Review: 42145 Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter
Posted by Huw,
Helicopters have been a staple of the Technic line-up since the theme's introduction in 1977.
The latest model, 42145 Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter, is the first licensed one to be officially released and also the most sophisticated and functional, and it achieves this without reliance on the generally detested Control+ system.
Summary
42145 Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter, 2,001 pieces.
£179.99 / $209.99 / €209.99 | 9.0p/10.5c/10.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A sizable and highly functional, realistic, and educational model
- Sophisticated rotor controls
- No phone required to operate it
- The best Technic helicopter yet
- A few aesthetic issues
- Rotor blades are too high
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The prototype
The Airbus H175 is a general purpose medium-sized helicopter designed for civilian and parapublic applications, such as to support the oil and gas industry, search and rescue, homeland security, air medical services, utility missions and corporate transportation. It first flew in 2009 and if you want to buy one it'll set you back around $17 million.
The completed model
The model measures about 70cm long and 24cm high and as far as I can tell has been finished in a fictional livery, which I don't find particularly attractive.
I didn't realise when first viewing images of the model that the yellow parts in it are actually the new vibrant yellow which was introduced this year, and this is the first Technic model to use them extensively. Decorations are provided courtesy of stickers and I must apologise for not photographing the sheet before applying them.
The white cowling around the engines and rotors at the top looks a bit clumsy in places compared to the sleek curves of the real thing, but otherwise the bodywork is seamless and looks pretty good.
The colour scheme and aesthetics may leave something to be desired but the same cannot be said for the mechanics and functions, which are exceptional.
Operation
Motorised functions
The model incorporates a Control+ motor and a simple battery box, and is the first set to be widely released to come with one. 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey should have been the first but, as you will recall, it was cancelled at the last minute.
It can therefore be operated without the need for a phone app and bluetooth, and all the palaver associated with them, which is a very big positive as far as I'm concerned.
The motor is powered up by means of a switch on the side. Additional controls are then used to operate the motorised functions via a gearbox.
Flicking the lever above the on-off switch turns the rotors, which can be set to rotate either fast or slow. The stabilising rotor at the back is of course linked to the main one and rotates with it.
The switches on the other side control the landing gear and winch. All three can be powered at once should you wish, although the landing gear would soon hit one of its limits and cause the clutch to slip.
The winch is positioned on the right side of the fuselage
Mechanical functions
The mechanical functions that control the rotor blades are actually more impressive than the motorised ones.
In real helicopters the pilot uses a collective pitch stick and a cyclic pitch stick to adjust the pitch and tilt of the blades, via a swashplate (the device below them that translates input from the helicopter flight controls into motion of the main rotor blades), and as far as I can ascertain the corresponding controls on the model work exactly as they do on the real thing.
There are dual controls in the cockpit, allowing either the pilot or copilot to operate them. The cyclic sticks are in front of the seats, the collective sticks on the left-hand side of them. The latter can also be operated from outside the cab to make it easier to do so.
Here's a good diagram showing how they are used to control the craft:
Source: Britannica
The range of movement is fairly small, as I imagine it is on the real helicopter, but you can hopefully see a difference in the pitch of the blades when the collective pitch stick is moved from one extreme to the other in the photos below.
It's a very complex and clever mechanism that's been neatly concealed within the fuselage.
The cab doors swing open and those behind them slide backwards. Also, impressively and ingeniously, the white sections of bodywork fore and aft of the rotor can be slid back and forth to reveal the mechanism inside, including the swashplate and mock engine, which rotates with the rotors.
New parts
Unsurprisingly, the complexity of the swashplate and the need for a 5-bladed rotor has necessitated some new parts, including a three-piece turntable that can turn and swivel around a technic beam threaded through its centre square hole.
The unusual geometry of this element is likely to provide some interesting possibilities for MOCs.72 degree angles are nigh-on impossible to create with existing pieces.
There is a good variety of pieces cast in vibrant yellow, but personally I think it looks cheap and nasty, and very un-LEGO-like.
Construction
The Control+ battery box is positioned at the bottom to facilitate changing the batteries, although it's a bit of a faff to do so when it's in-situ because it's one of the new design of box that requires a screwdriver to take the lid off.
