EKRANOPLANE COMPETITION

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

I work in a UK university and I have just received information about a European competition to design an ekranoplane. A what? Well an ekranoplane is a boat (wait for it!) that flys just above the water using the ground effect. So it has to have a lifting body that works in water and air!

 

The competition is open to teams of students at any European university. The best 5 designs will be awarded funding to build their design (300 euros) and an invite to the final to take place in a 100m plus testing tank in Spain. Note your design will not need to be powered as it will be towed by the moving gantry on the testing tank.

 

If your interested - pm me and let me have your email address and I'll send you a copy of the rules and an entry form.

 

C'mon, student modellers, you've have got to be good at this - and if you win you'll get 2,000euros! Plus you'll be upholding the honour of RC modellers.

 

BEB

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother on 03/02/2010 23:32:31

[Bert]

For Interest:

Lippisch WIG exterimental craft

 

[Simon Chaddock]

Of course the Russians did them big, very big.

[Pete B]

Sorry - post in wrong thread!

 

Pete

Edited By Pete B on 29/09/2010 12:36:29

[winchweight]

I wonder why these never "took off" in a commercial sense? They carry upto twice the payload of conventional aircraft and burn half the fuel. Surely with modern tech these could easily do away with slow ferry crossings, and large cargo aircraft?