Virgin Atlantic Airways has added the first two Iveco Eurocargos to its fleet of ground fleet maintenance vehicles at Gatwick and Heathrow, fitted with TMX maintenance lifts built by the Lift-a-Loft Corporation in Muncie, Indiana.
The Eurocargo 150E21’s were shipped to the USA to have the bodies mounted, since no bodybuilders in Europe were able to build a telescopic scissor lift to the required specification.
With a lift height of up to 32 ft, the vehicles are used for the maintenance of Virgin Atlantic aircraft at its two London hubs. Both Eurocargos have the capability to lift personnel and machinery to the tops of the tail on even the largest Airbus and Boeing aircraft, whilst remaining fully compliant with health and safety regulations.
“The telescopic scissor assembly minimises wheelbase requirements, providing maximum manoeuvrability without compromising platform height,” explains Martin Pillings, Procurement and Strategic Planning Manager at Virgin Atlantic Airways.
“We looked at the various chassis on the market and selected the Eurocargo based on its versatility and proven reliability in the industry. Vehicles such as these are amongst the most specialised ground fleet service vehicles within our operation, and it is likely they will enjoy a long life on the fleet,” he adds.
The platform lifts are fitted with tubular bumpers, to increase protection when working in close proximity with aircraft. They are also finished in Skydrol resistant paint, to protect the lift from the possibility of harsh chemical spills, and feature a non-slip platform surface to provide good traction for maximum safety.
In addition to the lift being controllable from the platform itself, there are also emergency back-up controls on the Eurocargo chassis, which allows the platform to be retracted and lowered in the event of an emergency.
The Eurocargo 150E21 is just one model in a considerable line-up of vehicles that can be mission-matched to all types of applications, with over 3,000 possible configurations available from the 300 basic models.
Both vehicles delivered to Virgin Atlantic are powered by a 5.9 litre Iveco tector engine which is capable of producing up to 210 hp at 2,700 rev/min, and a maximum of 680 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 2,100 rev/min.