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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1990
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE NEW EQUIPMENT WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE CAD WITH INPUT FROM THE AIRPORT AIRCRAFT RECOVERY COMMITTEE AND THE LOCAL AVIATION INDUSTRY IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE IN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY AT KAI TAK.
"THE DARTS IS UNIQUE IN BEING THE FIRST SELF-PROPELLED AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SYSTEM PRODUCED AND IS ABLE TO REMOVE A DISABLED AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY IN THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, THUS ALLOWING NORMAL OPERATION TO RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER AN ACCIDENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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"THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS TRANSPORTER SYSTEM WILL GREATLY ENHANCE OUR CAPABILITY IN REMOVING DISABLED AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY AND ENABLE THE AIRPORT TO RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
"THE DARTS IS A HIGHLY MANOEUVRABLE MODULAR SYSTEM CONSISTING OF THREE LOW PROFILE HEAVY DUTY TRANSPORTERS WITH AN OVERALL LIFTING CAPACITY OF 300 TONNES.
"EACH TRANSPORTER, WITH 32 WHEELS, CAN BE USED INDEPENDENTLY, OR COMBINED IN VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS WITH THE OTHER TWO TRANSPORTERS," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
"THIS IS NECESSARY TO CATER FOR DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT SIZES RANGING FROM BOEING 747 TO SMALL GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT, AND TO COPE WITH DIFFERENT ACCIDENT SITUATIONS VARYING FROM RELATIVELY MINOR TO MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, HE ADDED.
WITH AN OVERALL PAYLOAD OF 300 TONNES, THE DARTS WILL LIFT A BOEING 747, THE HEAVIEST COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT, WITHOUT THE TIME CONSTRAINT OF WEIGHT REDUCTION OTHER THAN DEFUELLING AND CARGO REMOVAL FOR SAFETY AND CENTRE OF GRAVITY CONTROL PURPOSES.
EACH TRANSPORTER IS FITTED WITH A HYDRAULICALLY ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM WHICH CAN BE MOVED TO CONFORM WITH THE UNDERSIDE PROFILE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE LIFTED.
IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING TO A TRANSPORTER WOULD BE PLACED UNDER BACH WING, AND EITHER THE FORWARD OR REAR FUSELAGE, DEPENDING ON OF THE ACCIDENT.
BOEING 747, ONE THE THIRD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES
THE THREE TRANSPORTERS WOULD THEN BE COUPLED TOGETHER WITH A RIGID FRAME AND BE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AT UP TO SIX KILOMETRES PER HOUR WITH A B747 AIRCRAFT ON BOARD.
TO
IN THE CASE OF SMALLER AIRCRAFT, IT WOULD ONLY BE NECESSARY USE THE TWO WING TRANSPORTERS, WHICH WOULD BE RIGIDLY COUPLED SIDE-BY- SIDE OR END-TO-END. FOR LIGHT AIRCRAFT, ONLY THE FUSELAGE TRANSPORTER WOULD BE REQUIRED).
/THE DARTS
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