Snowbird 6 has been built for the express purpose of becoming the first vehicle ever to cross the treacherous Bering Strait ice bridge between Alaska and Siberia. Powered by a six cylinder Cummins diesel engine, the unique land/sea vehicle is akin to a large caterpillar tracked snow levelling machine with the addition of large, hydraulically operated Archimedes Screws mounted either side which generate both propulsive force and buoyancy when in the water.

They are also capable of pulling the machine out of the sea and back onto ice as it crosses approximately 39 crucial miles of ice flow running in a current of up to 8mph.

Following the Thames adventure, the Screws were remounted to 'float' in self-aligning bearings and the Haglan hydraulic drive pumps remotely mounted to prevent further stress. Having successfully completed an 18 hour trial run on a lake in Hereford, the machine was transported to the Port of Tilbury and is currently in transit to America onboard a freighter.

It will then board a Hercules transport plane for a flight to Nome, Alaska, from where it will start an epic three week, 400 mile journey to Siberia.

The voyage begins in March, when the 56 miles of Bering Strait is at its most frozen, a condition which also brings temperatures of -50º. In such circumstances, the benefits and technical advantages of hydraulic starting systems over battery starting for diesel engines become critical and have long been appreciated for marine applications. Snowbird 6 has a hydraulic starting system specially designed by the Engine Starting Division of the IPU Group of Oldbury UK. In addition to cold starting considerations, the system was also designed to fit into a limited space, equipped with ultra-low temperature Viton seals, and specified with a single, carefully selected viscosity of hydraulic oil.

MJ Information No: 16728