Glisseur/Skimmer/Hydroglisseur/Hydroglider/Airboat/Idroscivolante

[jcf]

The 'Skimmer' is more glisseur/skimmer/hydroglisseur/hydroglider/airboat/idroscivolante than Ekranoplan.

There was actually a racing category for skimmers/hydrogliders established in 1923.






T 108 Idroscivolante

http://www.amalficoastcharter.com/noleggio-barche/?page_id=2


Jon

[GTX]

Wow,  those real world skimmers certainly gives one ideas.

Regards,

Greg

[Weaver]

An RAF Rescue Hydroplane, operating in the Nile River delta, 1942.

There's a discussion about this over on the Pretty Interesting Pictures thread, starting at post #1450, here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=40246.0

Posted on Twitter by Hobby Dude: https://twitter.com/BigHobbyDude/status/1143509868059344897

RAF rescue airboat by Harold Smith, on Flickr


Couple more pics found with a quick Google search:

RAF rescue airboat 2 by Harold Smith, on Flickr

RAF rescue airboat 3 by Harold Smith, on Flickr


Somebody on a Greek modelling board has made a model of this: https://www.modelclub.gr/forums/index.php?topic=23910.25

We've identified the engine nacelle as being from a Walrus, the floats from a Fairey IIIF and the rudder probably from a Hawker Hart or something in that family.

[Weaver]

That wasn't the British forces' first gig with airboats in the Middle East. Here are some used on the Tigris during the Mesopotamian campaign in WWI.

The first airboats to see any real use date to 1915. The British Army used airboats, which they referred to as Lambert "Hydro-Glisseurs", in the Mesopotamian Campaign of the First World War. These "Hydro-Glisseurs" were small, flat-bottomed hydroplanes with metal-clad wooden hulls propelled by a large aircraft fan that allowed them to reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (48 kn). They were primarily used for reconnaissance on the Tigris River. The first of these airboats, HG 1 Ariel, was constructed using the engine and propeller of a wrecked Royal Australian Air Force Farman MF.7 biplane and was provided to the forces in Mesopotamia by the British Raj. Following Ariel's successful deployment in the campaign upriver to Kut in 1915-1916, Britain ordered seven purpose-built airboats from Charles de Lambert's eponymous company De Lambert. Eight of these vessels were in operation in 1917, increasing to nine by the 1918 Armistice. A dedicated repair slipway for these boats was built at the Motor Repair Dockyard in Baghdad, indicating both their importance to the British war effort and the difficulty of maintaining them.

From here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airboat#Early_airboats

Glisseur_automobile_de_l'armée_anglaise_en_Mésopotamie by Harold Smith, on Flickr

Airboats Mesopotania 1918 by Harold Smith, on Flickr

ScientificAmerican1917-11-03 by Harold Smith, on Flickr

[rickshaw]

The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV), also known as the Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) in Army and Coast Guard service, was a United States Navy and Army hovercraft used as a patrol boat in marshy and riverine areas during the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1970. Six hovercraft were built, three for the Army and three for the Navy.

The military developed the PACV because its lack of draft meant that it could operate unimpeded in the shallow and reed-choked waters widespread in South Vietnam, most notably in the Mekong Delta and Plain of Reeds. The PACV was also found to be valuable because of its unusually high speed of 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph), faster than other watercraft in the conflict. However, it faced major drawbacks, including its high cost of $1 million (equivalent to 13 Patrol Boat, Rivers) and unreliability. During the conflict, two of the Army hovercraft were destroyed by the Viet Cong. The PACVs in Vietnam were considered "unsuccessful" in evaluations and were withdrawn in 1970.  Following their service in Vietnam, the Navy PACVs returned to the United States where they were used by the Coast Guard, where another sank in an accident.

[zenrat]

I'll take one of those in 1/48 please.

[Weaver]

Gas-tubine powered airboats by MTT:

Video: https://vimeo.com/136664491

Website: http://marineturbine.com/mtt-solutions-turbine-powered-airboats-for-sensitive-wetland-work/





Whats the betting that they have jousts when the boss isn't watching? 

