Amphibious Equipment

[Flying Trucker]

Good afternoon all....

Well this question came from a teenager when I was over at his parents farm earlier today.

I myself did not see anything on the web and he had been searching as well.

What he wanted to know is:
Are there any amphibious bulldozers or earthmoving machines?

Well he and I both started looking and the places I looked at was mostly military equipment.

I found some amphibious armoured tracked personnel carriers and some of them had blades on the front of them.  I don't think they were all that successful at being amphibious though.

A tracked vehicle with two little propellers on it with a blade is not going to push too much if the tracks aren't on solid bottom at least I don't think they would be.

Actually I didn't find much in amphibious tracked vehicles at all so perhaps they are not practical for military or civilian use.

I even looked up wheeled amphibious vehicles and tried to find something that could be used with a blade on the front and there were no civilian one's and the military one's did not look that practical either.

Now I am not into construction equipment or army engineering stuff either but a bulldozer needs solid ground to work I think.  An amphibious bulldozer would not have the footing it would need to push anything if it were in the water.

Air cushioned vehicles would be the same way.  I don't think they would have the power or footing to move earth with a blade, they certainly can carry loads over water and land but to be used in construction I don't think so.

I have never heard of amphibious tractors like we have here on the farms, they would not be practical.

I am not sure if there is anything that can go through three or four feet of soupy mud on tracks or on wheels amphibious or not for any great distance.
I think the idea would be to go around the mud hole or use a helicopter or air cushioned vehicle.

Amphibious bulldozers and earthmoving equipment, no, I can't find anything and I don't think they would be practical.

Please post any links or let me know if anyone knows of this sort of equipment as I would be interested in seeing it myself and then I can pass the information on to him.    :)

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Souichiro]

I think most diggers would work from a plateau somehow.... I have seen it somewhere but I can't figure out where exactly... I'll have a look around

[Vuikag]

mmmmhmmm

http://farmindustrynews.com/mag/farming ... y_vehicle/

[Flying Trucker]

Good evening folks...

Interesting site Vuikag...tried to get a picture of it but couldn't find one.

Thanks for the link.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[ozzy72]

I believe the US SeaBees had some during WWII....

[elite marksman]

A Google search turned up this.
http://www.rivertekservices.com/news.asp

3rd machine down.

It looks like it would be practical, oversized tracks and housing would provide flotation and locomotion.

As for the military application. Tracked vehicles tend to be significantly heavier than wheeled ones, and therefore harder to get moving well in water. The new Marine amphibious EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) solved this problem though with water jets. The thing can do something like 25 knots in water...

[Flying Trucker]

Good afternoon all...

Thanks for the link elite marksman...
Not sure how that thing can dig while floating in the water...it would either have to sink or be anchored some how.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Steve M]

Cant see the Bucket on that hitachi, but if it has a jaw like action it would be possible to dig without being moored. Clamping silt as aposed to scooping.

[Flying Trucker]

Good morning all...

Thanks wombat02...that does make sense  ;)

Mark I forgot about the military and their fantastic equipment from World War Two...much many of us have never seen before or never will probably.

I found out that this young lad is doing a class speech, it has to be 15 minutes long and he wants to talk on "construction equipment" as his father operates heavy construction equipment.
He thought of talking about equipment many of us have never seen or heard of.
Excellent idea.  ;)

What ever information you folks can give me I shall pass on to him within a couple of days.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[BigTruck]

As for the military application. Tracked vehicles tend to be significantly heavier than wheeled ones, and therefore harder to get moving well in water. The new Marine amphibious EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) solved this problem though with water jets. The thing can do something like 25 knots in water...

Can't wait for this beast to be released, watched it in action over in Hawaii and it is awesome compared to the current AAV's we're using.  Always fun to watch a "tank" swim, not that much fun to ride in them though (they fill up with fumes and water, get extremely hot and smelly, and if you mix that in with the waves of the ocean, you got a troop carrier full of sick, irritated, soggy Marines...)

[elite marksman]

[quote]Can't wait for this beast to be released, watched it in action over in Hawaii and it is awesome compared to the current AAV's we're using.

[Ivan]

Why not a Vityaz transporter...
http://www.bolotohod.ru/ru/cat1/cat12/

40kmh on land, fording depth 1,8 meters... also available as amphibious version (3kmh in water)

Same system as a Hagglunds but way larger (12 ton load capacity for each section)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1D63aMZ ... re=related

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks for the "Links" Ivan

Excellent all around vehicle...could have used it at the hunting camp...

Will pass the info on to our young friend.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[BigTruck]

[quote][quote]Can't wait for this beast to be released, watched it in action over in Hawaii and it is awesome compared to the current AAV's we're using.