Flying Boat

[calmloki]

Did You Know There’s An Entire Type Of Aircraft That Relies On The Ground Effect To Stay Aloft? [VIDEO]

The FS8 - 85knot cruise speed, 3 meter flying height, $1.40/mile operating cost loaded with 10 people, 300 mile range. Good for scaring the bejabbers out of the pleasure boats and just being weird. Also - it claims to be a boat, not a plane....

 

[Rustic23]

While I don't know what they are saying in this video, it is of the Soviet Ground Effect Air Craft/Boat. I read somewhere the reason they shelved this is it had a very hard time with high seas. i.e. if the waves were big enough it would run into them rather than going over them. Not a got thing at the speeds it travels.

YouTube - Ekranoplan KM 'Caspian Sea Monster' seaplane

 

[Nords]

Also - it claims to be a boat, not a plane....

We always had problems with the takeoffs and the landings:

 

[ls99]

No one has found the ground effect airships practical for long term use.

OTOH the Aussies have been making quasi ground effect/wave piercing hull high speed catamarans. Many are in commercial service. The US Navy leased some for a while for testing purposes. IIRC they passed on them, likely the NIH syndrome. NIH=Not Invented Here.

Example:HSC Sea Runner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edit add: The Incat catamarans are a beutiful sight to behold at speed. 30-50 Kts.

Edit2: A relatively recent model:http://www.marinelink.com/news/article/latest-incat-catamaran-acquired-by-ld-lines/330459.aspx

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Sounds like a great drug-running vehicle.