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Article: Riding o'er the waves: New British-designed hovercraft goes into service in Alaska.(Innovative Uses of Horsepower)(Griffon Hovercraft)(BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.)
- Article from:
- Diesel Progress North American Edition
- Article date:
- December 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Diesel & Gas Turbine Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The first Griffon Hovercraft to be built in the U.S. under license is now carrying people, supplies and machinery to BP Petroleum's oil production facility on North Island, six miles from Prudhoe Bay, in Alaska's Beaufort Sea. The Griffon 2000 TD hovercraft is servicing offshore operations by BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
Powered by a Deutz BF8L513LC air-cooled diesel engine, the hovercraft was ordered by Crowley Alaska Inc., to run from the mainland of Alaska to the BP facility over land, mud flats, sea and ice. The vessel, dubbed the Arctic Hawk, was built under license by Kvichak Marine Industries Inc., in Seattle.
With the Arctic Hawk as the first ...