CP5670

M:Tron mech for prospecting ore fields in rough terrain. It walks forward automatically when filled with air pressure using a sequence of 8 pneumatic pistons (in trans neon green) and 14 switches. Inspired by Kevin Clague's walkers, various leg motions are synchronized and move in lock-step to keep the mech stable. I wasn't sure if this belonged here or the sci-fi section, mods feel free to move if needed. More pictures and video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141514326@N04/albums/72157709337341107

I never used these battery boxes much for Technic models due to the 7.4V output. They seem fine until you compare them with a full 9V source. I prefer to just run wires to an AC source instead, although that doesn't really work for trains or RC models. I have an old Radio Shack transformer with adjustable voltages and modular connectors with bare leads, which I soldered to some broken 9V wires. I also use the old 9V speed regulators and control centers for some things, but they have current limits that are easy to hit if you run multiple motors at once (or a single 9V RC motor).

I like where they going with these sets that are clearly targeted towards AFOLs. I'll probably pass on this one though. Even aside from the sky high price, I prefer sets with interesting gearing and mechanics like 8043 as opposed to just having everything run off its own motor, which is what they seem to be doing here. The Control+ system looks really nice though, as do the long linear actuators.

Thanks. I find that many of the old space bases were too open and not well designed, which makes me want to try to do better with the same pieces.

This looks great, just like genuine trans yellow in the pictures. I can always use more of these parts for Blacktron models and definitely have to try it out. Does the color stay like that though or wear out over time? I've seen custom trans yellow (as well as trans red and green) parts at various Lego conventions, but I think people used dyes to make them.

Beautiful model. I love all the interior details and mix of classic and modern control panels, and the lighting really makes it come alive.

I made this a while ago using some extra copies of Ice Planet sets. More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141514326@N04/albums/72157705705183971

Good point, I love those SP1 jail cells (space lock-ups) but this model was a bit too small and cramped for it. I think they work better when they are inside the ship somewhere (like 6986), or else the ship looks incomplete when the lock-up is removed.

I actually wanted to make that whole section trans-red, so the light shines through, but some of the pieces don't exist in that color.

Thanks! I used some printed bricks from the old Space Police sets, and tried to roughly match the shape of the old Mission Commander set but at a smaller scale.

More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141514326@N04/albums/72157707108986701

I picked up two today. Great shout out to adult classic space fans, and the price is good. As someone else said, I do wish Benny had a normal suit and helmet in this set instead of his usual beat up look, especially since the latter already appears in several other sets.

These are fantastic. It would be fun to try and combine them with the Benny's Spaceship set as well.

Thanks! I think the new windscreens let you achieve the same kind of sharp edged, angular look that was a hallmark of the old Blacktron sets.

I haven't posted here in quite some time, but am still building things. This was inspired by all the trans-yellow pieces we have been getting lately, especially in the Batman sets. More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141514326@N04/albums/72157676932722557

I've always been a fan of the old space themes, and like to build MOCs influenced by those styles. For me the best aspect of those themes were the dynamic and high contrast color schemes, which I like a lot more than a realistic look like Star Wars. The designs of the actual sets were very inconsistent. Some were amazing and others not so much (especially a lot of the bases). The sets reflected the style of the time and had less detail and lower part counts than modern sets, but many of them still had a distinctive shape and feel. I like the sharp edged, angular look, which we rarely see in modern sets. The angular canopies and windscreens are much more versatile than curved ones and can be used in more different ways. Those old catalog scenes were great too. I stared at them a lot as a kid. As mentioned earlier, there was some minimal backstory to the factions but it was often not consistent across countries. If they brought back a new space line though, I would rather see something new instead of just reintroducing the old themes. Among the more recent themes, I loved SP3 but didn't care for Galaxy Squad or Mars Mission (although I did like the colors of the MM alien ships). As for Aquazone, one of the designers said it was originally intended to be like underwater space, and not necessarily on Earth. They made it into a separate theme distinct from space during the actual release. They still feel space-like to me though.

I have two copies of the set and the specific pieces you mentioned are definitely more yellow than the others (which still look white). The soft plastic they are made of seems to be more prone to yellowing. Those 1-height 9V wires are indeed fragile, which is probably why they were replaced after a few years. On mine, the plastic on top of the studs is coming off, but the plate edges are holding together. Later versions of the set (1990 onward) actually had the regular 2-height 9V wires, which fit in just fine. There are 8 large supports but you don't really need all of them, especially on the curves.

This might have been better as a regular, non-licensed set at a (much) lower price. The Porsche license seems to be the main reason for the cost and it doesn't really have a premium feel otherwise, with the missing/broken functions (and TLG's response on that is just baffling) and lack of printed parts. Even the box packaging, while great by today's standards, is identical to what 8448 had back in the day. It does look fantastic, one of the best looking Technic models I can think of, but as others said it would have looked even better as a studded Creator model. Excellent review though, very thorough and unbiased, much better than the set itself. I think the 16+ label is just marketing and doesn't reflect the difficulty of the build. They're clearly targeting a different sort of audience with this set and want to give an impression that this is a serious model for adult collectors and Porsche fans, not just a toy.

Great review, this is still among my favorite Technic sets ever. It was not well advertised in the US (doesn't appear in any of the mini-catalogs here) and I only found out about it many years later, but got two of them immediately at that point. The B model is also very good and its functionality has never been seen in Technic again since then. I like the old instructions much better (although this set was pretty tame compared to say, 8865), as well as the premium boxes we had back then. The compressor is not well designed though, locking up quickly and not going through the full stroke of the piston.

I picked up one at the $188 price, but it's fallen a bit lower to $181 now.

The crew is on the large side, but I wanted to include a few of each type of the Blacktron minifigs. I think Blacktron 1 is the only classic theme for which we have multiple modern versions of the minifig torsos. Those Blacktron tiles look amazing. Where did you get them done? I was thinking of getting some done by Brick Engraver, but felt the model didn't have enough places for tiles to justify the fixed price they ask for. I might still do that though. Thanks for the blog post, that's a cool blog I hadn't seen before. It's definitely heavy on the trans-yellow, mainly to have more places for the lighting to be visible. I'm also a sucker for the trans colors in general, and they were always the defining aspect of the old space themes to me.

I think I've seen those glass panels on ebay as well. They look great, but most of them are designed for the older window frames that are expensive these days. It would be good if he made some for the current windows.

I love how this matches the style of the landing pad baseplate, as well as the brick-built Blacktron logo in the middle. Looking forward to seeing more pictures.

Excellent model. The spring-loaded wing is really clever, does it fold down? I especially like the flower pattern in the wheel as well. The engine's gray color is a little out of place with the rest of the ship, but I see why you did that as many of those pieces don't exist in black or blue.

Good to see you in here, and thanks a lot. I'm not entirely happy with the front either (looks good from the top but not the side), but couldn't find other pieces with the same kind of angle. I definitely wanted to use some printed Blacktron pieces but we never got more generic pieces like 2x2 tiles or 2x3 slopes with the logo, unlike most of the other space themes, although I wouldn't be surprised if you have some. Maybe I should add some stickers of the logo. It's not the same but would still look good.