• compromise on safety
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Steve Gray tests the NCB Angus CSV fire tender Pictures by Dick Ross
MOST STANDARD 400gallon fire tenders are at best a compromise, being based on a truck chassis-cab or chassis-scuttle — with all the disadvantages converting :Rich a vehicle brings.
Crew accommodation is limited and the cab structure tends to be fairly weak, invariably made of a wooden framework covered with aluminium alloy or grp panels. This sort 'of construction is particularly susceptible in an accident, and firemen like all other road-users are just as likely to find themselves in collision with road furniture or other vehicles.
In addition, at the sort of speeds a fire appliance needs to maintain to reach the scene of the blaze, the risks of a collision or roll-over are greatly increased.
Some years ago the Tottonbased manufacturer of fire appliances, HCB Angus, decided to look at the feasibility of building standard tenders which would incorporate high crew safety and yet still be built on a production chassis. This new vehicle was named the CSV, water tender type B and just recently CM has been putting one through its paces.
Bedford chassis e The chassis chosen by HCB Angus for the CSV was the Bedford KG 500. This particular chassis has a fire engine package which includes Bedford's coach engine and a Turner five-speed gearbox.
Bedford chassis, says HCB, are one of the most popular for fire service men. A wheelbase of 3.85m (12.6ft) was chosen, allowing increased locker capacity to carry the high level of equipment necessary on a modern appliance.
A naturally aspirated 8.2-litre i500cuin) Bedford six-cylinder diesel engine is fitted to the appliance and this drives through a Turner five-speed gearbox giving a top speed of over 1 13km /h
(70mph). . Without doubt, however, the most unusual feature of the CSV is the construction of the cab structure.
.The chassis, scuttle is cut 'down to floor level and a completely new framework built up on to it. Square sectioned steel tubing is used for most of the framing, but specially rolled sections for the windscreen pillars and front cross-member are included.
The windscreen pillar sections are, in fact, very slim, but as crash tests at MIRA have shown they are also tough. To • protect the occupants tluring a roll-over incident, a strong central section is built into the roof.
NCB Angus worked in conjunction with the Cranfield School of Automotive Studies on the design of the complete cab structure., Other areas to come under scrutiny were the energy absorption capacity of the door structure to side intrusion and the strength of the door latches.
To prove the whole cab structure, tests including a roof crash test and oblique impacts to the nearside front corner were carried out at MIRA.
AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ASPECT ON ANY FIRE APPLIANCE IS THE MOUNT
'During an accident, the full tank can break loose and come forward into the crew compartment. There are two ways to prevent this. The 'first is to securely anchor the tank, and the second is to provide a tough bulkhead in front of the tank thus preventing intrusion.
HCB has anchored. its tank so' securely that it meets all likely future legislation.
Striking looks
• The outward appearance of the CSV is striking, indeed. Its clean, modern lines are stylish yet functional. There's plenty of glass area both towards the front and at the sides to give good all-round vision. A two-member crew area is arranged at the front, while behind there's room for four more.
Some novel put practical innovations have been built into the interior design by HCB. These include special internal styling by Ogle Design Ltd which has resulted in a streamlined dashboard and neat door trims.
In the rear compartment provision has been made for the four crewmen to be able to put on their breathing equipment while seated. Each breathing set is fitted behind the occupant and can be strapped on easily while the CSV is in motion To release them from their storage points, pull handles are located beneath the seats.
On the road
• There was . little point in running the CSV around any of our normal test routes, as they would hardly he applicable to everyday service use.
In order to appraise . the vehicle properly, we took it to the Gloucestershire fire service at Cheltenham where the brigade engineer, Ted Nurse, showed us around their normal test circuit. This consists of a steep, constant gradient at the end of which there is a sharp left-hand turn and a further gradient. The CSV climbed the gradient without apparent concern, giving a good account of itself when compared to rival makes.
Braking was good, both on. the road and at MIRA where a 40mph full-pressure stop produced a maximum deceleration of 0.80g. My one complaint with the vehicle's performance concerned the steering.
Although HCB says most brigades prefer a manual box I must say that I found it far too heavy for low-speed manoeuvring and it was cumbersome even at higher speeds. The rationale for not fitting power steering is that the drivers can loose the necessary "'feel'', but I would think the heavy manual steering would present more potential hazards. To be fair, HCB can and do offer a power option, so the choice is there.
Apart from minor annoyances, such as the mirrors getting dirty quickly in rainy weather -owing to the design of the front wings which, says HCB, are to be modified -I had no other complaints.
Entry to the cab was easy and the doors closed with a satisfying
-click-. Forward vision through the huge flat front screen was excellent with no surface reflections.
The extremely well laid out dashboard had a bank of tumbler switches which come easily to the driver's left hand. Controls for lights, indicators and horn were all mounted on the steering column.
As well as being a modernlooking appliance, the HCB is also a quiet machine. At high speed it was still possible to hold a normal conversation between driver and crew members—an important point when instructions need to be
given while rushing to the scene of a fire.
'Summary
• Without doubt the CSV is an advanced and well engineered vehicle. It offers a vast amount of storage space in its side lockers and comes fully equipped. More importantly, it has been designed to protect its occupants, while at the same time making their job easier.
Naturally, the CSV costs more than a normal water tender of the same size. Nevertheless, safety conscious brigades may will be prepared to make the investment.
• Stephen Gray