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Kraken
Federated Suns
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 Posted: 02-Jan-2016 23:48 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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Tonight was the preview for the final season of "Mythbusters".
During the preview, it was announced that the upcoming episodes for this season will include a test to determine if hovercraft can, indeed, skim over minefields without setting them off.
I could swear I asked this question here on this board some years ago, and so now it looks like it'll finally be answered.
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Mordel
Mordel.Net
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| Posted: 05-Jan-2016 09:18 Post subject: Re: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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| Kraken wrote: | Tonight was the preview for the final season of "Mythbusters".
During the preview, it was announced that the upcoming episodes for this season will include a test to determine if hovercraft can, indeed, skim over minefields without setting them off.
I could swear I asked this question here on this board some years ago, and so now it looks like it'll finally be answered. |
My guess is that the hovercraft will set off the minefields.
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
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| Posted: 05-Jan-2016 14:46 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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I don't think that it will set off mines against vehicles, but the skirt could detonate some infantry mines.
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Vagabond
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| Posted: 05-Jan-2016 16:26 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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i think it will depend on the square pressure needed to trigger the fuse. As SD said, vehicle mines might not have enough pressure while infantry mines will.
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[Last edited by Vagabond on 06-Jan-2016 14:24; edited 1 time in total]
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Sleeping Dragon
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| Posted: 06-Jan-2016 01:52 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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Either presure, or wire triggers. Those would work always.
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Kraken
Federated Suns
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| Posted: 09-Jan-2016 22:34 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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The test was this evening.
Spoilers:
The team procured a light-weight hovercraft. Rated max functional weight of vehicle and occupants combined was 630 pounds. However, only one person operated the vehicle during each test.
The team rigged up a series of faux landmines set to detonate when a specific amount of weight was placed upon them.
Even when the weight threshold was set to a mere 5 pounds, the hovercraft still skated over the minefield with no issues whatsoever. A check of the mathematics revealed that the hovercraft exerted less than a pound per square inch of pressure, and so would have no issues whatsoever.
In that sense, a light enough hovercraft *could*, indeed, go over a certain type of minefield without issue.
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Sleeping Dragon
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| Posted: 10-Jan-2016 04:12 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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Actually since the hovercraft rests on a air cushion the probability of triggering mines by preasure is pretty small. I'd wager my luck on tripping them with the skirt or flying debris accidentally hitting them.
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Mordel
Mordel.Net
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| Posted: 10-Jan-2016 09:09 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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Interesting. I drastically over-estimated the amount of downward pressure a hovercraft exerted!
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Vagabond
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| Posted: 10-Jan-2016 16:53 Post subject: Re: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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| Mordel wrote: | | Interesting. I drastically over-estimated the amount of downward pressure a hovercraft exerted! |
To be fair, they did use a pretty small hovercraft. I'd like to see how the Marine lander does. Though the pressure inside the skirt of those is low enough for human beings to operate within it while inflated.
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Sleeping Dragon
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| Posted: 11-Jan-2016 00:07 Post subject: Re: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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I think that the real problem with mine is that the presure is via airflow, so it just goes around any protruding pbjects and doesn't really push on anything that much as long as it's allowed easier way to escape.
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
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| Posted: 14-Jan-2016 21:52 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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Let's just say I'm not convinced...
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Rudel Gurken
Allisters Light Thunder
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| Posted: 16-Jan-2016 08:17 Post subject: Hovercraft vs. Minefields |
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The ground pressure should be the weight of the vehicle (that is lifted by the air cushion ) divided by the area of the air cushion.
The LCAC with 200 tons of weight and an air cushion of around 26m * 14m would have a ground pressure of 550 kg/m2 that is 0,8 pound per square inch. That should trigger everything set on this or lower value.
An 8ton PACV would have 95 kg/m2 or 0,14 psi.
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