(Above left to right) Gerald Wheeler, President, Jerry Wheeler, Chairman, Neil Goodale, Regional Sales Manager-Maxim Crane Works, and Mark Strzok, Sales Representative-Maxim crane Works.

Contractors Cargo Company and Maxim Crane Works recently teamed up to dismantle and relocate a wind tunnel from the old Marquardt Aircraft facility at Van Nuys Municipal Airport to Edwards Air Force Base.

The entire Marquardt Aircraft complex in Van Nuys is being demolished by All Contractors, Inc., based in Moorpark. All Contractors issued bids on behalf of the Air Force to salvage the wind tunnel and transport it to Edwards.

"The bid process took about two months, according to President Gerald Wheeler of Contractors Cargo. "Once funding was arranged, we joined forces with Maxim Crane Works to move forward to disassemble the tunnel and deliver it to the Air Force."

The combined project started in November last year and took six weeks to accomplish and involved dismantling and pulling out the wind tunnel that was built in the 1960s and transporting it to Edwards. The Air Force plans to reassemble the tunnel with funding projected for FY 2004. The multi-million dollar test facility was known as the Marquardt Jet Laboratory and was one of the largest air breathing test facilities in the United States.

"The major components of the wind tunnel were ten high pressure air bottles that powered the unit and allowed air to enter the facility at supersonic speed, Wheeler explained. "Four of the vertical bottles weighed 250,000 pounds each and six 103,000 pounds. They had to be two-crane lifted and laid down on the transporters. We also had to transport the test cell to Edwards and it weighed about 335,000 pounds and measured 92'L x 18'W x 18'6H.

(Above) Contractors Cargo Co. used a Demag AC-1300 500 Ton Hydraulic Crane and a Link-Belt HC 278-H 300 Ton rubber tired truck crane provided by Maxim Crane Works to load the wind tunnel (335,000 lbs.) and recievers onto transport trucks.

"That's where Maxim Cranes came in, Wheeler added. "They used two cranes to load the bottles in Van Nuys and unload them for storage at Edwards. Our relationship with Maxim is ongoing and we've been able to jointly tackle crane and rigging projects where we supply the rigging expertise and Maxim the cranes. And with our heavy haul group it's a very, very good combination.

Maxim Crane Worksâ technical services sales rep Mark Strzok recalled that his firm's role in the project "was to supply cranes for loading out the wind tunnel and the receivers. The cranes we had on the project were a Demag AC-1300, which is a 500-ton hydraulic truck crane, and a Link-Belt HC 278-H 300-ton rubber tire truck crane.Strzok explained that once the materials arrived at Edwards Air Force Base "we utilized the AC 500-ton and offloaded one end at a time.

Strzok said that the wind tunnel was heavier than anticipated. "Luckily, we were still within chart and were working with a safety factor lifting to capacity with both cranes. Wheeler reported, "It was all both cranes wanted, if you know what I mean.

"Because of the recent demolition in the area, Strzok added, "the ground compaction wasn't just right so we utilized crawler mats underneath the outriggers for the truck cranes and it enabled us to disburse the loading that way. The crawler mats were 4â by 20â and 12 inches thick.

Contractors Cargo's assembly crew consisted of a superintendent Bob Traister and seven riggers. Maxim's assembly team for the AC-1300 consisted of eight men and the crane operator. The HC-278 crew was made up of the operator, oiler and four men.

"The air receivers (air bottles) were 90-feet tall and weighed 125 tons each. They had no lift lugs on them so we used special slings that were manufactured for the job by Lift-it Slings in Los Angeles, Strzok revealed. "Basically tension held the receivers in place much like tightening up on a hangman's noose.

Wheeler noted that Contractors Cargo and Maxim Crane Works are also working on several additional projects together. "One is the new 750-megawatt Pastoria Energy Facility near Grapevine on 30 acres at the Tejon Ranch. Also we're up at the old Rockwell Test Facility in Canoga Park salvaging the good equipment and Maxim is a big portion of that job helping us out. We're in the salvage mode and need to retrieve the equipment before they start coming in and bringing in operators with the bulldozers and wrecking balls.

(Above left) Wind tunnel loaded on 19-axle dual lane transporter. The wind tunnel had to be stripped down to load and haul to Edwards Air Force Base. (Above right) Lifting one of the four vertical 90 ft. 125 ton air bottles.

Contractors Cargo Company, based in Compton, was founded in 1933 and purchased in 1962 by Chairman Jerry Wheeler quickly establishing itself as one of the pioneers of the modern-day, specialized transportation and heavy hauling industry. Contractors Cargo has expanded its scope of operations over the years to offer a full line of rigging and equipment installation services as well as being one of the premier specialized heavy and super-heavy engineered transportation firms.

"Our transportation service includes the engineering of specialized transportation equipment and the design and fabrication of any required special hauling equipment, air-ride cushion or payload support system, President Gerald Wheeler explained. "We take pride in the enviable reputation that we have earned for the careful transportation of some very expensive, cumbersome and delicate freight.

Contractors Rigging & Erectors, a division of Contractors Cargo, is a full service rigging and erecting general contracting firm working on specialty nature projects for private industry. Clients include the aircraft and aerospace industry, as well as the power, petrochemical, chemical, liquefied gas, food processing, building, mining and metals industries.

Contractors Cargo boasts a list of prominent regular and long-time customers including the United States government, NASA, Flour Daniel, Bechtel, Brown & Root, Jacobs Engineering and countless general contractors, manufacturers and freight forwarders.

Maxim Crane Works in Wilmington is the nation's leading coast-to-coast, full service crane rental company. In fact, International Crane Magazine has named Maxim Crane Works "the largest crane rental company in the world" five years running. With over 45 locations, Maxim provides customers with equipment as small as a forklift or as large as a tower crane. The firm also offers bare rental or operated and maintained rentals.

Edwards Air Force Base occupies territory once explored by Spanish colonists and settled by pioneer homesteaders. The military base began as a remote bombing range in 1933 and became a major bomber-training base in World War II. The Air Force Flight Test Center originated during the war, and has since achieved more major milestones in flight than anywhere else in the world.