Jeroen Ottens

Normally you want the cage that contain the rollers to be able to rotate with respect to the rollerbearing surface. In your setup the red pinjoiners (?) have to slip across the yellow quadrants when they roll. With the low friction that LEGO has this probably is not a big issue as long as the vertical loads are limited. But for a high duty rollerbearing I would recommend a loose cage.

It is the weight of the boom that is just too much too handle. Even with the 10x reduction in the added string-based boom raising the motors struggle to get it raised from the horizontal plane. I did succeed once, but the second try just gave slipping gears (which mostly are very well braced), so I had to help a little at the start. Extending the boom is also done with string, but there I couldn't get that many back-and-forths with the string (I tried, but it just became a entangled mess). You are absolutely right. My objective has always been to only use the 8 channels of the PF system. If every function would have a separate motor the model would definitely run better. Now that LEGO comes with it's own BT-based system that does become an option , however you would need a tablet to get all the controls in one screen Thanks, I am glad you liked the build. Thanks. I think the boom alone already weighs >4 kg... I have mine assembled with all the strings nicely routed, so I don't want to take it apart to do an exact measurement, maybe someone else can do a measurement?

Amazing job! I finally was able to make the video:

Wow that looks amazing. I love the MOD's you are doing on my crane, so I am curious what you come up with for the boom.

Thanks for the compliment. If I may ask, how long did it take you build it? The 5L axle with red bushes: These are a remainder of a system with elastic bands to help with lifting Y-arrangments. But it didn't work, so I removed the elastic bands, but I forgot to remove the bushes. The red pin with bushes are there to lock the legs (on which the boom can stand if it isn't attached to the superstructure) in place The spring is used to keep the folding leg in place The ropes in the front are a bit untidy, so the loose ends indeed have no purpose. The ropes are part of the system to extend the sections of the boom Those angled pieces support the gears that drive the extension of the legs Video is in the works, but it is so much more work than I anticipated that it is taking way longer than I expected.

Thank you for the very generous offer, I've sent you a PM. Be warned though, this thing has 300 gears and even more axles... so that is a lot of part selecting... The Y-arrangements are on the boom, or am I misunderstanding you? The blue pins are indeed for an extension. The idea is that you can place two 5x7 frames there and then lock them into place with 4 3L pins with bush. The boom has four legs on which it can stand. When the boom is transported separately from the carrier on a separate truck those legs are used to position the boom on the road at the right height. The carrier with superstructure can then drive underneath it and when in the right position the boom can be attached to the superstructure. Once it is attached the legs are lifted again.

Well, I promised to do a longer write up of this model, so here I go. Somewhere in March last year I decided that I wanted to give the LTM11200 another go after a first attempt in 2013. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I didn't appreciate just how large this endeavour would become. I have tried to iron out all the flaws of the original model + update it to the newest parts (most notable the use of the new driving rings, but also more subtle partchanges were incorporated). I think I finished converting and updating the digital files I already had from LDD to LDCAD somewhere around the summer last year. I just needed to add the boom and then I would be done. What I expected to be a small task in the end took more time than the (re)design of the rest of the vehicle. From the get-go the goal was to make all functions work smoothly. And that bar I didn't reach. In the end, especially the boom was just too big and too heavy to handle. I added a special boom loading string setup which is completely not realistic, but did get the job done. Just. There are a lot of forces going through the structure when the boom is lifted. Luckily the structure itself is nearly completely form-locked, which makes it scary, but possible to lift the boom without human help. Extending the boom proved even more elusive. At first I tried to use the standard gear racks, but the gears just kept skipping. Furthermore the racks needed so much space that the sections themselves became quite low in height. I ditched the racks and invented a new system of 1L beams spaced 2L apart (so that there was one hole inbetween each beam). Using this part: as a 3T gear I could move the brickbuilt gearrack. As a bonus this part made the whole gearrack mechanism self-locked. I used this system in the boom that I made photos of in the summer. I just needed to connect the axle that went through this part to the axle that was meant to drive boom extension function. And that just didn't work. The force needed to turn that axle was so big that there simply was no solution I could find in LEGO that fitted in the space and was capable of handling all that torque. So it was back to the drawing board again. I then thought I'd use strings instead of a gearrack to extend the first section (the other sections are also driven by strings). The first mechanism I made just tore apart. The second mechanism tore apart. The third.. well you get the picture. I must have iterated that particular part of the boom at least a dozen times before I had something that could handle the strain. In order to have some reduction in the extension mechanism I wanted the string to go back and forth a few times around pulleys. In theory that all fitted nicely, but in practice it was nearly impossible to assemble and even if the assembly succeeded the string subsequently got jammed or twisted inside the boom and the whole mechanism locked up. So in the end I gave up. I only added 2 pulleys in the system, that way it is still possible to assemble the boom, but the XL motor + drivetrain doesn't produce enough torque to extend the boom. Maybe a Buwizz would help, but I wanted to stick to the PF system. It is still possible to extend the boom, but you'll need to manually help to pull the first section out. One of the things that may not be as pretty, but is very useful in practice is the colourcoding I used on the axles. Since this model has 6 groups of 3 functions it is very difficult to remember which setting of the switchbox will lead to which function. Throughout the model I used red, yellow, grey and black axles. The red axles are all used for the functions that require a XL motor. In the carrier that are drive and elongating the outriggers. In the superstructure that are rotation of the superstructure, tilting the cabin, extending the boom actuators (for lifting the boom) and extending the boom. The grey axles are used for the switching functions using a M motor. In the carrier you can switch between two groups of three functions, in the superstructure you can switch between four groups. The yellow and black axles are used for functions that require an L-motor. In the carrier that are steering, switching steering mode, spread the outriggers and lower the feet of the outriggers. In the superstructure it are all functions not mentioned so far. The model is relatively easy to split in the three main parts: the carrier, the superstructure and the boom. The boom is attached to the superstructure with just 4 axles. The superstructure is attached to the carrier with just 4 3L pins with bush. Also the extra arms and legs on the boom are only mounted with a few axles that can be taken out easily to remove these parts. Still, setting up this monster is a lot of work. For my first video shooting it took me nearly 3 hours to assemble the model from these three parts, get all the strings wired correctly and get all the elements in the right position. And then I filmed without checking whether my camera showed the full frame or not. As it turned out half of the model was not in the frame, so I have to retake some shots. All in all I am happy with the model. It is huge, 1.30 m long when in driving configuration, 2.5 m high when fully extended. It can lift a lot, as long as you have a lot of ballast as well (I haven't tried yet how much it can handle). It weighs so much I struggle to transport it through the house. So yes, not all functions work as good as I aspire to. But this really is the edge of what is possible in LEGO Technic I think with the PF system, so I wouldn't know where I could have done anything better. To my delight people are already modding this model to their own wishes. If you have any questions or want more explanation just let me know. I'll be happy to answer them Leg godt, Jeroen

