Re: [GZG] Subject: Re: What are the pitfalls of standardised forces?

Adrian1 wrote:

>I know little if anything about mechanics but aren't hovercraft/GEVs
>less complicated than wheeled tracked vehicles.   WIth no need to
>replace wheels/tracks or broken suspension, etc.

If you're talking about hovercraft: As long as you only move across very

smooth terrain that doesn't tear at the plenum chamber walls, maybe. 
Hovercraft also drink far more fuel than similarly-protected wheeled or 
tracked vehicles capable of carrying the same payload.

If you're talking about GEVs: While large parts of the SF community use
the 
term "GEV" to mean "hovercraft", "Ground Effect Vehicle" is actually an 
abbreviation of "Wing In Ground Effect vehicle" (WIGE) - ie. something
more 
like an aircraft than a ground vehicle. I'd be very surprised if WIGEs 
required less maintenance than wheeled or tracked vehicles :-/

Eli: *Light* hovercraft are less likely to trigger pressure mines than 
other types of ground vehicles are, but they are just as vulnerable to 
mines with tilt-rod, magnetic etc fuses. However, if you put armour on a

hovercraft its ground pressure rises quite rapidly, so by the time
you've 
put MBT-level armour on it it'll be about as likely to trigger a
pressure 
mine as a light APC is. (And it won't be able to move over water or
other 
soft surfaces either - a heavy hovercraft will sink...)

Regards,

Oerjan
orjan.ariander1@comhem.se

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry

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