FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1074.PDF
Air-Cushion Vehicle FLIGHT Internationa supplement 24 January 196. "Since ACVs are inherently amphibious they must have an important role in putting the army ashore" est practicable ACV for Army Use" gave us a craft 55ft long, 35ft wide, 50 tons weight, 17£ tons payload and 5 + ft maximum clearance of obstacles. This size may be of the right order. Even this, with the minimum clearance necessary to be independent of roads, etc, is a large monster to hide. Details of "A Suitable Logistic-Supply ACV" will be given in Part 3; estimates of its likely performance will be assessed, and further thought to technical prob lems not so far mentioned will be given. Tank carriers The wheeled low- loader is slow, and tied to first-class roads and bridges. Alternative over land transport by rail is unlikely to be achieved under nuclear conditions, and port facilities are likewise liable to be priority targets for nuclear strikes. It follows that what is required is a means of transporting the main battle tanks from a central base to the area of opera tions. Alternatively, in peacetime, there is a need to transport tanks rapidly to any area where army operations of a limited nature require armoured sup port. The troops and their other equip ment could be moved by air, but there may not in the foreseeable future be an effective aircraft capable of carrying a main battle tank. Even if this were possible such an aircraft would probably require a specially built runway on which to land. This is another likely role for an ACV, with its capability for rapid movement independent of normal routes. In general, as an ACV increases in size, the power per ton of payload de creases. However, a vehicle to operate over land as well as over the sea can become embarrassingly large for easy control and movement. The best com promise is probably obtained by de signing a craft to carry up to four tanks. This has the added advantage of flexi bility of range since, by replacing one tank by fuel, a tactical force of three tanks can still be delivered from a main base to a destination at extreme range. In order to clear waves and obstacles a designed hoverheight of 8ft is possibly the minimum practicable. This should allow the craft to ride waves of 16ft. This allows travel over all coastal waters and inland seas, and—in most weathers —over the oceans. Details of a craft configuration to suit these requirements will be given in more detail in Part 3, but a summary of the main characteristics is: Gross weight, 600 tons; payload (four tanks), 200 tons, approx; total power, some 100,000 s.h.p.; speed, lOOkt max, 75kt cruise; range (average), 2,000 n.m. This results in a large craft, and the reduction of the payload to even one tank does not significantly reduce the planform to a size suitable for "normal routes." It is clear that, although such a large craft may travel over high obstacles, its movement overland will be more restricted by hilly countryside and trees than that of the Logistic Supply Craft. Nevertheless, even if the movement of such a craft were restricted to the sea, it would still go a long way to providing rapid armoured support in limited or nuclear war. In both types of warfare tanks would have to be prepared to offload from the craft in a safe area, and move to their battle positions on their own tracks in their tactical-sub- units of three or four tanks. Assault craft It is not the aim of this article to include naval applications of ACVs, but the link between the Royal Navy and the Army is very close in con sidering suitable craft for beach assault. At the present time most conceptions of such craft are dependent upon the army element of the force being transported from the home base in ships to a suit able area offshore, whence this force is transferred to a large number of rela tively small fast craft, possibly lightly armoured, which can run the gauntlet of enemy fire to the shore. This critical period has to be covered by offensive action by all possible means, to "keep the enemy's heads down." The effects of nuclear strike on such amphibious operations will alter the World War 2 pattern considerably. It may be that any such operation would then either only become possible in limited war, or that the ship-borne force would have to launch its assault craft from widely dispersed areas. In this case it would be even more important for any assault craft so launched to have maxi mum speed and range. At present Commando carrier ships embody two principles for the ship-to- shore delivery of land forces. Trans port helicopters are used together with surface-displacement assault craft, with ramp bows, launched from the parent ship. The heavier vehicles and tanks are then put ashore by the proven Landing- 11
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
