Blakbird

Because I didn't make that render. I don't know who did. I do have models of pretty much every Technic set though if they are needed.

Amazingly realistic model. The only thing that is unrealistic is I think your model is more complicated than a real Beetle. It also probably has more power.

I'm glad I'm not the only one preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

I really like that video! Did you use green screen or something to remove the background?

Hmmm, I expect there will be some stiffness problems since there is almost no continuous material long any side.

That is for sure! There is actually still one more coming that has not been announced. Yes, there is a video on YouTube but Brunojj is also making a new one to go with the instructions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKh-W-MPSSs

Was the lift capacity limited by line pull or boom luffing? In other words, I can see that the winch was capable of lifting that weight with the boom in a static position, but could the lead screw actually lift the boom with that weight applied? In my experience, cranes virtually never do this. The boom is raised into position with no load and all the lift is done by the winch.

About 2000. A couple of years ago I parted out about 10 Nitro Muscle sets and I had dozens of these panels. I had them listed on Bricklink and no one would buy them and I finally lowered the price and sold them for next to nothing. Now I need them!

Very nice! I like the way you wrapped the tracks around the tires, and using pneumatics for the end effector makes a lot of sense. Great video style as well.

We're planning to sell instructions so I can't share the LDraw file. I created the file from scratch over the last several weeks based on information from Brunojj. There is still a lot of work to do before building steps are clear. This is one of the most accurate scale Technic cars I have ever seen, so I'm hoping everyone will be happy with the result.

In case people are wondering what I have been working on, there's a secret project with Brunojj.....

I wrote a review of it a couple of years ago. Bottom line: nice model, too expensive for what you get. If you can get a good price, it might be worth it.

We also accept the giant stone coins of Yap Island, but you are responsible for getting them to us.

You could use a Firgelli actuator like we did in the AC-50.

I hope you succeed. One disadvantage to System building is that all that solid space is really heavy. This model weighs a ton. Raising the boom is challenging due to the weight and the small mechanical advantage at near horizontal. I look forward to seeing your solution.

Merging this with the global topic..... It is hard for anyone to tell you whether or not a set is worth it. That depends on you and what you like. I suggest you start by reading Jim's review.

Hopefully it's not the instructions that will bankrupt you, it's the parts! Sorry for forgetting to acknowledge your contribution. Yes, it is true that Philo modeled the Firgelli actuator for us. I now have files for both the long and short version, bot retracted and extended. This was critical for the instructions. I'm not entirely clear on what the difference is between the old and new actuators. I am led to believe that the new ones will work with both NXT and EV3, but the old ones only work with NXT. If you are just using 9V, then either works the same. The rear axle was never suspended on Jennifer's model. Nothing has been changed here. Keep in mind that only 2 of 3 axles need to be suspended to keep all wheels on uneven ground. Looks like this has already been answered, but I'll repeat it for clarity. Each side of the crane has outriggers geared together, so they are mechanically synchronized. Each side is driven off the same motor in parallel. Since the drive line includes belts, slippage is possible which will compensate for one side reaching end of travel before the other. It is hard to explain what makes this so great. I loved the model for years but did not fully appreciate it until I built it. The crane you linked is also marvelous, but for sheer realism a System shell over a Technic frame will always look more accurate and allow more detail to be captured. By way of explaining what makes this so great, maybe this will help.

I think the expense is partially related to the fact that these are really servo actuators with internal position sensors for use with robots, but we just use them in "dumb" mode with no feedback. At the moment, Firgelli has the NXT compatible actuators on sale to be replaced with the EV3 compatible units. For those of us using them with PF, there is no difference.

From what I understand, the problem is not so much with the receivers as with the resistors in the M-motors. So the fix may actually be to change the motor, not the receiver.

Building from scratch is hard to answer. Obviously, the 7-9V motors, the 4 IR receivers, and the Firgelli actuator alone all add up to a lot. According to Brickstore, about $700 USD at average BL prices. I don't know how much the instructions will cost, but it will be less than that. These will be billed as "for advanced builders only" because honestly there was no way I could show every wire and get every part added in the perfect order without making it 2000 pages. But it should be perfectly buildable for anyone with Technic experience. Indeed, but the PF linear actuators are just way too short and weak for this kind of application. In order to replicate the stroke and power of the firgelli, you would have to use 6 PF actuators (3 series in parallel) which would look terrible. Pneumatics are right out. Since Jennifer's receivers were from Hi-Technic, I don't see this as much different. In fact, it is very common in the Mindstorms world to use aftermarket Hi-Technic sensors, for example. At least the actuator is made specifically for LEGO integration. I was dubious about it as well, but I can't argue with how well it works. Considering the actuator replaces both a LA and a motor, the price is not so bad. They are also much less wobbly than PF LA's. After the 8043 redesign, the LA's have a lot of internal clearance that makes them bend a lot in the middle. Seeing mods to make it even better would be awesome.

In the vast majority of cases, it probably won't make any difference if you use V1 or V2. V2 has a higher current limit on each channel and less internal loss. But remember that the very first PF model, the 8275 bulldozer, used two XL motors and was very fast with a V1 receiver. V2 was introduced for the 9398 crawler because 2 L motors were on the same channel. If you are not doing something similar, it probably doesn't matter. I would guess TLG's original intent was to totally replace the V1 and stop making it, but the issues with M-motors have prevented that so far. V2 receivers are still very difficult to get.

