FastTrack - Like a snowmobile on water

[kach22i]

I put this here, as it's outside of any catagory I can think of. I posted it inside of two other thread, I trust no one minds.


FastTrack, Killer amphibious vehicle - 39 mph on water and 55 mph on land
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6906/
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/6906_28020715829_6.png
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/6906_28020720333_0.jpg

The FastTrack company is not your normal company. Located in Hurst, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth), FastTrack was founded by Ken and Rod Wernicke, both retired engineers from Bell Helicopter. Ken led the design and development of the XV-15 and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotors and Rod, his identical twin brother, was also instrumental in the development of tilt-rotor technology. Keith, Kent and Tim, their engineer/inventor sons, are also in the company. Research and development began after the Wernickes answered a Navy request for information on concepts for a scout vehicle that could travel on water at high speed and proceed with all terrain capability for reconnaissance on land. The Wernickes conducted research for ten years before fabricating the first Fast Track vehicle, a full-scale demonstrator model, FastTrack 1.

Gallery link:
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6906/picture/31735/

The patent-pending technology that enables the tracks to work as the sole means of high-speed propulsion on water is unique. It enables a vehicle to “get out of the hole, over the hump and on to the plane from dead in the water. Videos of what this means in the real world can be found here.

Video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaGLNcIkSm0

[kach22i]

Check out the video, pulls two water skiers and goes down the road like a car. I'm starting to want one. :unsure:

They stoped the video after it was tearing up some catails near that bridge foundation, guess it's not as eco friendly as a hovercraft.

EDIT: FYI if you can't see the images, click the link below, it also has many videos.

Link-1
http://www.fasttrackamphibian.com/
FastTrack 1 is a proof of concept demonstrator. It was built to show that a vehicle built using Fast Track Amphibian technology can get “on plane”, in water, using only its tracks for propulsion.

Link-2:
http://www.bornrich.org/entry/fast-t...to-production/

The first vehicles the company produces for non-military customers will be hand built and custom made for those who can afford to be the first owners of this unique machine. The all-terrain vehicles will boast aggressive styling, two or five place plush seating with a 300 plus horsepower for speeds of 60 mph on water and 80 mph on land. The vehicles will be priced proportionately to the volume of sales. But, if you have to ask it, then a custom car sized vehicle would be priced for $250,000 and up.

[yipster]

every bornrich navy seal should have one

[kach22i]

Next they could come out with a stealth version, a pupa like thing that walks on the underside of the water.

http://www.arbovirus.health.nsw.gov....uitophotos.htm

[Yellowjacket]

I saw this presentation at the MACC in May,

https://macc.nswccd.navy.mil/present...r-Wernicke.pdf

and was most impressed in that they are claiming a very high propulsive efficiency. Almost 70%, which is better than most props. If you look at the first picture in the presentation they have put the tracks into the "down" position for high speed running, lifting the hull out of the water and eliminating the hydrodynamic drag as we commonly know it. The tracks are still "planing", but are running at higher speed than the water so there is no "drag" in the common sense.

It is easy to dismiss any amphibian as being severely compromised by the requirements of running on land and water, but I can't help but wonder if these guys are on to something.

I found this old post, and it didn't seem to get much attention at the time, but this propulsion system is really "outside the box" thinking at it's best.

You have to wonder if a lot of small pleasure boats wouldn't be better off with tracked propulsion as opposed to props.

[masalai]

Bloody NEAT... I would like one - - How much and what do they weigh?

[Yellowjacket]

According to the paper, the demo version weights 1850 lbs, and in one clip on their web site shows it planing along with 6 passengers, so all up wieight would be just over 2850 pounds if the passengers weight the avg 175 lbs each.. The design gross weight with 4 passengers is supposed to be 2400 pounds. I would think that it may not be able to plane as much weight as one could with a prop, but if you look at the efficiency at speed in the paper the efficiency above 40 mph is closing in on 90%.