National Crane 1400 on Sterling Chassis

Presented here is the 1:50th scale National Crane 1400 boom truck on Sterling Chassis. This is the second model produced by TWH and has a number of details throughout the model.

The engine compartment is fully detailed with engine block, radiator and exhaust pipes all visible beneath the opening hood. The cab interior is also fully detailed with opening cab doors and clear glazed windows. The front wheels have working steering and authentic rubber tyres while the chrome fuel tank, grab rails, door mounted rear view mirrors and roof mounted air horns give the model a highly detailed and realistic look.

The four extending stabilisers feature screw threaded jack legs which can be lowered to support the weight of the truck while the freely rotating rear wheels have rubber tyres with an authentic molded tread pattern. The plastic mud guards feature authentic National printed logos while safety labels have been added to the chassis and hydraulic fluid tank.

The hydraulic fluid tank is mounted behind the cab which drives the hydraulic cylinders for the jacking legs,  slewing and winch motors and the crane boom. Flexible hoses have been fitted and there is a hydraulic fluid cooling module mounted to the boom support frame. The chromed exhaust stack is fitted behind the cab along with an access ladder to the deck.

The crane boom can be raised and the hydraulics are stiff enough to hold the boom in any angle chosen. The five section extending telescopic boom has boom tip mounting points to connect the side stowed extension jib while the rear mounted rope winch rotates to raise/lower the hook block. The boom can rotate through 360 degrees and the side mounted operators cab has grab rails, internal details and printed safety mesh on the side window. One nice touch is the functional boom angle meter located on the side of the boom which reflects the boom's angle on the printed guage.

The model is secured in a two piece polystyrene carton with outer printed cardboard box. A small information booklet is supplied in the box which gives numerous details and specifications of the full sized crane. There are a number of nice features on this model and when first released, the detail level was very good when compared to other manufacturers. When compared to the latest model releases such as the National 1300H from TWH, this model looks no where near as detailed which is a testament to the incredible progress that TWH has made in the last two years.