Author Topic: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?  (Read 6165 times)

Tai Dai Cultist

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #30 on: 18 April 2018, 18:37:23 »
My guess is the blade isn't for construction level "bulldozering".

Its not in any of the pictures that I can find & only a couple of them have the armored prow that it mounts too.

I'm betting is a limited use item for some of the functions mentioned above.

1.  Trigger "rod" mines early
2.  Push aside minor debris that would damage the skirts.
3.  Clearing those exploding trees mentioned above would be a combo of both the above functions.
4.  Shove a car out of the way to allow the tank column to move past.
5.  Another thing that popped into my head is angling it backwards & under the lip of the skirt just a few inches might allow it to act like a skid plate or ramp when crossing over something that wont come up easy like a tree stump.   Would be a rough ride as you are doing some "mini jumps".   At least that is what I'm picturing in my head.  Though it would probably just end up turning them over onto their side, hehe.

To add to this list I'll reiterate what I said upthread:

They'd be pretty good for clearing barbed/concertina wire fortifications meant to inhibit infantry and small vehicles.  Hovercraft have no axles/undercarriage to get fouled by the wire.

Wolf72

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #31 on: 29 April 2018, 20:18:09 »
slightly off topic: but what about a hovercraft towing something? ... I know it would be limited by the motive type of the towed unit, but a wheeled or tracked trailer being pulled down a main supply route by a hover vehicle at 14 hexes at 151 kph/95 mph is kinda funny.
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righteous

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #32 on: 18 June 2018, 22:07:03 »
I could see it more like a cowcatcher on the front of a locomotive.  It's not going to move massive amounts of earth or grade out the land, but it pushes smaller obstructions away rather than letting them get under the skirts (or under the narrow, low traction wheels on a locomotive) to jam up the works.  Also, a cheap prow can take the minor dings without damaging the expensive vehicle - like a push bar that can be spray painted over taking the dings to keep the shiny chrome bumper (or plastic fairing) in better shape.

glitterboy2098

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #33 on: 18 June 2018, 23:01:52 »
slightly off topic: but what about a hovercraft towing something? ... I know it would be limited by the motive type of the towed unit, but a wheeled or tracked trailer being pulled down a main supply route by a hover vehicle at 14 hexes at 151 kph/95 mph is kinda funny.
IRL it would be difficult and probably cause all sorts of issues for the hovercraft. in BT i don't think it is possible.

in hammer's slammers they do it all the time, and the very first story included a combatcar crew towing a cargo flatbed of supplies (including a cage of some genemodded critters) picking up a new recruit that had to have everything explained to him. said flatbed being why they were moving so slow the rebels they were fighting could hit them.

idea weenie

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #34 on: 24 June 2018, 19:01:45 »
I could see it more like a cowcatcher on the front of a locomotive.  It's not going to move massive amounts of earth or grade out the land, but it pushes smaller obstructions away rather than letting them get under the skirts (or under the narrow, low traction wheels on a locomotive) to jam up the works.  Also, a cheap prow can take the minor dings without damaging the expensive vehicle - like a push bar that can be spray painted over taking the dings to keep the shiny chrome bumper (or plastic fairing) in better shape.

I'd be tempted to make it an inverse, where you have the cow catcher style, but like the prow of a boat so the hovercraft slides over the items, rather than trying to push them out of the way.  The thrust from a hovercraft is in the form of fans or jet engines, vs treads/wheels.

slightly off topic: but what about a hovercraft towing something? ... I know it would be limited by the motive type of the towed unit, but a wheeled or tracked trailer being pulled down a main supply route by a hover vehicle at 14 hexes at 151 kph/95 mph is kinda funny.

For towing, I'd require that any trailer being towed must have the same or worse traction than the towing vessel (so hover can only tow hover, wheeled can tow wheeled or hover, and tracked can tow all three).  The terrain limitation is the worse of the entire chain, i.e. a treaded vehicle towing a hovercargo platform will lose the cargo if it goes into terrain where hovercraft cannot.  Similarly, a treaded vehicle trying to tow hovercargo over water will go gurgle gurgle really quick (unless it is environmentally sealed and air-independent).  If the treaded vehicle can do it though, I predict the driver putting on music.

The nice part is that hovercargo should get a speed bonus (similar to hovercraft getting that bonus).  So a wheeled vehicle might only be able to tow 100 tons of cargo on a trailer with wheels, but might be able to handle 200 tons on a hovertrailer.  The problem is that if the wheeled vehicle has to stop suddenly, the cargo won't (unless you turn off the skirts and let it scrape to a stop).

Of course, the fun part of towing cargo with a hovercraft is where all the exhaust air is pointed directly at the cargo.  Hope all of the trailer cargo is low, dense or well-secured.

mbear

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Re: Mounting Dozer Blades On Hovercraft?
« Reply #35 on: 25 June 2018, 08:16:33 »
I could see it more like a cowcatcher on the front of a locomotive.  It's not going to move massive amounts of earth or grade out the land, but it pushes smaller obstructions away rather than letting them get under the skirts (or under the narrow, low traction wheels on a locomotive) to jam up the works.  Also, a cheap prow can take the minor dings without damaging the expensive vehicle - like a push bar that can be spray painted over taking the dings to keep the shiny chrome bumper (or plastic fairing) in better shape.

I guess I'm confused by your argument because I always thought the air was driven down through the skirt and away from the tank, so any small objects would be blown away from the fans.
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