"Flying ferries" incoming

loyatemu

interesting plans from Brittany Ferries here - essentially a re-invention of the old Soviet Ekranoplans:

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/flying-ferries-set-for-take-off-as-brittany-explores-high-speed-seagliders-40545895.html

Tabnabs

I'd bet good money we'll never see this happen. Either you go by ferry, or by conventional airline.

DOCARCH

All sounds a bit jetfoil!

Cookie_Monster

do they offer any significant advantage over planes? I cant really see any, only coast to coast versus city to city for aircraft being the major disadvantage

Versus ferries speed is the only one but at hugely reduced capacity the fuel $ per km per passenger will still be worse than any conventional ferry surely? Obviously the cost and emissions are outsourced to the elec producer for the most part rather than the operator. cool concept and all but essentially private jets of the seas only.

odyssey06

The main advantage iirc militarily for the Ekranoplans was avoiding radar, and I guess that it could refuel \ take off without need for an aistrip.

The Americans and Soviets had jet strike seaplanes in the 1950s also.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_P6M_SeaMaster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriev_Be-10

Capt'n Midnight

Electric, wing in ground effect.

Only CGI pictures and vids so far , no hardware, no firm orders.

https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/regent-seaglider-hovercraft-1234612442/

Ground effect, according to the company, will give the seaglider twice as much range as a conventional electric aircraft.

Seaglider will require half the operating costs of a traditional aircraft, and with much less noise and zero emissions.

Regent has received $465 million in provisional orders from commercial airlines and ferry companies

Company site - https://www.regentcraft.com/