Kaiman

Search, Rescue, Survey or Strike with Confidence

The Kaiman was designed to fulfil a role as a practical ‘work style hovercraft’, fully capable in SAR, Military or Industrial Roles. Good payload, easily transported, simple to operate, tough, reliable.

The Kaiman is transported on a road-legal 2.5m wide trailer and with a simple tilting deck arrangement the Kaiman can be quickly launched as the first responder in emergency situations. Thin or broken ice, mudflats, tidal estuaries, tropical swamps and other areas normally inaccessible to wheeled vehicles pose no problem for the Kaiman.

Moving your crew and equipment quickly and safely to the rescue scene can be crucial to saving lives.

The Caiman Crocodile is a tough, amphibious creature which is strongly territorial and can deliver a nasty bite. The Kaiman Hovercraft is an amphibious machine which can deliver troops and equipment over territories previously difficult to control or defend.

With the highest standard of design and construction the Kaiman may be classified by most classification societies.

Technical Specifications

DimensionsWhen HoveringTransporting Dimensions
Length7.08 m6.56 m
Width2.73 m2.41 m
Height2.23 m1.95 m
Transport ModeBy road trailer with tiling flat deck. By sea, 2 units fit into a 40ftHQ container.
Cushion height377 mm @ front, 315mm @ rear
Wave height clearance0.75 m at a pitch of 10 metres or more
Normal operating speed40 to 60 km/hr (22 to 30 kts)
Hump speed timeLightweight in 3 – 5 seconds.Heavyweight in 5 – 8 seconds
AccommodationFully enclosed and air-conditioned with comfortable seating for 1 crew plus 5 to 7 passengers (configuration dependant).
Payload (normal water-start)700 kg. (900kg with reduced performance).
Empty weight1100 kg approx
FuelSGasoline 91 or better
Engine (s)Standard – Subaru® EJ25. 135kW (180hp).Optional – Subaru® EJ25 Turbocharged. 155kW (208hp).
EnduranceLoiter = up to 8 hoursCruise = 5 to 6 hours
Skirt OptionsPressurised tapered bag with detachable fingers.
Skirt typeStandard skirt is fixed directly to the hull. Optional skirt has a PU Foam collar extended around the hull perimeter adding 21% lift area and providing a strong fender.
Lift SystemCoaxial two stage fan system with hydraulic motor drive.
Thrust systemStandard – Adjustable pitch 5-blade propeller. Forward thrust only.Optional – An in-flight adjustable (IFA) and reversing 5-blade propeller which provides both forward and reverse thrust.
Longitudinal pitch controlDynamic pitch control by elevators.Static pitch control by moving the fuel between the front and rear fuel tanks.
Instrumentation & DisplaysInstrumentation by combination of analogue type displays and flat screen displays.
ControlsAll controls ‘Fly-by-Wire’ with programmable logic, programmable displays, warnings and safety interlocks.
Navigation & CommunicationsStandard – GPS Speedometer and Course Over Ground, VHF transceiver and matching antenna, 50mm magnetic compass. Optional – GPS integrated chart plotter, Digital Radar, Night Vision system

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