| For couple of weeks there had been
information in news paper and in radio about "Luvian
kesäjuhlat" a sort of a festival for people both local and summer
habitants to meet and probably gather some money for some good cause. |
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| Normally i wouldn't go to this kind of events. Hate to
push my way through the crowd, be stepped on toes and to queue on traffic
jam getting in and out. But this time there was to be a hovercraft present
and i was willing to pay the price. This unit is used by Finnish
frontier guard / coast guard and will be there from 12:00 on. |
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| Problem was that i was supposed to be in wedding rehearsal
as an bestman at 14:00 some 80km north of Luvia in a place a never been
to. I figured i can get the best of both and we left to Luvia early to
avoid traffic jams and to be there when craft arrives and be ready to leave
for rehearsal thus avoiding the traffic other way. |
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| We got there just after 11:30 and got our car parked quite
close to exit although. I asked the guy in a parking lot if the hovercraft
is here already but he didn't know cause he was so busy with showing where
park. I took the camcorder and digital camera and we walked to pier where
i though craft would be docked. We heard a sound that was either a helicopter
or a hovercraft but couldn't tell where it was coming from. I had a brand
new 90min cassette ready for action and tested everything is working. At
the same time we noticed yellow flashing light in a distance. While looking
the approaching craft and the camera i saw battery indicator flashing and
had to change that quickly. |
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| We were prepared, i was shooting video tape and Jaana clicking
digital images about as fast as the camera could process them (well not
quite, but lot's of them anyway). I got a very good footage of craft entering
the scene and you bet i'll be posting it later ! |
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| Crew tied the craft in place and placed large fenders between
pier and hull to avoid skirt rubbing. As soon as they were set i was the
first on to ask if we could step in or should we just admire the craft
at distance. Sure we could get in and little-boy-like manner i rushed in
the cockpit and left my girlfriend find her own way there. There were lot's
of instruments there and even more buttons and switches. Wonder if you
really need them all. In no time couple of crew members stepped in too
and started to tell details about the craft. I asked them to stop and changed
still camera to camcorder and taped the whole presentation. I sure will
be posting a summary of this later on and hopefully the presentation too. |
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| Of course i asked to see the engine too, but i'm not sure
if i got out a line with that one. They opened the hood, but it was just
the 300hp turbodiesel engine not any exciting tech stuff except actuator
for pitch adjustment on thrust prop/fan. |
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| I shoot some more photos and checked the details of the
craft. Just as i was poking my head to see the lift fan and radiator i
heard a familiar voice behind me from the pier saying "Petteri , are you
spying ?". It was a mate from work who knows i'm into hovercrafts. I chatted
with him for awhile forwarding him some of the information i had just gathered
about this unit compared to unit i have. |
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We got a really good material there and it was certainly
worth the drive and minor effort we put into to it. I thanked the two gentleman
who presented us the craft and told all about it not hiding the flaws in
design either.
Still i'd like to take the opportunity here and thank these two crew
members of giving us the complete presentation of craft and it's abilities. |
| Hovercraft was driven to Luvia from it's station at Kustavi's
Susiluoto. It took about two hours (tail wind) with speed of 20-25knots.
I think there were three of four crew members onboard. At background you
can see that they had a escort vessel as an support i guess. |
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| Short and wide blades of thrust prop/fan. Adjustable pitch. Top speed
of this craft is 35knots (~63km/h, ~40mph). Prop is driven close 1:1 ratio
and max. rpm for engine is 2500 but should be kept ~2200rpm. |
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| View of cockpit with all the gadgets. There was at least 5 or 6 different
phones, but i guess some of them could be crew members private cell phones.
throttle is set via hand lever, but can be overridden with foot pedal any
time. Operator can tighten or loosen side segments to keep the craft level
in different conditions. Also fuel can be pumped back and forth at rate
of 90l/min for this. |
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| From right: electronic map, radar, handheld GPS, four phones, speedo,
wind meter, tach. Wheel that doesn't show so well in drivers footwell is
for elevator wings. White paper above three phones at the lower portion
of the pic says "Follow temperature !" |
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| Ceiling was stuffed with switches and couple of more phones. Hand wheels
are for searchlights. They had been on a rescue mission just day before
this demonstration. |
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| Single 300HP turbodiesel engine. Drive line took more than one third
of the crafts length. This is view to front of the engine where power is
taken to centrifugal fan with toothed belt. |
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| Aft of the engine & thrust drive. Small actuator is operated from
a joystick left of drivers seat. At lower right corner you can see Holset
turbocharger. |
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| There was several hundred watts of installed light power at the front
of craft. Cockpit glasses are heated for winter conditions. Notice hinge
at the deck. Sides can be tilted to upwrigth position and this allows easier
transport on roads. |
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| More lights and gull wing doors. There were seats for 12 people including
operators, but after modifications it could carry only 6 with full tanks
(2x250l). There was 4 single seats in front of gull wing doors and two
benches on each side of the cabin at the white portion of the craft. Windows
and doors didn't seem that water proof at all as some of them seemed to
drip water inside. BTW, they had the yellow flasher on when they drove
in daylight. |
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| Huge radiator and centrifugal fan just behind it. This separates cabin
from engine bay. Quite small intake area in my opinion. |
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| I think i have larger prop in my Explorer than this is. Really stumpy
wide blades. It was possible to de-pitch these blades into reverse too,
but no much effect they told me. Airfoil seemed strange for application,
but what do i know. |
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Quite an installation altogether... They told me it was manufactured
by Cummins in UK but i couldn't find anything on web about Cummins hovercraft.
What i did find was Slingsby
Aviation Hovercraft (SAH2200) powered by Deutz turbo-charged air cooled
or Cummins turbo-charged water cooled engine. |
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This is put together from a series of photocrafts. I'll be posting
actual footage later on.
Pictures can be found in one single Acrobat
file if you're interested. |
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