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Dennis Rapier

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Dennis Rapier
Facelift Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Dennis Rapier in Bridlington in August 2011
Overview
TypeFire engine
ManufacturerDennis Specialist Vehicles
Production1991-2000s
AssemblySlyfield Industrial Estate, Guildford
DesignerCapoco Design (1993 facelift)
Body and chassis
ClassLarge goods vehicle (N2, N3)
Body styleCab over engine
RelatedDennis Sabre
Powertrain
EngineCummins C260-21, turbocharged
TransmissionAllison MCDR 'World Series' five-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase3,600 mm (141.7 in)
Length6,490 mm (255.5 in)
Width2,350 mm (92.5 in)
Height2,537 mm (99.9 in)
Kerb weight1,400–3,460 kg (3,086–7,628 lb)[1]
Chronology
PredecessorDennis RS/SS series
SuccessorDennis Dagger

The Dennis Rapier is a purpose-built fire engine produced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, Surrey, England from 1991 to the early 2000s.

Design

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Preserved pre-facelift Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Dennis Rapier

Following a prototype being exhibited to various fire brigades across the United Kingdom,[2] the Dennis Rapier was launched into production in October 1991.[3] The first Rapiers maintained some design elements of the RS/SS series they replaced, although featuring a redesigned front grille and rectangular headlights.

The Rapier received a facelift in 1993, designed by Capoco Design.[4] The facelift mainly focused on the cab, giving it a modern and streamlined appearance and also allowing the cab to tilt to a total of 42 degrees. This facelift redesign saw Dennis and Capoco win a British Design Award in 1994.[5][6]

As standard, the Rapier is powered by a Cummins C260-21 turbocharged six-cylinder engine and has an Allison MCDR five-speed automatic transmission. The Rapier's suspension uses "race car technology" such as a double-wishbone and coil springs with telescopic dampers, and the gearing allows a governed top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[7]

While the Rapier proved very popular with some brigades, others found it to be prohibitively expensive and limited in its equipment load capacity. The Dennis Sabre was launched in 1995 as a low-cost alternative with increased load capacity, which ultimately succeeded the Rapier and eventually became the last full-size fire engine produced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles.[8] Production of the Dennis Rapier ceased in the early 2000s due to low sales and a parts shortage as a result of the discontinuation of the Renault Midliner, which sourced the Rapier's front suspension and brakes.[9]

Operators

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The Humberside Fire Brigade were a major customer for the Dennis Rapier in the United Kingdom, with the brigade standardising on the appliance throughout its production into the late 1990s.[10][11][12] Other operators of the Rapier in the United Kingdom included fire brigades in Merseyside, who took on a handful of pre-facelift examples, West Sussex, Kent,[13] Shropshire[14] and Nottinghamshire.

Following life as a demonstrator, a MkI Rapier (which had been retrofitted to have the 1993 facelift cab) was later delivered the Fire Service College in Moreton. This unit was sold to the New Zealand Fire Service in the early 2000s, making it not only one of the first Rapiers to be built, but also the first Rapier to serve in New Zealand. This appliance was later joined by a handful of imported MkI Rapiers that had also served in UK prior to their delivery to New Zealand, albeit these examples retained their origin pre-facelift cab design. As of 2023, all Rapiers in New Zealand have been retired, with the original Ex-Demonstrator/FSC Rapier now preserved.

Dennis Rapiers were also built for fire brigades in Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.[15][16][17]

Two Dennis Rapiers were delivered to Frankfurt and Erfurt, Germany in 2000 to evaluate whether the Rapier could function as a standard rescue pumper. The Rapier was met with a mixed reception by Frankfurt's fire crews in particular, and following a brief trial period, no further orders of the Rapier followed.[18][19]

One Dennis Rapier was delivered to Hong Kong.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Welcome to Rapier; the fire fighter's machine". Guildford: Dennis Fire. Archived from the original on 21 June 2004. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Rapier fire engine breaks the mould". Commercial Motor. Vol. 172, no. 4385. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. 6 September 1990. p. 13. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Dennis Rapier launched". Commercial Motor. Vol. 174, no. 4441. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. 17 October 1991. p. 10. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  4. ^ Jarvis, Bryan (7 October 1993). "Truck makers going to blazes". Commercial Motor. Vol. 179, no. 4543. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. p. 10. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Ninety Years of Dennis Fire". Guildford: Dennis Fire. Archived from the original on 5 June 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Alan Ponsford". Speakers for Schools. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Rapier Standard Specification". Guildford: Dennis Fire. Archived from the original on 21 June 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  8. ^ Jarvis, Bryan (20 March 1997). "Chariots for fires". Commercial Motor. Vol. 185, no. 4715. Sutton: Reed Business Information. pp. 32–37. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  9. ^ Goundry, Andy (23 March 2020). Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles. Crowood. pp. 137–139. ISBN 978-1-78500-708-8. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Rapiers at the double". Grimsby Telegraph. 2 June 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 10 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Brigade gets new engines". Hull Daily Mail. 24 February 1998. p. 11. Retrieved 10 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "£150,000 fire engines join the battle to save lives". Grimsby Telegraph. 9 February 1999. p. 5. Retrieved 10 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Deals for Dennis". Commercial Motor. Vol. 175, no. 4457. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. 30 January 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Asset Stewardship Report" (PDF). Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority. 21 September 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  15. ^ Jarvis, Bryan (14 May 1992). "Brigade action". Commercial Motor. Vol. 175, no. 4472. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. pp. 44–49. Retrieved 31 July 2021. Nearly 30 Rapiers have been built so far, including a left-hooker for a brigade in the Netherlands.
  16. ^ Gilkes, Dan (12 September 1996). "Hot competition in the firing line". Commercial Motor. Vol. 184, no. 4688. Sutton: Reed Business Publishing. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Dennis breaks pound barrier". GetSurrey. Guildford. 17 April 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Das HLF – ein Frankfurter Kind" [The HLF - a Frankfurt child]. Museumsdepesche (in German). No. 23. Feuerwehr Frankfurt am Main. December 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  19. ^ "HLF Dennis". www.feuerwehr-dittelstedt.de (in German). Feuerwehr Erfurt-Dittelstedt. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
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