Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Commercial wing-in-ground-effect transport

Power Plant:

One 336 kw (450 hp) General Motors eight-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

During the Cold War United States satellite surveillance detected large high-speed machines operating at low-level over the Caspian Sea. These machines were developed in the Soviet Union and used what was known as Wing-in-Ground-Effect. A number of models were developed and built, the largest being known as the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’ having an all-up weight of 540 tonnes which could carry 460 passengers at 500 km/h (311 mph). Russia continued developing this technology but, due to limits of funding for research, it proceeded slowly.

Under United Nations International Maritime Organisation legislation, ground effect craft were recognised universally as marine vessels for construction, insurance, operator licensing and registration requirements. To meet requirements for this new type of transportation three categories of Wing-in-Ground-Effect were proposed. Category A machines were defined as only able to operate in ground effect, were incapable of free flight, operated with lower power requirements and could not operate out of ground effect. Category B machines operated in ground effect but were able to rise for a short period to avoid collisions using kinetic energy. Category C machines were able to climb to and maintain flight above ground effect, and had to receive ICAO aircraft certification. In later years work also proceeded at Boeing in the United States to develop this technology.

The FS-8 was designed by Flightship in North Queensland as an eight-seat machine, but was later marketed as seating ten, ie a crew of two and eight passengers. Early production machines were to be delivered to meet orders from Canada, the Maldives, the Middle East, Spain and Thailand.

The prototype was powered by a 336 kw (450 hp) General Motors 6.5 litre eight-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine driving two four-blade, variable pitch 1.7 m (5 ft 6 in) diameter propellers.

The FS-8 lifted totally clear of the water surface to ride on a self-generated airwave at a speed of about 102 km/h (63 mph). Advertising indicated that the Dragon Commuter would only be made available to commercial operators and certified crews would be trained at the Company’s Flightship Training School.

In 2003 a company, Pacific Seaflight, was set-up to introduce the FS-8 to service for transportation in Alaska, first services to commence in 2004 with two aircraft operating out of Juneau, and two more to begin services from Ketchikan in 2006, the machine to take 55 minutes for the Juneau to Haines service cruising at 157 km/h (98 mph).

The FS-8 was to be operated and maintained at typically low marine craft overheads, flying at an altitude of two metres. Its primary function was for economical, over-water transportation in tropical regions of the world with a crew of two and eight passengers, or a crew of two and a payload of 840 kg (1,852 lb).

The machine had a maximum water surface clearance capability of two metres over the crests of two-metre waves, cruising at 170 km/h (106 mph) with a range of 556 km (345 miles). It was moulded and fabricated from low-maintenance FP composites. Waterborne propulsion was available from retractable electric thrusters in the wing-tip floats. All design and construction details for every craft were to be registered under the International Shipping Registry Classification with Germanischer Lloyd.

Standard equipment of the FS-8 included SOLAS life jackets, life rafts, VHF radio, depth sounder, ECDIS computer navigation system, GPS, radar transponder, MARPA forward-looking radar, pitch and roll alarm presets, altimeter, airspeed indicator and full cabin air conditioning for tropical climates.

In early 2004 it was announced the Company had ceased operations. At that time liquidators failed to find a buyer for the firm and auctioneer Strophair was called in to sell the assets which included moulds and jigs, one complete FS-8 and two near-complete aircraft, plans, technical drawings, parts and equipment. The Company at this time had been owned by a Singaporean businessmen and Mr John Leslie.

The prototype was dismantled. At that time development was proceeding with a view to producing larger machines, such as the twin-turboprop Dragon Clipper with a loaded weight of 21,000 kg (46,296 lb) and a capacity to carry 40 passengers cruising at 159 km/h (99 mph) at a height of two-metres (6 ft 6 in). However, it was not to be and, like many promising designs, came to nothing.

The FS-8 had a largely glass cockpit with digital engine and navigational instruments, including moving map display. Waterborne propulsion for taxiing, mooring and precise low-speed manoeuvring was provided by retractable hydraulic thrusters in the wingtip floats. In early 2006 the prototype was noted stored on a block of land near where development took place.