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10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
Massive Machines Gallery
World's Largest Digger: Digs, Potentially Destroys World

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MegaZone
08/13/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
The B-2 is pretty big, but it seems out of place on this list. The C-5, An-124, An-225, B747, or A380 are even more impressive, if not as alien looking.
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Gann
08/11/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale

My favorite massive machine has always been the C5 Galaxy.
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Gann
08/11/09

@Gann: Here it is NOMMING on an M1
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Nathan Bingham
08/11/09

@Gann: I was always partial to the antonov an-225
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MegaZone
08/13/09

@Nathan Bingham: That's an An-124, not the An-225. The -225 is a larger derivative of the -124 originally designed to carry Buran. It has 6 engines instead of 4, using the same outer wing sections attached to an extended inner wing. And it has twin vertical tails on the ends of the horizontal stabilizer, not the single vertical tail of the -124 seen here.
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UnderLoK
08/11/09

In reply to Massive Machines Gallery
I’ve never seen that helicopter before, that thing is crazy.
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Rex the Decadent
08/11/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
I have ridden the yellow beast featured at the top. For the uninitiated, its called a 'HaulPak' truck, a very common piece of machinery used in most of the open cast mines everywhere in the world. The tires are about 11 feet high, and the height of the riding cabin is 22 fricking feet. The best part, there are no gears! The entire thing is completely hydraulic and in the words of the driver "even a 3 year old can drive it".
The skill lies in manoeuvring the damn thing, I myself have seen a Jeep being crushed to nothingness with this. Apparently the guy was sleeping on the trucks steering wheel (!) and saw his supervisor coming from a distance. So he hurriedly put the thing in motion and did not see the Jeep (with people inside) right ahead of it. Sadly, those sitting inside did see the yellow monster and jumped out in time.
One of these machines costs about $25-30K.
The largest beast I personally have been on is this:
[en.wikipedia.org]
I think the one featured in image 8.
Thank god I did not pursue mining.
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grindel
08/11/09

@rexsjain:
I work in Peoria, IL where we make these machines. The 960E has 12.5 foot diameter tires, carries 360 tons for an all up weight of 1.4 million pounds travelling at 45 mph. It is powered by a diesel electric powertrain. (i.e. all of the 3500 hp from the 78 liter V20 engine is converted to electricity and delivered to wheel motors in the back) You slipped a couple digits on the cost. I don't think you would be able to buy a 960E for less than 4 million.
yeah, visibility is a problem, some install cameras all around, but they have trouble living on haul roads.
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Rex the Decadent
08/12/09

@grindel: Hey, thanks for correcting the mistakes and providing accurate figures. It has been about 4 years since I last came across one of these. The price? I converted it from Indian Rupees, and hence the fuck up.
You make these machines? Damn nice.
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MacBandit
08/10/09

In reply to Massive Machines Gallery
Nice article but the editor might be remiss in their knowledge of the Spruce Goose.
Planes were made from wood for a long time before they started using aluminum and steel. There's really nothing wrong with using it except that it weighs more than a similar structure made of aluminum.
Also it might be noted that the Spruce Goose was a response to both a question (can it be done) and a need (the lack of steel and aluminum during the war).
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John Herrman
08/12/09

@MacBandit: Yes, but for the sake of brevity, I decided to just make fun of it.
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MacBandit
08/12/09

@John Herrman:
I've seen it in person and once you do that it's hard to make fun of. Very impressive piece of engineering.
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Edited by MacBandit at 08/12/09 2:57 AM MacBandit was starred MacBandit was unstarred

Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
08/10/09

In reply to Massive Machines Gallery
The Seawise Giant (Knock Nevis) is no longer considered a ship. Technically it's a floating oil storage tank used to fuel other tankers.
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ursa
08/10/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
They put in a wind farm a few years back and the turbines and blades were shipped from Europe via a strange looking ship. Being curious I drove up to the dock and saw just how huge those blades are.
If you really want to see big go to a steel mill. That stuff is crazy big made small only by the mining equipment.
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tande04
08/10/09

@ursa: Yeah I see them on the interstate all the time. Its kind of amazing how big they actually are.
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geiko
08/10/09

In reply to Massive Machines Gallery
I've seen the Space Shuttle Conveyor on a trip to Cape Canaveral. That whole place is made up of awesomeness. Only downside to this thing is that it moves really slow. I forget the speed they told us, but let's just say you're not winning any drag races on that thing.
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Homerjay. Good and good for you. promoted this comment geiko was starred geiko was unstarred

Homerjay is utterly alone.
08/10/09

@geiko: You are if you can literally crush the competition before the race starts.
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92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

In reply to Massive Machines Gallery
I had a friend who drove a Komatsu for a year.
She's maybe 5'2" and weighed less than 100 lbs. The pictures of her standing next to the tires were priceless.
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
08/10/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Is she single, available , and cute?
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92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

@GitEmSteveDave_Doesn'tAddFees: Married with many kids, but yes.
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
08/11/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Oh well.
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TrixGomez
08/10/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
behold, the bagger 288 !

http://www.rathergood.com/bagger288
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92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

@TrixGomez: FYI, it's a video with (batshit insane) sound. But pretty awesome.
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wileecoyote
08/10/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Um, "batshit insane" does not begin to describe the batshit insanity of that song.
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92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

@wileecoyote: True. But when I tried to capture it accurately, I found my descriptive powers lacking.
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wileecoyote
08/10/09

@92BuickLeSabre: You'll note that I didn't have a better descriptor either. Maybe from this day forward "Bagger 288" is the new batshit insane.
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92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

@wileecoyote: Done and done.
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zenpoet
08/11/09

@wileecoyote: I think the woman was actually being "de-meated" by the Bagger 288 while she attempting to sing.
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Henzapper
08/10/09

In reply to 10 Machines So Huge They'll Destroy Your Sense of Scale
Wow, those are so big that for some reason I got scared just looking at them.

Edit: I just realized that I just made myself a target of "That's what she said." But since that's so old now, no one would do that to me, right?
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92BuickLeSabre promoted this comment Edited by Henzapper at 08/10/09 7:18 PM Henzapper was starred Henzapper was unstarred

92BuickLeSabre
08/10/09

@Henzapper: No one would do it to you?
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