This first section to be built also houses the retractable landing gear.
The linkage between the pilot's controls and swashplate requires a complex assembly behind the seats.
Compared to that mechanism, the gearbox in the middle of the fuselage is relatively straightforward.
The tail section incorporates most of the vibrant yellow pieces
Prior to adding the cowling around the top it's worth taking a look at how the new pieces are incorporated into the build.
The turntable can be tilted forwards, backwards and side-to-side which in turn affects the pitch and angle of the blades.
Verdict
This is an exceptional Technic model with a very impressive set of features, both motorised and mechanical. In addition to being cool toy and a sizeable eye-catching display model, it also has educational value. I did not know how helicopters worked until I built it and subsequently researched the subject for this review.
It also offers a challenging and absorbing building experience, and demonstrates just what's possible with the Technic system in the hands of a competent designer.
I am not over-enamoured with the colour scheme, though, as I said at the start. The vibrant yellow actually looks quite smart on the model, if you don't look closely at the pieces, but I think there's one colour too many on the fuselage. I'd have liked the white sections to be red to give a more uniform appearance. I also think the top white section looks a bit 'gappy' in places which detracts from the overall appearance, and the blades sit too high above the bodywork compared to the real helicopter
But, subjective aesthetic issues notwithstanding, this is a return to form for Technic. It's highly functional without being dependent on phones, apps, and all that nausea which those like me who prefer a more traditional model will appreciate.
The set comprises 2001 pieces and will cost £179.99, $209.99, €209.99 when released on 1st August. Given that to buy the motor and battery box separately would cost £60 / $70, it starts to look like it's reasonable value for money for a model of this size, too.
Video review
The model's functions are best demonstrated in a video, so I'll embed one made by an expert:
137 likes
51 comments on this article
I want it.
Holy smokes, that looks amazing! Gotta love me that new swashplate piece.
10 year old me would have been blown away with this.... but instead he had to make do with 8844 (which, actually, I still have a soft spot for, even today). :-)
I agree about the yellow. When I first encountered it in a PAB wall offering I thought someone had put off-brand bricks in there as a joke. They look almost translucent. Once I checked the studs the truth came to light.
Take a look at Vibrant Yellow parts under a UV light - it's like looking at the sun!
I think it looks great and the functions are superb, but the excessive flimsiness is a bit off-putting. Will probably still pick it up once it inevitably drops to around £120.
One of my first LEGO sets was 8825 , Night Chopper, when I was five or six.
Later on, I added 8412 , Nighthawk, with the impressive flex system.
Now, 42145 is a masterpiece. It is big, motorized, has a ton of other functions, and looks very stylish too.
I blame LEGO for me becoming an R&D engineer! Could have been a lawyer or an MBA executive and make big bucks but instead but I am just fascinated by moving gears, motors, and electronics.
The vibrant yellow does not look good on its own, true. The model color scheme reminds me of a songbird, just cannot recall its name.
No Control+, also a + for me personally.
I said, when this was announced, that the five bladed rotor would be interesting, and it is. Now they've introduced a proper swashplate assembly, they only need to change one part to have as many, or as few, rotors as they like.
Thanks for the review and confirming my initial thoughts that this is possibly a return to the great old complex technic models. I particularly like the "dumb" motorised functions without the need for a phone.
And I'm sure it will look great next to 8856 Whirlwind Rescue
Serious question; Why do some LEGO YouTubers wear surgical or white cotton gloves in their videos? I’m just curious what the reason is for it. Full disclosure - I find it off putting and bizarre and it makes me not want to watch. But I’m not just trying to ridicule or put it down. I’ve just seen it a few times and I’m curious what the reason for it is - presumably it’s seen as a positive in some way I’m missing.
This article had me at, "Helicopters..." It didn't take much. I love it and can't wait to get one as soon as it's released.
In April, when I went to the local brand store and saw the vibrant yellow on the PAB wall , I also thought it was an off-brand piece. It’s ghastly to look at first time. I bought long beams of that color for structural use plus small wall pieces and 1x10 plates. All those parts were on the PAB wall in that same color. Those vibrant 1x10 plates will be used as police caution tape in my MOC.
