This air-cushion vehicle (ACV) is meant for employment on lakes, swamps or grassland; the hull will float even with the engines off.

     The four crew members are the pilot (front left seat); the observer (front right seat), and two technicians. There are two fold-down jump seats in addition to the regular crew seats. No weapons are installed. 

Dimensions

Height, skirt inflated:  2.74 meters

Height, skirt deflated:  2.13 meters

Height, floating in water:  1.5 meters

Draft, floating:  0.63 meters

Width:  3.65 meters

Length:  7 meters

Maximum Gross Weight:  1070 kilograms

Maximum Cargo Weight:  545 kilograms

Construction

     The cabin, hull, fan shroud and air rudders are made from epoxied layers of Resistweave material; the skirts are made from 'regular' Resistweave. Windows are made from ballistic plexiglas.

     The cabin is about two meters wide, and four meters long, with a ceiling height of two meters; an interior bulkhead divides the space into the cockpit (forward) and the laboratory (rear), of roughly equal area. There are doors on the left and right side of the main cabin; the technicians' seats fold up against the interior bulkhead to allow easier access to the doors. All the seats in the cockpit have lap and shoulder belts. The seats in the laboratory are simple fold-down backless stools.

Performance

     The ACV operates best over calm water or flat paved surfaces, but can also travel over level ground. It's maximum speed over water or pavement is 64 kph, but normal cruising speed is best held to 50 kph. Speed over land, presuming grass, small rocks, ruts and uneven surfaces, is 50 kph maximum; best cruise is 30 kph.

     Wind conditions greatly affect all ACVs; the Quequod cannot operate in winds exceeding 43 kph -- there is extreme danger of flipping over. Top speed should be limited to 25 kph if wind speed exceeds 36 kph. In any case, the ACV is prone to side-slipping in crosswinds.

     The Quequod cannot negotiate rough water (sea state 3 or more); the skirt will lose containment and the ACV will drop into the water. On land, the craft cannot climb vertical obstacles of more than 0.6 meters height, or traverse slopes of greater than 1 in 8 grade.

     When afloat (lift engine off) the water level lies just a few centimeters below the "deck" level, which will frequently be awash. The propulsion fan can move the ACV while afloat in the water at a top speed of just 25 kph (producing quite a lot of spray and roostertail when doing so).

     When hovering at a stand still, this ACV can slowly rotate in place; as speed increases, the turn radius increases quite a lot.

     The sounds of the lift fan and propulsion fan are a bit quieter than (say) a helicopter, but still noisy. The Quequod is very easy to see when hovering or moving -- lots of spray or dust is kicked up, along with a roostertail at even moderate speeds.

Systems and Propulsion

     A single Morrow Industries Mk I fusion generator powers the Quequod. Two Project vehicle batteries provide power for starting the generator, and as backup in case of damage.

     The propulsion fan is driven by a 200 kilowatt electric motor -- the same as used in the Project's V150 vehicles. A 10 kilowatt electric motor powers the skirt inflation and lift system. The lift fan is 1.11 meters in diameter, with seven blades about 15 cm wide each; the propulsion fan is 1.4 meters in diameter, with three blades.

     Normal maritime running lights (port, starboard and toplight) and twin halogen headlamps are fitted. Wipers are fitted to the two forward windows.

     Five "air rudders" are mounted behind the propulsion fan, for steering.

Equipment Carried

     In the cockpit:

• Raytheon Pathfinder 1900ND surface search radar. There is a repeater PPI scope in front of the pilot, but the actual controls are at the observer's seat
  

• PRC-70 radio, mounted in a power supply/amplifier/speaker frame at the observer's position.
  

• a hull-mounted antenna is fitted on the cabin roof

• ARN-59(V) radio direction finder, at the observer's position
  

• intercom and gas mask plugin stations for each of the four seats

• a chemical fire extinguisher

   

• Morrow Project PC

• Morrow Project laserdisc drive

• converter box to connect the computer to the radio; can thus act as a 9600 baud modem, and allow sending of Morse by software

• an HP LaserJet printer, with 10,000 sheets of paper (two cartons of 10 reams each). Introduced after March, 1984, it's a PC-compatible device. Print speed is 8 pages per minute; four toner cartridges, each good for about 3,000 pages of printing, are supplied.

• Autonav Model A1B

• bilge pump -- there is only 10 centimeters of space between the cockpit floor and the underside of the hull; that space contains structural elements, power and control cables, and a bilge pump. The pump can drain 189 liters of water per minute.

• an air filter and NBC system, mounted on the cabin roof. It has a washable filter; it should be cleaned after any suspicion of exposure to toxic agents, or to excessive dust. Note that the system doesn't know whether the vehicle is sealed or contaminated. It does have the equivalent of an M1 CBR Kit, connected to an M42 chemical alarm (a loud noise, blinking light kinda thing). The chemical alarm is on a simple "field telephone" two-wire cable, 5 meters long (but longer cables could easily be arranged).

     Fitted in the laboratory section:

• Two 20 liter water tanks. One (the "dirty" tank) fills from the outside; a washable ceramic filter connects from that tank to the 'clean' tank; the filter can treat 10 liters of water per hour. Keep in mind that the filter will not remove chemical contaminants, viruses, and other small things. Two GHT water taps are fitted in the laboratory, feeding from the 'clean' water tank; one provides 65^o C hot water. There is a single spare filter; the filter in use should be swapped at regular intervals, or when the local water supply is known to be contaminated, and the dirty filter washed thoroughly with clean water.

• a chemical fire extinguisher

• air compressor with 15.24 meter long hose

• two 'burner' electric stove

• 600 watt microwave oven (installed after 1984)

• refrigerator, 0.25 cubic meter capacity; includes a small freezer compartment

• electric oven, 0.25 cubic meters capacity

• autoclave/sterilizer, 20 liters capacity

• intercom and gas mask plug points, one on each side

• electrical power outlets, for 110 V AC and 24 V DC

• cabinets for storage, and stainless steel work surfaces.