Operation Mammoet

[jaffro]

Greetings and Welcome, if you're just here for pics, scroll down, if you want some waffling and a bit of info about these builds, keep reading...

This is the beginning of what I expect to be a long project (so yeah there's gonna be a long-winded introduction cos that's what I do), I'm estimating a good year or two at the minimum given how much it's snowballed already. I was originally going to build a truck, trailer and excavator (designed by Chriess/nosports, available at Lower Hudson Valley giftshop site). I was going to follow that up with his crane, they were all going to be painted.

While trying to decide on a paint scheme to go with, I stumbled across some Mammoet videos, well, that's when the snowball started to grow. It was the colour of their trucks that got my attention, I've always liked a black/chrome with red highlights type scheme. Coincidentally, Mammoet actually use the truck I started first, the MAN TGA XXL 8x4. And so this project was born.

Mammoet specialise in super-heavy haulage and heavy/high lifts amongst other things, they were responsible for raising the Kursk.

Using Chreiss's models alone, I was going to be able to build a substantial Mammoet fleet, to support his crane. While searching for reference shots for the crane model, not quite knowing what model he's based his design on, I came across some videos of the Liebherr LTM 11200 9.1 mobile crane.

"Love at first sight" seems a little extreme, but given my fascination with this thing a year or two later, it might be appropriate. This has to be the most impressive truck-based mobile crane I've ever seen, if there's a video of this thing on you-tube, I've most likely seen it about 5 times already.

Here's one that show's Roxu's LTM 11200 in various stages of setup and in use on some heavy lift jobs... Grupo ROXU - Videobook LIEBHERR LTM 11200-9.1 - 001 - YouTube

There was a card model of the LTM11200 released as an advent calendar at racepaper.de, I plan to upscale this and add extra scratchbuilt detail. I want it as close to the real thing as possible so there's going to be a lot of work involved in that...

So to get the ball rolling, I started on a truck. The truck that started it all...

----------------building starts here-------------

As previously mentioned, this truck, and many other great models are available at The Lower Hudson Valley
Paper Model E-Gift Shop



I've had this model for years but at the time I first downloaded it I never would have dreamed of taking on something like it. None of the parts are numbered, the instructions are only pictures and don't show all the angles, but these issues would really only effect a beginner, don't let it put you off trying one of these!

It's been an absolute pleasure to build so far, unfortunately I haven't had access to a decent camera for most of the build, so pictures are scarce but here's what I have so far...

I started with the chassis, which was the first step in the instructions. The parts aren't numbered but are laid out in groups that match steps in the instructions and are easy enough to figure out... most of the time.

The chassis went together well, followed by suspension and brakes, the design allows for the front two axles to be built either fixed or steerable, I didn't cut the holes for the pins to make them steer, but I haven't glued the hubs to the axles either, so they can be "posed" and will still hold the weight of the finished model.



Some of these parts still need a bit of touch-up paint, larger parts were painted with a $3 spraycan, smallest parts painted by hand with pl*stic model paints.

Next up, the instructions called for building the "Energy Rack" which I was really looking forward to as it's a main feature on the truck and I already had some ideas for extra detail to be added. Building all those axles got me thinking about wheels... I didn't want to leave these till last so on to wheels I went...



The original wheels were around 7 to 9 parts each, mine worked out to around 128 parts per wheel on the back and around 30 parts per front wheel. Each individual piece of tread was cut and glued, the whole process took me about 3 days.

[jaffro]

After the wheels it was back to the original plan... there was an engine to build in there somewhere which kinda lost me when I got to the turbo bit, i'll get back to that later.



I've built most of the energy rack thingy that came with the kit, i'll be adding a fair bit more to it as I go, based on some reference shots I've found.



I skipped ahead a bit again and started work on the cabin, mainly because I'm still not sure what to do with this. I removed the windows with the intention of adding heavily tinted windows but now that it's open I'm thinking about building a full interior.



This truck will be the boom transport for the LTM 11200. The Main boom of the crane can be transported in a number of ways, Mammoet choose to use a 4 axle rig with a custom built noteboom 7 axle trailer, allowing them to transport the full 8 sections of boom plus "Y-Guy" setup fully attached and ready to deploy.



The pics above show it in a Heavy Haul setup with a ballast box fitted, I might throw one of those together while I'm at it.

