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 Суда на воздушной подушке
+7 (812) 327-87-10 Christy Hovercraft > О СВП > Вопросы и ответы по ховеркрафтам (eng)06.03.09Вопросы и ответы по ховеркрафтам (eng)What is a hovercraft?A hovercraft is one of the children of the air cushion vehicle (ACV) family that flies above the earth’s surface on a cushion of air. It is powered by an engine that provides both the lift cushion and the thrust for forward or reverse movement. The hovercraft child is a true multi-terrain, year-round vehicle that can easily make the transition from land to water because it slides on a cushion [bubble] of air with the hovercraft skirt slightly brushing the surface. Which is correct: hovercraft, hovercrafts, hover craft or hover crafts?Even though you may see it spelled hovercrafts, hover craft, hover crafts, or even hoovercraft, there is only ONE correct spelling: hovercraft — whether singular or plural. You may have one hovercraft or you may have twelve hovercraft. It follows the same rule as the word aircraft: You may have one aircraft or twelve aircraft, but you never have any aircrafts, air craft or air crafts. What does «Neoteric» stand for?Meaning novel and contemporary, this word was chosen to exemplify our company’s clientele, for they are individuals who want the latest and most unique technology. What does «Hovertrek™» stand for?With ‘hover’ meaning to remain suspended in air above a surface, and ‘trek’ meaning to make a difficult journey, Neoteric invented the name Hovertrek™ to symbolize their clientele’s ideal: accessing hitherto unreachable terrain. This, of course, does not exclude its use for any purpose its owner may conceive. How fast will a hovercraft go?Depending upon the effects of terrain and weather, the average speed of hovercraft is 35 mph (56 km/h), faster on ice or when going downwind, slower when on dense grass or rough surfaces, or when there is a headwind. Will a hovercraft float?Yes. The Neoteric Hovertrek™ hull utilizes composite construction with US Coast Guard certified closed cell 2 lbs/cu. ft. (32 Kg/cu. meter) density BASF polyurethane foam. A total of 17 cu. ft. (0.48 cu. meters) of foam provides over 1,000 lbs. [454Kg] of positive buoyancy. In addition, the cockpit area affords an additional 1,000 lbs. [454Kg] of floatation. When totally swamped with water, the hovercraft remains floating and stable. What is the payload?The Hovertrek™ is designed to carry four people with an average weight of about 170 lb (78 kg) each. Payload can be increased dramatically depending on the experience of the driver and the condition of the terrain. For example, when flying over smooth ice, up to 1200 lb (546 kg) could be carried. Do I have to put it together?No. Not only does Neoteric offer fully assembled hovercraft, we also sell the only production hovercraft available in do-it-yourself, partially assembled hovercraft kits. This lets you save 25% and enjoy the process of building a hovercraft with your friends or family. How difficult is it to assemble the hovercraft?The basic partially assembled hovercraft takes about 40 hours to finish. Most of the work has already been completed at the factory. The machinery module is fully assembled and tested, along with the wiring harness, instruments, etc. The hull and body are already bonded. All you need are basic workshop skills, a work area the size of a one-car garage, and common hand tools such as electric drill, a pop rivet gun, sets of open-ended and allen wrenches, and a set of screwdrivers. Who invented the hovercraft?During the 1950s, an Englishman by the name of Christopher Cockerell developed and patented the first hovercraft. For his contribution to the British people and the Queen, he was knighted and named «Sir» Christopher Cockerell. Soon after, British Hovercraft Corporation developed the first commercial hovercraft for passenger transport across the English Channel. With the ability to carry up to 400 passengers and 50 automobiles, these passenger hovercraft have operated since 1968 and have carried more than 30 million passengers and 5 million automobiles. How difficult is it to drive a hovercraft?First, it is necessary to understand that you are actually flying — low to the ground, but flying nonetheless. Therefore, you will need proper pilot training to ensure safe, enjoyable hovering. At Neoteric, great care is taken in preparing you for your first «hover». Before your first flight, you are schooled in the principles and preventative maintenance of hovercraft. Then, you will spend several hours hovering on land and water until you achieve sufficient pilot experience to receive Neoteric’s certification of competency. Do you need a license?No. Hovercraft come under U.S. Coast Guard jurisdiction. When you buy a hovercraft, you will be assigned a Coast Guard hull identification number (HIN). These numbers are free and, if you decide to purchase a partially assembled Hovertrek™, your number will be provided by Neoteric. Using this number, you then register your vehicle as a boat. Some states may require an ATV license as well. Overseas customers should consult your local hoverclub or marine authority. What are other safety and legal aspects?All Neoteric hovercraft comply with all U.S. Coast Guard boating laws. Our craft also comply with the regulations of the World Hovercraft Federation as well as with the Hoverclub of America, Inc. and the Hoverclub of Great Britain Ltd. «Requirements for the Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Light Hovercraft». Hovercraft should be operated in areas where the public, personal safety, and ecology are not placed in danger. What is the gas mileage of a hovercraft?As with most vehicles, the mileage is affected by climate conditions and the way in which it is driven. Generally, you can expect to get as little as 2-3 gph (7.6-11.4 l/h) of fuel consumption. How is a hovercraft transported?The Hovertrek™ is trailer-able and can be hitched up by one person in less than two minutes. Simply hover up to the end of the trailer, attach the winch cable to the