@MrKoshka said:
"Serious question; Why do some LEGO YouTubers wear surgical or white cotton gloves in their videos? I’m just curious what the reason is for it. Full disclosure - I find it off putting and bizarre and it makes me not want to watch. But I’m not just trying to ridicule or put it down. I’ve just seen it a few times and I’m curious what the reason for it is - presumably it’s seen as a positive in some way I’m missing. "
As someone planning to film a video and do the same in it, there's a number of possible reasons:
- Avoid getting skin oils on bricks (handwashing doesn't always mitigate this, such as in my case)
- Protection from cuts, as bricks can be quite sharp (also true for me, I get scratched easily)
- Self-conscious about bare hands (also true for me, personal reasons)
- Part of the aesthetic, particularly true for intentional ASMR videos
I tried cotton gloves but they aren't grippy enough. So I'm going with disposable nitrile gloves instead.
@MrKoshka said:
"Serious question; Why do some LEGO YouTubers wear surgical or white cotton gloves in their videos? I’m just curious what the reason is for it. Full disclosure - I find it off putting and bizarre and it makes me not want to watch. But I’m not just trying to ridicule or put it down. I’ve just seen it a few times and I’m curious what the reason for it is - presumably it’s seen as a positive in some way I’m missing. "
My guess is to avoid getting fingerprints on the pieces. I don't know if the fingerprints would be more noticeable than the gloves, but then I'm no Lego YouTuber.
@Zackula said:
"My guess is to avoid getting fingerprints on the pieces. I don't know if the fingerprints would be more noticeable than the gloves, but then I'm no Lego YouTuber. "
In well-lit filming environments they can occasionally be seen when light is reflected off smooth surfaces, but they're usually too subtle anyway and viewers are too busy appreciating the big picture. They're much more noticeable in person in some lighting conditions. If the oils are bad enough, it gets really obnoxious to the point of having to wipe the surfaces down, which is even more troublesome when the model's been assembled.
This is an awesome set. I agree that the aesthetics are not that great due to multiple colors being used.
I think it will look good once we replace neon yellow and white pieces with red. I will be getting this set at some point and will be at least be replacing the neon with red.
To avoid fingerprints on the bricks. Some darker colored bricks show them easily.
Personally, I would never wear gloves. I like to 'feel' the pieces in my hands. All part of the lego building experience.
I’m waiting for the day we get a lego set that has powered flight
@Tom_Lux said:
"And I'm sure it will look great next to 8856 Whirlwind Rescue "
Definitely looking forward to having these side-by-side as well :)
This is why I always build with a microfibre cloth for wiping down as I build.
I tried the gloves thing like Sariel but too many times of getting gloves caught when snapping bricks together turned me off :)
Great review! Now let's go buy this set in bulk! So we can show LEGO that Control+ can be shelved indefinately.
Great features at an acceptable price (all things considering).
@Sandinista said:
"I’m waiting for the day we get a lego set that has powered flight "
Next best thing (and one of my all-time favorite youtube videos), featuring 6673: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkv9TALqJ6k&t=7s
@MrKoshka said:
"Serious question; Why do some LEGO YouTubers wear surgical or white cotton gloves in their videos? […]. "
Sariel explained it in one of his videos (not a seperate so I can’t fimd it). As far as I remember he started it during lockdown as a precaution and kept using them to avoid fingerprints. Since he’s a user here you may get the correct story from him.
I just wash my hands often during construction to avoid fingerprints, but I need to apply hand cream at night to keep them from drying out :)
@haseeb said:
"To avoid fingerprints on the bricks. Some darker colored bricks show them easily.
Personally, I would never wear gloves. I like to 'feel' the pieces in my hands. All part of the lego building experience."
Yeah totally agree!
I like the idea that the engine cover can be opened to show the internal functions. But I also dislike its shape / appearance.
That seems to be unfinished because it appears to be -very- different from the original.
Lego are pushing Technic to the limit. This helicopter has a lot of functions but structurally it's flimsy.
