CUUSOO 2012 disapointments

And the mountain gave birth to a little mouse...

2012 is about to finish and I did not want to let it go, without leaving some notes in the sequence of the last LEGO CUUSOO Summer Review disappointing results, and what I fear the next reviews could become (don't need to go on details about the specific review results on the different models).

Regardless of the review results for this or that specific project that achieved the 10.000 supporters, I fear CUUSOO won't be viable to produce other than small models (like we have seen so far) with too few or no new specific parts at all.
The high number of variables influencing the business case of a proposed model, inevitably limit a lot what a successful project could be. TLG has a business to run hence probably it can't be in any other way, however it looks like CUUSOO won't be able to deliver what many of us may have dreamed to get from it.

From the review results so far, I guess it won't be difficult for the fans to learn by the example and foresee what the review of many ongoing proposed models could become, if they eventually reach the required amount of supporters.
Question now and thinking specifically in terms of Technic proposals, is to know if there is a chance we will ever see any significant Technic thing getting out of CUUSOO...


Now looking at just the two most supported Technic models on CUUSOO, so far...


Land-Rover Defender 110

Despite it is progressing at good speed to achieve the 10.000 supporters, Sheepo's Land Rover Defender seems to have is faith already drawn, as we can read from the LEGO official comments left to this proposal - Not that I have ever though it would do, at least in its actual from.
Sincerely hope Sheepo will provide an answer to the challenge addressed to him in these comments, and return with viable proposals to slim down the model while keeping the essence of his proposal.

Vampire GT Supercar

At this point I wonder what the review results will be if this awesome masterpiece will get the necessary amount of supporters. So far it is struggling to reach the first 3.000 supports which remains a mystery to my mind.

Don't give up!
Keep supporting and let us find what LEGO CUUSOO Review has to answer to these.

Week TechVideo, 2012 #52 - 1:12 Spitfire

Technic heart in a studfull body...

It is the second time I highlight a model from Kyle (Thirdwigg) in a short period of time, but I saw this Spitfire Mk IIa model when it was published today and immediately though I might feature this (despite I had plans for something else that eventually will make it next week).

After a long period of work and parts gathering he made a 1:12 scale functional version of this mythic single-seat fighter aircraft from WWII.

The model is 112 studs wide an 96 long, and a full set of features,

A system of joystick, pedals and one lever, controls primary and secondary flight controls:

• Working rudder via the pedals
• Working elevator and ailerons via joystick
• Working flaps via one simple lever in the  bottom left side of the cockpit

3 PF M-motors to control:

• Working V12 engine connected to the propeller
• Propeller variable pitch
• Working landing gear

There is also a rechargeable PF Battery Box and one IR Receiver placed behind the cockpit, as well as several mini Linear Actuators used to control the landing gear and the pitch from propeller blades.

You may find a complete description of the Thirdwigg's Spitfire building process and functions at Thirdwigg.com, and also the full set of pictures at the author's Brickshelf folder, where you may also see some nice pictures of the work in progress.

And so we take our flight into 2013!


Disclaimer:
Please avoid sending requests to post specific models on this TBs section.
We understand some of you would enjoy to see your creations featured here, but please understand  that because only one video gets highlighted per week, it is impossible to accommodate all the great MOCs continuously build by the Technic builders out there. They simply won't fit all and that's also not the purpose of this blog (see the header statement).
Many of your MOCs are scanned anyway and listed for later publication when they do not fit immediately. However some remain in the backlog queue just for too long and eventually loose the relevance or the publication opportunity window. As a rule of thumb, we also avoid publishing MOCs that have been featured by their authors or other fans at some other great web places dedicated to the Technic community out there. It doesn't mean that occasionally some won't get published here anyway.

Thanks for your understanding!

TBs TechChallenge, 2012 - Reverse 42002 - The prizes have arrived

The prizes for this TechREVERSE Challenge edition have arrived this week. Although I did not yet started evaluating the mismatches...

Frustration is that I've new sets sitting here, and can't open them to make a review , because these boxes are quite unique - as usual they got signed by the respective LEGO Designers.

