Seasider

Looking good

So it’s been just over a week since my last update and a lot has changed. So here’s a big update and to do list! I took apart the drive system and put in vertically mounted liftarms to connect the axles together. This took a long time but thankfully my chassis was modular so I could work on one section at a time. I also switched to 2 L motors for the drive so that meant more tearing up of the design, but they mounted nicely in the chassis. This got me to here ... You may also notice the winch is mounted and there is some good bracing longitudinally along the top of the chassis. But this was last Tuesday & Wednesday, since then I’ve been working on the body ... After a few iterations I’ve come up with this ... and that’s where I was last night. Tonight has been what seemed like a very slow build night just building the back panel and I’ve settled on this ... ... and I’m quite happy with the look although I may change the 2 holes that are there for the rearmost suspension springs. I like to build from scratch rather than CAD so I do lots of trial and error and what I would call “Dry Builds” if I was to use car manufacturing terminology. The Top is currently removable which allows me to still modify the chassis, it’ll most probably stay this way. But you’ll notice the bottom isn’t connected to the chassis properly yet either. Jobs left to do : Design some Seats Create a “fake” back wall to the cabin Tidy the winch and add some Bull Bars ... which will have no purpose apart from looking cool as I don’t think you get Bulls on Mars Finish the main shell once a BrickLink order arrives Fix the lower half of the body to the chassis Work out where to put some lights Work out the wiring route for everything and where to mount the battery Do my first ever attempt at custom stickers ... time to flex some PowerPoint skills Learn how to setup and use the Sbrick - perhaps one of the most important steps Oh and perhaps make some additional stowage racks to go on each side. Next build time might be at the weekend if I’m lucky, if not it’ll be next Tues/Wed Enjoy

Cool looking shuttle but why have the engineers opted for horizontal stabiliser rather than a Delta/single wing configuration ?

I don’t think it will have a trailer hitch they’re normally an option on vehicles and why would you add one to a Lego set unless you were providing a trailer with it

if you want to know the specs of the actual car this has been leaked http://disco4.com/forum/2019-land-rover-defender-172661-1125.html

Shall we all submit our entries there too? It says they allow Technic!

@syclone I don't want the model to go fast and it's not going to have supreme off-roading abilities. I think I might have trouble mounting an XL motor, so I may switch to 2 L motors either side of the blue gear which then will lower them a bit too

OK I'm after a bit of help from those who do PF models. Looking at some of the TLG sets like the recent 6x6 Truck it seems the drive is done via an XL motor. So is this what I need to use to drive mine ?

Just seen @Sariel is saying on His YouTube channel 9th July for his review of an undisclosed Creator Vehicle

A quick update from me and a call for HELP! So first of all I built this tonight ... the eagle eyed of you may recognise this from a TLG model ... as the old engineering term goes if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Then I modified the chassis to connect the steering and plug on a couple of motors to see if it actually works and I ended up with this ... a servo motor for the steering and a M motor for the drive. Steering works fine but I get good old clicky sounds from the drive. I’m guessing it all needs bracing. Or is the motor part of the problem? Help ... advice please. Here’s a close-up of the motor in question. I do have XL motors that I could use. And here it is in all its clicky grindy action. I think I’ll be swapping out the shocks for yellow ones as it’s starting to Chiron on me already. Next scheduled build ... possibly Sunday Afternoon / Evening

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-land-rover-defender-2019 worth putting this here. it has the image shown earlier and details on the real car and shots of the low disguise proto [begin rant] I just read some comments on what an off-roader is ... remember the history of the Land Rover Defender ... it came out of the War ... and then got embraced by the Farming / Rural community in the UK and used as a way of exploring the "undiscovered" parts of Africa, Asia and South America. a Defender isnt a rock crawler ... its a vehicle equally capable on road and field And working in the car industry I appreciate how difficult designing the new one has been considering how well appreciated the old one was [end rant]

A straight 6 in a car is always mounted longitudinally. I’ve never heard of a transverse straight 6. It would be too long for the width of most if not all cars! don't forget the winch mechanism needs to get squeezed in the front of the car as well as the engine, front diff, independent suspension and steering. It’s going to be a busy package

Loving the Rossa, you captured the shapes really well

The leaked set images are all over the automotive press today ... 4 speed sequential box, 3 diffs, independent suspension, Straight 6 engine and a working winch. I think the engine will be like the Mack to get it under the bonnet

Engine would be an I4 or V6. I think the coffin is just a stowage box

@agrof - no worries, I remember the option spec sheet for the old Defender was massive. I'm trying to think what functions this model will have. It looks like it has a winch on the front and it has to have 4wd. But I’m not sure what else. Thinking of the current Defenders they don’t have anything fancy like 4 wheel steering so I can’t see that being included. One thing that would be cool but I don’t know how you’d realise it in Technic would be a lockable differential. I can imaging a high and low ratio box as you often get on these type of vehicles. Apart from that we’ll have to see.

Unimog tyres would be wrong for this it’s not an Expedition vehicle it’s a Defender. Normal Defender tyres aren’t massively chunky. This model is meant to represent a standard spec Defender in my opinion. Most probably the new 90 as it’s only a 2 door. I do like the look of the model but do agree its very heavy on slopes and bricks to get some of the shaping. But if that means we get more licensed cars like this that’s ok. The Mack truck and Chiron both use these techniques.

I’d say that’s legal and an ingenious use of parts

55.8 Dia Sprockets is the plan

Minor update from me. Spent a couple of hours today spacing the axles based on my wheel selection, the aim to have a space of a wheel between a wheel. Which means it’s got about 8 Studs longer. Then I tried to work out some steering and in the process tidied up and linked the drive shafts. might get an hour or so to tinker tomorrow if not it’ll be Wednesday before I pick this up again. enjoy

Definitely the new one and not the outgoing in my mind. The Arch shape and the front end look more like the cars running round with minimal disguise than any of the previous generations of the car. Also it’s due to be launched soon with a card to customers next year so I think this coming out October fits with it being the new model too.

I normally run a long brick of Technic lift arm along the edge to align them

Looks good. Like the new squared wheel arches but a bit useless at the moment being in a new colour. But I do get why they chose that colour as a very typical Landy. any idea of release date and cost? As there’s another 4x4 to buy too! sorry just seen £160 according to Smyths website that the image is from

I’m liking this set more and more. Definitely interested in how the clutch piece works

A quick Sunday update from me. A quick couple of hours working out what the suspension looks like when you build in the other plane to get the diffs in and I’ve ended up here I think I’m reasonably happy with these. So then I did this. I think they’ll end up at least a couple of studs further apart this was just to see what it looked liked. Final spacing will depend on my wheel choice and what looks right. In my first post I’d hinted at a body shape. Here it is below, the plan for this week is to take this apart and stretch it a bit to integrate the chassis into it. I think the bottom angles will go. the eagle-eyed of you will also notice this has an even spacing on its width ... it was just meant as a test of the shape. Hopefully get some build time on Tuesday this week as Wednesday I’m out enjoying my day job in the evening ?