{"id":5702,"date":"2012-02-16T08:27:41","date_gmt":"2012-02-16T13:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.divetalking.com\/?p=5702"},"modified":"2012-02-16T08:27:47","modified_gmt":"2012-02-16T13:27:47","slug":"the-ultimate-amphibious-trucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.divetalking.com\/?p=5702","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate amphibious trucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gibbs Humdinga II, Phibian trucks can pivot their wheels to achieve high speeds on water<\/h2>\n

By Bryan Laviolette | The Detroit Bureau<\/cite><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Gibbs Phibian skims across the water on the Potomac River<\/p><\/div>\n

After more than a decade of false starts, Gibbs Technologies launched a High Speed Amphibian that it says will change the way rescue crews respond in disaster situations.<\/p>\n

With the dramatic backdrop of the Pentagon on one side and the Washington Monument just across the Potomac River, Gibbs gave a demonstration of Phibian, a 30-foot amphitruck, which will be road legal and capable of more than 80 mph on the highway and 30 mph in water. Like Gibbs\u2019 other amphibians, the Phibian can transition between land and water in as little as 5 seconds.<\/p>\n

Like the rest of its products, the Phibian uses proprietary technology that allows it to seamlessly transition between land and<\/p>\n

\"Once<\/a>

Once the vehicle determines it has enough water depth to float, it raises the wheels.<\/p><\/div>\n

water. The primary system decouples the drive axles and pivots the wheel assemblies into the wheel wells. Raising them out of the water enables Gibbs\u2019 amphibians to plane.<\/p>\n

The company, which has spent 15 years and 2 million man hours developing the HSA technology, was founded by New Zealander Alan Gibbs. Gibbs has largely funded the project on his own, investing an estimated $200 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cNatural disasters in recent memory, such as the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan, Thailand<\/a>, Sri Lanka and elsewhere in Asia; as well as the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, illustrate the need for amphibians as capable, versatile and efficient as Phibian,\u201d Gibbs Chairman Neil Jenkins said.<\/p>\n

Gibbs is now taking orders for the Phibian, although no price was announced. It plans to begin delivering vehicles in 9 to 15 months.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Phibian, Gibbs also announced that it would take orders for another vehicle, the Humdinga II, a 20-foot amphibian that is capable of reaching the most extreme and remote territory. Gibbs did not have the Humdinga on hand for the demonstration.<\/p>\n

The Phibian prototype features twin 250-horsepowerSteyr marine diesel engines. It features four-wheel drive, but front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive can also be selected depending on conditions. In water, it is propelled by twin water jets.<\/p>\n

The military has shown interest in Gibbs\u2019 amphibians. Technology for beach landing crafts hasn\u2019t changed since World War II, Jenkins said.<\/p>\n

While Gibbs has not given specific locations where its products will be built, Jenkins did say that the Phibian would be built in<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Gibbs Humdinga is 21.5 feet and is designed to extremely difficult and remote terrain.<\/p><\/div>\n

the U.S. It has narrowed its choices for an assembly plant to Michigan, Texas, Florida and the Carolinas. The Humdinga will be built in the United Kingdom where the company is based. Gibbs\u2019 primary research and development office and U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.<\/p>\n

The company plans to announce a production location for the Phibian with the next several weeks.
\nThe Phibian is a true multi-continent effort. Jenkins said it was conceived in the U.S., engineered in New Zealand and will be manufactured in the U.S. with some materials supplied out of the U.K.<\/p>\n

Gibbs gave demonstration rides on the Phibian to the media, dignitaries including the New Zealand ambassador to the U.S., and attorneys who are helping it obtain regulatory approval for its amphibians. Jenkins said that the U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency have approved the Phibian and the company expects approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within six months.<\/p>\n

The Phibian\u2019s introduction was timed to precede the annual conference of the American Society of Naval Engineers, which was also last week. Gibbs officials were scheduled for meetings about its vehicles in connection with the conference.<\/p>\n

The announcement of the Phibian came as a bit of a surprise because the company is also working on the planned launch of<\/p>\n

