Army testing Humvee made of foam, balsa

[unhappycamper]

Kevin Weldi, general manager at TPI Composites, stands on the hood of the prototype nonmetal Humvee. The Army will soon be testing this vehicle, which is made of a combination of Fiberglas, balsa wood, foam and carbon reinforcements, all held together with resin.


Army testing Humvee made of foam, balsa
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Sep 14, 2007 5:44:07 EDT

The Army said Tuesday it will begin testing a composite, nonmetal Humvee utility vehicle that is 900 pounds lighter than its conventional counterpart so it can carry extra armor to better protect soldiers against roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The prototype vehicle’s frame and body is made of nonmetal composites — a combination of fiberglass, balsa wood, foam and carbon reinforcements all held together with resin.

The body of the tan composite prototype has a sandpaper feel. The fenders are pliable and can be easily bent by hand, flipping back into place when released.

“We can put the strength where we need it,” said Steven Lockard, president and CEO of TPI Composites Inc., which built the prototype.

The chassis, for example, has extra carbon for added strength and stiffness, while other composite parts of the vehicle are lighter and more pliable, he said.

~snip~

Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, a Virginia-based think tank that follows military issues, said composite vehicles would have some advantages, but will likely cost more to make. And he said the soldiers would have to get accustomed to using them in combat zones.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/09/ap_balsa_humvees_070914/

[babylonsister]

1. Fireproof, I trust. This doesn't sound like a great idea to me for some reason. nt

[Drum]

2. The "Potemkin" by Hummer.

:shrug:

[hobbit709]

3. Everthing else is all show and no go

Phony president
Phony economy
Phony justifications for going to Iraq
Phony progress reports
Phony expense reports

The only thing real is the casualties.

[Drifter]

4. Or we could just bring them home ...

We don't need any new ideas on how to survive these blasts. We need to get our people the fuck out of there.

Cheers
Drifter

[ewoden]

5. near the end of WWII the Germans built many aircraft from

Non-strategic materials. Plywood, glue, and fabric. Perhaps we are witnessing history repeating itself.