REGENT Sea Glider , Electric powered cross channel WIG

[RavenOne]

My wife pointed this out just now

Cross-Channel 'flying ferries' plan announced

Radical plans for a cross-Channel, sea-skimming service have been revealed by Brittany Ferries.

www.bbc.co.uk

REGENT | Coastal Travel. 100% Electric.

We develop & manufacture all-electric, passenger-carrying, wing-in-ground-effect vehicles to service coastal routes, building on real-world-proven tech.

www.regentcraft.com

cheers

 

[Hobbes]

An image from their website:

Our first vehicle will carry 12 passengers and our next will carry at least 50 passengers. With existing battery technology, both variants will have a 180 mile range and 180 mph top speed. The vehicles will be as safe as aircraft and have better wave and wind tolerance than existing seaplanes and WIGs.

 

[TomcatViP]

It's apparent that they've grossly underestimated the stability issues that comes with WiG following the unmistakable approach of so many startups when it comes to methodologies:
Find a problem, simplify the problem, solve the simplified problem (or attempt to), claim you've solved the problem.

 

[AeroFranz]

Are you referring to pitch stability? I haven't spent much time digging in WIG technical papers, but i remember keeping the vehicle at the right height above the water with restoring forces keeping it there was important.

 

[Rhinocrates]

Are you referring to pitch stability? I haven't spent much time digging in WIG technical papers, but i remember keeping the vehicle at the right height above the water with restoring forces keeping it there was important.

Most of the images of real WIGs that I've seen show them to have enormous tailplanes. In the case of the Lun and Caspian Sea Monster, those wide rows of engines would probably add to pitch stability as virtual canards.

 

[AeroFranz]

The thing that surprises me about Regent is the high aspect ratio wing. I thought that low aspect ratios were part of the 'sauce' required to make WIGs work, if only because the WIGs i can think of have stubby wings. Of course the Boeing Pelican had longer wings, so...???

 

[TomcatViP]

High aspect ratio wings have traveling aerodynamics moment (except symmetrical airfoil in theory but then there are no advantages to get high aspect ratio) larger in percentage than long chord (hence short aspect ratio) wings.
Hence any change of attitude would lead to a larger correction in trim, changing speed, attitude and... Trim.
One and the others are not instantaneous and will results in oscillations that will increase if not FBW monitored. So this thing would need one of the most solid FBW to fly...
Good luck to beat this:

AirFish 8 (that doesn't need any pilot qualification... Yes, it's a boat)

 

[TomS]

Quarter-scale RC model with 18-foot wingspan has flown in Narraganset Bay last month, apparently:

View: https://vimeo.com/748166647