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WIG-liner
Wing-in-Ground-Effect luxury airliner/cruise ship | |
Larger, far faster than a ship yet more efficient than anything else that'll carry its payload. Passengers can move about within an enclosed portion, or out on a safely designed deck for the air and a view.
In case of a catastrophic powerplant failure, the pilot can gently descend to the water's surface,
where propulsion can be taken over by auxiliary prop-jets (slow, but need to be big enough to maintain steerage-way)
In flight, such vehicles are capable of short hops to clear obstacles, so a sharp pilot can avoid accidents with other vessels, and other hazards such as floating cargo containers.
Entering and exiting harbor will remain the same stately, propjet-powered maneuver from the past, but when out in the open water, open the throttles and...
I suppose the only thing I'm adding to an old idea is opening up a deck and making the craft more cruiseliner-like.
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How slow can a WIG fly anyway? I would have
assumed the minimum practical speed would be high
enough that it wouldn't be enjoyable to be on deck.
Or is the deck only used when it is floating rather
than flying? It would be rather disconcerting to be
on deck (or standing up anywhere for that matter)
when the captain needs to hop over an obstacle. |
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Isn't this just an Ekranoplan, which is Baked and WKTE ? |
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As mentioned at the end, the Ekranoplan isn't a luxury cruise version. |
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The deck would serve two purposes, passenger-wise: During "flight" mode, those who'd like the rush, can rent goggles and strap themselves in. They won't be going much faster than an old biplane, so it's physically just fine. Also, if they aren't strapped in, the Captain should be able to let them know (depending on visibility ahead) when a Hop will be needed. That'll let the passengers, inside and out, know they need to sit down and strap in. Attendants would be available to help.
While afloat, it will serve as a slightly narrower version of current cruise ship decks. |
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It should be entirely possible to have an "open" deck that is
entirely within an aerodynamic eddy behind a wind screen,
such that the passengers never experience the full force of
the wind. (This would not be the full length and width of
the craft, it would be pockets here and there). |
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Somewhat pre-heated, in William Gibson's "Zero History" - the book's ending scene takes place in a very rich man's Ekranoplan done over to effectively be a ground effect Rolls Royce. |
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I've enjoyed the Gibson work I've read so far. I'll have to look that one up. Thanks! |
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