Blakbird

It is odd that they won't even sell the sets online. I believe that the some of our LEGO Ambassadors have asked the question to LEGO directly, but as far as I know no answer has been given.

There is a good review at Technicbricks that shows how it works. http://www.technicbricks.com/2008/12/tbs-techreview-06-8297-off-road.html

You only need to go back a couple of posts on this very page to find speculations on the answer.

I see it like this. If your goal in posting a creation is to enrich the community with your knowledge and to learn from the suggestions of others, then there is no problem with people copying it. If your goal in posting a creation is personal glory or fame, then the inability to permanently attach your name to your creation can be annoying. I've had people remove my watermark from my renders, for instance, or use my descriptions of a set from Technicopedia on their eBay listing without crediting me. Whether you choose to be flattered or offended is up to you, but your decision of how to feel won't change what happens. Anything on the Internet seems to get copied and used by others, and there's nothing we can do about it other than abstain. I think where the discussion changes is when the MOC is monetized. Selling copies of someone else's design is unethical. Selling someone else's instructions is illegal. Making instructions for someone else's creation without their permission is not something I've ever seen happen, so I guess there is no point spending too much time on that one.

The Williams and Silver Champion are exactly the same. All 4 are sitting on my shelf and I don't see any relevant difference in width. 42009 might be a little narrower because of the smaller tires.

No. The 2014 sets are not available in the USA at all. Not at LEGO brand retail, not at any other retailers, and not on the website.

I believe this was a strategic decision by TLG to free up shelf space for "The LEGO Movie" merchandise in North America. There is a limited amount of space in the retail stores, so I think they needed to delay some other 2014 product. Why Technic? Probably because it is not very popular in the USA so they figured the delay would not cost them much. But it sure is painful for some of us! I need my cargo plane.

He's too busy building.

I just picked up the 4 smaller sets at TRU. They didn't have any of the larger sets yet. No sign of any of the 2014 Technic sets at the LEGO Store in Washington, USA.

So, not like the V12 then?

Nice engine! Erik Leppen's Bughatti has an engine in a similar configuration, except it is a Y instead of an X. The only problem with such a configuration, learned by radial aircraft engine designers long ago, is that the inverted cylinders burn a tremendous amount of oil because the crankcase drains right onto them.

That's why I mentioned it! They clearly need a new unit converter.

Well, I don't think this tool is going to be used by NASA to calculate the footprint for the next Mars lander. The level of accuracy the tool provides seems entirely reasonable for designing scale LEGO models.

Yes, it works fine. You will end up with a lower voltage, but NiMH batteries also have higher current capacity so you will have just as power in high torque applications. Must have had one in backwards.....

It is a pretty common technique in MOCs, although I have never seen it used in an official set. The diameter of the light saber blade is not a coincidence; it was made to fit inside pins and Technic hollow studs. It does not stress any parts. Seems perfectly legal to me.

I agree, but most Technic is not sold to collectors, it is sold to children. Kids are only in the age range for Technic for 4-5 years, so it makes sense from TLG perspective to recycle popular model types on about that cycle.

Crawler cranes also have lower footprint pressure under load so they can operate on softer ground than wheeled cranes.

Incredibly accurate scale model. So much detail! Well done indeed.

Brickshirts has some T-shirts. Other than that, Technic merchandise is quite scarce.

Here is a very critical question: what length are those red flex axles? Certain lengths are now almost impossible to get.

You bring up a very valid point. It was only a few years ago that replicating someone's MOC was quite rare and instructions were almost non-existent. It was usually no problem getting whatever part you wanted. But now there are lots of instructions (partly my fault) and lots of people building models. The quantities of Technic on Bricklink are just not sufficient. Personally, I would have no problem using aftermarket red pneumatic tubing. The purist solution demands that the model CAN be built in real LEGO, but there is nothing stopping a builder from replicating that model using whatever they can find. And for appearance, red tubing can look pretty good. The 8284 tractor uses red rigid tubing pretty extensively on the attachment. Several of the "Tech Play" series of race cars also use different colors of rigid tubing for curved areas. The 8462 blue tow truck and 8437 car also use lots of it and look good. I think pneumatic tubing would need internal support or it would sag. I would use some 18 gauge solid core wire on the inside.

They also typically don't move while supporting any kind of load. If extra jibs are added, they are often not assembled until the crane is in place.

8110 has a wider selection of parts including pneumatics. That would be my recommendation if buying only one.

I find it to be one of the most playable sets ever. It is not fair to judge it against modern computers or Mindstorms. It was revolutionary for its time.

Incredible! The styling is magnificent. You've really captured the essence of this car.