About landing crafts

[karayelhb]

Hi everybody!

I am doing some research about landing crafts especially in their hull forms. But I couldn't find any good resource to describe the philosophy of these boats. Could you please help me if you know any book, webpage, etc.

Baris

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by karayelhb

Hi everybody!

I am doing some research about landing crafts especially in their hull forms. But I couldn't find any good resource to describe the philosophy of these boats. Could you please help me if you know any book, webpage, etc.

Baris

You meaning landing craft as used by the armed services during the wars or coastal and lake landing craft use today ?? principle will be the same just differant cargo , Google landing craft !! Wow theres a ton of stuff came up !!

[Mr Efficiency]

The 'philosophy' is they have to be able to drop their loading/unloading ramp near enough to the water's edge so stuff can get on/off without too many dramas.

[Village_Idiot]

IIRC, the original landing craft were Higgins boats and used at Normandy. The boat was designed/built by Higgins who grew up on the shallow Platte River near Columbus, NE. The boats were big and heavy and relativly shallow for surf work (they still drafted 4 feet at the stern).

Modern landing craft can draft 2 feet at the stern, depending on where their use is intended. Ocean/surf craft still need some depth for better ocean-going performance (see bill munson's boats), whereas inland lakes/river craft can get away with shallower design and operation.

Attached is a pic of a modern aluminum landing craft designed for inland waters. It is 26'x12', diesel w/ Hamilton jet, loaded with 5.5 tons cargo it drafts 9 inches at the front and 22 inches at the rear.

[messabout]

If you are researching landing craft and such, you might also be interested in the "Alligator" built during WW2 by FMC corporation. They were butt ugly amphibious boxes with track propulsion. Sometimes used as smaller armed landing craft.

[BATAAN]

I've had quite a bit of practice with the Higgins LCVP (Landing Craft for Vehicles and Personnel) and this is one tough boat that could operate in 18" of water.
http://www.higginsmemorial.com/design.asp

[BATAAN]

Draft 3' aft but could get off a beach if it had 18" at stern.

[BATAAN]

http://www.higginsmemorial.com/design.asp
http://www.freewebs.com/militarymate...igginsboat.htm

[BATAAN]

http://www.aluminumlandingcraft.com/products.html
http://www.billmunsonboats.com/packman.html
http://www.responsemarine.com/LC.htm
etc.

[BATAAN]

Basic idea is very shallow draft to get on/off a beach with little gradient, tunnel stern, strong enough build to take violent battering, enough Vee to give some speed without pounding, a bow ramp to allow roll on/off use and enough power to stay out of trouble. What else is there? For philosophy of landing craft, read about Mr Higgins.

[FMS]

A different landing craft: L-CAT landing catamaran
http://www.naval-technology.com/cont...s/patrol/cnim/

The L-CAT consists of a full length mobile platform operated by hydraulic jacks, which is suspended between the two hulls. During landing operations the platform lowers into the sea thereby lifting the vessel out of the water reducing its draft to approximately 0.8m allowing the vessel to navigate in shallow water and come to shore and beach. During high-speed navigation the platform is lifted in its highest position, improving the vessels sea-going capacities and allowing it to be deployed up to 200 miles from shore.

The French Ministry of Defence acquired four vessels and the first of series is scheduled to be delivered in 2011.

[cor]

Here is a landing craft on the small end of the spectrum. 21' long, built from plywood, 90 hp outboard. Sized to haul two ATVs or about 2000 pounds of cargo.

C.O.

[BMcF]

Something newer in the design of landing craft...

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...rine-Commandos

[Wavewacker]

Originally Posted by cor

Here is a landing craft on the small end of the spectrum. 21' long, built from plywood, 90 hp outboard. Sized to haul two ATVs or about 2000 pounds of cargo.

C.O.

That looks like a good starting point. What about having a couple cat hulls on each side and a small cabin at the rear for access to the cat hulls and the helm? The flat bottom LC would need a stronger bottom since it would be off the water I would think.

[ACuttle]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

That looks like a good starting point. What about having a couple cat hulls on each side and a small cabin at the rear for access to the cat hulls and the helm? The flat bottom LC would need a stronger bottom since it would be off the water I would think.

Cat hulls make pretty poor small (<8m) landing craft. Though they've got the deck area, the height needed to clear the wetdeck means your load-deck is pretty high and the ramp needs to be so much longer to give a sensible angle.

If the wetdeck doesn't clear the water there is the same strength problem. In either case bottom strength isn't too much of an issue typically, as stiffening up flat pannels isn't too hard and shell thickness is pretty high up forward for when you ground out - especially as many landing craft aren't that speedy.