what the hell did someone make this for? By coincidence, Kim just wrote an article about it 2 days ago!

notice the airboat engine in the back

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1635419244559864

Hydrokopter Amphibian NE 3000

This Finnish vessel was developed and built in the 1970s by Finnish-Swedes Nils Eriksson and his son Raimo, who saw the need for a vessel that could cross water, snow and ice in the Åboland archipelago a few hundred kilometers west of Finnish capital Helsinki.

Amphibian had sprung, retractable wheels, so that if it had to drive a little on solid ground, it could be equipped with skis.

A Ford V6 engine - later Rover V8 - powered the hydrocopter's propeller, giving it a speed of 8 knots in water, 12 knots over young snow and over 50 knots on ice (57 mph - yeehaw!!). On the other hand, the propeller was very noisy, which is why people had to wear ear protection when sitting in it.

Amphibian was a great success: In Finland they were sold to the coast guard, the military, the police, the fire department and the postal service. The Swedish coast guard and a few municipalities in Sweden also purchased some, the latter using it to transport children to school when ordinary boats could not sail.

At ‘Maskinverkstad Niels Eriksson’ in the town of Lileax, around 130 were built over 20 years, of which there are probably 20-30 left. A few years ago, an Amphibian NE 3000 went for $7,570 when it went under the hammer at the Swedish Klaraviks Auctions.

thank you Kim!