Chinese LCAC Development - 1980s-1990s
In order to promote the practical application of air cushion technology for the development of ships, in May 1980, the State Council National Defense Office hosted the second national air cushion technology conference. The meeting held that China's air cushion technology has been stuck in the trial and trial boat phase for a long time, mainly due to the lack of suitable power equipment system, and the hull and flexible apron materials are not matched. In view of the limited research funding, it is necessary to start with the development of small, inland river hovercraft, and gradually transition to the practical use of medium-sized boats in the estuary and coastal areas. In October 1982, the third professional meeting on air cushion technology was held to examine the difficulties and problems that occurred in the transition to practical application, further unify thoughts, strengthen leadership, and propose measures and measures to solve problems. Under the guidance of the reform and opening up policy, the relevant departments introduced advanced foreign technology and equipment. After five years of hard work, the key equipment and equipment were basically solved, and the development of the hovercraft finally entered the practical stage.
In the early 1980s, the Shanghai Institute of Shipping and Transportation cooperated with the Anhui Institute of Water Transport Science and Technology to design the WD401 inland side waterjet propulsion air-seat boat, which was built by Chaohu Shipyard and produced in small batches. The total weight of the boat is 16 tons, with 40 passenger seats, 0.45 meters of draught sailing, and a speed of 32 kilometers per hour. It has good economy.
In 1981, the 708 Institute carried out a second modification of the 717-A type boat, named 717-C type boat. Later, as a prototype boat, it designed and built the 717-2 type of 54 passengers for the Chongqing Steamship Company. The boat "Yujiang" has designed and built a 717-3 boat with 70 passengers for the Chongqing Ferry Company. The speed of the two boats is 46.9 km/h and 44 km/h respectively, and the cabin noise is about 75 decibels. After the completion of the two boats, they are all operating in Chongqing. Since October 1984, they have been serving for several years. From Chongqing to Cangzhou, one-way 249 km, 372 kilometers one way to Yibin in summer, only 6 hours to 8 hours 30 minutes, greatly shortening the running time.
In 1980, Tianjin commissioned the 708 Research Institute to design and construct the “Jinxiang”, a side wall air cushion tourist boat for the harbor. The boat is constructed of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, and two 12V150ZC high-speed diesel engines are used for propulsion. One 12V150ZC type main engine is used for the pad, and the total power is 880 kW. From 1983 to 1985, the boat was trial-operated on the Shanghai-Nantong line. The machinery and equipment were reliable, the apron life was 600 hours, and the various parts were normal, but the wave resistance was poor when sailing in the third-class sea conditions.
In 1985, based on the 719-l prototype boat, the 708 Institute designed the 719-2 "Hongxiang" side wall air cushion ferry, which was prototyped by the China Shipyard and delivered for use in the winter of 1987. The total weight of the ship is 123.5 tons. It uses 3 imported TBD234V16 high-speed diesel engines as the main engine. The speed is 44~50 km/h, and 258 passengers are used for short-distance passenger transportation from Shanghai to Chongming, which shortens the flight time from the original two hours. Forty-five minutes. The actual ship operation shows that its performance is stable, the flying and propulsion power units are reliable, and the life of the apron has been adapted to the operational requirements. It is one of the practical ship types.
In order to be used in areas such as swamps, tidal flats, silt and other general vehicles and ships that are difficult to reach, the Dagang Oilfield Command commissioned the 708 Institute to develop a small full-pad-lift "air cushion Jeep" that can be carried by train. The boat is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy and is equipped with two car gasoline engines with a power of 2×44 kW. It uses a ducted propeller and a finger-type apron with a total weight of 2.6 tons and can carry 8 passengers. After the user uses it, renew 4 ships. In order to reduce the host failure rate and blade flutter, the boat was later converted to an imported Deutz air-cooled high-speed diesel engine. The modified boat (Model 7201) was produced in small batches by Hangzhou Dongfeng Shipyard and Wuhu Shipyard. It has been built 17 ships and delivered to the relevant military regions, the People's Armed Forces Department, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission and Dagang Oilfield. In 1987, the Henan Provincial Tourism Bureau commissioned the 708 Research Institute and the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Plant to build a 7212 full-lift raised hovercraft for the Yellow River. The ship was built in 1989 and named "Zhengzhou" with a total weight of 10.3 tons and 33 passengers. It uses three Deutz BF6L913C air-cooled diesel engines (one for padding and two for propulsion) In addition, there are 2 duct air propellers, which are placed on the left and right sides of the tail. The ship is a practical hovercraft for the development of the Yellow River tourism resources.
In 1983, in response to military needs, the 708 Research Institute and the Hudong Shipyard were jointly responsible for the modification of the 716 full-lift raised air cushion transport boat. The main engine was replaced by three imported Deutz high-speed air-cooled diesel engines with a total power of 950 kW. The hull was appropriately lengthened and replaced with a ducted propeller. The pad lift, propulsion system and apron were redesigned. From 1984 to 1985, after repeated debugging, sea trials and refurbishment of the boat and improvement of the shafting and air propellers, the technical performance of the boat reached practical requirements. In the summer of 1988, it sailed through the South China Sea Islands for training.
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