From the gCaptain Archive: World’s Fastest Ship OR Largest Plane? Thrilling Wonder brings us the story of The Caspian Sea Monster. Built during the cold war this Russian plane hovered over the water at speeds exceeding 200 knots.

They hover and skim above the water surface at speeds of up to 250 miles an hour, they carry heavier loads of cargo and troops than any airplane – the Ekranoplans, or “Wing-in-Ground” (WIG) vehicles are possibly the most exciting and strange looking technology ever designed by men.

Developed mostly by Soviets during Cold Wars years (by Rostislav Alexeev’s design firm) some of them were over 500 feet in length and had an estimated weight of over 500 tons! And yet they skimmed over the waves with grace, at high speeds, able to negotiate stormy conditions, unseen by radar – all thanks to an aerodynamic principle known as the “ground effect”. Dark Roasted Blend: Ekranoplans Showcase

For those interested here’s the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE: We just got around to reading the Spring 2007 of the Coast Guard’s Proceedings magazine and read the following interesting article on the resurgance of Wing In Ground ( WIG ) aircraft among entrepeneurs and hobbiests. The Article can be downloaded here: Is it a Ship, a Plane, or a WIG?

The USCG also has a web page devoted to regulating the craft: LINK

If your looking for future information subscribe to the Coast Guard’s WIG email list: LINK

This Korean newspaper tells us of Koreas plan to invest over $180 million in Wing-In-Ground aircraft to be used as a commercial transportation solution:

The 20-seat WIG ship proposed by the government would be 77 m long, 65 m wide and weigh 300 tons. It would travel at speeds of 250 to 300 km/h, similar to the KTX train, and carry a loads of around 100 tons, as much as Boeing 747 can carry.

The government plans to spend W170 billion to develop the ship over five years, aiming for test runs in 2011 and commercial operations from 2012. The vessel would be used as a passenger ship, freighter or military craft.

Traveling three or four times faster than normal ships, a WIG ship exploits aerodynamic forces to skim just one to five meters above the water. Read More…

We reviewed WIG aircraft in this previous post and can only wonder if this is an emerging trend.