 |
| Frankfurt
Airport
branded
box. |
 |
 |
| Very low
headroom so it can traverse under an airplane. |
 |
|
The cab is raised up to provide
rear-view visibility. |
 |
| Detailed wheel
capture mechanism. |
 |
| Ladders and
lights at the rear. |
 |
| Cab peeping up
above the body. |
 |
| A nose wheel is
'captured'. |
|
 Comment on this model.
The Goldhofer AST-1 X is a towbarless aircraft tractor used for
positioning larger aircraft weighing up to 600 tonnes
such as the Airbus A380. It works by capturing and raising the nose
wheel of an aircraft.
This version of the model is in the colours of
Fraport,
the international airport services provider.
Packaging
The model comes in a Fraport branded box
with good quality foam packaging inside. The review model had
no defects or missing parts.
No information is provided about the real machine or
model, and no assembly is required.
Detail
This is a heavy model for the size and the underside is
metal with a simple painted finish. The tyres have a
good tread pattern and the wheels are detailed plastic
with hubs that are a little smaller than the real
vehicle.
At the front the cab is metal with a nicely detailed
interior, windscreen wiper, and good beacon lights on the outside.
At the front the access platforms have a textured surface and the
handrails and mirrors are metal.
The body sides have various panel details within the casting and
graphics are used to indicate grilles as well as a fleet
number and the Fraport logo.
At the rear the detailing is good with coloured lights
and ladders.
On the inner sides of the body plastic is used for the
sides and some of the capture equipment but the colour
match with metal parts is good. It has a
complicated and interesting appearance.
Features
All wheels steer with the front wheels linked and the
rear wheels steering individually. All wheels have
a good range of steering movement and all the steering
modes of the real tractor can be replicated, including
crab steering.
The tractor rolls very smoothly helped
by the weight.
At the front the cab elevates to allow the driver to
have a good view to the rear (the real tractor also has a
rotating seat).
The capture equipment elevates, and is
extendible rearwards. It has rotating rear clamps and
pressure sensors can be lowered.
Quality
This is a particularly strong-feeling model
because of its high metal content.
The paintwork is very good, and the graphics are sharp.
Price
It is reasonably priced for an unusual model.
Overall
This large airport tractor is impressive and it
has very good functionality. It is highly
recommended.
Footnotes
The model first appeared as a 2012 release at the
Nuremberg Toy Fair. |
|
|
|
 |
| In the
packaging. |
 |
| All-wheel
steering. |
 |
| Cab lowered. |
 |
| Underneath. |
 |
| Grilles are
detailed using graphics. |
 |
| Interesting
machine. |
|