craft, lift the trailer tongue and place the rear rollers under the front of the craft. Crank the winch until the craft is completely on the trailer. Fasten the locking arms at the rear, hitch the trailer to your vehicle, and go. How does a hovercraft handle rough waves?Since the hovercraft hovers on a 9 in (228mm) cushion of air, the ride is very smooth and small waves are not noticed. Larger waves can be handled providing their crests are spaced well apart. Operation in surf, and even in Class 5 whitewater, is possible with an experienced driver, but hovercraft operate best on sheltered water and over smooth ice. Can a hovercraft be driven on the road?It is first necessary to understand that roads are designed to be used by cars and have a camber, or slightly convex surface. This causes very unstable driving conditions for hovercraft. Also, the abrasiveness of the road’s surface causes excess skirt wear. Therefore, while road travel is possible, it is not recommended. What slope can a hovercraft climb?The Hovertrek™ will accommodate a gradient of 1 in 6 (16.7%) [Note: a 45° slope = 100%], standing start, smooth surface, 400 lb (181 kg) payload. It can climb much more easily when the slope is approached at a running start than if standing still. Generally it is easier to ascend than to descend. Do hovercraft hurt the environment?No. The unique characteristics of the hovercraft make it one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles in the world. One of these characteristics is the hovercraft’s low «footprint pressure.» The pressure a hovercraft exerts on its operating surface is conservatively 1/30th that of the human foot! The average human being standing on ground exerts a pressure of about 3 lb per square inch (20 KPa), and that increases to 25 lb per square inch (172 KPa) when walking. In contrast, the average hovercraft exerts a pressure of only 0.33 lb (2.2 KPa) per square inch — even less as speed increases. This «footprint pressure» is below that of a seagull standing on one leg! Hovercraft have literally flown over a pedestrian without inflicting harm. What are hovercraft used for?Hovercraft are so versatile that their applications are as diverse as the people who use them. They are most often used to reach areas that are inaccessible on foot or by conventional vehicles. A partial listing of present uses includes: What about hovercraft insurance?Some people add hovercraft to their Home Owner’s Insurance. It’s important to call it a ‘boat’ and not a ‘hovercraft’ when talking to insurance companies. Legally, hovercraft are boats, and under US Federal Law, Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. is considered to be a boat manufacturer. Keep in mind that it will always be less costly to add your hovercraft insurance to an existing policy or policies than it would be to purchase a stand-alone policy. Contact the following companies through your agent: International Water Marine Safety Foundation How large of a «step» can a hovercraft handle?With an experienced pilot, it is possible for the Hovertrek™ to handle a 24″ (610mm) drop. Stepping up is usually limited to the hoverheight of 9″ (229mm). If the step is gradual, greater heights may be traversed. Where can hovercraft not operate?Hovercraft cannot operate over any surface which does not seal in the air cushion. This includes things like cattle grids, small trees, and to a lesser extent small bushes and scrub. Operation may be limited on certain types of stiff grasses and small plant due to air leakage through the foliage as the stiffness of the plant may be sufficient to hold the hovercraft skirt away from the ground surface. Hovercraft may also operate over surfaces that would normally be handled by other vehicles or vessels. If you want to cross the desert you could use a hovercraft but you would find a 4WD vehicle much more suitable. Also deep-sea offshore operation not requiring amphibious capabilities can be better handled by a conventional boat. Do not consider buying a hovercraft if you can use a more conventional vehicle/vessel, the capital cost will be higher and can only be justified if you exploit the special features that a hovercraft can offer. What is the top speed of a hovercraft?This is dependent upon a number of factors including the size of the craft, engine, load, surface, environmental conditions and skill of the operator. Sometimes increasing the engine power does not increase the maximum speed because the speed is limited by the stability of the skirt system. As the hovercraft moves forward through the air it encounters air resistance which exerts a pressure on the skirt at the front. When the pressure approaches the same as the cushion pressure, the skirt starts to loose structural stability and therefore becomes unstable. Typically a high speed design will operate at a higher cushion pressure and conversely a low pressure design will not be able to achieve high speeds. In all design situations there is a trade off between many factors. Designing for high speed alone would produce a hovercraft that was difficult to handle at low speeds and may never be able to get over hump speed due to large wave making resistance formed by a high cushion pressure. What are the interior and exterior noise levels of hovercraft?Noise levels are influenced by environmental conditions and noise tests need to be conducted on site in order to be accurate. However, an independent assessment was made of Airlift Hovercraft’s AH890. The AH890 was approved to operate at a distance of only 200 metres from a residential area. The time from audible to inaudible as the hovercraft was passing was one minute. This compared favourably with the AP1-88 which was controlled by the same authorities to keep 1000 metres from a residential area and had a time of 10 minutes from audible to inaudible.The internal noise level is low enough to allow a normal conversation between passengers and the use of a pilot P.A. system. What are the typical operating costs of a hovercraft?Fuel costs: Fuel costs can vary depending on the size of the