AirFish - 8
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- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2008
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AirFish-8 (ex. Flightship FS8) is a 17m wing-in-ground craft constructed by the Airfoil Development (AFD) in the Germany as a prototype craft for commercial production. It is designed with a capacity of six passengers and two crews or, alternatively, 750 kg payload and two crews. The design is based on earlier AirFish design principles and features a classic Lippisch's reverse delta wing configuration. Classification of the craft was first handled by Germanischer Lloyd in the Germany and later by the Lloyd's Register in Australia. The AirFish-8 provides efficient low cost transportation at intermediate speeds between that of the typical ocean going vessel and the conventional aircraft.
The major capital cost advantage of ground effect vessels over aircraft is their classification as marine craft. This classification applies to all construction, registration, operator licensing and maintenance requirements and allows a lower construction cost as opposed to an aircraft or helicopters production cost.
Under the IMO legislation, the AF8 is classified as a Type A WIG craft, in the category of marine vessel. In order for the technology to become widespread and accepted internationally, it is imperative that AF8 is certified by an international certification authority. Such certification is a powerful endorsement to the technology's viability and safety. Our AF8-001 was previously certified by Germanischer Lloyd in Germany. This, according to many, is indeed a landmark in the development history of WIGs, since no other WIGs has ever achieved that status only the Russian small Ekranoplan Amphistar Xplorer USA now known as Aquaglide-5 in 1998 at Bahamas region (USA).
If the engine fails - the runway is always few meters below. The AF8 will simply glide forward for a descent of a mere 2 meters. Conventional aircrafts do not have this luxury, and thus the need to build in extra redundancy, at an increased cost. If need be, AF8 can land on water during an emergency in less than 300m, much shorter if a water brake can be installed and applied. Further more, AF8 can be equipped with a jump capability which allows it to jump over low obstacles in emergency.
Comfort
Because of the comfort of constant steadily flow of air cushion under the wings when the AF8 is cruising in ground effect, there is hardly any rolling and pitching movement since the AF8 is not touching the waves, there is no sea sickness as associated with typical marine travel. There is no pressure differential as experienced in aircrafts when the aircraft is climbing or descending. 
Наука
I'd like to have it with RV interior for crossing pacific ocean.
Around 5,000 nm range with hybrid diesel engine is recommendable.
Beautiful craft. They are the future of boats. Thanks for the post
Congratulations!
At last someone builds a reasonable amount of WIG crafts.
All the best from Germany.
Heyyy there
Hi from my side
Using the ground effect is actually pretty clever, keeps it from touching the surface makes a lot of sense.
Aqqwwwaswweeeerrrttttttyh
@JulianMorrison
Look Aifish-8 is not an Ekranoplan, it is follows differene design concept that gives it some advantages compred with Ekranonoplans. Airfish-8 is German WIG craft concept based in Dr. Alexander Lippisch idea. Ekranoplans are based on Russian designer, Rostislav Alexeeiv. Ekranoplans need much power for take off from water.
@flightboat I didn't think it could fly much higher than that. Now you have me researching how all this stuff works. :) Cool videos.
Created 16 years ago and I just heard of it today
Dominic Brown actually this is a film in 2002. Airfish-8 has designed and built in Germany by Mr. Hanno Fischer (1998-2001) for the account of Australian firm Flightship Ground Effect Pty that they give the commercial name Flightship FS8. Today you have seen a video by the second and third prototype that built in Malaysia (2011-2013) for a new owner Wogetworks that it is claim as a developer of the project!!!
Panagiotis Zagklis
Cool
@evantis121
Another WIG craft at 23 seats are in production in Germany (they have 11 orders), the name is Hoverwing 20, you can look in the sites for this craft too. The price of this craft is at 2.5 million euros. Anyway the airline companies have good cashflow in business plans only, in praxis they have faced a lot of serious problems in operation (increased fuel cost and low passenger occupation). Very few market sectors are acceptable by banks today for investements.
