MUNCIE, Ind. (October 23, 2009) – Lift-A-Loft Corporation announced that it has begun deliveries of its new Mobile Man Lift to the Naval Air Warfare Center in Lakehurst, N.J., for U.S. Marine Corps.”
Lift-A-Loft has completed development of a new product designed specifically to support maintenance operations on the V-22 Osprey manufactured by Bell Boeing. The Mobile Man Lift (MML) was developed to be a lightweight, easily deployable scissors lift that could access many points on the V-22. It was developed to operate in both land-based or ship-based environments.
The unit had to be very maneuverable, durable, simple to operate and maintain. A great deal of consideration was given to how today’s military functions and how this piece of equipment could be designed to fit the needs of the maintainers that work on the V-22. The USMC’s MV-22 version of the Osprey recently completed an 18-month deployment supporting combat operations in Iraq and is currently undergoing its first amphibious deployment aboard the USS Bataan. While the largest operator of the V-22 is the United States Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command also flies this one-of-a-kind tiltrotor aircraft.
“The development and testing of the MML was quite a process,” said Lift-A-Loft CEO William Fulton, “but in the end we believe we have created a maintenance lift that will be a definite asset to the V-22 program.” Lift-A-Loft is currently working to finish the first 31 production units ordered by Bell Boeing and is in negotiations to manufacture more.
The resulting product offers a combination of unique features that make the MML an ideal product for accessing and maintaining the V-22. The MML offers a platform with 24 inches of side-to-side traverse in either direction along with a 3-foot forward extension. This flexibility allows maintainers to position in hard to reach places around the rotor or other areas of the aircraft. The unit can elevate to a maximum height of 19 feet 2 inches and it offers 750 lbs. of capacity.
“The MML can effectively perform the work of two or three common military stands that are often employed for a variety of different access needs,” said Fulton, “and I expect the MML to become an effective maintenance tool that will help support both the V-22 and other military aircraft for years to come.”
The unit is electromagnetic interference shielded so that it can be used aboard ship or in other locations where EMI protected equipment is essential. The unit also has a flexible operating system that can function with either 24V DC power or 110V AC. The MML went through extensive environmental, reliability, mobility and maintainability testing to ensure it works in the most adverse of conditions.
