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The SRN4 - leaving Dover for France.
[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: Malcolm ]
quote:Originally posted by cruise guy:Malcolm, Do you know if any Hovercraft were ever operated here in the States or are they unique to Europe and the U.K.?
You have started me off now!
I think it's fair to say that Hovercraft have operated in most parts of the world, on a limited scale. This often involved short routes using small craft and specialist applications. I understand that the Canadian coast gaurd uses some Hovercraft as does the US military.
The Hovercraft was invented in the UK, by a Brit, Christopher Cockerell, later (Sir).Most Hovercraft were built here. The big Cross-Channel, car carring SRN4's (pictured above), were only operated in the U.K. - but for 30 years!
A 100 passenger craft currently operates in the UK between 'Porstmouth' and the 'Isle of Wight, a short route. This Hovercraft route/service was established in 1965, making it the longest established hovercraft route in the world!
See: Hovertravel Ltd. (Southsea UK)
The most comprehensive Hovercraft site is here:Hovercraft Museum U.K.
In their hay-day, there were concepts drawn up for giant Ocean giant Transatlantic Hovercraft!
There has been extensive testing, and some use of Hovercraft in North America. In Canada, the Bell Voyageur was used for transport and ice breakin; in the US small hovercraft are used by police forces for rescue and over-ice work; but the major player is the United States Marine Corps who have used Air Cushion (the more official name) vehicles in amphibious warfare for some years now.
See http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-lcac.html for technical details.
As an aside, I was involved in testing hovercraft for arctic operations on fragile tundra (did not work) and evaluating the voyageur as a container carrier ship to shore. Did work, and the USMC vehicle is an outgrowth of that work.
quote:Originally posted by Cambodge:..but the major player is the United States Marine Corps who have used Air Cushion (the more official name) vehicles in amphibious warfare for some years now.
Cambodge, the military 'Landing Craft' depicted on the web page you posted looks like a variation of the AP1-88/100 (in my picture above) which is used at Portsmouth for carrying 100 passengers?
Am I right?
See: www.hoverwork.co.uk
The AP uses for Diesel engines: two for lift and two for push. These are easy maintainence and low noise. The two air screws are fixed pitch for cheapness, with rubber belts driving them rather than expensive gear boxes.
The 'Landing Craft' appears to be 'Gas Turbine' powered like the SRN2 SRN4 and SRN6's. The design looks similar with the two swiverling ducts at the front for manouevering.
Bell built the SK-5 (an SRN-5 built under BHC license) which operated in the Plain of Reeds in Vietnam, and later in arctic tests of which I wrote earlier.
The LCAC-1 is a direct descendant of the Bell SK-10, a design by which Bell and Lockheed placed in a competition for an AVC landing craft in the early 1970s. Through assorted corporate mergers, Textron, which is the corporate overlord of Bell, is the builder.
I participated in assorted feasibility studies as to where they could be used and how. On the SK-10, there was originally a hard-structure clearance on cushion of 6-feet. I believe the SRN-4 had 12 foot. I suspect the current model has a clearance closer to the SRN 4 thatn to the SK-10.
And for power, note:"Power Plant: 4- Avco-Lycoming TF-40B gas turbines (2 for propulsion/2 for lift); 16,000 hp sustained; 2- shrouded reversible pitch airscrews; 4- double-entry fans, centrifugal or mixed flow (lift)"
SRN-6 heritage includes the forward "puff ports" as we called them, for maneuverability.
There is a mind-boggling library of LCAC military hovercaft photos (and links to much more!) here: http://www.photovault.com/Link/Military/Navy/Ships/Hovercraft.html
I am glad to note that SOME of the projects on which I labo(u)red worked out! Sorta satisfying after all this time.
[ 01-03-2002: Message edited by: Cambodge ]
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