r/CadaBrick

This set had been on my list for a year and a half. So when I finally got my hands on it, I was very excited

The set has over 2500 pcs, which is about 1100 more than comparable offering from Lego (SF-24). So detailed build was expected. However while the end result is stunning and much larger than Lego SF-24 (slide 4 & 5), it does have its issues.

CADA has labelled this set as 8+ (slide 6). I do know Chinese kids are smarter in STEM than majority of the kids for their age group, I am still skeptical about an 8 year old Chinese kid ability to make this set.

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The set has 36 bags divided into 4 sections (9, 9, 7, 11)

Section 1 is for chassis & engine (slide 8)

Section 2: Half of the nose and prepping for section 3. (slide 10)

Section 3: Side pods (slide 11)

Section 4: Remaining nose, rear wing and engine cover (slide 12 & 13)

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The good: The packaging is amazing (slide 17 & 18). While its not as great as a 1:8 from Lego (ref: Mclaren P1), its much better than what Lego offers for its large F1 cars. That's a better apples to apples comparison. The end product is amazing with lots of details like side pod, venturi tunnels etc which are missing from the Lego offering. There are no stickers. Instruction manual is at par with Lego's 1:8 super/hypercars (slide 7). It has a molded Halo (slide 14) whereas Lego uses flexible tubes.

The bad: Some of the building techniques are pretty convoluted, esp section 3. The side pods design is unnecessarily complicated with many angled joints and ball & socket joints. This becomes a problem esp when some of the friction pins refuse to work as intended which leads to parts coming off and frustrating building experience. The set does not feel as sturdy as the Lego ones.

The ugly: CADA expects you to open all the bags for that section in one go. If you do not have the space and time to keep the parts, sort them and then find the right part, then this set is not for you. I wish they get better at it esp given how much better it is compared to Lego's F1 sets.

If you like a building challenge then this set or the latest Alpine offering from CADA is a must buy.

I was building part of a LEGO Technic set and had to make a change because I had assembled it incorrectly. While taking it apart, I pulled on a piece the wrong way and it broke. What can I do now? Does anyone have this part, or know what it's called or where I can order a replacement?

In this section, we build the side pods.

I thought it would be an easy build given "only" 7 bags had to be opened together. But I was wrong. The pods add a significant weight to the overall build and are quite difficult to build due to way they are to be assembled. A lot of ball and socket joints are used and they socket parts flex when trying to assemble.

The parts are definitely under a lot of stress as sometimes they tend to snap if you touch them..

Pros: Shaping is good. More detailed than whatever lego is making.

Cons: Building techniques are convoluted and making this stage not a fun build. I enjoyed section 1 and 2.

Next: 4th and final stage. Nose + front wing, rear wing and engine cover.

Bag count:

Stage 1:- 9

Stage 2:- 9

Stage 3:- 7

Stage 4:- 11

Total bags: 36

In this section we make the nose and add a few details to the chassis and the side pods start taking shape. This section has 9 bags that have to be opened in one go. Somehow CADA thinks that people have the space and interest to take out so many pcs and search for the right one.

Pros: The nose section is an interesting build compared to the similar offering from Lego. While we have not added the front and rear wings, the size is already equal to the size of the completed Lego F1 cars.

Cons: So many parts have to be taken out.
A few parts have extra strong clutch so if you make a mistake then be ready to use all your strength.
I had an issue with one of the 4 shock absorber/springs used in this part. It could not be pushed back and I did not check when assembling it. I spent 30 mins using all my strength trying to push it in. Then disassembled the build and finally understood the issue. Took 45 mins.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons.

Next section is side pods with 7 bags.

Edit: I forgot to add. One of the silver pipes broke as i knew it would because it was already breaking apart during section 1 build.