Airport’s million dollar baby

• November
• 30

6:48 am Trucks

Queenstown Airport’s brand new fire truck R2 is ready for business.

After using the same old R1 fire truck for nearly 20 years, senior fire chief Bill Wrigley can’t wait to show off the nearly $1 million purchase imported from Austria.

“I started in 1988 at the same time we got the R1 truck, which will eventually be replaced by another new model,” Wrigley says.

“This new one is completely electric and can be operated just by touching the screen – no more pulling levers.”

The 23-tonne truck can go from 0-80kmh in under 30 seconds and handle all types of terrain.

It can pump out more than double the amount of water and foam of the old truck – 4000-5000 litres per minute, emptying the 6500-litre tank in a minute and a half.