Timsan Unveils Purpose-Built SDI1890 Aircraft Deicer Prototype at GSE Expo Europe in Lisbon
Why It MattersThe launch reflects ground-support manufacturers designing dedicated deicing platforms to meet airlines' increasingly compressed aircraft turnaround requirements.
Turkish ground support equipment manufacturer Timsan introduced the SDI1890, a purpose-built aircraft deicer prototype, on September 15 at GSE Expo Europe in Lisbon, marking the first day of the show. The unit departs from Timsan's earlier deicing vehicles, which were built on commercial truck chassis from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and MAN, instead offering an integrated platform designed for single-operator use.
The prototype can reach heights of up to 18 meters with a lateral outreach of 10 meters, and it carries a total of 9,000 liters of fluid — 5,000 liters of hot water, 2,000 liters of deicing fluid and 2,000 liters of anti-icing fluid. It features a hydrostatic drive system, four-wheel drive, multiple steering modes including four-wheel, two-wheel and crab steering, an intelligent fluid management system, and a boom capable of automatically moving to a preset position.
Berguzar Ulusoy, sales manager at Timsan, called it "the first unit" and said it is "very one of a kind." Suat Goktan, also speaking at the introduction, pointed to increasingly compressed aircraft turnaround times as a primary driver behind the machine's development, saying shortened turnaround times require faster and smarter units. Timsan is using the expo to gauge market interest, particularly among operators in cold-weather markets. Founded in 1982, the company manufactures more than 75 types of ground support equipment at two factories in Istanbul, with products operating in more than 70 countries.
