Caterpillar 992C Wheel Loader
The Caterpillar 992C wheel loader in 1:48th scale is manufactured by Classic Construction Models and is one of their growing range of historic Caterpillar replicas. The 992C wheel loader weighs in at around 85 ton and was first introduced back in 1977. Standing 8.7 metres high and over 12.7 metres in length, the transmission offers three forward and three reverse gears coupled to a 12 cylinder, 27 litre diesel engine which is capable of generating 690hp. CCM have done a great job in replicating the 992C in miniature form with plenty of fine details throughout.
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The cabin has a fully replicated interior which is visible by opening the side door, revealing the driver’s seat, steering wheel and delicately printed console. The rear service area houses two fire extinguishers with a perforated upper engine cover and the twin exhaust stacks rising up. The side access steps and safety railings are all metal and are accurately scaled. |
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The rubber window seals have been printed onto the cabin frame for extra realism with large rear view mirrors extending out on both sides and small light housings mounted to the roof. The articulating chassis offers a good range of steering movement with a replicated drive-shaft and hydraulic hoses added, while the interesting addition of beadless tyres really gives the model a more interesting look.
The front axle is rigidly fixed to the frame with the fine fixing bolt detailing visible and each wheel hub accurately replicated and freely rotating while the rear axle has some oscillating movement. The rear engine grille has fine etched slots with cut-outs for the light housings while the rear counterweight has an integrated, non functional towing hitch and finely scaled metal steps and safety grab rails.
The engine compartment is encased in perforated covers which allow for a glimpse of the modelled Cat 3412 diesel engine within, while turning over the model allows a better view of the internal components and transmission housing. The range of movement of the loader arms is very good, although they are very stiff in operation so care is needed when moving them. The bucket linkage offers a good range of movement with flexible hoses fitted to all the cylinders. The rock guard integrated into the bucket’s upper edge has been cast well with good definition of the teeth on the buckets cutting edge.
The paint finish is good, although there are some areas where the paint finish is a little thick, hiding some of the casting details. A version of the Cat 992C has also been released with a set of Goodyear branded rubber tyres.
