「经济学人」Marine technology

It takes inspiration from the “Caspian Sea Monster”

In the 1960s, during the height of the cold war, American spy satellites spotted an unusual stubby-winged craft at a Soviet naval base on the Caspian sea. Was it a boat, was it a plane? Dubbed the “Caspian Sea Monster”, it turned out to be a heavily armed naval craft some 100 metres long designed to attack submarines and aircraft carriers.

The Ekranoplans, as they were called, relied on an aerodynamic effect called wing-in-ground (WIG) to avoid radar by flying just above the surface of the water. This phenomenon exploits an area of higher pressure created between the lower surface of the wing and the ground, reducing drag and giving the wing more lift. (It also explains why some planes coming into land appear to their pilots to “float” along when just above the runway.) While various military WIG craft have appeared over the years, they remain a rarity. That may change as a range of smaller versions, called AirFish, are launched as high-speed ferries.

The AirFish are being built by st Engineering AirX, part of a big Singaporean technology group. Eurasia Mobility Solutions, a Turkish company, has placed a preliminary order for ten, along with options for ten more. These versions are the AirFish 8, which carry two crew and eight passengers, and will be used to transport tourists between Mediterranean coastal resorts. As they do not require a runway or a port, the AirFish can operate directly from a small dock or even a beach. They are capable of cruising at 70 knots (130kph), although they can dash at up to 120 knots.

As to whether these unusual craft count as boats or planes, marine authorities have concluded they are a type of boat, says Leon Tan, AirX’s general manager. The company is now seeking certification for passenger use. The AirFish 8 will also be less expensive to build and operate than the seaplanes and helicopters it will compete with. For one thing, the AirFish 8 will use a v8 car engine, which is more fuel-efficient and cheaper to run than an aircraft engine. Such an engine can also be converted to a hybrid-electric system.

AirFish of different sizes are possible. The company already has a two-seater version, even if Mr Tan thinks that would be a niche market. Once the technology becomes more familiar, though, he reckons larger AirFish carrying a couple of dozen passengers are likely to be built. Giants the size of the Ekranoplans, however, would probably be monstrously uneconomical.(May 21st 2024)

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