WR250324: Brickshelf went offline for transfer to a new owner. Until then, pictures will not be shown in my reviews. This will hopefully happen in April.

The Past

As a child I missed the first two helicopters from Technic line (852, 8844). However, I built a battery powered (870) version of the latter.

In the early 2000s I bought 8856. I soon found the set up of the rotor lacking the realism and modified it using hints from Brickshelf and Eurobrick forum:

The Set

The box and the tray (40 x 60 cm²) I used for building:

The box is filled to 70..80 %. Building will be divided into 5 steps.

The instruction book is provided in a cardboard envelope rather that a plastic bag together with two sticker sheets.

Side note: The Battery Box

The battery box from this set has same functions as the one from 42113: There are two sockets to connect two motors and two switches: one for each motor.

You cannot stick an axle through both switches from either side to power both sockets at the same time.

To access the battery holder inside the box you will need a tool which is not provided with the set. (even the cheapest HDD and SSD cases I bought had a suitable tool!)

I have used a Philips no 1 crosshair screwdriver ("+"-type, not the "X"-ytep ;-)

The inside battery tray can be exchanged with former Control+ hubs (e.g. clip version from 42114).

Assembly

The model is started from the bottom with battery box and landing gear (1). I found the mechanism annoying as it prevented to put the module flat on an even surface.
Then the levers and transmission for the collective and cyclic control are assembled (2). It's difficult to notice what all the moving parts will eventually be used for.

(In step 142 a 3L red friction pin is inserted into two beams. In step 143 a 8-tooth gear is added that connects to the axle of the cyclic control. I found this very stiff, almost not turning at all. Instead the beams were twisting. I therefore replace the 3L red pin by a 3L black one.)

Step 2 also defines the front section of the helicopter. (You'll find the 19M black soft axle in the bag with the rotor blades.)

Step 3 is where all the gears are happening and the rotor mast is set up. This will start as a separate unit that will be connected with the chassis from steps 1+2. To me this required the most attention.

Next you will be asked to set up the tail (4). Although it appears to be quite solid by itself a weak spot will show later. Then the rotor head is set up. This will give you a good impression of the models size.

In the last step (5) the engine covers are built.They are setup to slide on axles to get a better look on the mechanics of pitch control.
There is some 'wing' type thing at the rear that looks awkward as the designers tried to match with the real helicopter.

(I divided building time into 4 or 5 sessions over 6 days.)

My Impression(s)

The designers have captured the functions of a helicopter quite well. I also like the colourful appearance.
I mainly bought the set to compare with other technic aircraft that I have previously built, and also to get the new parts.

When you engage high speed mode of rotor rotation you always get a whining noise from the motor. You would think that it is possible to include some soft-start electronics either in the motor or battery box that ramp um the speed from 0 to max.

Not-so-good Items

• Overall appearance reminds me of my modified 8856 (see above) from the 2000s:
  The rotor mast is way too high and also the engine area appears not realistic.
• Vibrant yellow pieces could be a nice touch but appear translucent. This is very obvious at the diagonal panel.
  Do we really need another colour hue of technic elements?
• I really - really - despise the colour (bright blue, dark azure, green) of the new gears.
  Are fellow (junior?) builders not able to distinguish parts from their size but need colour coding instead?
• Sagging of the tail:
  
• The control rods to that change the rotor blade pitch are touching the housing left and right at each revolution.
• The levers for cyclic control also seem to touch the cover over the cabin as you can see it moving.
• The black parts might be concealing details of the cabin area (intentional?) - I don't like it very much.
• Rear landing wheel are (also) sagging from weight (see picture above).

Comparison with other aircraft

Images below show comparison of this helicopter with other aircraft:

(If you are interested you could find more images in my brickshelf folder.)