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When the first giant A380 airbus finally lands at Heathrow Airport next year, its cabin will be re-stocked with in-flight meals, refreshments and other items such as magazines by one of two very special Mercedes-Benz trucks.
Operated by AirFayre, a leading supplier of catering to aircraft, the chassis are both new-generation 6x2 Econic 2629LL models with BlueTec® Euro 4 SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) engines.
They were supplied by dealer Orwell Truck and Van and are being fitted by Norwich-based specialist Emtek Support with GRP insulated box bodies that can be raised up to 8.2 metres in the air on mighty scissor lifts. The first of these remarkable trucks, which are costing AirFayre some £200,000 apiece, is currently undergoing trials; the second has yet to be built.
Because of the weight of the scissor lift and body, as well as ancillary equipment such as the stabilising jack legs, the payload on these 26-tonne gvw chassis is as low as four tonnes – but that’s still more than sufficient to fulfill the task for which they are designed.
The 555-seat, double-deck Airbus 380 represents the world’s most ambitious civil aviation project and the new aircraft will easily eclipse the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo’ jet in size. Built by a European consortium, the first Airbuses are expected to enter service sometime next year, possibly in the colours of Singapore Airlines.
Emtek Support Director Mark Fowler says: “We have long experience of building service vehicles with scissor lifts for aircraft, using technically advanced components designed and manufactured by Byron GSE in Australia. These two Econics, though, are by far the biggest yet and we’re taking it step-by-step, ensuring that we have the first absolutely right before we start work on the second.”
From headquarters in Heston, Middlesex, close to Heathrow Airport, Airfayre applies an award-winning, logistics-based approach to the airline catering business. The company operates a fleet of 40 aircraft support vehicles, more than half of which are based on 15-tonne, four-wheeled Mercedes Atego with the automatic transmissions essential for operation on airport aprons.
“We quickly realised, though, that because of the size and weight of the lifts and associated equipment, we were going to need six-wheeled chassis to service the new Airbus,” recalls Will Homans, Fleet Manager for the London-based Watermark Group, which owns Airfayre.
“Although the Econic is designed and most commonly used as a refuse collection vehicle, which makes it significantly more expensive than a conventional Mercedes Axor six-wheeler, we chose it because it comes as standard with an Allison automatic gearbox and could also be specified ex-factory with a rear-steer axle for much-needed extra manoeuvrability.
“All we had to do was have the wheelbases extended by 1200mm, a task we assigned to Leighton Buzzard specialist Chassis Developments.”
Mr Homans adds: “Mark has now built 18 of our trucks and Emtek’s commitment to quality is admirable. Our new Econics also have air suspension which, coupled with their Euro 4 engines, will make them smooth, quiet and environmentally-friendly in operation on the airport apron.” |
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