Students building & testing a single-person WIG "skimmer"

I'm sure most of you know the "skimmer" concept: http://www.gizmag.com/go/6864/

Some students from Finland are taking on this pretty cool project, and they're already doing some tests on the water. Do check out their crash compilation video.

Building & design blog (with videos):

http://elmtech.eu/en/research-projects/elmer-x-1

The crash compilation, which shows amazing strength of glass fiber (200g/m² glass fiber mat) and epoxy, which they pasted onto a polystyrene foam core:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ElmTechDevelopment#p/u/1/GuMWfl_URIc

If they obtain reasonable results someone (but who?) should attempt to build the "Skarver", which is both sexy and could be a new type of PWC of the future: http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=10570

Who will build the Skarver?

 

A more technically important question is: who or what will lift Skarver out of water?
But, anyways, great styling.

About your project - good luck and take care of your backbone guys!

 

Hi Daiquiri, just FYI this is not my project.

I was just surprised to see that some students are actually building such a thing, which resembles the "skimmer" and the "skarver".

From their design webpage it seems they're now testing electric motors. A bizarrely low-power, 3kW motor to be precise. This will not be enough. But I found out that the original Airfish 1, which flew hundreds of miles and tens of hours successfully, had an engine of only 13hp.

Anyways, I just wanted to share this design project. It's not mine.

 

wouldn't a tail keep it flying instead of flipping and crashing

or would that spoil all the fun?

 

Apparently they're putting up the tail now: http://elmtech.eu/en/research-projects/elmer-x-1/115-x1bfinetune

Without a tail it would indeed have remained a crash toy.

 

Flying wings do work, but the CG needs to be further forward than they have it and it needs a fin and a good-size rudder. This smacks a little of the marine world trying to become airborne, instead of the aero world trying to build something that doesn't sink in water.

Tim B.