Australian Company Banks On Ground Effect

It is neither an airplane, a ship, nor a hovercraft, but could make island hopping and coastlines patrol a quick and comfortable journey.

The "Flightship" a product of Flightship Ground Effect Pty Ltd, Australia has wings, propellers a hull but it skims above the water making use of the phenomenal effect called the "ground effect". The "Flightship" which is an extremely high speed, highly efficient marine vessel lifts totally clear of the water surface to ride a self-generated airwave at speeds above 55 knots.

Riding The Wave

Flight attitude in the "Flightship" is extremely stable. Sea state and wave action has only a very minor effect when airborne. All Flightship vessels operate above the water up to around 50 per cent of the wingspan. The larger the vessel, the higher the surface clearance and wave height capability.

Ground Effect is the name given to the dramatically improved aerodynamic performance of a wing when it operates close to a ground plane.

Wing in Ground Effect (WIG) is the official term adopted by the United Nations International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for a marine craft using ground effect as a means of lift.

Other developments in Australia, China, Korea and Taiwan generally use WIG craft as the preferred terminology, although some still call the technology 'surface effect' rather than ground effect.

The "Flightship" has a maximum water surface clearance capability of up to 3 meters over the crests of 4-metre waves. A range of up to 300 NM (nautical miles) and a cruising speed of 170 km/h (86 knots) are achievable.

FMI: www.flightship.net