That's all I have for now, like I said, progress will be slow but i plan to start on the crane very soon, wheels first, then I'll start on the scratchbuilt boom trailer once I have enough of the boom.

[SJPONeill]

This is going to be fun - I love these monster cranes...

[Blue Angel]

Hello wheelers.
I don't know its the same one, but i ever download a lot of this kits.
For me (an airplane modeller) it looks like a little difficult.
But with my experience and patient i will start this comming winter with this project.
Here some pictures of the kit i download a couple of years ago.
Ther was also a tanker truck. And much more
MODEL DESIGN COPYRIGHT © 2004 BY Flatsource

[jaffro]

yep, that's the one I was originally planning to build, and seeing as the crane I am going to build needs a support crane to set up, I might eventually do both...

Yes it does look difficult, but these models have been designed very well and with a bit of trial and error they come together nicely. Just one tip, if the pictures in the instructions don't make sense, read ahead to see how those parts look later in the build, it's helped me a lot. Also, don't glue till you're 100% sure about a part.... I had to take a few guesses earlier on and found out later I'd folded the wrong way etc.

As for mine, I'm off to the printshop this week to have the crane printed on A3 to get it close to 1/24, but before then I'll be starting work on a scratch-built trailer for the boom carrier truck. No new pics yet.

[Zathros]

I have never seen anyone build one of these and wondered if they actually were. It seems that they are. You're off to a fantastic start. This will be a thread to follow. If you do build an interior, you think you could scan the pieces ahead of time. for those of us who may try this someday?

[whulsey]

Looks awesome. Just got back from vacation in Oklahoma so driving down I-40 saw several of the crane sets and a bunch of similar oilwell rigs. Lots of axles and wheels and massive. This is gong to be a fun build to watch.

[nosports]

I like your build of the modell.
You make it like i intended.
I intended a base which could be a (white) model in itself, but is a good base for the detail-nuts.

But i hurts me when i read the instruction don't makes sense.......
I thought of it as a step by step instruction with some text, although i'am not a native english speaker. So this picture-instruction is my build, pictured with a crappy cam on the final build.
But anyway what matterd most is that you feel its well designed..

This were not my first models but along my first models which i desgined. The emphasis of the Truck and Excavator were in Detail. The crane was a decision of faith, because it is a bigger crane, but i feeled more manageable as the big one. I thought of first of going BIG and the LTM 11200. But as i mentioned i thought of gaining experience rather of batteling with no good finisch, so i looked at the LTM1300.

But on the Crane it is the strength. The picture with the bottles is not 'shoped, thwas reality. I don't think it wil be workable invinitife but i think 10 or 20 times you could make the stunt. I envisage a on the extended boom on your bench at some exhibition.

As for difficulty - I hope i made it as easy as possible, its almost only brick-building.

As for scale - the models are in 1:24 scale. So there is no need to blow up the pages. I did all models with regular office paper (except the strengt-parts, which i mentioned in the instruction)

So much said.
So lets hope you could keep us posted.
And if you see some misstakes or have some improvements i take them up and add it to the list of to-do-better-next-time.

By the way : this crane don't need an other crane to get working. I pictured the up-set-sequence. I don't know if this is so for the bigger cranes, but i think it could be made without other helping cranes, although i think, it would be faster with helping cranes.

[jaffro]

Thanks for the comments everyone,

nosports, don't take my comments the wrong way, the instructions are good enough to get the model built, I just had trouble with a few parts due to the camera angles of the pictures not showing some sides etc. I only meant to say that the model is not suited to beginners, other than that, like I already mentioned, I love the way they are designed. I will probably eventually build all of them, do you have plans for any other similar models?

I have seen videos of the LTM11200 setting up without a support crane, but I like the idea of having a reason to build yours as well

Regarding the interior and making it available I'll see what I can do, as I was planning to just do it by eye rather than design/print, but I might still have a go at it.

nosports, again, thank you for these wonderful models, I'm really enjoying them so far and look forward to more, sorry if my previous comments offended you in any way.

[dessy]

Hey, you trickster! ya said you where just doin a truck! .

this is quite a complex peice of kit your building, wow!. i'll be watching this one closely. them tyres look super neat. i can't make it out, whats the silver/chrome finish on the wheel rims and engine covers, is it paint or silver foil? it looks good.