I worked for flightship in cairns before they went bust. This was a great concept just a lack of funding and people trying to build to far into the future cause this to fail.
Skylinestyle101 you know much about this company??
Daniel Leat But it is a working concept? I mean is there's some fails or this is something great on all the line. It is only a business failure or a lack of logistic. Why do you think that there's no such a ship here in Canada.
Patrice beauchemin WAVES
@evantis121
A 5seater from Russia is around of 400,000 euros, this is Aquaglide-5. The 8seater Airfish-8 on video is not for sale at the moment by Singaporeran company Wigetworks Pte.
that sounds about what i was expecting. sure is a cool idea i hope it catches on in places that could use them for water taxi's
In film the past owner of the craft has tried to use in production line a US car engine but the craft in the movie (prototype AF8-001 from Germany) has used a German made off car engine from Weineck GmbH.
Anyway a car engine has low operating cost (used in boat) compared with aircraft engine (comply ICAO rules).
This is quite a vehicle. I remember a fast hovercraft ferry service from Australia that started trials from North County to downtown San Diego in the early 2000's. An aircraft flies through the air, while this vehicle hugs the wavetops, using ground effect to provide additional lift. In other words, it's a unique hovercraft. It seems like it should be compared to fast hovercraft and surface vessels rather than floatplanes. After all, a floatplane may be able to fly over some bad weather while this vehicle can't fly over a sailboat's mast. It seems like this vehicle could relieve some congestion and add some speed in places along coastal or lake waters, meaning most cities of the world. It would take advantage of the underutilized waterways near these cities.
This craft can be driven by a captain after 6 weeks training as International Maritime Organizations rules. You can see also the training procedures of Russia company that builds today Aquaglide-5. This craft is certified as a ship and of course a ship is driven by captain. Also the craft copkit doesn't have any relation with an aircraft.
That is just REALLY cool! Looks like something James Bond would be using!
it feels like riding a super speed boat..this is thrilling experience to passengers
um espetáculo , fabuloso, magnifico,brilhante, parabéns a todos que desenvolveram este avião aquático.
@Scwirul
If you see the video carefully in the begining Airfish-8 has flight over land (sand bars). The high obstacles in land don't allow it to fly over land in extreme very low height, the other reason that it couldn't landing on land.
WIG craft are supported in their main operational mode solely by aerodynamic forces which enable them to operate at low altitude above the sea surface but without direct contact with the sea.
I approve of flightship.
Fantastic well done
@childsca
At sea, the term significant wave height is used as a means to introduce a well-defined and standardized statistic to denote the characteristic height of the random waves in a sea state. It is defined in such a way that it more-or-less corresponds to what a mariner observes when estimating visually the average wave height.
Ground effect craft stay at that height by themselves. It takes a special effort to make one hop higher for those that can do that. The well designed ones are pretty self-stabilizing. The advantages are more lift and less drag meaning less fuel burned and a greater carrying capacity for their size.
That's crazy cool. I have an ekran-thing and would love to do a Miami to Key West service. I think the water from Miami to the Bahamas is a little big. But how freaking cool is this. When I fly a normal plane, I mostly enjoy landing the plane, love it when the wheels are one foot above the pavement and you feel the lift bleeding away. Thats right where ekrons fly, I would love to spend an hour right there.
Looks like a white stingray. What an Awsome plane..
@evantis121
The next model is Hoverwing 50 (50seater) is coming from Korea manufacture Wingship Technology Corp. under the commercial name WSH-500, take a look bellow in video description with the relative links.
This had so much potential
@evantis121
Also the craft has already a certification for its class by Lloyd's and IMO number like an ordinary commercial ship.
