notice the airboat engine in the back
This Finnish vessel was developed and built in the 1970s by Finnish-Swedes Nils Eriksson and his son Raimo, who saw the need for a vessel that could cross water, snow and ice in the Åboland archipelago a few hundred kilometers west of Finnish capital Helsinki.
Amphibian had sprung, retractable wheels, so that if it had to drive a little on solid ground, it could be equipped with skis.
A Ford V6 engine - later Rover V8 - powered the hydrocopter's propeller, giving it a speed of 8 knots in water, 12 knots over young snow and over 50 knots on ice (57 mph - yeehaw!!). On the other hand, the propeller was very noisy, which is why people had to wear ear protection when sitting in it.
Amphibian was a great success: In Finland they were sold to the coast guard, the military, the police, the fire department and the postal service. The Swedish coast guard and a few municipalities in Sweden also purchased some, the latter using it to transport children to school when ordinary boats could not sail.
At ‘Maskinverkstad Niels Eriksson’ in the town of Lileax, around 130 were built over 20 years, of which there are probably 20-30 left. A few years ago, an Amphibian NE 3000 went for $7,570 when it went under the hammer at the Swedish Klaraviks Auctions.
thank you Kim!
After some AI assisted search I can answer your question: "This is an Amphibian NE 3000/3500 is a type of ice-capable hovercraft or hydrocopter (Finnish: hydrokopteri) utilized by the Finnish Border Guard for versatile transportation, particularly over ice and water. A unit, designated KR 215, is featured in the Forum Marinum maritime museum, showcasing its design for navigating harsh, freezing environments. These machines are designed to operate in shallow water and on ice, common in Finnish coastal areas during winter." Her engine is a Ford V6.
ReplyDeleteIt looks similar to a Russian, Tupolev (same Tupolev design bureau as the airplanes) A-3 Aerosledge. At first I thought it is the TU, but that is more rectangular shape.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_A-3_Aerosledge
I guess it have wheels for the same reason as for some small hydro/waterplanes have foldable wheels: to be capable to move or towed on solid surface in a short distance, like ramp to hanger.
Both have "seventies James Bond movie looks", don't you think? 8-)
70s James Bond is EXACTLY what I thought of! Thanks for the research and info!
DeleteI saw something along those lines whie working in Kansas. The told me it was used for rescues in water, marshes and snow. I have pictures of the one I saw but as you know I have thousands of images. I will try to find my pictures as time allows.
ReplyDelete