The Brooklands Belle is a very special vehicle. Built in 1988 by Guardian Equipment. It was designed by the webmaster (Andy Lambert) and Gordon Jackson (brother of the
legendary Bill Jackson) and incorporated a number of features virtually unknown in recovery then. This was because it was designed as a mobile crane first and a recovery
vehicle second.  It had a lifting axel, but it is the middle axel that lifts, to increase the wheelbase and by so doing increase the lift capacity. The controls are mounted in a consul
under the flybridge not at the rear as with most RV's of the time. This was so the operator could see what was going on, and was away from any snapping winch cables!

It also had an onboard 250 volt generator and full mast head floodlighting, feed by a constant velocity reel drum. It carried 'spreader beams' that could be lifted from their
holders by the crane. All the controls could be operated from a remote control up to 20 meters from the vehicle. There was an inbuilt radio repeater station that picked up a
set of four walkie-talkies and relayed the signals up to several miles away. It has a forward mounted rescue winch and a pair of huge, powered, ground anchor feet.

It was all mounted on a DAF 2800 Turbo Intercooler Tractor unit, specially lengthened with, the edition of the lift up mid axel. It had a top speed of 70mph weighed
around 22 Tons and could theoretically winch 75 Tons. The crane could lift 32 Tons closed and 8 fully extended. It has been calculated that it holds the world record
for the number of aircraft lifts and rescues, by a Recover Vehicle. Today it is still operating with Langley Vale up on Epsom Downs.

The picture show the Belle lifting Brian Angliss Hawker Hurricane at Black Bush (the aircraft was sadly lost at Shoreham air display in 2008)  Below outside of
the then National Rescues HQ - The Control Tower at Brooklands Weybridge and moving a Hawker Hunter. All pictures by Andy Lambert.