 | | Fassi box. |  |  | | Smart looking Mercedes-Benz. |  | | Big loader crane. |  | | Tilting cab. |  | | Main outriggers with pad. |  | | Crane up. |  | | Impressive with the fly jib. |  | | A Nooteboom trailer attached. |  | | Unloading a tower crane section. |  | | Setting down a load. |
|  Comment on this model.
This model is one of WSI's Premium Line.
The tractor is a Mercedes-Benz Actros 8x4 MegaSpace and a Fassi F1300RA Loader Crane is mounted on board. The crane is rated at 95 tonne metres with a maximum lift of 25 tonnes. It can reach around 32m.
Fassi is an Italian company founded in 1955.
Packaging
The packaging is a generic Fassi-branded windowed box.
There were no defects or missing parts on the review model.
An instruction sheet is included and this covers all the versions of WSI's Fassi model range. It explains the features of the crane well. There is no information about the real machine.
Detail
The Mercedes-Benz has a very good chassis with the 8x4 transmission fully modelled and that includes the gearbox. The wheels are very detailed with different tyres on the front and rear axles.
The cab has windscreen wipers and orange beacon lights with a generic Fassi number plate. The cab interior is very good and includes the Mercedes logo on the steering wheel.
Under the cab is a detailed engine bearing the Mercedes-Benz name. The wheel arches are metal and at the back the lights have plastic lenses. There is also a plastic clip-type towing hitch. The rear two-stage outrigger beams have metal pads.
The Fassi crane is an impressive piece of modelling. The outriggers are three-stage with graphics on each part. The pistons are smooth, and small separate pads are supplied for the front and rear outriggers. An additional set of small square plates is also included.
There are many small signs represented as graphics although they are more indicative than legible. The synthetic oil tanks are very detailed and include various hoses.
The base section has a slewing motor complete with hose, and a bank of hoses run from the boxes up the boom. There are lights and a winch which has thread hidden under a tape covering. The boom sections appear to be thin-wall metal, and they certainly have a stiff profile whilst being smooth in operation. The final boom section has a small fixed metal hook.
A fly jib is also included with the model and this can be attached by swapping out the final main boom section. The fly jib is also finely made just like the main boom with a modelling compromise in that the last four sections are one piece.
Features
There is stiff linked steering on the front axles of the Mercedes-Benz and only a small range of movement is possible.
The cab tilts forward to about 45° and can just be posed in the tilted position.
The fifth wheel is adjustable longitudinally allowing a range of trailers to be attached.
The front outriggers are pinned in the up right position and can be telescoped out and rotated and the pads lowered. The rear outriggers can be extended and lowered.
The crane rotates fairly smoothly and the boom unfolds with the rams being stiff and sometimes a little 'jerky' to extend. The boom has seven telescoping sections which extend well and generally hold a pose.
The optional fly jib can be fitted and it has three extending sections.
The maximum extended height with fly jib is around 55cm, or 22 inches.
Quality
This model is high quality and is well engineered and made.
The paintwork is good with the smallest graphics not being particularly legible.
Price
The model is good value.
Overall
WSI has made a very good job of engineering this Fassi Loader Crane and it makes an impressive model when posed in use. It is an outstanding example of small model engineering.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in March 2013.
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|  | | The parts and instruction sheet. |  | | Profile view. |  | | Steering angle is very limited. Here the fly jib is fitted. |  | | The usual detailed WSI chassis. |  | | Rear outriggers with more detailed pad. |  | | Detailed tanks. |  | | Without the fly jib. |  | | Fly jib details. |  | | On the road. |
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