As part of Gatwick Airport's £8 million investment in a new snow fleet, the facility has taken delivery of two new specialist de-icing trucks.
They are based on Scania chassis and fitted with high-pressure spraying equipment from Chafer Machinery of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. They also feature a state-of-the-art GPS control system, and are capable of de-icing a snowbound runway in just 15 minutes.
"While we have previously supplied Gatwick with trailer-mounted sprayers, this order represents the first time the airport has taken truck-mounted systems from us," says Rob Starkey, commercial manager for Chafer Machinery.
The Scania chassis selected for the task is a P 280 6x2*4MNA rear-steer rigid with a 280bhp Scania engine driving through a fully automatic Alison GA766 gearbox.
Supplied by Scania (Great Britain), Scunthorpe, the rear-steer configuration was specified to deliver maximum manoeuvrability and help preserve tyres.
The Chafer Machinery spraying equipment comprises a 10,000-litre de-icing fluid tank linked to twin fold 24m booms.
