New amphibian vehicles launched
New amphibian vehicles are developed with high-speed and roadworthiness for use as taxi cabs in Manhattan, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.
Alan Gibbs, an entrepreneurial New Zealander trained in engineering and economics and formerly a diplomat and car dealer revealed products and plans for ‘high-speed,’ amphibious vehicles to an interested band of journalists in Detroit.
Gibbs became interested in developing high-speed, amphibious vehicles in the 1990s at his farm near Auckland where the harbor nearby has a mile-long tidal range making recreational boating quite tough. He has spent almost $100 million and a million engineering man-hours into the project with enough success to bring the first two vehicles to market.
The sports car called Aquada has already been welcomed in Europe and is being federalized in the U.S.
Characteristics:
1. Looks quite an older Mazda Miata roadster but wider with three seats across.
2. There is a transverse engine, transmission and power-take-off inside the composite body behind the triple seat
3. When on land, the engine and transmission work conventionally; the PTO powers the jet pump for propulsion in the water.
4. It is a fully automatic transition.
5. Aquada can do 110-mph on land and 32-mph in the water, a record for amphibious vehicles.
The driver pushes one button, as he/she approaches the water, to tell the car of the coming change in surface and then he/she just drives straight into the water. In just a few minutes, the vehicle sensors initiate the transition to water-jet propulsion steering by the jet. One really amazing thing is that all four wheels are positioned into the body out of the way to prevent the hydraulic drag that has aggravated amphibious vehicles then.
That notable complex collapsing suspension is common to all these amphibious vehicles and dozens of patents protect it all.
Neal Jenkins, Chief engineer, notes that the struts along perform five different functions. The other production-ready amphibian introduced is called Quadski – probably because it is a crossbreed of a quad ATV and a jet-ski. Like a sports car, the Quadski’s transition from land to water is automatic. They are hoping to use this in some practical applications at around $15,000.
I wonder if a BMW compressor can replace its compressor when it is already worn out.
Alan Gibbs, an entrepreneurial New Zealander trained in engineering and economics and formerly a diplomat and car dealer revealed products and plans for ‘high-speed,’ amphibious vehicles to an interested band of journalists in Detroit.
Gibbs became interested in developing high-speed, amphibious vehicles in the 1990s at his farm near Auckland where the harbor nearby has a mile-long tidal range making recreational boating quite tough. He has spent almost $100 million and a million engineering man-hours into the project with enough success to bring the first two vehicles to market.
The sports car called Aquada has already been welcomed in Europe and is being federalized in the U.S.
Characteristics:
1. Looks quite an older Mazda Miata roadster but wider with three seats across.
2. There is a transverse engine, transmission and power-take-off inside the composite body behind the triple seat
3. When on land, the engine and transmission work conventionally; the PTO powers the jet pump for propulsion in the water.
4. It is a fully automatic transition.
5. Aquada can do 110-mph on land and 32-mph in the water, a record for amphibious vehicles.
The driver pushes one button, as he/she approaches the water, to tell the car of the coming change in surface and then he/she just drives straight into the water. In just a few minutes, the vehicle sensors initiate the transition to water-jet propulsion steering by the jet. One really amazing thing is that all four wheels are positioned into the body out of the way to prevent the hydraulic drag that has aggravated amphibious vehicles then.
That notable complex collapsing suspension is common to all these amphibious vehicles and dozens of patents protect it all.
Neal Jenkins, Chief engineer, notes that the struts along perform five different functions. The other production-ready amphibian introduced is called Quadski – probably because it is a crossbreed of a quad ATV and a jet-ski. Like a sports car, the Quadski’s transition from land to water is automatic. They are hoping to use this in some practical applications at around $15,000.
I wonder if a BMW compressor can replace its compressor when it is already worn out.
posted by Patti @ 11:56 PM
<< Home