OREANDA-NEWS. December 08, 2009. On November 10 2009 special vehicle park of Moscow Airport Domodedovo was completed by a new airdrome fuel tank trailer (model TZA-18-1823 "Low Profile").

The sample is a joint project of JSC Scientific Production Centre "Aviatechnology" and CJSC "Mercedes Benz Rus" implemented by an order of a fuel tanking company "Domodedovo Fuels Services" for the needs of Airport Domodedovo. The vehicle is the first sample of a new family of low profile fuel tanks manufactured in Russia.

At the moment the number of Airbus medium-haul A319 and A320 aircraft type being handled by airports is constantly growing. Despite aircraft fuel efficiency they have a distinctive peculiarity namely a filling nozzle located on a wing on 3,2 m high over the ground. It is very low for an ordinary fuel tank trailer and it makes it impossible to fuel the above mentioned types of aircraft from under the wing.

The need for a fuel tank to handle such "low" aircraft directly from under its wing with no supporting equipment was obvious since it saves handling time. It was calculated that the height of such a fuel tank trailer had not been more than 2,75 m.

The task was successfully solved by means of a tailored Mercedes-Benz Axor 1823L low underframe with a 4х2 wheel arrangement and 170 kW engine (231 h.p.).

The underframe is equipped with an adjusted air suspension for back and forward axles which allow for both overcoming various obstacles on an apron and provide minimum clearance when moving under a wing of aircraft.

The tank volume is 18 000 liters and the trailer itself is fitted with a lift platform. In order to minimize the vehicle length special equipment of the trailer is fitted on to the frame under the tank both sides. Such a solution made the fuel tank trailer not only low but also short. This is vitally important for maneuvering among planes on the apron.

There are a lot of vehicles manufactured by Mercedes in Domodedovo: from sewage cesspool tank trucks to public cleansing vehicles.