The Aerocon Dash 1.6 wingship, a 5,000-ton ground effect vehicle concept
The Aerocon Dash-1.6 wingship was a proposed American ground-effect vehicle intended to carry large cargos and thousands of passengers over long distances at near-aircraft speeds.
The vehicle was claimed to be able to carry a combination of 1,500 short tons (1,400 t; 3,000,000 lb; 1,400,000 kg) of cargo and 2,000 passengers a distance of 11,500 miles (18,500 km; 10,000 nmi) at speeds close to those of commercial airliners.[1]
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) evaluated the Aerocon design, along with submissions from several other manufacturers, as part of a preliminary study of the concept during the 1990s to determine whether a billion-dollar program was viable, to develop a wingship for military uses.[2][3][4] By the end of 1994, the Department of Defense decided that the design was too high a risk and did not offer further funding.[5]
Specifications
Data from W. I.: Technology Roadmap, Appendix C - Structures, page C-4 – C-6
General characteristics
- Capacity: more than 3,000 passengers; 2,000 troops[6]
- Length: 566 ft 0 in (173 m)
- Wingspan: 340 ft 0 in (104 m)
- Height: 112 ft 0 in (34 m)
- Wing area: 38,720.0 sq ft (3,597.21 m2)
- Empty weight: 3,588,000 lb (1,627,000 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 10,000,000 lb (4,500,000 kg)
- Example Cargo capacity. Data from[7]
- 32 helicopters
- 20 tanks
- 4 landing craft
- 300 105mm howitzers
- Powerplant: 20 × unknown type of jet engines, 90,000 lbf (400 kN) thrust each
Performance
- Cruise speed: 460 mph (741 km/h, 400 kn)
- Range: 12,000 mi (19,000 km, 10,000 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Lift-to-drag: 32.5
- Wing loading: 258 lb/sq ft (1,260 kg/m2)
See also
References
Notes
- ↑ Frederick, Donald (19 September 1993). "Giant Soviet airship could evolve into cruise ship or winged hospital: Aviation: The 540-ton Caspian Sea Monster would be reborn as a 5,000-ton 'wingship' if one American has his way. The original, built in '60s, crashed in '70s". Los Angeles Times. National Geographic. p. A11. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 474112039. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ↑ "Wingtip Investigation Volume 3: Technical roadmap", Advanced Research Project Agency, September 30, 1994.
- ↑ W. I.: Final Report, Chapter 2 - Introduction, page 2-1 – 2-2
- ↑ Evers, Stacey (August 22, 1994). "U.S. wingship pursuit keyed to ARPA study". Aerospace Daily. Aviation Week & Space Technology. Vol. 141, no. 8. pp. 55–56. ISSN 0005-2175. OCLC 41598016.
- ↑ Lardner, Richard (December 22, 1994). "Smaller vehicles may be worth pursuing: DOD study: Technical, cost risks of large wingships outweigh advantages". Inside the Pentagon. Vol. 10, no. 51. Inside Washington Publishers. pp. 1, 8–9. ISSN 2164-814X. JSTOR 43992627. OCLC 13302463.
- ↑ Flynn, Barry (February 15, 1992). "Winged ship could airlift 2,000 troops". Local. The Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. p. A1. OCLC 37397036.
- ↑ Lardner, Richard (December 13, 1993). "Aircraft could carry 2,000 troops: Wingship touted as best way to get future army to far-off hot spots". Inside the Army. 5 (50): 14–16. ISSN 2164-8182. JSTOR 43975735. OCLC 839737692.
Bibliography
- "Pentagon wingship study prompted by small Virginia firm". Inside the Pentagon. 10 (51): 8. December 22, 1994. ISSN 2164-814X. JSTOR 43992636. OCLC 13302463.
- "ARPA-led panel recommends further wingship study". Aerospace Daily. Vol. 172, no. 52. December 19, 1994. p. 385. ISSN 0193-4546. OCLC 71471561.
- Wingship investigation: Final report. Vol. 1. Arlington, Virginia: Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). September 30, 1994. OCLC 227833764. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Wingship investigation: Appendices. Vol. 2. Arlington, Virginia: Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). September 30, 1994. OCLC 227833770. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Wingship investigation: Technology roadmap. Vol. 3. Arlington, Virginia: Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). September 30, 1994. OCLC 227833767. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Cameron, Kevin (August 1994). "The ekranoplane: Russia's wingship". Popular Science. Vol. 245, no. 2. p. 53. ISSN 0161-7370. OCLC 423969155. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Garrison, Peter (July 1994). "Neither fish nor fowl: It's a boat! It's a plane! The Russians have tested hybrid vehicles that seem like a little of both. Now they're fishing for U.S. cooperation". Flying Magazine. Vol. 121, no. 7. pp. 70–76. ISSN 0015-4806. OCLC 173879979.
- "Defense briefs". Inside the Pentagon. 10 (13): 13–14. March 31, 1994. ISSN 2164-814X. JSTOR 43958245. OCLC 13302463.
- Lardner, Richard (March 28, 1994). "Pentagon seeks solutions for meeting wingship's power requirements". Inside the Army. 6 (13): 18. ISSN 2164-8182. JSTOR 43976181. OCLC 839737692.
- "MTMC examines value of wingship as strategic transport asset". Inside the Army. 5 (50): 15. December 13, 1993. ISSN 2164-8182. JSTOR 43975736. OCLC 839737692.
- Lenorovitz, Jeffrey M. (May 24, 1993). "ARPA team to visit Russia for WIG vehicle study". Headline News. Aviation Week & Space Technology. p. 25. ISSN 0005-2175. OCLC 41598016.
- Saville, Kirk (October 21, 1992). "Futuristic projects may propel peninsula's future". Local. The Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. p. B3. OCLC 37397036.
- Petkofsky, Andrew (October 21, 1992). "Joint venture envisioned for first 'wingship'". Area/State. Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA). Newport News, Virginia. p. B–1.
- Ludvigsen, Eric C. (August 1992). "Wingships: Strategic mobility platform or impossible dream?". ARMY Magazine. Vol. 42, no. 8. Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). pp. 8, 15–16. hdl:2027/uiug.30112100064861. ISSN 0004-2455.
- Dane, Abe (May 1992). "Wingships: Massive wing-in-ground-effect flyers combine jetliner speeds with steamship economy". Cover story. Popular Mechanics. Vol. 169, no. 5. pp. 35–38, 123. ISSN 0032-4558. OCLC 608073156.
- Gaines, Mike (March 11–17, 1992). "USA joins Russia on wingship" (PDF). Headlines. Flight International. Vol. 141, no. 4309. Reed Business Publishing. p. 5. ISSN 0015-3710. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- "High Speed Merchant Ship Concept (wingship Development)". 1990.
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