Hi, Long overdue,since I finished this model already a month ago. But I finally found some time to write about the finished model. It has three motorized funtions: - The left door - The right door - Switching between fly and drive modus The doors are not that interesting , but the switching has a bit more interesting mechanism. When going from fly to drive the covers of the front wheels first slide outwards and then rotate 90 degrees while at the same time the frontwheels are lowered. Here is a video showing the model and it's functions: I do not have instructions for this model, but if there is enough interest I can make them. Leg godt, Jeroen

You'll need a bigger laptray for this monster

That colourscheme is fantastic! I am glad you like the model so far.

Better check your email

Hi, Time for another update. I redesigned the suspension system so that it can take the weight of the car. It is nice and stiff, it has positive caster and Ackerman geometry and has a driven axle. I think it is one of the best axle designs I made so far. The only improvement I still need to make is to reduce the toe-out, which currently is quite severe. The keen observant may have already spotted it, I also tried a different headlight design. I am not particularly fond of it TBH, but what do you think? The rake of the car is reduced to almost nothing. The roofline is flatenned a bit and black flexaxles are added to smooth the contour. I also redesigned the rear (significantly): It now has bigger exhausts and a wider spoilerline, but I am still struggling with the diffusor below it. As always comments, advice and criticism is welcomed.

This is shaping up to something good I feel. Loads of functions in an elegant styled package.

Great looking model. I really like the clean lines and crisp colourblocking you achieved And great performance as well.

Hi, The instructions are done! They are available on my website (and will soon be available via Rebrickable as well). I'll do a longer write-up later, but here is a bit of text on the functions: The model has 8 motors equally divided between the carrier and the superstructure. In the carrier one motor is used for switching, whereas the other three are used to drive different functions depending on the position of that switch. It has two positions. In position 1 the three motors are used for driving, steering and switching the steeringmode (you can steer normally, or you can crabsteer). In position 2 the three motors are used to expand the outriggers, elongate the outriggers and finally extend the outrigger feet. In the superstructure a similar setup is used, only this time there are four positions for the switch. Which gives 12 different functions that can be remotely controlled. Of these 12 functions 8 are located in the superstructure itself: Rotating the superstructure * Raising/lowering the counterweight Raising/lowering the hook Raising/lowering the boom via the cylinders Raising/lowering the boom via the rope-and-pulley system Raising/lowering the arm of the operator cabin Rotating the arm of the operator cabin Tilting the operator cabin And 4 functions are routed onto the boom: Extending the 4 section boom * Spreading the stabilizer arms Tilting the stabilizer arms * Raising/lowering the supporting legs (needed in case the boom has to be transported separately from the rest of the crane) This model was always intended to push the edge of the possibilities with LEGO Technic. And unfortunately that edge pushed back. The model is incredibly complex (as an example: it uses over 300 gears) and doing all that in plastic proved to be too difficult for some functions. The functions with an asterisk require manual assistance when operating. And believe me, even though lifting the boom is possible by combining the cylinders and the rope-pulley system, it is really scary to see how much force is going through all that plastic. Nevertheless, I feel that this model does not meet my quality standards. I therefor decided that I will offer instructions at 50% of the intended price, which means you can buy the instructions for 37.50 euros instead of 75 euros. You will be able to pay full price for the instructions if you want to encourage me to keep pushing the Technic boundaries. The partslist can be found here. I have done my best to make sure it is right, but with 7692 parts it is easy to make a mistake... Like I said, I will do a longer writeup later (and include photos and a video of the total model). Leg godt, Jeroen

