Rocket Man

@TheOtherMike said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Has a seat at the table with 8880 , 8868 , 8862 , 8043 , 8110 , 42009 , 42030 , 42043 and a select few others."

I'd let 8865 sit at that table, too."

Definitely. Personally, I'm quite fond of 8455 (even better than 8862 ) and also 8479 but it seems this last one did not get well received.

Hopefully the front doesn't fall off. It's not supposed to do that.

This was during my dark ages and a set I was always sad I missed.

One of the Best Technic set since 1977

I built it after finding one, used in great condition, but I've never tested the functions with batteries. I don't even now (and don't care) if they work :))

Oh look, it's the _better_ shuttle. Can we vote for this one instead of 10283?

@Andrusi said:
"Huwbot has voted."

Wrong Shuttle and the Blacksmith will win the quarter finale anyway.

No way that thing's surviving re-entry.

Still have it. Still love it.

Probably one of the first sets with white cross axles (those original ones from 1970 were not white, they are milky white/Nature).

Also the studless beams were new for 1996 - noone back then knew where this would lead to.

And of cause it's one of only 4 sets to ever use the original Fiber Optic unit.

Anyone mentioned the B-model yet?

I managed to get this when it came out, I would have been at university, so I think it also came from TKMaxx like my 5571
I remember it being a challenging build to say the least! It's in storage now, but still assembled, and I made a point of keeping the box as I think it's one of the last ones with the liftable flap to see the contents...

@TuxDoesLegoStuff said:
"Rocket Man"

Burning out his fuse up here alone...

@ChazTheMinifig said:
"No way that thing's surviving re-entry."

What? No. I mean, look at it. It’s all streamlined, so there’s less air friction on the ride down. It’s well-ventilated, so it’ll blow the fire right out. Reentry will be a breeze. It’s the landing that’s a problem. No control surfaces means that thing’s going to bury itself a quarter mile deep on the desert. Don’t be standing on the runway when that thing comes down!

@R0Sch said:
"A true flagship set of it's time!
Remember when Technic was about cool, realistic functions instead of licenses?"

Ironically, this comment is on a quasi-licensed set.

Stuff of Legends.....unfortunately released just a few years into my dark ages. If only this had been released just a few years earlier.....now I can only wish I could put it side-by-side with my 10283 :-(

That said, I don't quite trust the heat shield of this one.

As a teenager I faced the tough decision of this or the Supercar. I went with the supercar and was very happy with it. But this set never left my mind. Eventually I picked it up in France on leboncoin as an adult and it does not disappoint! Absolute legend.

@ZeroGravitas said:
"I managed to get this when it came out, I would have been at university, so I think it also came from TKMaxx like my 5571
I remember it being a challenging build to say the least! It's in storage now, but still assembled, and I made a point of keeping the box as I think it's one of the last ones with the liftable flap to see the contents..."

Not even close :D
The flip-up display boxes stayed there until 2000 (though the year really only had like 1-4 sets with it). All the larger Technic sets (like 8446 and 8448) in 1999 still had this box style as well as many System sets from that year.

Pretty much the same for 1997 and 1998.

@TheOtherMike said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Has a seat at the table with 8880, 8868, 8862, 8043, 8110, 42009, 42030, 42043 and a select few others."

I'd let 8865 sit at that table, too."

Can 8855 join them? I've always loved that one. There sure was some great Technic in that era!

@AustinPowers said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Has a seat at the table with 8880, 8868, 8862, 8043, 8110, 42009, 42030, 42043 and a select few others."
Hey, other than the Unimog I have that entire lineup. (And 8455 too).
Unfortunately I missed out on the Shuttle, but will have to remember to pick it up one day.
Those were the days of Technic awesomeness... "

Do - it's definitely on the short list for Technic GOAT. I saved for months back in the day, and I don't regret it at all - I still have it and indeed still build it occasionally! I've got all of Hobbes's list bar 8862, but I do have 8455 which I think is superior..

There hasn't been a Technic set of this quality in a while sadly.

@FlagsNZ said:
"I was given this set for free. I included this in my review: https://brickset.com/article/20456

A comment made by Mark Stafford AKA @Nabii , "... I had heard the company came within six months of bankruptcy in that period. When Jorgen first analyzed the company and for the first time ever figured out the outgoings and the profits he almost had a heart attack. The LEGO company at that stage had no idea how much it cost to manufacture the majority of their bricks, they had no idea how much certain sets made. The most shocking finding was about sets that included the LEGO micro-motor and fiber-optic kits - in both cases it cost LEGO more to source these parts then the whole set was being sold for - everyone of these sets was a massive loss leader and no one actually knew. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1x6ldp/comment/cf8vdl3/"

Astonishing stuff!
Thank god LEGO survived and thrived, and within two decades had become the largest toy company in the world!!….