Ekranoplanes or WIG (wing in ground effect) airplanes are not stupid or a waste of technology. The fact that this video is made like a commercial doesn't make it so either. Like helicopters, they are a specialized and very useful kind of aircraft. They are not subject to many of the regular hazards and many regulations of airplanes. Depending on the design and engine power they can and do operate on rough seas as the waves provide a taller WIG factor. Storms? Not. Speed and cargo capacity over regular boats is their winning card. Development cost is their anchor.
Phil Alcoceli They're very useful craft & I'm quite surprised their use isn't more widespread. Regarding hazards though. They're not so hazardous while they're in such small numbers, but if there were huge numbers of ground effect craft - ranging in size from the type in this video, up to the something like the original 'Caspian Sea Monster' - all zooming around the World's oceans, carrying people & freight at around 340mph (Lun Class Ekranoplan), there would indeed be hazards since they all 'fly' at the same altitude.
At least aircraft can avoid each other by changing altitude (in fact TCAS, 'Traffic Collision Avoidance System', works in precisely this way - directing one plane up, the other down, to avoid collision). The World's shipping lanes are already very busy & if they were full of WIG craft, there would need to be a complex & thorough traffic control system in place (similar to the Global air traffic control system), in order to prevent collisions with other shipping.
It would be a fantastic high speed transport system though. It's potential is tremendous, but the cost of developing and implementing such a system would be immense.
@ThunderIceDude
Is little dangerous to do SKI with that speed?
@Tehfallinator, yes, ground effect is same over water.
definetly have to find a way to avoid those cruise and cargo ships but super cool machine
I think this is an awesome idea.
@flightboat Yeah I looked it up. It's a technology I'd never seen before. Thanks for the info.
Super cool
Great thanks for the reply. Very interesting vehicle.
@mryellow123
Rotax needs aircraft fuels and where you find it in ports?
@childsca
The key factor for these technology crafts is landing wave height operation capabilities. In other words which is the maximum wave height for safe landing especially for emergency cituations? For Airfish-8 is 2 SWH in praxis mean 4 meter total wave height for emergency landing. A big enough amphibian aircraft (like Be-200, 72 seats) has take off max. wave height 1 meter.
This is way cool.
@flightboat Well they're always crossing the paths of other vessels just wondered why? Are they doing it for scale?
In 4:15 they show a delivered wing tip hitting the water to show how stable is if pilot makes an error.
I think the low flight slow speed makes this craft safe. The narrator said maximum 75 mph ,but that is maximum. I figured cruising is 60 mph.
If the waves are to high it can still cruise on boat mode.
@leelahutt1
Where you find the word Cannes?
The video speaking for Cairns, Australia City in Queensland!!!
awesome !! Totally Awesome !!
@flightboat thank you!
Cool. I like it. Want one!
+Andork Kuomo try to see the new version www.wigetworks.com
@ipadize
No pilot license is needed to drive a WIG craft. A captain with a apropriate training for 6 weeks is needed according IMO (International Maritime Organization) rules.
I wanted one of these so bad, is there another company that makes something like this?
Must have felt awesome to pilot these machines
How can I get an Airfish one?
@DKRaFiQ
#2: To compare this craft operation limits you must see waht is the sea state characteristics for the intresting area, this mean wave height and wind speed. With these too factors you can define the operation period.
@mrbradze
Yes this think can take off from 1.5 meter sea waves height (SWH) and landing in 2 meter sea wave height (SWH).
nice and unique ship
What they should do is organize a race or something to increase the public's attention of these.
As a personal transport in wet areas or over water they'd be very fun, although honestly the way I see it that's already a huge chunk of what it has going for it in any case.
Well, BESIDES the fact you don't need a pilot's license at any rate.
@TheWersum
Active research into WIG craft began in the 1960s, with two wing shapes developed as a result: the square planform shape of the Ekranoplans developed by the former Soviet Union, led by Russian ship designer, Rostislav Alexeev (1916 - 1980), and the Reverse Delta Wing developed by Dr Alexander Martin Lippisch (1894 - 1976) in Germany.