Because all these functions had to fit somewhere, the helicopter looks like it's got a large tumor - the area above the cab is too tall. And even with that the blades are too high above the engine cover.
One thing they could have done is make a new part - a 3L bar with two towball eye connections.
Another is sacrifice the interior space and drop the mechanism down into what would be the cargo/ passenger area.
Still, 45 years after 852 we finally get a helicopter with collective AND cyclic pitch and that's no mean feat. Top of my list for Santa.
@tne328 said:
" @Sandinista said:
"I’m waiting for the day we get a lego set that has powered flight "
Next best thing (and one of my all-time favorite youtube videos), featuring 6673: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkv9TALqJ6k&t=7s"
There is also a guy that did a Lego drone - the whole process is explained - an extremely interesting video. Recommended for every one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4
@Tom_Lux said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Serious question; Why do some LEGO YouTubers wear surgical or white cotton gloves in their videos? […]. "
Sariel explained it in one of his videos (not a seperate so I can’t fimd it). As far as I remember he started it during lockdown as a precaution and kept using them to avoid fingerprints. Since he’s a user here you may get the correct story from him."
He wears them because people were whining about fingerprints in comments of his videos. Or was it on some forums? I recall at least one discussion where he was asked why he doesn’t wear gloves.
At one point or another, I got all Technic Helicopters except 8844 (could never found a decent copy at a reasonable price and then I stopped collecting "everything" and got more selective). To me the classics are 852, 8844, 8412, 8856, 8232 (really!), 9396 and now 42145 (honourable mention to 8456 for the fibre optic). As of now, I only own 852 and 9396 (both collective control heli) and will most definitely get 42145.
A while back, Lego asked what we would like to get in the Technic range. My first choice was for an helicopter with collective and cyclic control and a controllable tail rotor as well (the tail rotor is fixed in 42145 but that can be arranged - many people managed to built that in very good quality mocs).
There is something (in fact there are many, tons of things) I do not understand about Lego. It seems that whenever they abandon a part or system, there is no way they will ever reconsider it at all (obviously in an upgraded way - most likely if they abandoned a part/system it is because there was a problem with it.) I am referring here to the flex system. Lego should definitely revive that system - we could get brakes for the cars and decent controls for the aircraft - plenty of potential uses. While I have immense respect for what the designer did with 42145 , with the flex system this would have been a breeze to put together and would probably be easier to understand what is going on for those not familiar with the technology involved.
The white part above the red cabin is much bigger than it should be. Lego should also have produced shorter pushrods (length 6M here is too long and shorter lengths would be very useful for mocs).
I believe it is on Rebrikable - a guy managed to build an helicopter with collective and cyclic with only the parts of the Range Rover 42110 (that is quite an achievement!) His approach is most likely less solid but significantly more compact. Now that we have all the necessary parts, let's see if we can combine both approaches and make this a bit smaller and tidyer.
Thanks for the review.
This looked great when revealed, and both this review and the one from Sariel only confirm this. Surely looks impressive because of the size, and I'm actually glad they didn't go overboard with making it look as realistic as possible with tons of System parts. It's function over form, and after quite a few big sets where it was the other way around I'm perfectly fine with that. Even those stickers seem very much optional. This is Technic as Technic should be!
Just a few things that bug me a bit:
1) this isn't Control+, no, on the box it's advertised as "Motorized Functions". Isn't that about the lamest name they could think of?
2) That vibrant yellow looks so cheap indeed.
3) I do still feel this is a bit on the pricey side. Maybe not so much compared to some other Technic sets nowadays, but still. And the fact that Lego charges absolutely obscene prices for a motor and a dumb battery box isn't an excuse for that.
But those are just minor complaints that are easy to forgive when a set is this good. Good job, Lego! And great review, Huw!
@8lackmagic said:
"10 year old me would have been blown away with this.... but instead he had to make do with 8844 (which, actually, I still have a soft spot for, even today). :-)"
My 8844 is still in one piece and displayed in my garage. I kept it built as I always loved it.
Great review! Is it possible the rotor blades are attached the wrong way around though?
This looks great, I may get one!
@tne328: thanks for that link, that was amazing! I wouldn't have thought that could work!
