (half the functions don't work which is totally unacceptable for Technic) Appearance: 6/10 (reasonably good looking but trailer is bland) Parts: 3/10 (quite a few pieces, but not much new except panels) Total: 3/10 Don't buy this unless money is meaningless to you or you are a masochist. I expect it to be on clearance for $40 within a couple of months. Scale Q: How big is that thing? A: The trailer is huge. Take a look. Q: How does it compare to 8284? A: It is virtually identical. Obviously, the color is different. The panels on the side of the engine are new. There are slight changes in the geometry of the lift on the back to make room for the trailer tongue. Otherwise it is the same with the obvious omission of the rear implements. Wrap Up While building this model, I listened Killswitch Engage which got me properly enraged to write this review. Q: Why the hell did LEGO release a model with functions which do nothing, an irrelevant B-model, and no original content? A: I have no idea, but I'm not happy about it. Even if you don't have 8284, this tractor still makes no sense since half the functions are unusable. Q: If you were an angel of retribution, would you visit your wrath upon whomever decided to release this set to the public? A: What do you mean "if"?

The thought of someone being even vaguely like me is indeed disturbing. I shall attempt to differentiate myself with further oddities.