LEGO 92176 Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V

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While the LEGO Group hasn’t called attention to the change, it appears to have been made for structural reasons. In the original model, a ‘fez’ element connects to the underside of the plate, representing the lander’s engine nozzle. The open hole of the Technic plate presumably has stronger clutch power to hold that piece in place – and, therefore, the entire lander, which is otherwise not connected to the 10×10 plate it rests on. To be honest, it is easier to say what´s my most hated part: the 15100 “Technic Pin Connector Hub with 1 Pin”. Although it is a very important part for technic models, my fingers hurt just thinking about it. ;-) Note from reviewer: This part has seen an update in 2021 as 65487, which is a lot easier to use As countdown begins to 92176 NASA Apollo Saturn V’s release from November 1, let’s take a look at 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V. — Set details — In conclusion, I would like to say that I really like the challenge of getting the best possible result from a very limited number and variety of parts. That´s probably the reason why I solely make alternate models from existing sets, because that's what I enjoy most.

In addition to the components from the three alternate sets, another cord is required (for the hammerhead crane). Ideally, a pure nylon cord should be used as the friction should not be too high. Minimum length: 240 cm, better a little more. I am very happy about the elevator and how smooth it works. It took me a lot of time figuring out the correct setting of the wheels and pulleys, but in the end it worked really smoothly at my preferred speed. If you want to support us with our fight against Chinese MOC-thieves, join the FB group from Stefano Mapelli: Facebook group link

I don´t have a large collection of parts such as a parts bank, I try to keep all sets strictly separated - either in assembled state or as individual parts.

How did you get the idea of combining these 3 sets into this MOC? Did you see the sets first? Or the real life model? Holy crap, this was an intense but so satisfying build! I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed at first by the size, not sure I would be able to finish this. But here we are! Total build time was around 18 hours, including part of the photography. Each chapter has its own inventory. If explanations in the instructions are needed, they are written in English and German.The elevator is a great addition, but guiding the wire into place was not a fun experience for me. That will probably be a personal thing, but make sure you have a good supply of patience when you start here ;-). Seeing it work in the end makes it worth it.

And since the finally selected Technic sets also contain a lot of gears and two motors, I got the idea to motorize as much functions as possible. Originally, I didn't really want to do that. Only the parts from the Lego Technic Sets 42055, 42082 and 42098 are required to build this LUT+Crawler. (except for the additional cord for crane operation, see below) Though, I´m not satisfied with the winch. It was a last minute decision to operate it motorized. Due to the concept of my transmission, I was forced to gear down the motor speed first, then travel all the way up into the crane, and gear up the speed again. This causes a lot of friction, and the result is a not perfect running winch. I struggled with myself a lot about removing the function, but decided to keep it because I thought an imperfect function was better than no function. Three nanofigures are included to represent the three-man teams that the Saturn V transported into space from 1968 and to the moon from 1969 to 1972. Perhaps a decade ago the novelty of receiving LEGO representations of the astronauts in the form of plain white nanofigures would have been enough, but the fine prints that capture a great amount of detail from their suits is remarkable and truly elevates the quality, finish and authenticity of the entire set that much further. That´s also the reason why I didn´t focus on the details of the original LUT, but on the general concept.

Build - Stage 2

Although the crawler is permanently integrated, it can simply be omitted for a display model without a crawler. Overall: I'm happy with the result, and had a ton of fun and challenge getting there. TLG: please take notes. This is so much more entertaining than another car. However, other changes like for example an improved transmission with less friction would mean a significant redesign for big sections of the LUT. And this is not easily done with a simple update. Concerning favourite part: I would nominate the technic panels (3x11, 5x11 and the new 3x7). On the one hand they are really robust and make structures quite stable, on the other hand they can perfectly be used as cover. The crane works on the edge of the motor's capacity. The raising and lowering goes very jerky. I feel it's caused by the worm-gear on the axle with the wire, but I'm not 100% sure that is the real issue, or the last straw.