\"Gibbs<\/a>

Gibbs Chairman Neil Jenkins introduces the company's Phibian High Speed Amphibian, which is aimed at first res \u2026<\/p><\/div>\n

the Quadski amphibian, which is a single-seat cross between an all-terrain vehicle and a personal watercraft. The Quadski is capable of 45 mph on land and water. Gibbs has said that the often-delayed Quadski would go into limited production this summer.<\/p>\n

Gibbs said that the Quadski would be the first model produced by a new division it is calling Sport Amphibians.<\/p>\n

The company also had one of its Aquada amphibious sports cars<\/a> at the Phibian launch. That project is stuck on the back burner as Gibbs works to secure regulatory approval for it. Jenkins said approval for the Phibian and Humdinga was a little easier because they are classified as light-duty trucks<\/a> rather than a passenger car, like the Aquada.<\/p>\n

While the Phibian is targeted at first responders such as rescue crews and fire departments, Jenkins said it will be available for sale to the general public. The prototype shown in Arlington had what Gibbs calls a quarter cab, with seating for three people, but it can be ordered with no cab, half cab or full cab. The prototype\u2019s deck has attachment points for a versatile range of uses.<\/p>\n

Jenkins said the hull and superstructure of the Phibian are carbon fiber. It weighs 4,500 pounds and has a payload capacity of 3,307 pounds.<\/p>\n

Phibian specifications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Engine \/ Propulsion<\/strong>
\nType:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 twin turbo diesels (land) with twin jet drives (water)
\nHorsepower (hp \/ kW):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 500 \/\u00a0 368
\nWater speed (mph):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 more than 30<\/p>\n

Suspension<\/strong>
\ncoil over springs and dampers
\nDrive layout (land):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 FWD or RWD, selectable 4WD
\nSteering type:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 power-assisted hydraulic<\/p>\n

Brakes<\/strong>
\nType:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 hydraulically operated disc brakes<\/p>\n

Wheels and tires<\/strong>
\nDimensions\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 275\/80R20 MPT
\nOverall length (ft \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.22 \/ 9212
\nOverall width: (ft \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8.3 \/ 2532
\nOverall height: (ft \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11.98 \/ 3654
\nTrack width (ft \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.95 \/ 2120
\nWheelbase (ft \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20.63 \/ 6289
\nApproach angle (degrees):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30
\nDeparture angle (degrees):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28
\nGround clearance (in \/ mm):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 16 \/ 353<\/p>\n

Capacities<\/strong>
\nOccupants:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 three crew, 12 passengers
\nCurb weight (lb \/ kg base):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4500
\nPayload (lb \/ kg):\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3307 \/ 1500<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gibbs Humdinga II, Phibian trucks can pivot their wheels to achieve high speeds on water
\nBy Bryan Laviolette | The Detroit Bureau
\nAfter more than a decade of false starts, Gibbs Technologies launched a High Speed Amphibian that it says will change the way rescue crews respond in disaster situations.
\nWith the dramatic backdrop of the Pentagon on one side and the Washington Monument just across the Potomac River, Gibbs gave a demonstration of Phibian, a 30-foot amphitruck, which will be road legal and capable of more than 80 mph on the highway and 30 mph in water. Like Gibbs\u2019 other amphibians, the Phibian can transition between land and water in as little as 5 seconds.
\nLike the rest of its products, the Phibian uses proprietary technology that allows it to seamlessly transition between land and
\nwater. The primary system decouples the drive axles and pivots the wheel assemblies into the wheel wells. Raising them …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,32,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boats","category-reference","category-report"],"yoast_head":"\nThe ultimate amphibious trucks - Divetalking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Divetalking\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.divetalking.com\/?p=5702\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The ultimate amphibious trucks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Divetalking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.divetalking.com\/?p=5702\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Divetalking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Divetalking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-02-16T13:27:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-02-16T13:27:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.divetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/aphitruck-water-jpg_214346.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/02d5721103fd9d171fcc8cfb74d80947\"},\"headline\":\"The ultimate amphibious trucks\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-02-16T13:27:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-02-16T13:27:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702\"},\"wordCount\":1011,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/02\\\/aphitruck-water-jpg_214346.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Boats\",\"Reference\",\"Report\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.divetalking.com\\\/?p=5702\",\"name\":\"The ultimate amphibious trucks - 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