This IS a good product vidio,well done,well thought out.Like the use of a single 6.5 liter Chevy motor...big or small,what year or new?
@flightboat Very good. What company will be running the service so I can keep an eye out when it starts commercial operation?
Oh my--they need to get that in production for the US.
@TheWersum
This think is called Wing Ground Effect craft, in Russia this craft category has called Ekranoplan too.
@flightboat Just to clarify, do you mean this September i.e. 2011 or next September 2012 for commercial operation? Any ideas yet what its maiden route is? I wouldn't mind getting a ticket.
so what would happen if you hauled back on the yoke. Would It climb or stall and drop ?
@DKRaFiQ
#2: This craft is classified as WIG craft Type A, and it is cruising at ground effect height (max. 7 meters from water average level). There is exist another classification category, like Russia ekranoplans that they fly outside from gound effect height and not exceed 150 meters. This class is WIG craft Type B.
@evantis121
Of course is for next September (2011), take a look in the site news to read the article in maritime press, I don't remember exactly the route, but will begin of the Busan port in Korea.
@Laraircraft
Summit on 2002 between two international authorities IMO and ICAO has resolve the status of these category of crafts as a marine boats if they flying till 150 meters altitude, this height is the minimum for flight according ICAO rules. If you search IMO files you can find the rules for WIG crafts for operation and for training.
NEAT!
No, once you're up to speed and have it trimmed it stays stable on it's own. Note that in the video when you see the pilot adjusting the stick he's making turns as indicated by the horizon angle looking through the windshield. The workload is no greater than that of a small plane.
@flightboat but can this thing operate in high waves?
Ekranoplan lives!
This is not an ekranoplan!!! It is a WIG craft Type A comply with IMO rules (year 2002).
That has better seating capacity and better than this.
Ekaranoplane its any vehicle that use the ground efect to "fly", so yeah, its a ekranoplane.
Any high speed craft for commercial operation with speed above 30knots require a co-captain for safety reasons according IMO rules. As you know WIG crafts like Airfish don't need pilot or co-pilot license to operate. Anyway you can use co-captain as a cabin service person too in sea taxi operation. Also a pilot or co-pilot are more expensive in paycheck compared with captain or co-captain.
@panagiotis zagklis
I’ve seen a few posts around where you say there is a fleet of 11 WIG craft in service, in the (US) Bahamas since 1998.
Do you know the name of the company using them, or any more information on this?
I like this transportation....
@childsca
In praxis the maximum operation limit is approx. 6 in beaufort scale (it is more than a small boat). But if you want much higher operation limits then you must moving on in bigger WIG craft like Hoverwin 20 or the Korean WSH-500 (50 passengers) or even more in Russia giants ekranoplans that these crafts don't have any operation limits.
They have been available for about 10 years. There are several based on mercedes car engines that you can retrofit to Cessna aircraft.
@SmallGreenPlanetoid
FS-8 was the old name of this craft, almost 10 years ago. Since 2004 the craft has taken its first name Airfish-8.
@childsca
Significant wave height, WVHT, is approximately equal to the average of the highest one-third of the waves, as measured from the trough to the crest of the waves.
To bad it can only operate in a somewhat smooth water compared to the waters of the pacific north west where coastal waters have a wave height of 3 meters and more. I'd like to see the take off distance lowered to less than 250 meters and landing to the same. Then I'd be interested to two perhaps more.
are these in production? where can i get more information on these? is there a larger version? how much do they cost? im interested in starting an enterprise
So, from Ekranoplan, to this. WIG tech isn't new, but this boat sure is pretty, and seems modern advances have done WIG aircraft a lot of good.
Love the concept.
Last I heard the Flightship company was out of business and the Airfish company had moved all the operations and craft to Singapore and was looking to re-launch so to speak, but there were delays getting permission to operate in Singapore waters?
Any progress latily?
Cheers.
