Sariel.pl

My second trial truck. Features a truss frame, 6×6 drive, full pendular suspension, front winch and R6 piston engine.

Datasheet:

Completion date: first half of 2008
Power: electric (Power Functions)
Dimensions: length 64 studs / width 24 studs / height 34 studs
Weight: 2.44 kg
Suspension: full pendular, front module with shock absorbers
Motors: 1 x PF XL, 2 x PF Medium

My second complete Truck Trial vehicle, model of a Polish military off-road truck. It has been built over a span of several months, with some test-driving inbetween, but eventually the tests turned out to be insufficient, as the truck’s drivetrain severely malfunctioned at its first and only Truck Trial race. The model was high and not stable enough, which resulted in two accidents of falling off a steep slope. The second accident left the truck completely destroyed, as it tumbled down a long slope.

Despite the failing drivetrain, the model had a number of interesting features. It looked much better than my previous one, thanks to a full-brick cabin and more attention to the details. The whole structure was kept together by an experimental frame made of two liftarmic truss stringers. I considered it stronger and lighter than a traditional solution involving several layers of bricks. It seems to be true, as the frame survived even the fatal crash that destroyed the truck, and protected all electric elements enclosed in it from any damage.

Another noteable feature was the front winch, driven by a PF Medium motor. While typical winches in TrTr models need disconnecting the drive motor from the drivetrain (often the same motor drives the vehicle or the winch via a distribution gearbox), Star’s winch was designed to work together with it. In order to achieve that, the winch’s gear ratio has been carefully calculated so that it would pull the vehicle at the exact speed of its normal drive. It turned out to work as planned, and pulled the truck up a sandy slope, when its tires’ grip was insufficient to climb on its own. This solution, however, could be problematic should the drivetrain be unable to work, because the winch was too weak to pull the stopped vehicle.

I intended to re-build the model after its fatal crash, but I became absorbed in other project, and eventually gave that one up.

Photos:

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38yTFbWKDQ8