Our titanium telescopic mast against Clark Masts QT Series, Will-Burt pneumatic locking masts and Fireco lightweight masts: 40 ft of reach a two-person team carries.
These are all portable telescopic masts for sensors and antennas. The competitors reach higher and carry heavier payloads with larger tubes, but they weigh far more. The buyer question is the balance of height, payload and carry weight, and who holds the export desk.
This is a fielded mast, not a concept. Titanium tubes extend from 6 to 40 ft in up to seven nested sections, deployed manually or pneumatically in under 10 minutes by a two-person team. The mast weighs no more than 7.5 kg without mounting accessories, carries a payload to 5 kg on a customisable platform, and mounts on the ground on a base plate or on a vehicle to a 10 ft deployment height, with two guy levels for full-height stability.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratTitanium telescopic mast | Clark Masts (a Will-Burt company)QT Series lightweight telescopic mast1United Kingdom | The Will-Burt CompanyPneumatic locking (non-military) telescoping masts2United States | FirecoLightweight pneumatic masts (Star / Primo range)3Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum height123 | 40 ft (about 12.2 m) | Up to 15 m | About 7.62 m (25 ft) on the lightest model, up to 24.31 m on larger models in the range | Lightweight range up to 20 m; wider mast range to 40 m |
| Mast weight123The Will-Burt figures are for its pneumatic locking masts, which reach far higher and carry far more, so the weight gap reflects a heavier class. The titanium tube stock is what keeps 40 ft of reach inside a 7.5 kg carry weight. | No more than 7.5 kg without mounting accessories (tubes alone 6.5 kg) | Lightweight and portable; a single mast weight is not published on the page read | About 54 kg on the lightest listed model, rising to 189 kg on larger models | Not published as a single mast weight on the page read; lightweight range positioned for portability |
| Payload capacity123The competitors carry heavier payloads because they are heavier masts. Ours is sized for a 5 kg sensor head (camera, antenna or radar) carried by two people, not a large multi-sensor array on a vehicle-mounted heavy mast. | Up to 5 kg on a customisable platform | Headloads up to 22.5 kg | 90.7 kg (200 lb) on the lightest listed model, up to 181.4 kg on larger models | Load capacity up to 800 kg across the range (model dependent) |
| Tube material123The titanium tube stock is the reason ours carries a favourable height-to-weight ratio; the competitors use larger-diameter tubing for higher payloads, which adds weight. | Titanium, wall no more than 1 mm | Not published as titanium; standard telescopic mast construction | Tube diameters 76-171 mm on the lightest listed model; material not published as titanium | Tube diameters from 52 mm to 340 mm across the range; material not published as titanium |
| Number of sections123 | Up to 7 nested sections | Not published as a section count on the page read | Not published as a section count on the page read | Not published as a section count on the page read |
| Deployment123 | Manual or pneumatic, under 10 minutes | Pneumatic; deployment time not published on the page read | Pneumatic locking; deployment time not published on the page read | Pneumatic, with semi- and fully automatic options on larger masts |
| Stability provision123 | Two guy levels with nylon-coated steel wire and anchor pegs for full-height stability | Top guy kits available as accessories; 24 mm quick-clamp top socket | Guy kits available; locking sections for load stability | Locking-system masts available for higher stability |
| Mounting123 | Ground on a base plate or vehicle to a 10 ft deployment height | Tripod and vehicle mounting via accessories | Vehicle and fixed mounting options | Roof-mounted tilting and vehicle options across the range |
| Origin and export position123 | Independent, non-aligned origin, supplied and supported by one accountable team | United Kingdom (a Will-Burt company) | United States | Italy |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The competitors reach higher and carry more; they also weigh far more.
Clark Masts QT reaches 15 m and carries 22.5 kg; Will-Burt's pneumatic locking masts run from a 54 kg unit reaching 7.62 m up to a 189 kg mast reaching 24.31 m and carrying 181 kg; Fireco's range covers 2 m to 40 m with loads to 800 kg. Those are heavier classes built for larger payloads and vehicle installation. Our mast reaches 40 ft, about 12.2 m, carries 5 kg, and weighs no more than 7.5 kg complete, so a two-person team carries and raises it. The honest comparison is not who reaches highest but who gives you the most sensor height per kilogram carried.
Titanium is the reason the height-to-weight ratio holds.
The competitors use larger-diameter tubing, 76-171 mm on the lightest Will-Burt model and up to 340 mm across the Fireco range, because that is what carries a heavy payload. That tubing is heavy. Our titanium tubes with walls no more than 1 mm hold 40 ft of reach inside a 7.5 kg carry weight, which is the whole point of the design: a mast a small team packs, carries and raises for a 5 kg camera, antenna or radar head, rather than a heavy mast that needs a vehicle to move.
