Hurricane Aircat
The Hurricane Aircat was an airboat used as a riverine patrol boat by the US Army and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. It was used to conduct various counterinsurgency (COIN) and patrol missions in riverine and marshy areas where larger boats could not go.
A MIKE Force Hurricane Aircat in Vietnam | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Hurricane Fiberglass |
| Operators |
|
| In commission | 1964–1972 |
| Completed | 84+ |
| Active | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Airboat patrol boat |
| Displacement | 1,150 pounds (520 kg) |
| Length | 17 feet (5.2 m) |
| Beam | 7.25 feet (2.21 m) |
| Draft | 4 inches (0.10 m) |
| Propulsion | 180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming O-360 aircraft engine |
| Speed | 42–65 knots (48–75 mph; 78–120 km/h) |
| Range | 100 miles (160 km) |
| Complement | 5–6 enlisted |
| Armament | 1 x M1919 .30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine gun (bow) or
1 × M2HB .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun (bow) Crew small arms, M31 rifle grenades, and/or M79 grenade launchers |
| Armor | None |
| Notes | Specifications are for the military Aircats used by the US Army and may not hold true for civilian models. |
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