AMPHIBIOUS BOATS.

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 83, 4 October 1924, Page 24

AMPHIBIOUS BOATS.

Two interesting boats designed witi. motor-propelled land wheels, havo jus', beeii delivered to a Scarborough owne: by an English firm of builders. Tin boats are 19ft long, 6ffc broad, and 3n deep, and the propulsive power is fur nished by a self-starting motor engin. which is designed to give a speed of eigln miles per hour, both on land and in the water, with a consumption of about-one gallon of fuel per hour. The engine speed of 1500 revolutions ia reduced to half speed at the propellers by a, reduction gear. Two land wheels are provid ed amidships, each having a diameter of 4fl. They are constructed of 3-16 in steel plates, with oak rims bolted to them. The oak is said to give l>etter adhesion on the sand, and to assist tlie buoyancy of the craft. Each of the wheels weigh li-cwt. Tlie power is transmitted to these sido wheels through worm gearing, which gives a speed of eight miles per hour, when on land and three miles when on bottom gear. Two stern steerins wheels made of thin steel plate are fitted on either side of the propeller, and are controlled from the driving platform. When in the water these wheels act as ruddovs, and they are placed sufficiently far apart not to-interfere with tlie flow of water from the propeller. On the land the boats have a clearance of about 7in from the ground. They are designed to carry twelve passengers as well as the boatman and the engineer. During the trials one of the boats was driven to.the sea beach from a garage about a quartet of a mile distant, and after the trial the boat came straight out of the water on the beach and travelled up an incline of about one in seven to the place of disembarkation. _ The new boats, it is stated, are a distinct improvement upon the Sea Lion, the first amphibious boat, which was built by the company, for experimental purposes.