The Royal Air Force was one of the first to take advantage of the faster deicing and even quicker turnarounds that are now the norm following the purchase of a Global ER-2875 deicer by Bangor International Airport, Maine.
Dubbed the Beast from the East, the deicer has the longest side reach and highest cab/nozzle height of any mobile deicer in the world, bringing the operator’s eye level to an impressive 78 feet.
Specifically designed for larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A-380, Antonov An-225, C5 and C17 military airplanes and similarly large cargo planes, the ER-2875 has a total fluid tank capacity of 2,800 gallons (10,500 liters) with a flow rate of 60 gpm (227.1pm).
With a hydraulically-driven centrifugal compressor mounted on the operator platform, the deicing system uses forced air, either alone or in combination with deicing fluid, to remove all forms of frozen contamination from the critical surfaces of the aircraft.
“What this means is better visual inspection of the aircraft when cleaned and, from the pilot’s standpoint, a speedier de-icing process and faster turn-around,” says Airport Director Tony Caruso. “The extra 10 feet of boom will be particularly valuable on larger military and cargo aircraft with a T-tail configuration.”
