Fire Engines Photos

why was it retired so young?

Added by Donald Maclean on 13 April 2014.

Apparently Manchester airport have purchased a new model so Bournemouth Airport will now receive the older one and this was no longer needed.

Added by on 30 April 2014.

Comment removed at request of Commentor

Now on the Bay UK! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIRE-ENGINE-AIR-CRAFT-CRASH-TENDER-6-WHEEL-DRIVE-/400702318010?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item5d4bb825ba

Added by Tim Cooper on 02 May 2014.

Andy, I can't believe they're replacing the Cobra 2s so soon! The oldest two are what, 13-14 years old so fair enough for those two but the two newer ones have a bit of life left in them!

Unless Manchester Airport Group are planning on moving the Cobras to Bournemouth/Humberside to update their fleets?

Added by Michael Penny on 13 May 2014.

Does the Striker require less crew to operate than the Cobra's which are now a generation behind the latest offerings from Rosenbaur and Oshkosh? Whenever I've seen the guys at Manchester train the monitor has always been operated manually by one of the crew whereas the Striker doesn't seem to have that option. I read in the local press recently that Manchester were proposing to reduce the numbers on each watch with the fire service so imagine the new trucks will allow that. The 3 million that 6 new trucks will cost would not take very long to recoup with half a dozen fewer firefighters on each watch.

Added by Mick Logan on 15 May 2014.

Comment removed at request of Commentor

Mick,
I cannot tell about the striker but I know that the roof an bumper monitors of the Rosenbauer Panther are be operated from with in the cabin. This is very helpful in pump and roll use and also safer. Additional crew is needed for the hoses, of course. I guess it's very much the same for the Oshkosh

Added by Martin Siegel on 19 May 2014.

Interesting info Andy and Martin, it seems that operating the monitors by the driver allows the same number of firefighters on the ground with one fewer crewmember. I think the Striker is not quite as elegant as the Panther but am looking forward to seeing them at Manchester.

Added by Mick Logan on 21 May 2014.

The beast in the picture above is powered by a Detroit Diesel 12V-92 which is a V12, 18 litre (approx.) 2-Stroke, Supercharged and Turbocharged diesel engine. It's so far past it's environmental use-by date that, sadly, it had to go. The vehicles replace it are powered by Caterpillar C18 straight 6 diesels that themselves no longer meet emissions regs. The latest Oshkosh Strikers have Deutz engines instead.

Added by The Beard on 05 January 2016.

"In the late 80's, Fire Trucks designed a new larger major foam tender with input form Manchester airport and this was the Marlin. The Marlin was a futuristic looking modular design (remember this was the 80's) that would allow customers to have the truck tailored to there requirement in a way that was never possible before. The first truck was built in 1989, using a custom variant of the Reynolds Boughton Griffin Chassis and a top hamper designed by Fire Trucks but built by Northern Counties in Wigan. Northern Counties were a long established coachbuilder who at the time were partly owned by Greater Manchester Transport - who also part owned Manchester airport."

For much more on this interesting type see

www.projectmarlin.co.uk/history

Added by Petros on 01 September 2025.

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