craft, operating conditions, load, and skill of the operator. As a guideline, fuel consumption for the Mustang, with a General Motors V6 petrol engine, will average approximately 17 litres per hour at its cruising speed. The AH560 HoverFlyer burns only 9.5 litres/hr average at cruise. The AH1160 with a Deutz BF6M-1015C diesel engine, will average approximately 72 litres/hr at its cruising speed. Overall fuel consumption between different hovercraft designs can vary considerably but is always much less that a similar capacity boat due to the low frictional resistance of the hovercraft through the water. Maintenance costs: As a general rule, total hovercraft maintenance including a two-yearly repaint and re-upholstery will average out at about 85% — 90% of fuel cost. A good owner operator will easily beat this and a poor operator can spend up to twice this amount. Skirt maintenance depends on the surfaces but with a typical use of 80% on water and 20% on sand surfaces, finger life will vary from 120 to 450 hours between repairing. A better maintained skirt will give better lift and performance and require less total maintenance. Constant low level maintenance on the skirt is preferred, typically 3 to 8 minutes of skirt maintenance per hour of craft operation. Fingers are normally patched or re-coated with Urethane so ongoing material costs are low.Fans will need the leading edge resurfacing about every 1,000 hours. Labour is in the order of 8 — 12 hours for this.Propeller maintenance depends very much on driver technique and life between re-surfacing the leading edge can vary from 60 hours to 600 hours depending upon how much sand or dust is ingested. If serviced regularly, labour would be about 4-6 hours.Engine oil and filters should be changed every 200 hours. Hydraulic oil should be tested every 500 hours but normally does not need replacement until about 2,000 hours. Hydraulic filters should be changed at, say, the first 500 hours and then every 1,000 hours thereafter. What spare parts are needed?Our experience has been that our customers have purchased very few spare parts from us as most components are available locally from good engineering suppliers, with only a few specialist spares which owners themselves have been able to learn to maintain. We have designed the hovercraft with this in mind for good commercial return in remote areas. What is the average life of a hovercraft?With regular maintenance, a hovercraft can operate for many years. The average life of a skirt is five to 12 years, and is easily replaced. The life of the hull is unknown as the hulls that we built in 1980 are still sound with no corrosion or stress degradation. What licence is required to operate a hovercraft?Each country has its own licensing requirements and should be ascertained from the relevant marine or air operators’ authority. In Australia this is controlled by the Department of Transport, Marine Division. For private operation an ordinary boat licence is required with a limit on craft size of up to 12 metres length. For commercial operation a coxswain’s ticket is required which is endorsed by the Department of Transport after training on the specific hovercraft is undertaken by a recognised training authority. First point of contact in Australia would be the local harbourmaster but expect confusion because not many of them know the requirements themselves. Although Australia is meant to operate under a uniform shipping law system, it has been our experience that this is anything but the case. What safety standards do hovercraft have to meet?Our hovercraft are built to Australian Universal Shipping Law (USL) code. This is very similar to internationally recognised codes such as Lloyds, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and others which can be applied if required. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) recommendations are also noted. Where do Airlift Hovercraft have hovercraft operating?Hovercraft designed and with construction supervised by Ross McLeod, the Managing Director of Airlift Hovercraft are operating in many parts of the world. They can be seen in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, USA, Venezuela, Mauritius, and Columbia. Where can I see a demonstration?Demonstrations, subject to availability of craft, can be arranged on the Gold Coast, Australia. It may also be possible to arrange demonstration by owner/operators in other locations. Where can hovercraft operate?Hovercraft can operate on mixed terrain including water, sand, gravel, mud, salt flats, snow, ice, concrete and bitumen. No infrastructure such as jetties or landing pads are needed as the hovercraft can hover directly from the water up a sloping surface such as a beach, bank or ramp. Airlift Hovercraft’s hovercraft can operate in wind conditions of up to 35 knots and sea conditions of Sea State 4 at reduced speed. They are able to survive much rougher conditions but commercial operation would not be recommended. Can hovercraft negotiate obstacles such as logs and floating debris?Hovercraft can operate in debris littered waterways where conventional vessels experience difficulty. Airlift Hovercraft’s hovercraft are particularly efficient in this situation because of their higher than normal clearance. On land hovercraft can operate over dykes and banks up to 4 metres tall providing there is a small intermediate transition slope at the bottom. What training is required to operate a hovercraft?Learning to operate a hovercraft has much the same level of difficulty as learning to drive a car. Some people learn very quickly, others take longer. In Australia the Department of Transport requires a commercial operator to have 15 hours of training on a specific hovercraft in order to gain endorsement of that craft in addition to a coxswain’s ticket. They will then require a practical test. Airlift Hovercraft provides training on all its hovercraft, preferably on a train-the-trainer basis. |
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амфибия Christy 255L
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