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Subject: Heavy Lifters - Surface Effect Airships
macawman    7/21/2002 9:06:42 PM
Question: Has any country or service been working on surface effect airplanes like the ones the Russians developed on the Caspian Sea during the 80''s. I have seen one or two man pleasure craft developments but nothing larger.
 
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DKay    RE:Heavy Lifters - Surface Effect Airships   5/30/2004 1:46:01 PM
If you're talking about Wing in Ground Effect aircraft / ships I certainly haven't heard about any active projects of late. Although their payload potential is very impressive, I can't help feeling that their lateral maneuvrability and consequent difficulties in navigating safely at speed around shipping, oil rigs and the like, especially in poor visibility and at night, would be a significant problem for them. Anyone know what typically was the turning radius of the Russian craft, and a what speed? I feel this could limit the seas areas in which they could in practice be used. Another aspect I wonder about is the transition phase from seaborne to airborne and vice versa, especially in higher sea states.
 
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hybrid    RE:Heavy Lifters - Surface Effect Airships   5/30/2004 2:13:58 PM
One word. EKIP
 
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scholar    RE:Heavy Lifters - Surface Effect Airships   6/2/2004 3:16:52 PM
The Pelikan project is a surface effect airplane. See the relevant threads. http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/september/i_pw.html
 
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