Airplane Cradles
Moving aircraft without landing gear
The Customer
Aerocircular was a Belgian company based at Ostend Airport, specialising in the circular dismantling of passenger aircraft. Instead of selling aircraft for scrap, Aerocircular took apart all the materials for high-quality repurposing. The ultimate goal: to return materials to the aircraft industry instead of to the smelter.
The Challenge
During the recycling process, aircraft are dismantled step by step. Once the landing gear is removed, the aircraft can no longer be moved. But it still has to go to the diamond cable saw to be cut into sections. A way was needed to stably carry and move an aircraft without wheels.
The solution
SMO developed and manufactured custom-made airplane cradles. These heavy structures carry the aircraft after the landing gear is removed, and allow the aircraft to be moved to the Diamond Wire Saw that SMO previously developed for Hilti. Each cradle carries a load of up to 15,000 kg.
Technical Specifications
- Type Airplane cradles
- Carrying capacity 15,000 kg per cradle
- Application Aircraft recycling
- Combination with Hilti Diamond Wire Saw
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