[MOC] Volvo FH

[Sebeus I]

I finally did it, I've built a Volvo.

It took me little more than a month to design, collect parts and build it, which is pretty short for my standards, I usually take (or loose) more time to fully complete a MOC of these proportions.

The scale is, roughly, 1/20 and it has some functional features. Using LEGO power functions the vehicle can drive, steer, lift its 2nd drive axle, flash its beacon lights and operate the hooklift system. To be perfectly honest, not all of its features work the way I wanted them to work. The chassis was a bit small to incorporate all of these functions. I may design a new chassis at some point (more of that below)

For me the highlight of this model is the cab really, getting the proportions of an FH right was a challenge, I had to make many compromises, choose the lesser of two evils. Of all truck brands, the Volvo just has the most complex design to replicate in the brick. But that is of course because a Volvo is the most pretty truck of them all after all.

As I am employed at Volvo Trucks I simply had to build Volvo’s flagship.

When Covid is over, I’ll drive it around the office landscape :).

You may have noticed, the cab is not a square box, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to best approach the silhouette of the FH cab. It gets slightly more narrow higher up.

The chassis is packed, I had to fit the battery box and two receivers in the cab, which is one of the reasons why there's no interior.

Now, I'm sure some of you will most certainly have some suspicions about the feasibility of my hooklift system here... And they would be right!

To be honest, the hooklift doesn't work all that well, lifting a container is a bit too much. It was only after I had completed the chassis that I learned about some sort of quality problem with those linear actuators I've used. But I think the fact that the very short leverage to rotate the hooklift may also have something to do with it. That of course was a consequence of the limited stroke of these actuators. This calls for the new longer actuators! ... However, that means I'll have to completely redesign the chassis...

I have a couple of WIP pictures that I may share later.

 

I hope you like it!

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Sebeus I

[suffocation]

Love it

[1gor]

Impressive amount of functions in 1:20 scale 

[caiman0637]

This looks amazing! 

[Scoar Sonander]

Absolutely beautiful! Great use of space, and loads if functions! I like the way you made the second axle lift, and if I'm correct, the mechanism uses linear actuators? Very complex shapes used in the cabin with all those angle plates. Will there be a trailer or something for the hook lift to actually lift? Please make a video! I would love to see this model in action! Cheers! 

[deraven]

Looks great in that color and with great brick geometry, plus so many well-integrated functions!  Excellent build!  

[Sebeus I]

12 hours ago, Scoar Sonander said:

Absolutely beautiful! Great use of space, and loads if functions! I like the way you made the second axle lift, and if I'm correct, the mechanism uses linear actuators? Very complex shapes used in the cabin with all those angle plates. Will there be a trailer or something for the hook lift to actually lift? Please make a video! I would love to see this model in action! Cheers! 

Thank you, I did not use any linear actuators on the bogie lift, the 2nd drive axle is lifted via a leverage (orange beams) connected to a rotating axle in the rear.

That function is controlled by an M-motor which is located in the wheelbase of the vehicle (not in this picture)

I'm having some trouble making the hooklift work in a consequent manner so I intend to redesign that part.

Video link

[chlego]

Looks and functions great! The cabin is well designed, keeping the functions that you have. Cool!

[Sebeus I]

I have some WIP shots for the interested;

I considered adding a windshield but that wasn't a succes, It looked more like shattered safety glass .

Then it hit me, most Technic models don't even have windshields, what a waste of time.

I was actually prepping the Spectre in the background, I've been working on way too many MOCs at the same time, it gets really chaotic at times...

There are more WIP pictures in my Brickshelf gallery as well as some additional pics of the finished model.

[Jundis]

This is really impressive. The lines are almost perfect. Although, this is more scale modelling than technic isnt it? ;-)

[Sebeus I]

1 hour ago, Jundis said:

This is really impressive. The lines are almost perfect. Although, this is more scale modelling than technic isnt it? ;-)

I'd say it's a little bit of both, a hybrid!

A System cab on a Technic chassis as it were.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Sebeus I

[mpj]

This Volvo cab in "creator" style is really well done! I still think that some lego panels mixed to system parts could easily help to make the shapes ;-)

Chassis and functions are super!

[Lakop]

Lovely moc! The wheel arch on the cab is very nice.

H

[vascolp]

Last sunday I was driving and passed through a truck like that, and immediately thought "that´s where that MOC came from!". I think I had never noticed those trucks before.

Good work!