Amazing new ferry concept: Seaglider

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Amazing new ferry concept: Seaglider

Geektastic

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#288244 16-Jun-2021 08:24

I thought you’d be interested to read this. Sounds amazing although like the Lynx catamaran before it, I suspect it will be very weather dependent.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9688767/Seagliders-set-ferry-passengers-Channel-2028.html

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#2729444 16-Jun-2021 09:20

The Ekranoplan lives!

Geektastic

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#2729445 16-Jun-2021 09:22

SirHumphreyAppleby:
The Ekranoplan lives!

That was my first thought too!

I’m also old enough to recall crossing the channel as a child with my parents going to France via the hovercraft service then putting our car on the train and heading to the south of France overnight.

The hovercraft was great.

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#2729540 16-Jun-2021 11:02

I like the concept, but wonder about the practicalities.

When there's a large swell, I expect the aircraft would drop down as it flew out of ground effect over a trough, then rise up again over a crest (assuming it made it over the crest), making for a very choppy ride. So there's some limit to the sea conditions in which it could operate.

Avoiding ships should be relatively easy, but avoiding other ekranoplanes may be more difficult, since they're going at 180mph and of course at the same height. And being low level and relying on ground effect for lift, I don't think you could bank very much (5-10 degrees max?) without digging in a wingtip or lifting the outboard wing out of ground effect, so turning tightly probably isn't an option.

Not to mention operating at sea level amongst all the gulls. Bird strikes would be common, I'd guess. And very damaging at 180mph.

It's interesting that their model has quite a high aspect ratio wing, much different from the Ekranoplane. And as I understand it, the height of ground effect depends on the chord of the wing. So the Sea Glider would fly at a much lower height than the Ekranoplane.

Also interesting to see that it has a hydrofoil to lift it out of the water. You would think the drag of the air on that structure would be quite severe at 180mph.

Based on this, I'd say it's more pie in the sky than anything else.

Handsomedan

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#2729558 16-Jun-2021 11:17

I'd prefer the 6hr ferry.

For all the reasons stated above and also for the reason that the Ferries are very "cruiseship-like" with places to rest, eat, relax and enjoy the journey.

I can see these being great for those in a hurry, like people on business-trips, but then they might be better flying to their ultimate destination.

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wellygary

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#2729561 16-Jun-2021 11:24

Handsomedan:

I can see these being great for those in a hurry, like people on business-trips, but then they might be better flying to their ultimate destination.

Or catch a high speed train, people usually take ferries because they aren't in a hurry, or have a car with them.. + last time I looked the English channel isn't known for its millpond attributes... This sounds like a PR to attract financing

ezbee

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#2729660 16-Jun-2021 14:25

The big hovercrafts, they would have been an experience, 60 cars and 418 passengers fastest crossing was 22min ( Normally 35min ).
Oh and several tons of duty free booze which helped make it economic. Maybe key reason they were ?
Unofficially they did do 15min, unloaded, but not recognized as channel has a 70mph limit ?
https://curious-droid.com/306/happened-giant-hovercraft-sr-n4-concorde-seas/

Seaspeed Hovercraft, 1980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqKzo555_2s

It would be interesting to see the efficiency difference of ekranoplan vs hovercraft.

Yeh weather, what happens to your smooth ground effect then.
I suppose that's why ekranoplan were built like, well big robust Russian engineering things.
Military has to operate in all weathers.

Cook strait does have that problem with the wake of ferries so a transport method with less or no wake would be a boon.

Geology would seem to nix any idea of a tunnel, and smooth fast, green electric train.

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wellygary

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#2729665 16-Jun-2021 14:40

ezbee:

Geology would seem to nix any idea of a tunnel, and smooth fast, green electric train.

Geology isn't the limitation of a Cook strait tunnel, Population and money are...

The Seiken Tunnel in Japan is longer and deeper than a Cook Strait tunnel would need to be, but finding the billions needed to built it is the real problem.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel

+ KR is in the process of spending nearly $1 billion on new ferries and terminals... so perhaps in 30 years time it might get a look in..

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#2729942 17-Jun-2021 08:18

Would the hovercraft work across to the South Island? It’s a tedious journey if you have to do it regularly.

I’ve always wished there was a ferry from Wellington to Christchurch.

Handsomedan

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#2729958 17-Jun-2021 08:57

Geektastic: Would the hovercraft work across to the South Island? It’s a tedious journey if you have to do it regularly.

I’ve always wished there was a ferry from Wellington to Christchurch.

Imagine a lovely big ELECTRIC hovercraft from Welly to Picton and back!

How good would that be.

I'd book tickets!!

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wellygary

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#2729960 17-Jun-2021 09:03

Geektastic:

I’ve always wished there was a ferry from Wellington to Christchurch.

There was, but progress killed it . the introduction of the rail ferries in the early 60s and the advent of cheaper air travel meant the Wellington-Lyttleton service was doomed...

There has often been talk of reviving it, but it has never happened...

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/lyttelton-wellington-ferries/end-of-the-line

elpenguino

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#2729985 17-Jun-2021 09:43

Geektastic: Would the hovercraft work across to the South Island? It’s a tedious journey if you have to do it regularly.

It is, and it's not long enough to sleep overnight.

Even if the journey was coast to coast it would be half the time. It's pretty sailing down the sounds to picton but after you've seen it ten times, yeah nah.

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wellygary

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#2730007 17-Jun-2021 10:06

elpenguino:

Geektastic: Would the hovercraft work across to the South Island? It’s a tedious journey if you have to do it regularly.

It is, and it's not long enough to sleep overnight.

Even if the journey was coast to coast it would be half the time. It's pretty sailing down the sounds to picton but after you've seen it ten times, yeah nah.

Yeah, but building a port at Lyall bay would not go down well with the locals, :)

Clifford bay promised to cut 30 mins off the trip, but as long as the ferry terminal is within Wellington harbour its pretty much always going to be a 2+ hr Trip...

elpenguino

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#2730011 17-Jun-2021 10:17

wellygary:

Yeah, but building a port at Lyall bay would not go down well with the locals, :)

Clifford bay promised to cut 30 mins off the trip, but as long as the ferry terminal is within Wellington harbour its pretty much always going to be a 2+ hr Trip...

True! And now it's all marine reserve along there, nothing is going to happen. I suppose further west is either cable protection area or too deep to be economically feasible either.

Even trimming >= an hour off the Picton end would be a good thing.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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#2730262 17-Jun-2021 17:05

wellygary:
Geektastic:

I’ve always wished there was a ferry from Wellington to Christchurch.

There was, but progress killed it . the introduction of the rail ferries in the early 60s and the advent of cheaper air travel meant the Wellington-Lyttleton service was doomed...

There has often been talk of reviving it, but it has never happened...

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/lyttelton-wellington-ferries/end-of-the-line

It would save so much traffic on the roads and so much driving time.

Handsomedan

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#2730310 17-Jun-2021 17:39

Geektastic:

It would save so much traffic on the roads and so much driving time.

But places like Picton and Kaikoura would lose so much traffic (of the good kind) and income from tourists...at least I assume they would (I have absolutely no evidence to back that up).

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