Page 42 - Theory and Design of Air Cushion Craft

26 Introduction to hovercraft

LCAC craft in December 1981, and the first one was launched in May 1984. Further,
the prototype trials were successful enough that the US Navy planned to build a total
number of 90-110 such LCAC craft during the 80s and 90s. The US naval planning
office for amphibious warfare (PMS-377) planned to build landing ships of types
LSD-1 and LHD-4, with the capability to accommodate LCACs. In addition, the US
Army had built a series of 26 LACV-30 hovercraft for logistic supply, with a payload
of 25-30t, power output 2058 kW, and a speed of 40 knots.
Shortly after this period, Bell Halter designed a series of smaller utility craft pow-
ered by diesel engines, following the lead of the British API.88, and supplied a craft
for oil field logistic duties in the Louisiana swamp. However Systems Inc. made agree-
ments with Griffon Hovercraft in the UK and supplied craft for operation at the
World Exposition in Vancouver in 1986, logistic support in the Antarctic, and coastal
police duties in Maryland.
Similarly to the UK, in the USA a number of smaller enterprises were set up in the
1980s to build utility craft. Their business has been slow in developing, so that entre-
preneurs aiming at high growth have been disappointed. The potential nevertheless
remains for significant business development in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and
Alaska in particular.

Surface effect ship development

The US Navy were also interested to develop the SES as a military combat ship. They
met with several setbacks during the development of these air cushion vehicles, which
can be divided into three stages, as outlined below.
In 1963, the US naval aviation development centre constructed a test craft, model
XR-1A (Fig. 1.25), which was rather successful. For this reason, under the suggestion

Fig. 1.25 Early US SES test craft XR-1A.