Last week the site went back online, and this week the May News Note has been finalised and published for our members. It is available under the Members News menu item which can be seen by those who are logged in.
For visitors I offer here a view of some of what is happening in the Air Cushion Technology world. If you like what you see I encourage you to apply for membership which will give you full access to the site and a growing volume of technical resources, including the regular News Note.
This month, on the 14th June to be precise, we will have another presentation meeting on Zoom. This time it will be early afternoon in Europe (14:00 CET, 13:00 BST). It is entitled ‘SES opportunities in the energy transition’, given by the CEO of Naval Architects Practise ESNA, Trygve Halvorsen Espeland. Members will automatically receive login details. If you are a visitor to our site and would like to attend, please send a mail to techsec@thehovercraftsociety.org.uk and I will send you the information.
A major event in the last part of April was the award to four contenders of contracts to develop zero emission fast ferries for the Norwegian coastal market. The Norwegian government is pushing hard at present to transition from current diesel powering to electrical powering to reduce CO2 emissions. There are a large number of high-speed ferry services along the coast, fjords and to islands, that form an important part of the transport system. Presently most such ferries are catamarans. In the 1970’s to 1990’s there were quite a few hydrofoils on these services, and even a few SES services for a while.
This new competitive development comprises two hydrofoil concepts, and two SES designs. These latter two are based on craft already built. The completed concept phase has also been reported in public summary documents issued by the project management. You can see these by clicking on the buttons below. The documents are in Norwegian.
The new phase will be completed in November this year after model testing and design development sufficient to tender for a building contract. Subsequent construction tendering will not be exclusive to these concepts, but tenders will have to meet the same energy and emissions criteria, so contenders outside these four will need to have followed their own development independently.
Since there are other SES and catamaran shipbuilders in Norway who are also working on energy efficient vessels the next year or so should be very exciting. Partly this is because in a few years’ time the government will renew the ferry operators’ licences and at that time the new energy criteria will be applied.
The May News Note has an article giving more about the programme and ESNA and SES-X concepts.
ESNA concept is shown at left below, and the SES-X concept at right
Another article in the News Note is a rundown on Air Rider Hovercraft. Air Rider were formed in 2013 in Ontario, on the coast of Lake Huron a little north of Toronto. They have a rather special utility craft design. It has a hybrid rigid inflatable hull, a hybrid skirt with a segmented bow and inflated loop skirt at the sides and stern. Propulsion is with a free air propeller that comes from a supplier of VP propellers for microlight aircraft.
The AR-45 is a chunky looking craft, and from videos of the craft in action it is clearly at home on the lake and rivers leading into it, whether in summer of winter weather. Links are available in the News Note.
To get your hands on an AR-45 you would need to make a special arrangement with the company or an existing owner, as presently production has stopped due to supply chain issues.
NATO has been busy with training exercises in April in the North. The amphibious forces had one exercise in Iceland where LCAC Unit 4 was active, and this force then moved across to Northern Norway for a further series of exercises also using the LCAC Unit 4 craft operating out of USS Kearsage. There have been other amphibious exercises earlier this year that have involved the Norwegian SES Strike Craft and UK Marines. Those were reported in earlier News Notes.
A view of action on April 11th from PO 1st class Tyler Thompson, courtesy US DVIDS
On the utility side many small hovercraft continue to be active in operations supporting rescue organisations, from the Sea Rescue Service in Sweden, to the RNLI and Avon Fire Service in UK, and the various fire and rescue departments across the USA. We have news of Neoteric at the Fire Department Instructors Exhibition at Indianapolis, Indiana, in the last week of April. This is one of the biggest such events in the world. Neoteric have rescue operator craft widely spread through the US and across the world.
Page header shows Kern County Sherriff Department’s Neoteric craft on a rescue mission.
Above: left and right tow views of the three neoteric craft on show at teh FDIC exposition in Minneapolis, Indiana
Photos Courtesy Neoteric Hovercraft Inc
Lots more in the News Note
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