2015 was a big year for both sets and parts. 2011 saw the first set over 2000 parts, 2013 saw one over 2600, and now the new licensed Mercedes Arocs 42043 was nearly 2800, the biggest set to date. And this was not the only large set; three other sets had 900 to 1400 parts. There were a total of 13 sets spanning the full spectrum of size and complexity, and including most of the historical Technic categories. Planes, trucks, motorcycle, cranes, off road vehicles, race cars, pull-back racers, construction equipment, 2015 had it all. Two of the sets were motorized out of the box, and two more could easily have motors added. The re-release of the five year old 8041 racing truck as 42041 was a bit of a surprise.
It was a great year for rare colors. Four different sets included a wide assortment of white parts, there was a large orange model, a large blue model, the medium blue palette was extended, and the Le Mans car used a bright green which Technic had never seen before. Even dark blue made a token appearance.
Color was not the only big change. A very large number of new parts were introduced this year including the hotly anticipated longer pneumatics. Some of the small parts were useful connectors that it is a surprise did not exist earlier given how quickly they became indispensable. The 42043 in particular contained a wide variety of the new parts and put them to good use, particularly the gear racks and supports used for outriggers.
Parts:
Driving Ring
A new set of driving ring parts for transmissions was released. Functionally, they work exactly the same as the older system from 1994. The differences are that the axle joiner and driving ring are now 3 studs long instead of 2, and the number of detents has been reduced to 3 and made more positive. The old system had 5 detents or "click point" along the axle joiner, but 2 of them were never used. The end points and the center are the desired stopping points and are now the only stopping points. The ridges are also taller to more forcefully lock the driving ring into position. A new clutch gear is the same as the old except that it is now symmetrical and mates with the driving ring from either side so it cannot be installed backward by mistake.
Connectors
A series of useful new connectors were introduced. A long axle pin in black has a 2L axle and a 1L pin, a match for the reciprocal part from 2014. There was a pin with pin hole (shown in black), and a 1L beam which is similar to the handle from 1995 which was only used one year.
Turntable
After 11 years, the 56 tooth turntable was replaced with a 60 tooth variant. Apart from the number of teeth and associated diameter, another difference is that the new turntable has bevel teeth instead of spur teeth which allows it to be powered from a parallel or perpendicular axes. The internal ring gear teeth were removed. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the upper and lower halves now lock together around the outer perimeter instead of the inner. This produced a much tighter and better support joint while also greatly reducing friction.
Bucket
A new clamshell bucket was released. This part is made to be used in facing pairs.
Gear Rack
A very unique new gear rack and support system was released (shown in red and dark gray). The new gear rack is 11L long instead of 4L and incorporates several gear and axle attachment slots as well as a longitudinal rail groove. The mating part supports the rail which allows the rack gear to translate which remaining vertically supported. While the obvious use of this part is for telescoping outriggers, it was also used as a crane arm in 42043 already in the first year, proving its versatility.
Pneumatics V2
A long awaited new set of pneumatics was released. This was officially labeled "V2" even though it is actually the 4th generation of pneumatic parts. The primary change to existing parts is the use of a beveled port which makes it easier to attach hoses. The switch, the small actuators, and the compressor pump were updated with this design. In addition, longer versions of the small and large diameter actuators were released with a stroke of 6 studs instead of the previous 2 and 3.5. The rod end connectors also changed slightly in profile to be somewhat more durable, and the head end of the large actuators also changed. This change makes it impossible to use them with the old pneumatic actuator brackets from 2005.
Panels
Two new panels were introduced. A variation of the 5x11 flat panel is now available which tapers to a 3 stud width at one end (shown in yellow). A curved 3x11 panel was introduced as a wheel arch (shown in bright green).
2015 Sets:
- 42031 - Cherry Picker
- 42032 - Compact Tracked Loader
- 42033 - Record Breaker
- 42034 - Quad Bike
- 42035 - Mining Truck
- 42036 - Street Motorcycle
- 42037 - Formula Off-Roader
- 42038 - Arctic Truck
- 42039 - 24 Hours Race Car
- 42040 - Fire Plane
- 42041 - Race Truck
- 42042 - Crawler Crane
- 42043 - Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245
By Technicopedia