WIG Flying Boat Credit: Alan Oxley / Contributor Caption:Airfish 3, an early prototype of the Wing-In-Ground-Effect (WIG) flying boats in use today, takes off from Biscayne Bay at Miami in Feb, 1991. Scientists have long dabbled in WIG technology trying to harness the aerodynamic lift generated by flying close to the surface of the sea.It is a phenomenon first observed in nature. Some large birds like geese are able to navigate great distances by flying close to the surface saving energy - a maneuver copied by Allied bombers low on fuel to get back to their bases in England during World War II.The old arguement about whether a WIG craft is an airplane or a boat was effectively settled in 2002 when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued guidelines for WIGs. The first WIG boat to be registered as a ship with wings - an eight-seater called Airfish 8-001 - went into passenger service in Singapore in 2010. (Photo by Alan Oxley/Getty Images)
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:29:45 +0000
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