The GIBBS Aquada Car to be sold in USA

  When I was clocking into my real job I saw this little bit on the corp news page about this amphibian car gaining approval for distribution and sales in the United States.  So between taking calls from people who had problems with their phones, I did a web search and found some of these articles about this British car company name GIBBS Technology and that their car - the Aquada, having won approval to began setting up shop here in the US for their products.

I also, in the process, discovered that they had some military designs and were already working with the US Army some some projects (i.e. the Humdinga that looks like a Hummer that can pretend to be a speedboat) and a Quad cycle that can do the same thing (known as the Quadski. hmmm, imagine that).  

To me, this pegs the Geek-o-Meter all the way over into the "That's Totally Fraking Unbelievable its Cool Looking!" zone.

I have heard rumors that they are planning on a sequel to the up coming G.I. Joe movie (in August 2009).  They have GOT to include the Humdinga in the next picture!  There is one version of the Humdinga that is enclosed and it just screams "COBRA" to me. 

Now, going by the pictures on the below websites, it looks like the driver sits right smack in the middle of the vehicle with a passenger seat to either side plus a backseat.  

GIBBS has been working on this design for many, many years.  In fact, over $100 million dollars have been sunk into this company.  But in the process - they have generated over 60 patents that are pending in nearly every aspect of the vehicles' design.  The boat hull, the retracting mechanism for the wheels, internal body design that has do double duty for land or water operations. The loads one has to deal with in boat design are opposite for land/driving ability.

The outer body is modern composites technology.  The vehicles have a NASCAR racer's roolcage that goes into the unibody structure like that of your typical sedan.  

On the highway, the inner steel frame distributes the loads into the outer composite body - while in the water - the opposite is true.  

The Aquada suspension uses a single strut with conventional automotive spring and dampening gear.  There is also a 17 valve hydraulic system with folding joints and needed safety pins to avoid inadvertent retraction.  After entering the water, push the button and 12-seconds later - the wheels have retracted and now you are a boat.

Power for the Aquada is a 2.5 liter, 160-horsepower engine.  (In Europe, this is a 175 hp, 6-cylinder engine).

Sir Richard Branson set a 32.8 mph record speed run across the English Channel in four hours.  

However, when it comes to the cost of these vehciles; even Sir Richard turned it down as being too expensive.  IT originally sold in Europe for $285,000.  When the price came down to a mere $142,000, then Sir Branson bought one for the English channel speed run.

Thats all well and good for the Civilian side of things.  But GIBBS is going ahead with General Dynamics on a project. General Dynamics has been working on the Marine EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) since 1996.  The tracked and waterjet powered armor personnel carrier carries a crew of 3 plus 17 combat ready Marines 25 nautical miles to shore at speeds in excess of 20 knots.  Then can go ashore and travel up to 45 mph on land. Turret up on top carries a cannon.  The on board, two-stage turbocharged twin diesels produce over 2000 horses and planes over the water thanks to its adjustable flat steel plate that doubles as armor.

GIBBS is also working with Lockheed Martin on several concept vehicles.  

Now to go one more step and make the Aquada into a submarine like in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me."  Damnit, I'm bending that Geek-o-Meter needle past the red zone now!  

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Ref. GIBBS Tech website (http://www.gibbstech.com./index.php).

MSN.autos (http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434464).

Army-Technology.com (http://www.army-technology.com/features/feature2020/).

Great Cars (http://www.greatcarstv.com/news/new-amphibious-car-gets-ready-to-take-the-plunge.html).

Littorial Combat Ships (LCS), USS Freedom & Independence classes.

This is a little unsual for me to be posting naval stuff.  But with the events happening at sea with China in recent weeks, I've been more of a naval researcher of late.  I am no expert in such matters.  I guess these two ships will be able to do their jobs.  But you konw something, I like the looks of both ships in this LCS class.  They are really kick ass looking.  

U.S. Navy releases name of Fourth Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado.  Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter announched on March 12, 2009 that the fourth Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) will be named USS Coronado.  This continues the practice of naming the agile LCSs after mid-size American cities.  This ship was named after Coronado, CA.  That is home to the Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) and the Naval Amphibious Base(NAB).  Coronado has been home to the Navy since 1917. 

Two previous ships have been named for Coronado.  In World War Two, there was the Tacoma-class patrol frigate (PF-38) that took part in the New Guinea and Leyte battles durning World War Two.  The other was the AGF-11 ship that served as a flagship for the Third Fleet and was decommissioned in 2006. 

The Littorial Combat Ships (LCS) are designed to defeat what are known as littoral threats and provide access and dominance in coastal waters for missions such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare.

There are actualy two different classes of hull forms for this project.  The first is a semiplaning monohull and the second is a aluminum trimaran - designed and built by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics respectively.  These seaframes can be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads - called mission packages, which can be chaned out quickly.  Mission packages are supported by special detachments that will deploy manned and unmanned vehciles and sensors.

The Third LCS ship, USS Fort Worth, is the monohull design like that of the USS Freedom.  So far of all the LCSs, only the USS Independence trimaran is operational.

Ships of this class (USS Freedom, LCS-1; USS Independence, LCS-2; USS Fort Worth, LCS-3; USS Coronado, LCS-4).

General Specifications for the USS Freedom are-

Length:  378.3 feet (115.3 meters)

Beam:  57.4 feet (17.5 meters)

Draft: 12.1 feet (3.7 meters).

Propulsion: (2) Rols-Royce MT30 36 MW gas Turbines, (2) Colt-Pielstick diesel dengines, and (4) Rolls-Royce waterjets.

Speed:  45 knots(52 mph or 83 km/h).

Range:  3,500 nautical miles at 18 knots.

Endurance:  21 days.

Crew: 15 to 50 core members plus 75 mission specific crew (Blue and Gold crews rotating like they do for the Missile submarines).

Wepaons:  BAE Mk 110 57mm gun, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, Honeywell Mk 50 Torpedo, NETFIRES PAM Missile in ASW module, (2) .50 cal machineguns.

Aircraft: (2) MH-60 R/S Seahawks, (1)MQ-8 Fire Scout.

General Specifications for the USS Independence are-

Length:  417 feet (127.4 meters)

Beam:  104 feet (31.6 meters)

Draft: 14.76 feet (4.5 meters).

Propulsion: (2) gas Turbines, (2) diesel engines, and (4) Rolls-Royce waterjets. A retractable Azimuth thruster. (4) diesel generators

Speed:  47 knots(54 mph or 87 km/h).

Range:  4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots.

Endurance:  20+ days.

Crew: 40 crew (8 officers, 32 enlisted).

Wepaons:  57mm Bofors gun turret. (4) .50 cal machineguns (2 forward, and 2 aft).  Evolved Sea RAM 11 cell missile launcher.  Mission Modules.

Aircraft: (2) MH-60 R/S Seahawks, (1)MQ-8 Fire Scout.

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Ref. 

Press Release #162-09. March 12, 2009.(http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12550)

Wikipedia, USS Freedom (LCS-1), ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Freedom_(LCS-1)).

Wikipedia, USS Independence ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence_(LCS-2) )