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New Sets for 2009
New Parts for 2009

2009 - Truck

2009 saw the release of 10 new sets. For the first time, the release of the new sets was split into two parts. For the first half of the year the sets were released in January and included a mid-size flagship. For the second half of the year the sets were released in July or August and included the major flagship. This release strategy and general number of models would be the standard for future years.

The first half flagship was 8264, a large but minimally functional hauler with a motorized bed. The 8265 Front End Loader was greatly larger and had more parts than any before even though this wasn't the year's biggest set. With over 1000 parts it exceeded the part count of any Technic set of the first 15 years. The second half flagship was the 8258 crane truck, one of the biggest trucks ever. With 4 axles, 8 tires, two steered axles, and a motorized crane, it was clearly designed to be the epitome of what was possible with Technic at the time. The summary image above shows just how large models had become and how many very sizable models were available.

Notable new parts this year included some studless frames and a large number of new smooth curved panels. With the conversion to the studless system, models had become generally less rigid, sometimes alarmingly so, and the box frames helped a lot with this. Technic models were also moving away of their historical roots in which a largely empty body merely hinted at the shape of the real thing, but made no serious attempt to recreate it in favor of displaying internal mechanics. The new assortment of panels enabled a much more closed look and would be used in virtually all but the tiniest models going forward. The use of so much smooth space facilitated the use of many more stickers. While older models often had no stickers at all, virtually every model of this era came with a large sticker sheet. In many cases, much of the appearance of the model depended on application of these stickers. While this allowed for more decorated models, it also made many parts less useful for other creations.

Sets
8063 Tractor with Trailer	8256 Go Kart
8258 Crane Truck	8259 Mini Bulldozer
8260 Tractor	8261 Rally Truck
8262 Quad Bike	8263 Snow Groomer
8264 Hauler	8265 Front End Loader

Parts

Frames
Two studless box frames were introduced: a 5x7 and a 5x11. Both offer attachment only with pin holes and both are sized to rigidly house the new 3L differential between the rails. These exist only in light gray.

Miscellaneous Parts
A new 13L rack gear was released. Unlike the original rack gear (still in production) which used studs to connect, the new rack gear is studless with both pin and axle holes at the end. With a thicker cross section, it was also usable as an extensible beam such as for outriggers.

A 3x3 T-shaped studless beam was released. Like the frames, it is useful for structural reinforcement.

The venerable round pin joiner was modified to include a central slot, presumably to simplify molding. It is functionally identical to the old model and does not seem to suffer structurally from the slot. The pins pull out before enough tension can be applied to cause a problem.

A 3L pin joiner perpendicular was released.

Finally, a 9L axle was released, completing the entire range from 2L to 10L. This was the longest odd length axle, though longer even length 12L, 16L, and even 32L exist.

Panels
A large number of new smooth panels were released. The mirrored curved panels were numbered #3 - #6 for the narrow panels and #13, #14, #17, and #18 for the wide panels. There were also highly stylized panels used as fenders, mudguards, or spoilers. A 5x11 flat panel was used to span large open spaces, and a 3x11 curved panel was used as a 90 degree edge. All of these panels used purely studless attachment. The previous panels, in use for only a couple of years, disappeared.

Wheels and Tires
A new 68.7 x 34 R balloon tire was released.

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2009 - Truck

Sets

Parts