technic

42158 NASA Mars Rover Perserverance Revealed

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June is just a week away, and we are still seeing new releases being announced. Today, its 42158 – Perserverance, the Mars Rover still wandering around up there on the surface of the red planet, gathering information about the planet, analysing soil and rock samples, while looking for signs that the planet might be able to support life.

When I was a kid, the Viking Probes hit the surface of Mars. Somewhat remarkably, it would turn out, given the technology available at the time. We got some black and white pictures, which were colourised for the cover of National Geographic. the first images ever, taken from the surface of an alien world.

And now NASA are back. At first, there was Curiosity, but now we have Perserverance – roaming the surface for a couple of years, going at its own pace. Today, the LEGO Group have unveiled a Technic set, full of functions, for release on the 1st of June. With 1132 pieces, it will have a retail price of £84.99 / €94.99 / $USD99.99 / 899.0 CNY /1999.9 TRY / 39990.0 HUF / 129.99 CAD/159.99 AUD.

Measuring 32cm long, 23 cm wide, and another 23 cm high, the set is full of functions, allowing kids to come to terms with some of the engineering principles in play with suspension, gear boxes, steering and more.

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Counting Down to 90 Years of Play, Part 7: 1992-2001

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Welcome back to our continuing journey through the decades of the history of the LEGO Group, as we approach the 90th anniversary of the company on August 10, 2022.

Today, we enter the 1990s, the so called System Era, where we started to see playthemes diverge from the standard Town, Castle and Space. The company also starts to introduce new technologies, as well as embarking onto the World Wide Web.

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It’s Time for a New Technic Supercar: 42143 LEGO® Technic™ Ferrari Daytona SP3 Revealed

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If it’s late May in an even year, it must be time to reveal a new Technic Supercar, and this year the Prancing Horse has its turn as the LEGO Technic team unveils the Ferrari Daytona SP3. The ‘Real Life’ Daytona SP3 is a limited edition vehicle unveiled in 2021: Only 599 will be built, retailing for $2.29 million apiece.

The set will be released on 1st June and has 3778 pieces. It will retail for €/$ 399.99, £349.99, 659.99 AUD, 499.99 CAD

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LEGO® Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R Unveiled, for June Release

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Since Technical sets debuted in 1977, motorcycles have been a feature of the range. The level of detail comes and goes, as does the playability. The most recent ‘serious’ motorcycle set was 2017’s BMW R1200 GS Adventure, an off road bike. Since then we have seen a couple of play feature/stunt cycles. We haven’t seen a street or track bike since 2015.

The release of the Ducati is the first track bike released for some years, and represents the new Ducati Panigale V4 R

  • $59,99/59.99 Euro  $USD69,99/59.99€/$AUD 89.99
  • Aged 10+
  • 646 pieces
  • Measures over 12” (32cm) long, 6” (16cm) high and 3” (8cm) wide
  • Release Date: June 1 2020
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Pushing Forward with Powered Up

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I have been frustrated, waiting for the ability to control the new Technic® Smart Hub (used in the 4×4 and Liebherr Excavator) with the Powered Up App. This will allow us to control that hub using programs created in the Powered Up Software. Seriously, the first hardware came out in August, and we can’t control it using any method supplied by LEGO® except for the Control+ App – which is designed to only control the principle model in the sets that include that hardware.

Therefore, I got just a little excited when the following communication, announcing the next update for the Powered Up App, arrived via the LEGO Ambassador’s Network:…

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LEGO® Announce 42109: App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car

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A new LEGO® Technic set, based on a Top Gear Branded Rally Car was unveiled today at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

With 463 elements, including the Technic Smart Hub, as well as both L and XL Technic motors, this set is currently the cheapest way to obtain these elements from LEGO. It is priced at $USD129.99/£124.99 compared with the 4×4 X-treme Off Roader 42099 at $USD249.99/£199.99, although 42099 comes with an additional XL motor. While we don’t have other pricing currently available, I expect that an Australian price might be in the region of $AUD200-250.

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A Man’s Got to Know His Limitations: Control+ and Powered Up Apps [August 2019]

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The New Technic Smart hub became available this week, as part of 42099 X-treme 4×4 Off Roader. This article discusses what we can expect the long awaited Control+ App to do and what it won’t. I also take a look at the ever expanding range of connected apps produced by LEGO A/S today.

