Model Team 5590 Whirl and Wheel Super Truck: What is the alternate mod

[Lasse D]

We all know how highly detailed and realistic Model Team vehicles are, so it is discouraging when I can't seem to find an answer to what the alternate model of 5590 Whirl and Wheel Super Truck is.

It looks like an airport vehicle.

There is no hose or water cannon to make it look like a firefighting vehicle. There is no equipment near the bottom to indicate that it might do something to the ground. There is a room in the back with an entrance, but inside there is some heavy machinery/pipes with some controls. The wheels on the top could indicate turbines.

Link to brickset with reviews asking the same question

What is this vehicle supposed to be?

[Alasdair Ryan]

It might be based on one of the thunderbird vehicles.

[Lasse D]

Searching for the answer there is a great idea Alasdair Ryan. I'm pretty sure LEGO has given us similar fantasy vehicles before.

Edit/addedndum:

In his review of the set, FROGG calls it a "pushback", that is, a tug for airplanes. This explains the looks and why there seemingly is a large engine, but then the model lacks the most important feature: the equipment for actually towing the airplane. It doesn't even have a tow hook.

The review (really good, actually. Worth the read)

Edited April 26, 2012 by Lasse D

[rriggs]

It could be an ultra modern take on an aircraft tug (it does have the lugs on the front where the jib could be attached I guess) but I think it's much more likely a random space/futuristic type vehicle rather than something based on real life.

I suspect that the designer just quite fancied using that blue cockpit on a ground-based vehicle....

Cheers

Rog

Edited April 26, 2012 by rriggs

[gotoAndLego]

It might be a futuristic vehicle, not something that has a counterpart in reality.

[Saberwing40k]

i think, given how it has the massive turbine engines, it might be an auxillary starter unit for large aircraft. i remember on an episode of Mythbusters a long time ago, they had this large generator cart that was used to start airplanes. although, i've never seen a self proppeled version before.

[DarkShadow73]

Another strange one is the 8446 Crane Truck, it is a different beast indeed. I'd love to have one, but there is one up for sale new on BL, and the shopkeeper won't take pre-order requests, she claims a worn-out box, which could mean several different things, broken seals, bashed in. Never really heard of a BL shopowner not to accept a pre-order request, but if you order the item, then have questions, and you don't like the answer, you might be considered NPB, and that wouldn't be fair either.

Searching for the answer there is a great idea Alasdair Ryan. I'm pretty sure LEGO has given us similar fantasy vehicles before.

Edit/addedndum:

In his review of the set, FROGG calls it a "pushback", that is, a tug for airplanes. This explains the looks and why there seemingly is a large engine, but then the model lacks the most important feature: the equipment for actually towing the airplane. It doesn't even have a tow hook.

The review (really good, actually. Worth the read)