The job involved two Valla electric powered mobile cranes at BAE Systems’ Brough site, East Yorkshire, carefully lifting a 21.5m long 8t fuselage from a road trailer onto dedicated transportation trolleys.
Overseen by a team of five of Peter Hird & Sons’ senior lifting engineers, it was a crucial operation for BAE systems, who will be assembling the section of the Nimrod fuselage to a new wing section to form an aircraft specimen for structural testing purposes.
Peter Hird & Sons selected a Valla 180E and 250E because of their non-polluting electric power combined with excellent performance envelope.
Thanks to the hydraulic four-section telescopic booms fitted to both cranes the delicate 8t fuselage proved light work for the Vallas, which have capacities of 18t and 25t capacity respectively.
As with all Valla pick and carry models, the key benefit is in their mobility, and unhindered by the limitations of outriggers or fixed track gantries, moving the Nimrod fuselage proved a simple task.
Paul Birnie, BAE Systems’ projects engineer said: “With a total capital procurement cost of around £3million, it’s crucial that we get our logistics for the project right.”
He added: “Having specialist suppliers we can rely on keeps us on track. Peter Hird & Sons has shown the effectiveness of pick and carry cranes.”
