New super-yacht the Ekranoyacht 'will fly'

AUSSIE designer reveals plans for a super-yacht that can fly four metres above the water at speeds of up to 400 km/h.

AN Australian designer has revealed plans for a yacht that can fly four metres above the water at speeds of up to 400 km/h.

One of the entries for the Australian Design Award 2011, the Ekranoyacht design aims to “bring the super car flavour to the water”.

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Designed and named after the famous Soviet Union super vehicle the Ekranoplan, the futuristic yacht is planned for 2025.

Designer Jaron Dickson, 23, from Monash University in Melbourne said that the concept is focussed on more efficient sea travel and protecting the environment.

The 35.6 metre craft will use hydrogen power and fly above the water surface at speeds of approximately 400 km/h.

It will be able to tackle waves of up to 3.5 metres and it also has an electric motor so that it can also be used as a regular yacht when moving through certain coastal areas.

The yacht will be able to accommodate six guests and will have an open floor living plan, with large windows for natural light.

“Humans are always thinking of new ways travel and improve their dynamic lives… My project has the liveability of a yacht and the convenience of an aeroplane,” Mr Dickson said.

The Ekranoplan was a half-plane half-boat vehicle conceived by the Soviets that could skate along the water.

Known as the “Caspian Sea Monster”, it used the ground effect - also known as the wing-in-ground-effect - where a cushion of high-pressure air is created by the aerodynamic contact between the wings and the water's surface.

Smaller versions of this craft was used to transport troops and vehicles in the Black and Caspian seas until the collapse of the Soviet Union.