Many users of this forum, myself included, can count the models of Jennifer Clark as among those that inspired their interest in Technic as a hobby. Her models are so accurate and so dense with function and structure that they are very difficult to reproduce, though many have tried and even more have dreamed of doing so. Over the past couple of years, instructions for her JCB JS220 Excavator and her New Holland LS160 Skid Steer Loader have become available, finally making it possible to reproduce these legendary models. But the largest of her models, the Demag AC-50 All Terrain Crane, has remained elusive. The reasons for the difficulty in reproducing this model are many and various, but chief among them are: No complete set of LDraw data was ever available. Jennifer used a pair of 4 channel R/C receivers from Hi-Technic that were never commercially available. Jennifer used custom lead screws and thrust bearings for the main boom lift and telescope. Still, there has been enough interest in the model that attempts have been made. At one point, I downloaded the LDraw files which were available and attempted to fill in the gaps, but quickly realized the project would require more time and effort than I could afford to spend. Although her web site describes each of the model's many functions and even diagrams them, incorporating them into the available space in the same way she did would have required a lot of guesswork even if the custom solutions she used were available. The first attempt which I felt could be considered successful was completed by Richard Brown of the UK who had his own custom lead-screw actuator machined. He also fleshed out the gaps in the CAD file and, crucially, decided to use Power Functions I/R receivers. We were all very impressed. Richard had to make a number of compromises to fit everything in including adding an area behind the cab. But even at this point the model could really not be reproduced by anyone else without access to a machine shop. Enter Chase Horman whose devotion to this model can only reasonably be called "obsession". Chase's goal was nothing short of complete instructions for the masses: a lofty goal indeed. Furthermore, he wanted the model to adhere as closely to Jennifer's original aesthetic as possible. He had the idea to use a commercially available linear actuator from Firgelli for luffing the boom. This offered several advantages: It is available for purchase It has a long stroke perfectly suited to the model's range of motion It has an integral motor which connects via a NXT connector so does not require a separate gear train. This actuator replaced a lead screw and 9V motor. The other lead screw which had previously been used to telescope the boom was replaced by a worm screw and 32L axle along with a clever solution which makes the 2nd stage a little smaller than the opening in the 1st stage so it moves smoothly. Last, but surely not least, the 4 PF I/R receivers had to be integrated in a way that didn't change the external profile. If you know how dense the model is, you know that this is no small feat. However, with perseverance Chase eventually achieved his goal and built the model in real bricks and everything worked! He promptly sent me the LDraw file and asked what it would take to do instructions. I took one look at it and told him it would be almost impossible. The amount of deductive reasoning involved in figuring out a build order that anyone could replicate was the first hurdle, but worst of all was the miles of 4-conductor PF wiring that there was no room for. I had several other instructions projects on my plate so am ashamed to admit that I shelved the whole thing for about a year, only spending enough time to produce a render. But the thought of this model never left my mind, so with enough time (and prodding from Chase) I finally started work on instructions. I think I spent 3 or 4 months coming up with a build order and making the necessary changes to the file. Then it finally came time to build it. This model has about 3000 parts which look like this when split into carrier and superstructure: After much building, reworking, instruction editing, and building again, I finally finished it! Final features are as follows: 7-9V motors 4-PF IR Receivers 1 set of PF LED lights 3-9V battery boxes 2-rear axles motorized with a pair of 9V motors Middle axle independently suspended with rubber bands Front axle pendular with motorized steering 4-Motorized, self-synchronizing outriggers Motorized boom luffing with Firgelli actuator Motorized boom extension (2 stage) Motorized cable drum Motorized 360 degree slew Finally, I am happy to announce that instructions are in the final phase of checking and will be available shortly. In the interim, I can try to answer any questions about the model.

Thanks for the heads up. This is only a few miles from me so I think I will bid on it. Remember back when the second hand stores didn't realize what LEGO was worth and you could pick up big bins for just a few dollars? Those days are over. Now they sell their LEGO donations on eBay.

You are going to a lot of work to avoid the obvious solutions. Performance is very good on 6 x 1.5V AA batteries. Everything will operate just fine on a 2 cell lithium battery at 7.4V. In fact, this is exactly what the LEGO rechargeable battery is. Everything will also operate fine using 6 x 1.2V NiMH batteries which are inexpensive and rechargeable. Your battery pack is massive overkill at 6400 mAh, but that extra capacity doesn't buy you anything except longer run time. It won't add performance. I'd say skip the regulator and just use your battery directly. Performance will be at least as good as the LEGO rechargeable pack. There have been people who have run 8043 on a 3-cell pack at 11.2V, but there is almost universal agreement that it will cause problems with the motors in the long term.

The old gears interchangeably with the new ones. If you are talking about the really old single acting pneumatic cylinders, they are not used much but I think that is mostly due to scarcity. M_longer used the red ones for his Sandvik mining trucks. Dennis Bosman uses the old blocky tires for all his trucks. If you are looking to unload old parts, I don't think you'll have any problem finding a buyer here.