Saberwing007
Lugnuts 100
My entry for the Lugnuts 100th challenge on this site. This vehicle is a fictional Mercedes truck nicknamed the Coelacanth.
Background: The Mercedes-Benz Modular Special Electric Truck, or MSET, is a large vehicle designed to go where no other truck can, especially on other planets. A MSET can be configured with any number of options, depending on the task required. Multi wheel steering and all wheel drive ensure mobility, while specialized seals protect the drivetrain components and crew. This particular model, nicknamed the Coelacanth, due to its shape and coloration, is a 4 axle tractor connected to a 3 axle powered trailer, resulting in an articulated 14x14 vehicle. Attached to the back is an 80 ton capacity knuckle boom crane, for lifting and placing machinery. The crane is far more compact and maneuverable than any comparable straight boom crane, while the wheeled drive system provides more speed than a tracked crane. All equipment is carried on the crane, eliminating the need for separate support vehicles. The crane can either be controlled remotely, from the outside, or from the inside, through a VR system connected to wide angle cameras located on the outriggers and at the head of the crane boom. As well, the crane has an extendable counterweight system, providing increased capacity at radius. The truck itself has a hybrid range extender consisting of a methanol based steam generator and a compact radioisotope generator, which in turn feed the truck's bank of ultra-capacitors. The methanol generator is far safer and easier to fuel than a hydrogen fuel cell, while the radioisotope generator will recharge the truck, which is useful when external fueling is not an option. The tires of the truck, while they look like rubber, are not, and are actually made of a special carbon nanotube mesh, supported by internal springs, resulting in a light and durable tire that does not rely on air pressure, but can be programmed to adapt to terrain. In addition, this example has wheels that incorporate extendable grousers, which can widen the contact patch of the tire by a 50% margin, greatly increasing flotation.
Lugnuts 100
My entry for the Lugnuts 100th challenge on this site. This vehicle is a fictional Mercedes truck nicknamed the Coelacanth.
Background: The Mercedes-Benz Modular Special Electric Truck, or MSET, is a large vehicle designed to go where no other truck can, especially on other planets. A MSET can be configured with any number of options, depending on the task required. Multi wheel steering and all wheel drive ensure mobility, while specialized seals protect the drivetrain components and crew. This particular model, nicknamed the Coelacanth, due to its shape and coloration, is a 4 axle tractor connected to a 3 axle powered trailer, resulting in an articulated 14x14 vehicle. Attached to the back is an 80 ton capacity knuckle boom crane, for lifting and placing machinery. The crane is far more compact and maneuverable than any comparable straight boom crane, while the wheeled drive system provides more speed than a tracked crane. All equipment is carried on the crane, eliminating the need for separate support vehicles. The crane can either be controlled remotely, from the outside, or from the inside, through a VR system connected to wide angle cameras located on the outriggers and at the head of the crane boom. As well, the crane has an extendable counterweight system, providing increased capacity at radius. The truck itself has a hybrid range extender consisting of a methanol based steam generator and a compact radioisotope generator, which in turn feed the truck's bank of ultra-capacitors. The methanol generator is far safer and easier to fuel than a hydrogen fuel cell, while the radioisotope generator will recharge the truck, which is useful when external fueling is not an option. The tires of the truck, while they look like rubber, are not, and are actually made of a special carbon nanotube mesh, supported by internal springs, resulting in a light and durable tire that does not rely on air pressure, but can be programmed to adapt to terrain. In addition, this example has wheels that incorporate extendable grousers, which can widen the contact patch of the tire by a 50% margin, greatly increasing flotation.