1:50th Scale Manitowoc 4100W Vicon Equipped Tower Crane
Presented here is the 1:50th scale Manitowoc 4100W tower crane which is another fantastic piece of engineering and a great addition to round off the range of 4100W configurations that have been produced.
The main mast boom consists of 2 x 40' lattice sections with crossmember supports and a 10' section which has the boom locking mechanism fitted which assists in raising the boom into its vertical working position.
The smaller boom is constructed from tubular components and the screws are inserted from above. The model is supplied with a 40' and 20' section along with the boom tip which houses two pulleys. The pennant lines are already connected to the various boom sections which makes it a little easier to erect. The instructions assume that the pennant lines are completely separate and reference them by length which could get a little confusing.
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The mast top section is another example of the inginuity of designers when developing crane systems and the mechanism has been fully reproduced on the model. In the working position, the foot of the boom is located in a central point to transfer the stresses into the mast.
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To actually lower the boom, the mechanism folds forward to allow the boom to rest parallel to the main mast where it connects with the locking mechanism fitted to the 10' mast section. |
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The cab interior has been authentically reproduced with all controls and panels added. As with the other versions, the cab door slides open smoothly with accurately scaled metal grab rails on the cab frame. The safety and warning markings on the door and rear body panels are amazing for their size and it is this attention to the smallest details which makes TWH the premuim model producer.
The undercarriage has fine linked track pads with the sprocket drive chains fitted to the outside of the track frame which rotate as the tracks are moved. The tower version is not supplied with the undercarriage weight sections like the lift and dragline versions and the frames are fixed at their most extended width for good stability.
The counterweights supplied with the model are the same as the lift and dragline versions, consisting of three main sections which connect together using plastic gromets to give a friction fit. The two cheek sections then lock into place on the cast lugs.
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The rear frame is fixed into its lowered working position with screws and the model comes pre-rigged. The rope has been secured with masking tape but it can still prove difficult to get the rope onto all the pulleys, even more so because the frame is fixed in place.
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The main mast has a tensioning mechanism which has been replicated on the model. Using the front winch, the mast can be finely positioned during the erection process and the cable guides are supplied already attached to the model. |
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The load block has a single pulley and the hook can be rotated through 360 degrees.
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The boom tip has two pulleys but only one is used to rig the hook. The pennant lines are already attached to the boom and rope guides have been added to prevent the rope jumping off the pulley. |
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With the mast fully raised and locked into position, the boom can be raised and this is achieved by winding the rear rope drum. The linkage connected to the boom is perfectly aligned and the boom raises smoothly to the desired working angle.
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The packaging for the model is excellent, with the model very well protected in a two piece polystyrene inner carton. The outer cardboard box is very sturdy with the top lifting off to reveal the inner carton. The A4 sized model assembly instruction booklet has a clear, step-by-step guide to fully assemble and rig the model. This is another excellent model and perfectly compliments the ringer, lift and dragline versions of the 4100W.
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The 4100W tower crane extension kit allows for the model to be built with an additional 3 x 40' and 1 x 20' main boom sections. The smaller boom can be extended with 1 x 40' and 1 x 20' boom sections. The detailed instructions supplied with the kit show how to dismantle the original model and re-assemble with the extra boom sections and there is only one configuration detailed in the instructions. I have built the sample model using 2 x 40' mast sections and both the 40' and 20' boom sections from the kit and when fully erected, the model is still very sturdy with no danger of topling over providing it is on a flat surface. |
