An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water.
This definition applies equally to any land and water transport, small or large, powered or unpowered, ranging from amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, and military vehicles, all the way to the very largest hovercraft. Classic landing craft are generally not considered amphibious vehicles, although they are part of amphibious assault. Nor are Ground effect vehicles, such as Ekranoplans. The former don't offer any real land transportation at all - the latter (aside from completely disconnecting from the surface, like an airplane), will likely crash on any but the flattest of landmasses.
Read more about Amphibious Vehicle: General Technical Notes, History, Deep Fording, Hovercraft
Famous quotes containing the words amphibious and/or vehicle:
“We are amphibious creatures, weaponed for two elements, having two sets of faculties, the particular and the catholic.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“How strange a vehicle it is, coming down unchanged from times of old romance, and so characteristically black, the way no other thing is black except a coffin—a vehicle evoking lawless adventures in the plashing stillness of night, and still more strongly evoking death itself, the bier, the dark obsequies, the last silent journey!”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)