Me? Well I'm ErastusMercy, the lead voxel artist on the popular Tiberian Sun mod, Twisted Insurrection. If you don't know what a voxel is then I'll put it this way, I make the vehicles. :P In addition to my roles on TI, I've also done Infantry cameo's (The unit portrait you see when purchasing/selecting a particular unit.) for the C&C3 mods Tiberium Wars Advanced and The Forgotten Mod.
Here's a brief history of the real vehicle the Tiberian Dawn Landingcraft was based on.
A prototype, the four propped JEFF-A never went into mass production, due to the JEFF-B being chosen over it (being renamed the LCAC once it went into production in 1986).
The JEFF-A was sold to the oil industry that refit it for Arctic conditions, it would eventually be sold off and deliberately sunk so fish could colonize the wreckage. However it technically lived on as the hovercraft that delivered the players forces during Tiberian Dawn.
Jameshovercraft.co.uk
Nice! Will it arrive to pick Shepard up in that GDI 03A mission?
Yes.
Good. But shouldn't the "cargo bay" be closed, not open, so it won't look like an absolutely empty hovercraft arrives and suddenly some tanks appear out of it?
Yes there will be an alternate version with a canvas roof.
This is really cool, nice work.
Hate to nitpick and I know this is not intended to be a copy of the LCAC but the front props should be replaced by blowers, so that the craft has directional control, And the distance between the deck and the top of the sides seems too low. News.xinhuanet.com
Great work though man.
The TD Landingcraft is the JEFF-A a four propped design (it also had four rear blowers) that never went into mass production, while the JEFF-B (renamed LCAC) is the design that won the contract. Jameshovercraft.co.uk
Ahh, in that case, fantastic workXD
What was the main reason for these two different designs? (JEFF-A and JEFF-B)
Is one faster while the other has better maneuverability, or something?
They were both products put forward by different manufacturers to complete for the same contract.
Assuming the source of information is reliable, the JEFF-B prototype (designed by Bell Aerospace) was ready for the test trial date, while the JEFF-A (by Aerojet General) was delayed. Further more it appears to have suffered a control issue during its trial, that may have resulted in injuries to personnel and damage to a hanger door. The issue was solved but by that time the panel had chosen the JEFF-B due to its efficiency and smooth first impression.
The JEFF-A prototype would be sold off to the oil industry to assist with off-shore drilling. Ultimately being sunk to act as an artificial reef once it's operational life was over.
Goes to show first impression is everything.