Fly jib sections can stay on the rack when the crane is working.

'I've told the driver but the jib won't go any lower'.

Clever little crane!

Wheel steering is very good.  The mirrors aren't mirrors though.

Sections fit together well with the plastic bolts provided.

Conrad gets its tolerances right at the back and the fly jib rack does not foul the crane.

Conrad 20100 - Liebherr LTC1055 Mobile Crane
Model Review December 2005

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Features

All axles steer with the rear pair being linked together. A good hard lock can be obtained without the wheels fouling the wheel arches.

The basic crane functions all operate.  Outriggers can be extended and set down, the crane rotates, the boom can be raised and set at any angle and the telescope sections can all be extended.  The winch is operated by using the a finger although this is not possible when the boom is at a very steep angle as the winch becomes hidden between the boom and the counterweight.

A most interesting feature of this crane is the way the the detachable counterweight is transported in front of the front axle and is picked up when required by an articulating mechanism on the rear of the crane body.  This is modelled very well by Conrad and works just fine.

The fly jib can be bolted together in a variety of configurations and the only feature missing here is the ability to set the jib at an offset angle.

Quality

The castings are all to a very good standard with the fly jib sections being particularly small and intricate. There are a few areas where plastic has been used and metal would have given a better feel to the model.  In particular this applies to the outrigger beams and also the rack for holding the fly jib sections would have been better in metal with the sections hung instead of clipped.  With that said the model is heavy having regard for its size and it certainly feels like a quality item.

The paintwork and lettering are of a very good standard with the 'embossing' of the Liebherr name on the detachable counterweight particularly good.

Price

The model compares well with similar models and value is added through the separate parts and working counterweight mechanism.

Overall

Conrad have produced a very pleasing crane model which has a large number of display options.  It is a pity it has one or two flaws, in particular the boom which does not sit down properly for transport and the unsilvered mirrors, but these do not detract seriously and the experienced modeller can attempt to correct these issues.  In summary this is a very good model and is recommended.

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