allanp

January?! Nope!

Here's the statement from TLG! "Dear adult Lego technic fans, We have decided to reward the loyalty of our most hardcore fans by introducing a new part just for you. We have searched long and hard though the many ideas put fourth by Lego fans and found many many great ideas, it was tough to decide which one would not only open up the most new possibities, but also the one that the loyal fans wanted most. We have eventually decided that the longer pnaumatic cylinder is the one, we hope you will be happy with this choice. But fear not if this is not your most wanted new item, as every year at Easter time, we will be annoucing a new part. These parts will be released first though S@H, and then later incorporated into actual sets in the following years. So keep posting those ideas guys, we really appreciate your passion for Lego technic! Play well The tech team" YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I CANT WAIT TO GET THESE!!!! I guess they'll be coming out soon as they did say Easter, could be this week. I WANT PICTURES! Has anyone else heard anything about this?

I'm in the UK, and a good friend of mine i've known since childhood is also a huge technic fan. He goes to uni and he tells me a couple of his friends there are also at least Lego fans. Alasdair Ryan isn't really that far from me, though it would require a bit of a swim!

On mine I have said that I enjoy designing and making complex mechanical scale models of various different things!

WOW!!!! How did I miss this first time round! It's epic, I love how, despite it's huge size, it looks to be jam packed with mechanisms and things and it copies the real life craft really well. :wub:

That's correct.

You only need two. Try this: Hope this helps.

This piece does serve a technical purpose. The code pilot of the barcode truck does indeed have a light sensor built into it which it uses to scan barcodes. When placed in the truck, the light sensor is positioned directly over the timimg gear (which is in turn rotated by the wheels). The code pilot deduces the speed of rotation of the timing gear (and therefore the wheels) by scanning it as it rotates. By knowing the speed the vehicle moves it then plays one of a number of different engine sound recordings, each being a different speed. So when it is stationary, an engine idleing sound is played, when it is moving slowly, a low revving engine sound is played and so on.

Good to know, thanks for sharing.

Good luck finding 8868, you will need some help with the pneumatics (like 8110) but it is a truly awesome set. It would appear to me like you are looking for a greater challenge in looking for an older set! You sir are truly greater than Chuck Norris! Well, if it is greater challenge you are looking for I would say, the most challenging build Lego have ever released is the 8480 space shuttle. But be aware, modern sets like 8258 and 8043 are very easy compared to sets like 8868 and 8480. I had both the RC bulldozer (2007 flagship model) and a MISB space shuttle on christmas of 2007. They both have a sort of similar amount of parts, but the space shuttle took me twice as long as the bulldozer. But you have an amazing strength of will and i'm sure you will triumph over 8868.

If you want instructions for a set 3 years or older, you can usually find them online at peeron.com

Just wow, that's really inspiring. I'm not disabled but technic sure has made a great difference to my life, particularly early childhood. If you're interested, tho not as inspiring as yours, the story of how Lego technic shaped my life can be found here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33425&st=0&p=581061&fromsearch=1entry581061 Another small story I know of is that of Richard Hammond (the UK Top Gear presenter). When he was recovering in hospital after his near fatal crash, he was given a technic tractor as a gift. Apparently he said it really really helped to get over his brain injuries. And especially welcome to Eurobricks. From personal experience this place really is the friendliest place on the net, and you will have many friends here.

@Sama The unimog has: realistic 4WD realistic Live axle suspention with portal axles inline 4 engine steering motorised compressor PTO's and PPTO's for swapping things round/adding MOC attatchments crane arm slew crane arm raise/lower crane arm bend crane arm claw open/close motorised winch So yeah, it's very strong on functions, more functionality than either of the previous two flagships, and each function is done with much more realism and it's crane arm can actually lift something. 2009's flagship is great, but not a patch on the Unimog. I do agree tho that the crawler is pretty light on functions and is pretty much just an RC car, but personally, whilst I would have normally ripped the set apart by now in these forums (as is my way with mechanicly unrealitic RC toys cough8043cough), i'm just very happy and grateful to see the servo motor and L-motor i've been asking for. I just hope that they really are the motors i've been asking for (ie servo motor is properly proportional, not just left/middle/right, when used with the right controller and the L-motor has a very fast, low torqe output, like the motors from 8485 control centre 2).

Mon capitan!

The clones are pretty much all compatible but of shoddy quality compared to Lego. None of these clone brands have their own version of technic that is compatible with it as far as I know, so no gears, diffs and so on.

Yes those are functions, many system and creator sets have functions. How many functions is dependant on the size of the model and not really what i'm getting at. The priority when designing most technic sets is their functionality. The priority of the racers sets was their looks. Blakbird made a very interesting point in reference to the 8002 destroyer droid and why, for me, it's the only star wars set that can really considered to be pure technic, whilst the others are more like technic spin-offs like racers. To be fair tho, I also think the 8000 pit droid to be pretty much pure technic, just not as advanced. The destroyer droid does look like a destroyer droid but, unlike the other technic starwars sets, it's main purpose is not to look like it's movie version. It's main purpose is to recreate a key function of the movie version and it does so in a really clever and complicated way.

For me, technic puts functionality as it's top priority. This then would exclude most racers sets as well as bionicle, slizers and so on as they obviously have form as their top priority.

I think the racers sets are not really technic, or are they, I don't know, it's hard to decide. What I do know is this, if they are technic, then their lack of complexity and focus on style over substance makes them crap technic. But if they are not technic and they are supposed to be show pieces only then they are great sets. Luckily for them they do not carry the technic logo on them, so I guess that means they are not technic.

Not Lego related (sorry guys) but please watch the video, it's important.

I'm not saying todays sets arn't as complex as the sets from years ago, they are. I consider the unimog to be the best set EVER RELEASED. But on the whole I just don't feel that modern sets use the modern system of technic parts to their full potencial whereas the sets from some time ago certainly did. Sure the modern sets are good, they have been getting better. But there is potencial for a new golden age that has not been tapped yet.

None taken Yes, I would design some new parts. I have described them here before so forgive me if I sound like an old record. I would have something like these gears..... picture by GuiliuG .....in various different sizes, for example, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 teeth. I would also redesign it so that 2 gears plus a driving ring takes up no more than 3 units in length, instead of 4 like it is now. This would move the shifing lever inline with the standard hole spacing (instead of having to do that annoying 1/2 unit offset) and make the gearbox more compact, something like this perhaps: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/radbot/custom-parts/new_gear_box_desing_explanaition.bmp

Are you saying the gearbox from a 2012 golf is no better than a gearbox from a 1974 golf? If so, then yeah, so much for the improvements, and I won't be buying one!

Regaurding the practicality of a 7 speed sequencial gearbox, and models with gearboxes moving at a snails pace, these issues are very good points and are due to the lack of improvements to the system since it was first released. A compact 7 speed sequncial gearbox that has very little internal friction (meaning most of the power from the motor goes to the wheels enableing high speeds) is deffinately possible in a technic set. It could even be simpler than the current ratio changing gearboxes. Real gearboxes have multiple different sized gears running on two shafts (an input shaft and an output shaft). To make it sequencial they use a single cam moving the driving rings and simple ratchet mechanism to move the cam. I can see that in a future technic set with a very reasonable piece count. The current gearboxes in Technic have many gears on many shafts and is not that easy for a kid to see where the different gear ratios are actually coming from and generate lots of internal friction leaving little power from the motor to actually move the car, which gives you many MOCs that move very slowly.

It's a pity it didn't provide any more torque otherwise it might have been able to actually lift something! Advanced? I think not yup.

8110 is best, then 8421.