CHALLENGE: What's the largest self-aligning LEGO set?

Paperballpark

If that isn't allowed, I can advance the amount slightly, with #111-2 Starter Train Set without Motor (123 pieces). Inventory here.

Paperballpark

I thought #230-1 might have a chance, at 215 pieces, but it has 8 1x1 bricks :(

paul_merton

Yeah, I think the spirit of the challenge is that it needs to be a proper set with instructions to build something out of all (or nearly all) of the pieces.

I suppose an interesting diversion would be to hunt for the biggest one that is actually still sold at the moment! :)

Paperballpark

Ok, so #103-2 isn't allowed, but #111-2 is the new benchmark, at 123 pieces?

Paperballpark

Something else just occurred to me as well - if the set has a plain 1x2 tile, it would have to be across two studs, rather than centred on one, as that wouldn't be self-aligning.

paul_merton

The 206-part #21008 Burj-Khalifa architecture set is very close, apart from 3 tiny 1x1 plates at the base.

paul_merton

Ooh, I think I found a good one: #4439 Heavy Lift Helicopter (393 parts)

It's late, but I think this is fully self-aligning set! The only parts that looked obviously suspicious are the ten "Brick 1X1 W. 1 Knob", but surprisingly, these are not a problem! Eight of them are used in the front of the rotor units in such a way that they are forced to be self aligning (quite clever, see step 83 in the instructions) and the other two are also forced to align in step 28 (and are also completely hidden from view anyway).

So the only contentious issue is the control sticks that are added at step 32, although I think it's reasonable to allow those, as you'd have to rotate them by an arbitrary amount in order for a seated minifigure to hold them.