THE APPLICATION OF INFLATABLE STRUCTURES TO THE GROUND EFFECT MACHINE (GEM)

Abstract

An investigation was made of structures for a Ground Effect Machine (GEM) which would be useful in the Army's amphibious regime of transportation. Emphasis is on arriving at a structural concept which would produce a vehicle with maximized transportability. A vehicle for the Logistics-Over-The-Shore (LOTS) mission is selected so as to have a concrete example for design purposes. As a prerequisite to vehicle engineering, the mission, the use sequence, and the chracteristics which would make the vehicle useful and transportable are examined in detail. The most severe loads to be resisted are believed to be those associated with operating in the military amphibious environment. The miscellaneous environmental requirements are enumerated. Material properties appropriate to this kind of application are studied and a selection made -- Al alloy 6061-T6 -- primarily on the basis of its corrosion resistant property. Power requirements are determined as a function of gross weight, cushion pressure, and operating height.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0283755

Entities

Organizations

  • Booz Allen Hamilton

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Alkenes
  • Chemistry
  • Hydrocarbon Fuels
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Working
  • Mechanics
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Shear Modulus
  • Stiffness
  • Tensile Strength
  • Turbines

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design