The Ship Model Forum

The French Navy is conducting trials of a new type of landing craft to equip their two new LPDs, Mistral and Tonnerre. Also suitable for older LPDs and other amphibious.
Called L-CAT (for Landing-craft CATamaran) this craft combines the speed and seaworthiness of catamaran hulls with payload handling of a Ro-Ro landing craft, at a working cost inferior to that of LCAC (landing craft Air Cushion, with less performances however).

Here is a report with plenty of pictures and CAG drawings of the L-CAT first trials last month in Toulon (Sorry, French text, but pictures speak for themselves):
http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=108703&u=6342

And here is a very-good video showing L-CAT trials. Interesting to see its two waterjet propulsion system allows spot turning:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9592356882

For all non-French speaking folks here, a résumé :
L-CAT Statistics :
Displacement (full) : 162tons
Length : 30m
Width : 13.5m
Height : 6.15m
Draft : .6m (empty) 2.50m (full load)
Speed : 20 (full load) to 30 (empty) knts
Payload : 130tons. 23x6.9m loading platform (two French Leclerc medium tanks, or four light tanks or six armoured vehicles or up to 150 personnels)
Aluminium construction with HTS main transverse girders.
Propulsion : 4 MTU diesel engines, two Wärtsilä waterjets.
Power plant : 5MW
Range : 1,000 nm @ 15knts
Crew : four

How it works :
The loading platform (main deck : 23x6.9 metres) can be elevated (four hydraulic levers designed from offshore stuff) above sea level, leaving only the two slim catamaran hulls in the water. This gives better seaworthiness and high speed (20knts at full load, 30knts empty) during transfer from the mother ship to the shore.
When approaching the beach, the main deck is lowered to sea level and a traditional ramp is unfolded fore and/or aft. Alternatively, the platform maybe kept in its up position when delivering cargo on a pier.
The craft is of Ro-Ro type, allowing easier handling aboard mother ships, as with LCAC.
It is considered as a cheaper alternative to the LCAC for smaller Navies.

As you may read at the end of the French article, bigger L-CAT are being studied for military or civilian (humanitarian) use.

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Interesting concept The twin hulls offer better stability than the LCUs but cats for heavy lift can suffer stress problems in heavy seas.
Dave Wooley