Recovery Vehicle

Recovery Vehicles are secondary vehicles used by International Rescue. By means of suction clamps connected to hawsers, they rescue jeopardised vehicles and drag hazardous structures away from dangerous locations. There are three slave Recovery Vehicles.

Design
Needs verification. At the front of the Recovery Vehicle is a hermetically sealed control cabin and a port side exit hatch. The quartz windscreen is Cahelium-strengthened. Below the windscreen is a hawser triangulation sensor; it calculates the distance between the Recovery Vehicle and target so the ideal length of cable is utilised in rescue operations. Inside the cabin is a systems computer which controls life support, suction, electro-magnetics, suction clamp gravity, and engine monitoring. Additionally, it helps the driver operate other Recovery Vehicles. It can itself be managed from Thunderbird 2 if the driver is required elsewhere. Atop the cabin are two antennae; the port antenna relays command data to other Recovery Vehicles, and the starboard antenna is for communication. Either side behind the cabin is a filtered turbine air intake. Atop each airtake is a suction clamp cannon housing a Cahelium-strengthened hawser cable. The cannons have a variable-angle suction clamp cannon hinge next to them. At the end of the two cables is the suction clamp. This is a combination of vacuum suction, electro-magnetics, and artificial gravity generators, providing strong adhesion. It has a vacuum suction nozzle and gravity field projectors which are adjustable. Around the suction clamp is an electro-magnetic rim plate. Inside the suction clamp is a gravity field generator ring and an air/vacuum suction motor. Behind each cannon is a cable storage drum and fixed housing. Incorporated in the drum is rotation gearing. Situated in the middle of the Recovery Vehicle is a 900 bhp power turbine amongst a fuel blender valve and fuel tanks. Behind the power turbine are fuel cells, gearing, brake and clutch systems, a cable retraction electric motor, and hydraulic suspension. Next to these is cable retraction gearing capable of locking the cable when it is attached to the target. This enables the entire Recovery Vehicle to be used when shifting the target. Behind the gearing at the very back of the Recovery Vehicle is a motor access panel. Each cable has a conduit linking each cannon to a storage drum situated behind. The starboard caterpillar track uses the back wheel as its main drive wheel.

Technical data
Hawser length: 800 feet. Length: 50 feet. Top speed: 50 mph. Weight: 40 tons. Weight handling: 150 tons.