[PR19_Kit]

The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV), also known as the Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) in Army and Coast Guard service, was a United States Navy and Army hovercraft used as a patrol boat in marshy and riverine areas during the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1970. Six hovercraft were built, three for the Army and three for the Navy.

BHC SRN-5s built under licence IIRC.

[jcf]

The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV), also known as the Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) in Army and Coast Guard service, was a United States Navy and Army hovercraft used as a patrol boat in marshy and riverine areas during the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1970. Six hovercraft were built, three for the Army and three for the Navy.

BHC SRN-5s built under licence IIRC.

The three USN PACV were SR.N5s imported by Bell and re-engined with GE 7LM-100PD101 engines, they
were designated SK-5 (Model 7232).

The three US Army ACV, one SK-5 (Model 7250; cargo) and two SK-5 (Model 7255; armed) were to a
modified design. They were slightly shorter (38' 10" vs. 39' 2"), the bow was squared off, the cabin was
extended forward by 29", bow door width increased to 5' 7" and offset to port, new flat topped side decks
replaced the curved topsides of the SR.N5. The engine was changed to a GE 7LM-100P J102.



Note that the Model 7255s built and deployed didn't get the centerline mounted power turret shown in the
drawing, they had two gun-pits with rings, and only a single grenade launcher, mounted on the port side.

[jcf]

Photos of early Comte de Lambert hydroglisseurs being tested.
The first three photos in the first link are of his original type which
was basically a series of inclined planks mounted to a pair
of canoe like hulls. It is driven by a water propeller and powered
by a petrol engine, his original glisseur from a few years earlier
was steam-powered. He later moved to the series of boxes
design powered by an air propeller..

https://dreamonnarrowboat.blogspot.com/2016/03/hydroplane-lessai-sur-la-seine-1905.html





https://dreamonnarrowboat.blogspot.com/2016/03/hydroglisseur-triel-sur-seine-1913.html



Other air propeller driven types:
http://www.cmc-retronautisme.fr/historique.hydroglisseurs.htm

[jcf]

Farman hydroglisseur pamphlet on an RC modelling site:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?s=ee7594d77abee483a661ea16bd1b1d7f&p=37327876&postcount=141



There's a bunch of interesting stuff in the entire thread.

[Old Wombat]

The first airboats to see any real use date to 1915. The British Army used airboats, which they referred to as Lambert "Hydro-Glisseurs", in the Mesopotamian Campaign of the First World War. These "Hydro-Glisseurs" were small, flat-bottomed hydroplanes with metal-clad wooden hulls propelled by a large aircraft fan that allowed them to reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (48 kn). They were primarily used for reconnaissance on the Tigris River. The first of these airboats, HG 1 Ariel, was constructed using the engine and propeller of a wrecked Royal Australian Air Force Farman MF.7 biplane and was provided to the forces in Mesopotamia by the British Raj. Following Ariel's successful deployment in the campaign upriver to Kut in 1915-1916, Britain ordered seven purpose-built airboats from Charles de Lambert's eponymous company De Lambert. Eight of these vessels were in operation in 1917, increasing to nine by the 1918 Armistice. A dedicated repair slipway for these boats was built at the Motor Repair Dockyard in Baghdad, indicating both their importance to the British war effort and the difficulty of maintaining them.

From here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airboat#Early_airboats

Really? In 1915? I'd rather suggest the Australian Flying Corps for that period.

[zenrat]

I've just noticed the address at the top of Jon's last posting.

But I digress.  My reason for posting is that in the biography of Ross Smith, Anzac & Aviator by Michael Molkentin, there is mention of Ross and his comrades in arms of the AFC transporting the contents of a captured German wine cellar across Palestine by mounting a spare aircraft engine and propellor to a railway wagon.  it is only a passing mention and there are no pictures unfortunately.
There is something intrinsically Australian about the notion of them doing this.