The first of August has past and there have been a number of new, released. If you are a Technic Fan, you are possibly curious about the new 4×4 X-treme Off Roader 42099. Certainly, it’s one I have been looking forward to seeing.

I had an opportunity to see this new model, as well as the new Control+ App demonstrated by members of the design team while in Billund, at the Recognised Fan Media days in May this year. Amongst other things, the set features the new Technic Smart Hub, 2 new Technic XL linear motors, and one Technic L linear motor. I am excited to get my hands on this set as soon as possible, to build the set and experience the new Control+ App. I might have to wait until the Australian online store gets more stock.

I also hope to incorporate the new Control+ Hub in a MOC later in the year.

But Not today.

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Finally Sorted: 40th Anniversary 8860 Redux: The Classic Technic Car Chassis Renewed and Reviewed

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Sorted

At last it has happened: I have pulled apart my Microlight Helicopter 42057 , torn down the Telehandler 42061, and dismantled the BMW Motorrad Concept Hoverbike, the B-model of 42063 .  I then sorted their component parts, in to compartmentalised boxes.

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Not all of these elements are from the sets purchased this year: they have arrived from a variety of sources. But they are now sorted!

With Extreme Prejudice.  Lots of compartmentalised containers: connectors in one; beams in another; gears and axels and panels. And random, hard to define, parts all in one flat box. I could have probably worked with several more compartments, or indeed boxes, but the process seems to have worked.

So. Many. Elements. Between these sets, we end up with around 1060 pieces, give or take.  Of these, approximately 570 are used in this model. This is the first time I found myself with so many technic pieces in one place.  This was not helped by incorporating the other technic elements which had made their way into the house over the last few years. I was amazed at how few of these pieces were ‘gears’: I’m sure the the gears what I remembered being the big thing that distinguished those early technical sets from LEGOLand and universal building kits.

This is the first time that I have built from instructions for a set I don’t own, with parts so immaculately sorted. It was a strange feeling. Knowing that all the parts were there, having built the original models, and pulling them apart directly into the sorting box was  anathema to my normal building style.

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K2SO Rides to Adventure on May the Fourth: BMW R 1200 Adventure (42063)

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I never understood the joy of Technic Motorcycles. And yet here I am, staring at the box of one. I would never have bought this set were I not aiming to put together the  Reimagined Technic Car Chassis 8860 .  But people seem to be interested in it.  Every time I attend my local LUG, somebody else is putting it together.  And they seem to be enjoying it. And they aren’t all the people I expect to see putting Technic sets together! So what is the appeal?

But surely it’s just two wheels, a fuel tank, engine, handlebars, and a bit of trim?  How much variation can you get out of it? The first Technical Motorcycle was set 857 Motorbike with Sidecar, released in 1979.  This vehicle featured the same wheels ultimately used in 8860 (albeit only 3 of them).  The single cylinder piston engine attached to the rear wheel via a chain drive; the ride was a little rough due to lack of suspension, and the front forks were 6 studs wide, and built from a multitude of bricks and plates. The seat was wide and comfortable and the fuel tank extremely chunky. A side car made a third wheel necessary!857-1.jpg

How on earth could any of that be different? I mean that first set had a massive 409 pieces, with lots of red, black, grey and blue. However, here we have a very different vehicle: with only 197 pieces more than the first one! It has a recommended retail price of $AUD89.99 (just under 15¢/piece).  It has been around during recent 20% sales in Australia shops.

And so I set about putting it together.

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Retro Reconstruction – 852 Helicopter 1978

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LEGO Alive!

So, last week I wrote about my memories of my introduction to LEGO Technic, which was way back in 1978. Over the recent Easter weekend, I had the chance to visit my childhood LEGO collection.  I found some Technical set instructions in the mix: 8860-Car Chassis, and 856Bulldozer.  But not for my original helicopter.  Then I found the sheet you see here: preserved after 40 years.  Not the instructions for the Helicopter, but for the B-Model airplane. I turned them over, and on the flip side were blueprints for the helicopter, at a 1:1 scale.IMG_5385

Now, we ended up owning a fairly broad collection of LEGO for the 70’s-80’s: lots of regular bricks, ancient wheels and parts from 3 significant technical sets (as well as some supplementary sets).  I thought to myself: there is a high probability of locating enough parts to put the helicopter together. Perhaps not colour perfect, but structurally so.

And so I set to work…

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