Cold War Missile Lifted by Grove AT Crane
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May 13, 2015 - A recent addition to the Hayward Gallery terrace in Central London is a remnant of the Cold War. The 6-tonne decommissioned missile and launcher named the Bloodhound was designed and built in Britain in the late 1950s as a defense against Russian nuclear warheads. With the help of a Grove GMK6300L all-terrain crane, the missile flew through the air to become part of the "History is Now" exbhibition at the gallery.
The six-axle Grove crane’s compact design enabled it to negotiate the confined space behind the gallery, installing the giant missile at a radius of 64 m. The crane was supplied by Purfleet-based crane hire company City Lifting, and the job was completed in just five hours, in two lifts – first the 3.7 t launcher, then the 2.3 t missile.
“The missile looked very impressive on its launcher when lit up at night on the South Bank - quite intimidating, pointing towards the City,” said Trevor Jepson, managing director for City Lifting. “The long reach and high capacity of the Grove GMK6300L makes it ideal for carrying valuable cargo in tight spaces in central London, and this is one of many jobs in the city where this crane has proven good performance and versatility.”
The missiles were designed in Britain within two years of the Soviet Union testing an atom bomb in 1949. Stationed along the east coast from 1958 until 1991, and designed to pass the speed of sound in seconds, they were intended as a last line of defense to destroy nuclear warheads in mid-air, moments before they hit British soil. The Bloodhound missile featured at the Hayward Gallery throughout the exhibition period, giving visitors a rare opportunity to discover the Cold War weapon.