I bought this in the store when I was 12 or 13. I was never that scared walking around with so much cash in my pocket. Basically the last thing I got before my passion for Lego ended, only to become an AFOL 20 years later. It has a very special place in my heart. I gave it away to someone but luckily I got it back a few years ago. The b model is also very cool but not as feature rich. Built it a few times.

I've enjoyed building both A and B model (submarine with driveable rover) many times.

Now I've got it build up and displayed, but every now and then small black parts from the electric wires land on the surface it's standing on because they're deteriorating.
That's basically the only downside of any motorized technic set from that period.

@AustinPowers said:
" @lemish34 said:
" @FlagsNZ said:
"I was given this set for free. I included this in my review: https://brickset.com/article/20456

A comment made by Mark Stafford AKA @Nabii , "... I had heard the company came within six months of bankruptcy in that period. When Jorgen first analyzed the company and for the first time ever figured out the outgoings and the profits he almost had a heart attack. The LEGO company at that stage had no idea how much it cost to manufacture the majority of their bricks, they had no idea how much certain sets made. The most shocking finding was about sets that included the LEGO micro-motor and fiber-optic kits - in both cases it cost LEGO more to source these parts then the whole set was being sold for - everyone of these sets was a massive loss leader and no one actually knew. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1x6ldp/comment/cf8vdl3/ "

Astonishing stuff!
Thank god LEGO survived and thrived, and within two decades had become the largest toy company in the world!!…."
Sometimes I wonder if they didn't turn the screw too far in the opposite direction these days.
Nothing wrong with thriving, but these days they still act as if electronic components were as expensive today as they apparently were back then. Even though today they certainly don't cost as much as the entire rest of the set. Which again brings me to set 42215... "

This indeed. And even back then, did they lose money because sets like this were overly ambitious, or because they didn't have have there internal processes figured out properly? I mean, as cool as the stuff is, there's nothing particularly advanced or expensive about it.....if done right, that is.

@ra226 said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Has a seat at the table with 8880, 8868, 8862, 8043, 8110, 42009, 42030, 42043 and a select few others."

I'd let 8865 sit at that table, too."

Can 8855 join them? I've always loved that one. There sure was some great Technic in that era!"

It can absolutely join them. And as the only set at the table with a Technic fig, I'd give it pride of place.

@AustinPowers said:
" @lemish34 said:
" @FlagsNZ said:
"I was given this set for free. I included this in my review: https://brickset.com/article/20456

A comment made by Mark Stafford AKA @Nabii , "... I had heard the company came within six months of bankruptcy in that period. When Jorgen first analyzed the company and for the first time ever figured out the outgoings and the profits he almost had a heart attack. The LEGO company at that stage had no idea how much it cost to manufacture the majority of their bricks, they had no idea how much certain sets made. The most shocking finding was about sets that included the LEGO micro-motor and fiber-optic kits - in both cases it cost LEGO more to source these parts then the whole set was being sold for - everyone of these sets was a massive loss leader and no one actually knew. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1x6ldp/comment/cf8vdl3/ "

Astonishing stuff!
Thank god LEGO survived and thrived, and within two decades had become the largest toy company in the world!!…."
Sometimes I wonder if they didn't turn the screw too far in the opposite direction these days.
Nothing wrong with thriving, but these days they still act as if electronic components were as expensive today as they apparently were back then. Even though today they certainly don't cost as much as the entire rest of the set. Which again brings me to set 42215 ... "

Raspberry Pi Pico 2 CDN$6.95 (USD$5.00 - EUR€4.31) It has 24 PWM channels - let's say you take 4 per actuators/(don't need that much for sensors), then you can do with this all a Control+ can do.

Lego's prices for electronics (or even just electrics) are out of this world and definitely out of touch with reality - it's as if there were no technological/manufacturing advancements in the last 40 years.

If Lego can buy Bricklink, the company should strongly consider buying the makers of Buwizz and make sure they keep all the employees to ensure they don't stray from the correct path. They could put their corporate might to reduce the production costs by simple economy of scale. I won't hold my breath...

Once again this year, Lego is launching one of those gigantic brick with a few motors in it. This is as restrictive as you can get and those ginormous eyesores are (1) very difficult to integrate in a model and (2) ridiculously heavy. The name of the game (if Lego is not aware yet, we are well into the 21st century) is "miniaturisation".