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| The Potain MDT 178 model in 1:50 scale stands tall. |
TWH 047 - Potain MDT 178 Tower Crane
Model Review February 2008
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| The Potain MDT 178 model in 1:50 scale stands tall. |
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| The box sets a new record for length at over 1.1m. |
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| Inside the box it becomes clear why it is so long. The main jib is fully assembled and reeved. |
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| Some of the other parts. A manual, concrete skip, ladder section, winch key, Potain screwdriver and screws. |
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| The 'Vision' cab and walkways are all very detailed. |
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| Trolley and trolley motor. The hook is rigged with four falls of rope out of the box. |
The Potain MDT 178 is a medium size tower crane with a jib of up to 60m length at which a 1.5t load can be lifted. The maximum capacity of the crane is 8t. It is a 'topless' tower crane and has a distinctive style and profile. To see photos of the real crane click here.
This model is 1:50 scale and is the first large mass-produced tower crane model in this scale. It is provided as a scaled 50m jib version standing on thirteen 2mx2m tower sections giving a scaled under hook height of around 67m. The model is made in China and distributed by TWH in the USA. Outside the USA distribution is by NZG and it appears in their catalogue as model 690.
Packaging
A 1:50 scale tower crane was always going to be big and so unsurprisingly the box is very large measuring over 1.1m (44 inches). An outer plain cardboard box encloses an inner picture box which has picture of the model occupying its entire length. Opening the box reveals two huge expanded polystyrene trays, one of which is the lid and the second holds all the model parts. The box offers good protection to the model and although the outer cardboard box of the review model had seen some rough handling, the model was undamaged.
A manual in English is provided in the form of a brochure. The first few pages contain data sheets for the real crane and the rest has a very clear 11 step guide to assembling the model. A Potain branded screwdriver is provided with the model as the screw sizes used are very small. Assembly is not difficult, with the only real skill required being the handling of the very small screws used to join the pieces up. It is possible to build the model fully in comfortably less than an hour. The model is fully reeved inside the box so there no stringing up to do which will be a plus point for many collectors.