I am still following this thread with quite some interest. And even though I like the fact that you've added ride-height adjustment, I don't particularly like your solution. It looks like the force of the suspension is carried by a tooth of the 24 crown wheel when the suspension is in the lowest position. I know it is possible to make an adjustable rideheight mechanism that works like a knee (or like an aircraft landinggear), because I recently did so in a 1:10 scale car. That is, you can design a mechanism that locks itself in place, thereby leading the forces into structure directly instead of via the axles of the switching mechanism. In my case I used a crankshaft element to get a one stud displacement of the attachment point of the spring. If the spring is angled upwards enough it will always push the crankshaft against the surface below it. There will be no torsional load on the axle anymore. The disadvantage is of course that this form-locked position only exists at the extremes. In between you will still have a torsional load on the axle. Here is an attempt to draw with ASCII's to explain the idea (front view): Position 1: high, Position 2: low \ \ \ \ \ \ ___O-+_____ ____+-O_____ The slashes represent the spring, the +-O is the crankshaft with the + as the pivot point, the ___ is the surface below the crankshaft to prevent it from turning further. Anyway, feel free to ignore this, it is your build

@legolijntje is helping me out on the instructions, he is much better at that than I am.

We are finishing the instructions as we speak. It is only the front cover that is missing. The whole book is now 1173 pages (excluding the front cover). So bear with me for just a few more days and then it will be available.

Hmm, finding the balance between clean lines and boring design... I'll see what I can do. The A-pillars are still in development. Maybe I will add some blue accents to it (a continuous flexaxle along the roofline?), let's see. I really would like to have a single-direction-curved panel that fits to the curve of the larger panels. The 3x4x5 panels do have that curve, but they are 3 deep and not available in dark azure... The top part of the hood sits flush on the V10 engine, so I can't lower it unfortunately. The axles are shown in my first post, they haven't changed (yet). The good thing of using pulleywheels is that they work with both rims. The pulleywheels have a good grip on the CV-joint, so so far I've had no issue with them falling of.

It's taking shape. But I guess the 'technical part' is nearly done now (just the engine is missing)? It is just bodywork from here on? Does this MOD also have the separate self-supported bodywork?

Interesting read. It addresses the emotions I felt while building this model very eloquently. It is telling I guess that you are already the second person to step up and improve the structure of this model. I am very interested to see what you can come up with. The Chiron feels so overdesigned, you should be able to shave off a lot of parts (and weight).

Thanks, yes it is Can you elaborate? What gap do you mean?

I think the rake is a bit too much, so I'll tune that down a bit, which will make the need for an even groundclearance also less. Nevertheless I will have a look whether I can do something about that. It will not be easy though, because the black parts are an integral part of the structure of the bodywork. That whole shell is really stiff (even the A-pillars add significant stiffness to the structure through a little pre-tension trick). Thanks. I agree the rake is a bit too much. This was a quick prop-up for the idea, I'll still have to redesign the axles, so I will have some work to tweak it to get the right angles. The rearaxle was very easy to widen, I just added extra pullywheels to move the wheel outside Obviously I will have to redesign the axle to get a proper solution. I'll make small sketchup of the doorhinge. It is a very compact solution (I used something similar in my Mercedes-AMG GT R doors) The higher roof was not bad I agree, but since I try to replicate Marco's sketches I am confined to his drawings and there in fact even the current roof is one stud too high. So I will do one more iteration with an even lower roof... Both ends were dropped, but because of the added rake the rear does look a bit higher compared to the front than before. The front overhang is about one wheel extra, again pretty close to the sketches. Thanks, I have the same feeling. Also it literally feels better with each iteration. You can't see it from the photos, but on the inside of the bodywork for each iteration better bracing is added to make that sheel completely self-supporting. I must say that I really like the flexibility that having a separate bodywork gives me in optimizing the design. I'll definitely will do that again for a next 1:8 scale project (for a 1:10 scale I think it will take too much space).

So, it was back to the drawingboard again. Battling a throat infection didn't help, but here is the next version. I lowered the roof, made the doorhinge with a 4-link mechanism so it can now sit flush in the bodywork, I also removed the angle and gave the car some rake instead. I spend a lot of time on the hood as well. It is getting better, the flow is definitely improved compared to earlier versions, but I am not sold on my central 'column' solution. The rear has gotten a facelift as well. It doesn't show on the photos that well, but it is stupendeously wide, which is enhanced with all the horizontal lines in the design. Still, I like it as it is now. And a final shot to show the total: Comments, critique and questions are appreciated. Jeroen

Nice clean model. It is difficult to judge it's scale, which is a compliment.