And the same are not yet available from local stores...

Here you have a photo with just one box of each, for illustration purposes.

As you can check from the signatures (at least those which are easier to read), the respective designers were:

• The 42002 Hovercraft, was designed by Alfred Pedersen.
• 42007 Moto Cross Bike, was designed by Aurélien Rouffiange.
• And finally the 42006 Excavator, was designed by Michael Jeppesen.

Results to be published later in January, as previously communicated.

CGI animations for 1H13 sets

Last days have been quite prolific in terms of new posts (when compared to the long run TBs average...). Thus a few things have been pushed forward.

Now it is time to show you here the latest CGI animations produced by TLG, to promote the new 1H13 LEGO Technic sets, as they can be seen from technic.LEGO.com website.


The animations are coming now with characteristic sounds from the machines they represent. Although I've muted them, before starting to receive complaints and requests to silence the videos.

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42002 Hovercraft

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42004 Mini Backhoe Loader

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42006 Excavator

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42007 Moto Cross Bike

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42010 Off-road Racer

[Click to play with sound in a separate window] - 42011 Race Car

In case you're planning to order some LEGO from shop.LEGO.com, maybe you can consider to use one of the LEGO ads in this page. The easy way to order the LEGO sets of your preference and simultaneously support this blog.

Enjoy!


PS: While writing this post, there are also some new building instructions becoming available online at LEGO website, and the new sets becoming available from LEGO.com/Shop at an increasing number of countries. Although these are not yet complete, hence I'll leave for a later post, when the information gets fully propagated at the LEGO website.

Where did I use my old Technic parts...

It took me about 4,5 years to recover and gather all the goodies related with my first participation in a building contest, at an old toy store selling LEGO sets back in 1981 (31 years ago…) – The contest rules, the diploma, my 'Expert Builder' pin and finally…

... I managed to find some photos of this contest, with the store owner, which has meanwhile changed the store business many years ago (not selling toys anymore).

I had a tremendous luck to find an excellent photo of my entry to the contest, and I’d like to share it here with you. I had just made 13 at the time and didn’t finish into the first three for my age group, but it was really great fun to participate and see my spaceship in the storefront for one or two weeks.

This was one of my first alternative experiments with LEGO pre Technic parts, from some old Expert Builder Gears sets I had at the time (810-3, 811-2, 812-1). See the white axles, the red bushes, some big yellow gears and 2x4 bricks with top / side / end holes (3709a).
At the time I had just bought my 8860, but didn’t dare to mix its parts with my older LEGO.
As you may realize this model was strongly inspired on BSG spaceships.

I was so much happy with these findings, that I just felt compelled to share this memories...


I know that recently both this blog as my YouTube channel, turned a bit into a more personal window of my private LEGO productions (as if they were that many...). However I promise this is something transient and that sooner or later (sooner than later) it will come to an end.

TBs TechPoll 34 - Most popular and Best selling 2012 LEGO Technic sets

2012 is near the end, and the first 2013 LEGO Technic sets are becoming available a bit everywhere. At the same time we already know almost everything the new year has to offer in terms of new LEGO Technic sets.

Then the time to run a couple of polls, and get to know which are your preferred 2012 LEGO Technic sets and those you have bought from the 2012 assortment. As we know what you prefer is not always exactly what you can afford to buy, we have again launched two polls, to get answers for both questions:

• Vote for the best 2012 LEGO Technic set!
• Tell us which LEGO Technic sets have you bought, from the 2012 assortment?

Lets just recap what we got in 2012:

9390: Mini Tow Truck

9391: Tracked Crane

9392: Quad Bike

9393: Tractor

9394: Jet Plane

9395: Pick-Up Tow Truck

9396: Helicopter

9397: Logging Truck

9398: 4x4 Crawler

Thinking about more than one set, that you really like!? No worries... As usual for this type of TBs polls, you may select multiple entries. So let's try to find which were the favorites in 2012, and probably the best sellers.

Find the polls in the right column and... Cast your votes!
You may also leave any comments to support your choices, if you have some remarks you like to share with us.