Plymouth's Brittany Ferries exploring new high-speed form of ferry travel
'Seagliders' would carry between 50 and 150 passengers between the UK and France
Brittany Ferries is exploring the potential for a new high-speed form of ferry travel.
The 'seagliders' would carry between 50 and 150 passengers between the UK and France.
It is hoped the first passengers can board the smaller electric craft by 2025.
Seagliders combine the convenience of passenger ferries with the comfort of hydrofoils, the aerodynamic efficiency of hovercraft and the speed of aircraft.
The craft are expected to fly at speeds of up to 180 mph - six times faster than conventional ferries - with a battery-powered range of 180 miles.
They work by harnessing a concept well-known to pilots – ground effect. This is the cushion created by high-pressure air trapped between wings and the ground or water while flying at low altitude. Seagliders are therefore akin to a hovercraft with wings, rather than a skirt.
Following departure from port, the craft rises on foils insulating passengers from wave discomfort. In open waters, it takes off, riding the air cushion all the way to its destination. Wing-mounted propellors provide the thrust to take to the air at low speeds, while electric motors regulate air flow over wings while riding the air cushion.
It is a highly efficient mode of transport, capable of moving significant loads over long distances at high speed. Power will come from batteries rather than fossil fuel.
Flight safety comes courtesy of redundant propulsion and flight control systems, with next-generation sensor suites detecting and automatically avoiding traffic at sea.