AIRFISH 8

Someone has taken the Russian concept aircraft and has produced a viable ground effect craft that  can handle eight people.  By easy extension it is just as easy to make similar craft for any number of potential passengers.  Better yet the power plant is utterly conventional and keeps costs low.

The craft itself will be safer that waterborne travel as it will not get beaten up from wave action.

This also has a great future in the pleasure boat business.  *It will be no trick to run up on land as well.  Getting back in the water may have to be thought about though as it may have little vertical lift at all.

I also mention that the 100 mph speed is ideal for most major ferry routes as well taking passengers only.

http://www.wigetworks.com/airfish-8/

The AirFish 8 (AF8) is an 8-10 seater WIG Craft with a 17m x 15m footprint. It is designed to be operated by 2 crew and carrying capacity for 6-8 passengers in standard civilian transport configuration. It is powered by a powerful yet compact V8 car engine that runs on 95 Octane automotive-grade unleaded gasolines. Airfish 8 is designed and built to adhere to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines.

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Safe and Comfortable

Fast and Fuel Efficient

Environmentally Friendly

Minimum Infrastructure to Operate

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SPECIFICATIONS

Certification

-Lloyd’s Register, 100A1 WIG
-MCH TYPE A Passenger

Dimensions

-Overall length 17.2m
-Overall height 3.5m
-Cabin Length4.0m
-Cabin width 1.4m
-Wingspan 15.0m
-Draught, waterborne 0.55m (maximum)

Payload Capacity

-Useful Load -1000 kg
-Baggage Capacity -160kg
-Seating Capacity- 2 Crew + 6 to 8 Passengers

Engine

-V8, 500 HP
-Fuel: Gasoline, Octane 95 or above
-Consumption ~ 70 litres/hour in normal condition

Construction

-Carbon Fibre Reinforced
-Plastic/Sandwich Composite

Performance

-Operating height: up to 7m
-Maximum Speed: 106 knots
-Cruising Speed:   ~ 80 knots
-Take off distance: ~ 500m
-Landing distance: ~ 300 to 500m
-Range: ~ 300 nautical miles
-Turning Radius:
+     Ground effect mode:  ~ 160m
+     Displacement mode: ~ 100m

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