Technology: The most powerful fire truck in the world, Big Wind
The Big Wind, designed by a team of Hungarian engineers originally as a means of mass decontamination for Cold War-era tanks in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attack, this fire fighting chimera has found a surprising niche in the modern world: putting out oil well fires. The Big Wind is one part T-34 tank and two parts MiG 21 jet engine. Specifically its a T-34 tank chassis with a pair of Mig 21 jet engines mounted to its roof. Windy needs three crewmen: a driver inside the tank to steer and stop it; a controller in a rear cabin at the back of the platform to run the jet engines and the water jets; and a fire chief who walks about 15 feet away, issuing orders to the two other crew members through a remote-control unit. When the water is turned on, the six nozzles above the MiG engines unleashes an immense blast of water that mingles with the jet exhaust and becomes a ferocious spray of steam. The water is moving at a maximum rate of 220 gallons of water a second or twice what an average US household uses in 24 hours. If you hooked up this machine's water pump to a typical suburban swimming pool, it would suck it dry in about 50 seconds.
Source: Extreme World |
Quick navigation
Social
|
Who are we?FRI Media (Pty) Ltd is an independent publisher of technical magazines including the well-read and respected Fire and Rescue International, its weekly FRI Newsletter and the Disaster Management Journal. We also offer a complete marketing and publishing package, which include design, printing and corporate wear and gifts. |
Weekly FRI Newsletter |