Title: WIG craft serves niche transportation needs

Authors: Wei Yang, Paul A. Czysz

Addresses: Shanghai Automotive Wind Tunnel Centre, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China. ' Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103-1110, USA

Abstract: The Wing-in-Ground effect (WIG) craft, which lies between a sea-going ship and an aircraft in terms of its characteristics, was expected to carry greater payloads over aircraft stage lengths. Unfortunately, except for the Lippisch WIG craft most WIG craft have been military developments. Several decades have passed since the first WIG craft have flown. The commercial potential of WIG craft has seldom been operationally demonstrated. It is necessary and meaningful to revise the conceptual base of WIG craft building and reposition the place for WIG craft in the system of transportation. This paper explores and discusses this issue.

Keywords: transport solutions; fuel consumption; ground effect; speed; payload; niche transportation; wing-in-ground effect; WIG craft; commercialisation.

DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2011.041720

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 2011 Vol.3 No.4, pp.395 - 406

Received: 16 Feb 2011
Accepted: 19 May 2011
Published online: 01 Aug 2011 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article