Fiberglass and the military

Took a pretty cool tour at a fiberglass manufacturing plant earlier this month. Fiberdome makes the hoods for military MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) ATVs built by Oshkosh Corp.'s Defense Division. It's a 48-pound part for a several ton beast of a machine.

It's a fascinating story by Barry Adams, particularly the part about how the original prototype came in almost five times heavier and the DoD said, "nuh-uh." Read the story here.

From left, Fiberdome employees Dale Delaney, Terry Luker, and Mike Kelsey make a fiberglass hood for Oshkosh Defense's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all terrain vehicle (M-ATV) at the fiberglass product company's manufacturing facility in Lake Mills, Wis., Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010.

The fully-assembled, unpainted hood.