MOAI RESTORATION PROJECT

Visit to the Chilean Embassy in Japan

TADANO staff visited the Chilean ambassador in l990.
They proposed a plan to get a crane on the island and
asked for cooperation of the Chilean Government.

During this investigation, they faced their first big difficulty: the crane they needed on Easter Island was a TR-500EX, rough terrain cranes capable of lifting 50 tons. But the sea ports on Easter Island do not have the facilities accommodate a big cargo ship.
The members of the project devised a plan to overcome this problem. The Mataveri Airport at Easter Island has a 3,000-meter-long runway maintained by America that could be used, in case a space shuttle needs an emergency landing. If the Chilean Government would offer their military plane to carry a crane to the island, this problem could be settled.
With this intriguing idea, the TADANO team asked for the cooperation of the Chilean Government.