Match the mast to the payload and the carry, and mind the export desk.
If you must lift a 20 kg multi-sensor array to 24 m, a Will-Burt or a Fireco heavy mast is the right tool and ours is not. If you must get a 5 kg sensor 40 ft up and carry the whole rig on two backs, the titanium mast is built for exactly that. And on supply, Clark, Will-Burt and Fireco carry UK, US and Italian export regimes; ours comes from an independent, non-aligned supplier, so the mast and its spares stay inside the operator's jurisdiction. Size the mast to the real payload and carry first, then weigh the supply terms.
Questions buyers ask
What is a good lightweight alternative to a Clark Masts QT or Will-Burt telescopic mast?
The Clark Masts QT reaches 15 m and carries 22.5 kg; Will-Burt's pneumatic locking masts reach 7.62 m to 24.31 m and carry 90 to 181 kg; Fireco covers 2 m to 40 m with loads to 800 kg. All are heavier masts for larger payloads. Ours is a titanium mast that reaches 40 ft (about 12.2 m), carries a 5 kg sensor head, weighs no more than 7.5 kg complete and deploys in under 10 minutes by two people, from a non-aligned supplier. If your job is to get a camera, antenna or radar head high with minimal carry weight, that is the reason to shortlist it.
How high and how heavy is the mast compared with the others?
It reaches 40 ft, about 12.2 m, which is below Clark's 15 m and well below Will-Burt's and Fireco's tallest masts, but it weighs no more than 7.5 kg complete, where a comparable Will-Burt pneumatic locking mast starts around 54 kg and rises to 189 kg for its taller models. The trade is deliberate: the titanium tube stock buys a high height-to-weight ratio for a 5 kg payload rather than the heavy payloads the larger masts carry.
What payload can it carry, and when do I need a heavier mast?
It carries up to 5 kg on a customisable platform, sized for a single camera, antenna or radar head. If you need to lift a heavy multi-sensor array, the competitors carry far more, 22.5 kg for the Clark QT, up to 181 kg for the larger Will-Burt masts and up to 800 kg across the Fireco range, because they are heavier masts. Decide by the actual payload weight: for a 5 kg sensor carried by a small team the titanium mast fits; for a heavy array on a vehicle a heavy mast is the right tool.
How quickly can two people put it up in the field?
In under 10 minutes, manually or pneumatically, by a two-person team, with two guy levels and anchor pegs for full-height stability. The competitor pages read do not publish a deployment time, so if speed of set-up matters to you, ask each vendor for a stated figure and confirm it with the crew size you will actually field. The combination of a 7.5 kg carry weight and a sub-10-minute set-up is what makes it a small-team mast.
Is this a fielded mast or a prototype?
Fielded. It is a titanium telescopic mast in service, extending from 6 to 40 ft in up to seven sections, with the 7.5 kg mast weight, the 5 kg payload, the two guy levels and the ground or vehicle mounting quoted here as the delivered specification.
Why does mast supplier nationality matter for a surveillance deployment?
Because a mast carries the sensor that does the watching, and its resupply and any export terms sit with the supplier. Clark Masts is a UK company (now part of Will-Burt), Will-Burt is US, and Fireco is Italian, each with its own export regime. An independent, non-aligned supplier keeps the mast and its spares inside your jurisdiction, so a perimeter or camp deployment is not held up by a foreign export calendar. The mast is simple hardware; the supply relationship is the part worth checking.
Sources
- 1. Clark Masts (a Will-Burt company), QT Series lightweight telescopic mast (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor product page: lightweight and portable, heights from 3 m to 15 m, headloads up to 22.5 kg, 24 mm quick-clamp top socket, top guy kits and tripod/vehicle mounting via accessories.
- 2. The Will-Burt Company, Pneumatic locking (non-military) telescoping mast specificationsRetrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor specifications table: lightest listed model 200 lb (90.7 kg) payload, 25 ft 1 in (7.62 m) extended height, 119 lb (54 kg) mast weight, tube diameter 76-171 mm; larger models up to 79 ft 9 in (24.31 m), 400 lb (181.4 kg) payload and 416 lb (189 kg) mast weight.
- 3. Fireco, Fireco pneumatic telescopic masts (range overview)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor range overview: heights from 2 m to 40 m, tube diameters from 52 mm to 340 mm, load capacity up to 800 kg depending on model, lightweight Star/Primo range to 20 m, roof-mounted tilting and locking-system options.