@childsca
Airfish-8 is a WIG Type A craft, it is means that craft category can "flying" in ground effect altitude only but it can make jumps at 5 meters from averange sea level. Other category WIG crafts could make jumps till 150 meters and according IMO rules this crafts are also operate as ships. The last category is WIG crafts that could fly also in altitudes aboev 150 meters and it is a hydroplane. All the benefits is for WIG crafts that operate till 150 meters above averange sea level.
@flightboat
So, in layman's terms, it can takeoff in good size waves? Also, kind of a silly question, but would it be possible to get the craft out of ground effect, or is it absolutely limited to ground effect because of the extra lift and reduced drag?
WIG craft are categorized according to the following types:
type A: a craft which is certified for operation only in ground effect. Within prescribed operational limitations, the structure and/or the equipment of such a craft should exclude any technical possibility to exceed the flight altitude over the maximum vertical extent of ground effect;
type B: a craft which is certified for main operation in ground effect and to temporarily increase its altitude outside ground effect to a limited height, but not exceeding 150 m above the surface, in case of emergency and for overcoming obstacles; and
type C: a craft which is certified for the same operation as type B; and also for limited operation at altitude exceeding 150 m above the surface, in case of emergency and for overcoming obstacles.
So yes they can go above ground effect but this applies to only types B and C
Interim guidelines for wing-in-ground (WIG) craft were approved by the Maritime Safety Committee at its 76th session in December 2002 as MSC/Circ.1054 WIG craft are supported in their main operational mode solely by aerodynamic forces which enable them to operate at low altitude above the sea surface but without direct contact with the sea.
@flightboat Their site says its going to be around the 5 million euro mark. Will they offer a leasing option?
what happens if you come accross a 6 8 or 10 meter wave
It is Cool !
Beautifull ship.
This is actually pretty cool! Thanks for this! I like it!
Any craft has operation limits. AF8 operates under craft specs. Also AF8 has capability to overcome obtacles (jump). Can you travel safely with a small atlantic ocean? So the size of the craft dominates in operation capabilities, as larger is then it has higher operation limits it means can travel in more rough sea conditions. You can see videos eith large ekranoplans like KM or Lun, they don't have any operation limit. Also the aircrafts don't take a weather report before they take off.
Super
Bring back the olden day romance of costal flying holidays! :-)
@JulianMorrison
In any case you must find a strong enough electric engine for take off.
Do they come with floor mats and ashtrays?
how much is this 8 seater? Any plans to upscale to something like a 50 plus seater? I can see this as niche low carbon passenger transport but would need a much larger craft to offer economies of scale.
It's good!
it looks like a surefire crash waiting to happen w/small maneuvering craft. It either needs a emergency double par shoot or some way to hop over n a pinch, such as winglet extending foils on long arms. Even 8 or 10ft may make all the diff w/small craft.
It seems that this vehicle is very effective since its so well designed. .
Design doesn't matter. Sea state matters. One big wave can stuff the craft into the sea at high speed.
@@dieseldog00 I would agree that ground-effect planing is not for rough weather.
@Rischawy
As you see on the video AF8 can take off from 1m wave height better performance than a seaplane. If the craft face a sea steate like this, uses propellers in drifting mode and go in a suitable water area for take off.
Anyway the size of WIG craft is dominate in operating limits. As big there is then it has much highe operating limits. For example large Ekranoplanes (Lun, Caspain Sea Monster) can take off from any sea state!!!
If it's considered a sea vessel, would it be legal to fly one with a boating license?
@DKRaFiQ
#2: Probaply you asked that because you need more height in cruise mode for a WIG craft Type A. This can be done from larger craft. As big they are so higher they can fly because the ground effect is rulling by wing chord.
@Sodiumreactor
Cruising speed at 165 km/hour or 85 knots.
@MrPotpimp
You are wrong because the engine power is 550 HP and not 330 HP, this power is only in ground effect mode. For take off from water it is used more power.