Hover Freighters
The Hover Freighters are custom built to meet governmental and industrial needs. They are designed to be tough and handle the worst of environmental extremes, and offer unparalleled performance and economy of operation in the heavy industiral Hovercraft field. The freighters built to date have ranged from the one ton capacity Hovercraft to a huge 150 ton capacity Hoverbarge.
Examples
One Ton Payload Hover Freighter
This unit was developed for the forestry industry, was 20' by 10', with a hover height in excess of 18" in order to pass over stumps of that height. In order to provide sufficient lift pressure, the unit used a 200 HP gasoline engine and two 30" centrifugal fans.
Four Ton Payload Hover Freighter
This craft was developed for a logging task, was 30' by 12 feet and was powered by a 180 HP Diesel engine.
Five Ton Payload Hover Freighter
This unit was developed for an oil exploration company and employed a "Helirig" Seismic Drilling Rig drilling through the floor of the craft when it was off cushion. The hover freighter and the drilling rig were delivered to the seismic line by helicopter, assembled and conducted drilling. The unit was then moved along the seismic line by a small tractor and was recovered by helicopter when the exploration task was completed.
The Vanair 12 Ton Payload Hover Freighter
15 Ton Payload Hover Freighter
This unit was developed for a mining company. It was 40' by 18' and was powered by two diesel engines. Ten units were eventually built and shipped to a northern mining company.
20 Ton Combine Harvester
A 20 ton assist package was placed under a standard combine harvester so that it could be used with a full bin to harvest rice. The concept is feasible only where the number of kits produced can bring the unit cost to a reasonable level, given the need to harvest the crop in that manner.
The Vanair 25 Ton Payload Hover Freighter
150 Ton Payload
This unit was designed to carry a dredger into very shallow water.
