Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1193118
VIP MTB Viper, a medium trackway bridge, is a modular structure designed to be assembled quickly by means of a lightweight launcher, enabling crossing obstacles of a width of 4 up to 9 meters. The span length can be chan- ged by the addition of further modules in several confi- gurations. The bridge is composed of modules. The basic module measures 5 m in length and makes it possible to cross obstacles which are 1 meter narrower. It can be trans- ported on a launcher vehicle or on a trailer. The module's load-carrying capacity is MLC40/MLC8, and its width is 2.8 m. An MLC40 beam measures 60 cm in width, and an MLC8 beam – 1.05 m. Such a span weighs 1,100 kg. Virtually any vehicle suitable to have the launching mo- dule weighing 90 kg fitted on it can act as a launcher. The module comes with an own hoist supplied with power from the carrier vehicle's system. The main factor deter- mining a vehicle's suitability as a launcher is the vehicle's weight. It may not exceed 4 tons on account of the fact that when the bridge is launched, the weight of the span is counterbalanced by the weight of the launcher vehicle. It takes less than 2 minutes for the crew to get the vehicle ready for the launching operation – it needs to be men- tioned here that the assembly of the launcher does not involve interfering with the structure of the carrier vehicle, as shown by the use of the Jelcz 442 4x4 truck. The launcher may be fixed to the front or rear of the vehicle, or even on a trailer used to transport the bridge but it's still important to bear in mind the maximum per- missible weight. Launching the bridge itself is very simple and requires no tools – all of the elements of the span are connected to each other by means of quick disconnect couplings, which can be handled manually. The time required to launch a 5-meter-long span over a field obstacle is 5 mi- nutes if there are 4 men handling the operation. www.fragoutmag.com