DLuders

Oh, goodie -- now I can build and play with that tank like Alasdair Ryan suspected I would! Thanks for sharing your LDD file.

This Brickfactory.info webpage has some of the missing Lego Mindstorms RCX and NXT software CDs that you need. They are all free downloads. Brickset.com has some of the documentation. Type the set number in the top-right corner of that website, then click on the "Parts" tab (below the big set title in red), and wait for the parts images to load. Try Bricklink.com and use its dropdown "Catalog" function to find the set's Parts Inventory (such as this one for the 9701 Control Lab Building Set). This may be easier to use than Brickset. Alas, the printed Building Instructions booklets are not available from this Lego Customer Service webpage , but 9701 has images posted via this Brickfactory.info webpage (use the dropdown to find the set number range). Your Mindstorms sets look like they were meant for school classes:

It looks a lot more aggressive than the standard 8051 B-Model chopper does:

However, Lego components can fly for brief periods:

Here is Kierna's dark and mysterious Lego Power Functions motorcycle teaser:

I got my "hard copy" book in the mail today! Look for my detailed Book Review in 2 days (with some pictures of the book's pages and commentary).

Yes, I suppose the picture above is true sometimes. I'm lucky to have "borrowed" my wife's folding table and placed it in the living room. There are Lego parts on it for MONTHS at a time!

@ legomuppet9: Yes, please make photo Building Instructions for your tank! There are kids who would love to build a simple Lego Power Functions tank like this (with the limited parts they have), Your Flickr video shows how it's a lot faster than most Lego tanks.

From this PickOurBricks webpage, one can see the dimensions (in Lego Units) of the Lego Technic pin hole in a 1x2 Technic Brick. Multiply the dimensions below by 1.6 to get the sizes in millimeters: There is an easier-to-understand diagram at the bottom of this robertcailliau.eu webpage. The dimensions there are in millimeters. That reference says "The knob [stud] diameter: 4.8mm. This is also the diameter of axles and holes. Actually a knob [stud] must be slightly larger and an axle slightly smaller (4.9 and 4.75 [mm] respectively, otherwise axles would not turn in bearing holes) but we will ignore this difference here." So, I interpret this to mean that the Lego Technic Axle is 4.75 mm in diameter, but the Technic Axle HOLE is 4.8 mm.

I just got this e-mail from No Starch Press (from whom I pre-ordered my print and eBook copies months ago): "Hey Technic fans, I'm emailing to let you know that The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide is now in stock, and we will soon be processing and shipping your pre-ordered copy of the book. A tracking number will appear in the order record on your account page on nostarch.com within the next day or two. In the meantime, we put the ebook versions in your account; you can download this file by logging in at nostarch.com, clicking "My account" in the left sidebar, and then by clicking "Files" at the top of the page. We hope you enjoy the book! Just let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your order. Best, Seph Kramer No Starch Press help@nostarch.com 800.420.7240"

There is a good list of parts used in the 8445 Indy Storm set on this Rebrickable webpage. Brickset lists the Recommended Retail Price as USD $40 in 1999; there's a link to the PDF instrucitons there. Here's the Building Instructions image of the completed model (from Brickfactory.info):

@ legomuppet9: That's got to be the one of the smallest Lego Power Functions tank that I've ever seen:

The darker blue is better, since the light "Baby Blue" is not "macho" enough for a Quad Bike!

Hmmm, from the dimensions you described, it may be similar to Mahjqa's Tank Chassis in size:

@ shiretu: Designer Han has a PDF instruction (with list of additional parts needed) to perform a "Twin Wheel Modification" to the 9397 Logging Truck.

On TechnicBRICKS, Conchas posted B-Model images of 1H2013 Technic sets in this article.

The picture of the Quad Bike that I posted was just to spur the ideas and imagination of other AFOLs (like you). I had no intention of submitting a Quad Bike entry myself. My entry idea (if I can pull it off) looks like nothing that has been submitted so far....

@ dokludi: Good job of "reverse engineering"! Now that you have built (and played with) the 42000 clone, do you recommend it to AFOLs? The Power Functions Battery Box (hanging off of the back of the F1 car) is about as "hideous" as the 8070 Supercar's battery box was. I like how the 42000 set has the OPTION of motorizing it (or not).

You can submit more than one entry. I like the Quad Bike idea, but is there one in real life with 4-wheel steering?

Congratulations, legolijntje! Thanks for volunteering your time to "regulate" this bunch of AFOLs!

I downloaded the 5 Dutch Lego Technic Club magazines, and enjoyed looking at the pictures. Thanks for sharing! On MOCpages, Patrick Bastings posted two images from other months/years, such as this one:

@ z3_2drive: I wouldn't sweat the loss/destruction of a few Lego Technic parts -- they only cost a few dollars total. The most important thing is that you're HAVING FUN.

@ efferman: I don't have a scale in my house to measure my 9398, but in this post, Traktor reports that the Shipping Weight of the 9398 box is 2.3Kg (5.07 lb) -- the same as the 8297 box. One would have to consider the weight of 6 ea. AA batteries. Does anybody else have a digital scale to measure the 9398 A-model's weight?

@ efferman: I like how you access the PF Battery Box. In your video, are you using rechargeable AA batteries or Alkaline batteries? Do you think there is a way of adding additional stiffeners to the chassis/body attachment points, so that the body does not lean so much on sidehills?

@ dokludi: For reference, pictures of that Lego Technic 42000 eBay auction was saved by The Scooter Guy on this Flickr photo collection.