@saabfan said:
"Great review! Is it possible the rotor blades are attached the wrong way around though?"
No, I think they match the official images and instructions.
@Hobbes, you make an excellent point. The mechanism would have been so much simpler with the flex system, and indeed it was put to good use in helicopters such as one of my favourites 8412.
Those new yellow pieces I would have some reservations about fading over time to be very unsightly.
For anyone wondering what the "autorotation" in the diagram is, that's what a helicopter does in cases of engine failure.
@Sandinista: That was a very fun video! I used to watch a local RC airplane group do their thing when I was a kid, and I would have freaked out if one of them brought something like that!
@Huw said:
" @saabfan said:
"Great review! Is it possible the rotor blades are attached the wrong way around though?"
No, I think they match the official images and instructions."
Interesting, I was just surprised that the rotor blades are pitched down in the picture demonstrating the collective control.
Why does this set exist?
^ Because it's frikkin amazing to have both cyclic and collective pitch control in a Lego helicopter and it's never been done before, what other reason do you need? Let me try to rustle up the two hundred smackers for this beauty ....
I love Technic, but I will skip this one. The aesthetics is deceiving (the colours chosen, the rotor blades excessivly high). Not a beautiful model to display at all. I see its educational potential, though. It's a good idea to have one of these in a flying school. But I agree we are in need of models which don't need a phone/tablet to operate.
@saabfan said:
" @Huw said:
" @saabfan said:
"Great review! Is it possible the rotor blades are attached the wrong way around though?"
No, I think they match the official images and instructions."
Interesting, I was just surprised that the rotor blades are pitched down in the picture demonstrating the collective control.
"
I noticed that too. It seems like the cyclic stick is set so the blades toward the back of the helicopter are pitched up more than the blades in the front, so when the collective pitch increases from the first picture to the second, they go from front blades pitched down and back blades nearly level to front blades level and back blades pitched up. Look at how the swash plate is tilted in both photos.
@tne328 said:
"I noticed that too. It seems like the cyclic stick is set so the blades toward the back of the helicopter are pitched up more than the blades in the front, so when the collective pitch increases from the first picture to the second, they go from front blades pitched down and back blades nearly level to front blades level and back blades pitched up. Look at how the swash plate is tilted in both photos."
True, that makes sense!
I'm ok with the fluro-yellow pieces - it definitely gives the set a 'Search & Rescue' feel. It's not perfect - there's a bit of sag in the tail and at the slower speed the multitude of linkages that the drive has to go through means the tail rotor tends to have fits and starts, but it's fine at the higher speed.
It's pricey, but compare it with £105 for the Material Handler and suddenly it looks like, if not a bargain, then not bad value at all. One of the most enjoyable and challenging Technic sets I've seen for a few years.
@BooTheMightyHamster said:
"I'm ok with the fluro-yellow pieces - it definitely gives the set a 'Search & Rescue' feel. It's not perfect - there's a bit of sag in the tail and at the slower speed the multitude of linkages that the drive has to go through means the tail rotor tends to have fits and starts, but it's fine at the higher speed."
I've been noticing the tail sag while it's been sat on my desk post-review. I'm sort of glad it's not just mine, then.
shall be my first technic set since BWE, because: functions over looks, functions over motors.
Definitely goes onto my wish list, and very near the top. Complex technic mechanisms really excite me, and this looks much more interesting than anything else I've seen for years. Expensive, but IMO good value for the large price. I agree it would probably look more elegant with the body work outlined with the flex system, but I'm not complaining either about the covering or its bright colors. I can always try to find the pieces in other colors later on.
"It can therefore be operated without the need for a phone app and bluetooth, and all the palaver associated with them, which is a very big positive as far as I'm concerned."
It is a sad state of affairs when this becomes a positive instead of a naturally expected default.
Time to reinforce TLG of the correctness of this decision :)
Uh oh, will it get discontinued early?
It’s a military vehicle as well.
Great to add something new with pitch and yaw, and everything motorised through clever switching of clutches. To make more realistic the whole rotor assembly should be dropped down 5 to 7 studs as the area underneath seems completely empty, and then you wouldn't need so much paneling.