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Another Pioneering Use of Air Cushion Technology The Air Track System, also known as the Air Cushion Crawler All-Terrain Vehicle, employs air cushion technology to create the ability to move over any surface - including water - even at steep grades, while exerting the smallest of pressure on the ground surface. Dr. Bertelsen adopted his skills developed while working with his amphibious air cushion vehicles to pioneer a truly versatile All-Terrain Vehicle.
How is the Air Track a Superior All-Terrain Vehicle?
The AirTrack has inherent flotation in that the interior is pressurized air and will displace a large volume of water for flotation. Whereas, the conventional ATV with wheels or tracks, floats up to the “gunwales”, or the deck level, AirTrack ATV’s will float high in the water. |
Unlike the deeply immersed conventional ATV’s, The AirTrack has little immersion or displacement, and will move fast on water with less power. |
There is virtually no limit to the size and type of AirTrack vehicle that can be designed. |
AirTracks of the same capacity will be simpler and cheaper than the very massive, expensive huge tires, and their suspensions, for 100+ ton mine trucks. |
For military vehicles such as tanks, personnel carriers, artillery carriers, the AirTrack is “bullet proof”, in that a perforation of the track will be an insignificant air pressure loss which can be compensated by the air pump. |
The AirTrack can be of all composite design, with very light ground pressure to avoid setting off either magnetic or pressure detonated mines. |
The AirTrack will not only be cheaper, but far lighter in weight than wheel or crawler ATV’s. |
On water, the AirTrack becomes a “propulsive pontoon” wherein the less than half immersed, fast turning track belt will allow high speed, and even get on the “hump” as do conventional air cushion vehicles. Hump speed is that velocity attained at which the craft moves over water faster than the water can be displaced, and it rides essentially on “hard” water without any immersion, or draft, spray, or wake. |
Grade climbing of as much as 45 degrees may be possible, especially with momentum of a high speed approach to the hill. |
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Cutaway perspective view a typical dual roller chain, dual pair sprocket Segmented Air Track Unit
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Phantom side views of Four PassengerDual Air Track chassis only, without canopy,shown on land and in full amphibious operation in water in hydrostatic Air Track buoyancy.
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How is the Air Track Superior to the Crawler Tractor?
The AirTrack is simpler, lighter in weight, and cheaper in that there are no rollers, bogeys, bearings, suspensions, and only fore and aft wheels or idlers to support the orbiting track. |
The pressurized, air and water tight enclosed AirTrack compartment excludes water, mud, dirt, sand, etc., from entering and fouling the simple internal components. |
The AirTrack can be of any width for greater load carrying without increase in internal complexity. |
The AirTrack ground pressure can be widely varied from fractional p.s.i. to possibly 10 p.s.i. or more, depending on the terrain, mass to be carried, or the mission. |
The low inertia of the external elastomer belt, and the internal simplicity of the AirTrack will allow for doubling the maximum speeds of their counterpart steel crawler tracks. |
The AirTrack will be very quiet at high speed, in contrast to the open, noisy, clanking, multiple roller crawlers, running on segmented steel tracks. |
The continuous AirTrack elastomer belt, is simpler than the conventional steel crawler belt with it’s many steel pins, bearings, etc. to maintain. |
There will be less internal friction in an AirTrack than in the complex carriage of a crawler. |
Other Information About the Air Track System
Last update: March 11, 2008
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