A Firefighter's Dream! Meet Big Wind, a Tank With Jet Engines That's a Fire Truck

I’ll admit that I have a knack for vehicles that have been created out of nothing by entities that aren’t established or aspiring auto manufacturers. I crave stories like this one because it proves something fantastic about us humans in general: if we want to do something, we will together.

This is why Big Wind deserves your attention. Not because it is a giant red fire truck based on a tank that also boasts two modified jet engines, no. It’s a statement of what mankind can do. It shows creativity and engineering go very well together with the circular economy. Old stuff can have new meanings. In this case, it also saved lives and the environment.

Big Wind or Windy might look like it’s a prop from “I Am Legend” or “Armageddon,” but it's real, and it appeared in this world for a very good reason. Back in the '80s and '90s, the Middle East was fully discovering its potential as an oil producer. Kuwait, unfortunately, was one of the countries that found out why having oil fields may be very, very dangerous. We'll get back to this later.

At the same time, in Europe, some engineers, chemists, technicians, and executives were trying to figure out ways in which they could come up with a fire truck that could be of use in extreme cases. The idea to do this research and create this machine was not entirely original, as the Soviets toyed with it too during their shiniest era.

A tank and a jet it is!

After many discussions and a lot of planning, they decided the best way to create a fire truck that can extinguish even the worst fires mankind could ever see was to use a tank and an airplane. That’s how a T-34 and two Tumansky R-25 MiG-21 jet engines ended up combined on the same machine. The implementation was done with the help of MB Drilling, and today the tank is the property of MOL – a Hungarian gas station chain.

They used the tank because they wanted to go anywhere with their new fire truck, and the tracks a T-34 had could improve traction and reduce the sinking risk, while the power from the jet engines meant water could be dispersed in such a strong way that it would, in the end, create a “wet” blanket of heavy mist. This meant every kind of fire could be stopped. Also, the tank’s weight and balance meant the pressure could be used to its maximum potential.

They didn’t have the chance to test Big Wind in Hungary, where it was created. The machine had to be put to its first test right in the middle of an international crisis. Kuwait saw its biggest tragedy when a huge area of land was engulfed in fire. Oil wells burst, and they couldn’t be stopped with what firefighters had available. They even considered using bombs to cut the fire’s oxygen, but this was too risky, expensive, and slow.

First test - a success!

Enter Big Wind. The massive fire truck was completed, transported by train to Kuwait, and put to work there. Three firefighters had to operate it: one to maneuver it, one to control the jets, and one to make sure the water goes where it needs to. At heart, it remained diesel-powered. It makes sense, since there's a huge need for torque coming relatively soon.

Windy used water from the sea and managed to help end the crisis that lasted for more than eight months. It could pump a maximum of 830 liters (219 gallons) per second!

Engineers also added a couple of tubes through which firefighters could introduce fireproofing solutions that helped with extinguishing the massive fires.

The tank-jet fire truck has completed its foreign mission and since then has been put through some minor modifications. It works even today. You can find it in Hungary, where MOL has its headquarters.

What a machine!