An advanced concept plane, which if built would be the largest aircraft ever to take to the skies, is being studied by Boeing.
Designed to carry huge amounts of cargo over vast distances, the Pelican’s unorthodox design would allow it to ‘skim’ about 6 metres (20ft) above the ocean, taking advantage of reduced air resistance.
With a wingspan of 500 ft and fuselage longer than a football pitch, the Pelican would dwarf all current heavy-lift aircraft, including the world’s largest aircraft, the Russian Antonov An-225.
It could carry up to 1,400 tonnes of cargo, five times the Antonov’s payload.
Over land the Pelican would fly at altitudes of 20,000 feet or higher.
Operating from ordinary airports, it would use 38 landing gears equipped with 76 tyres to carry its weight.
A measure of the Pelican’s vast scale is that Boeing envisages its main competitors as container ships. Its potential military uses are also being explored.
The Pelican could carry 17 M-1 tanks at a time, and would fulfil the US military’s goal of the ability to deploy a whole division in five days, or five divisions in 30 days.
Space possibility
Its possible use as a ‘piggyback’ plane, carrying spacecraft to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, is also being considered.
The Pelican is just one of several advanced aircraft designs being studied by Boeing’s advanced aviation research wing, Phantom Works.
Another, the Sonic Cruiser, a 250-seat passenger plane, would fly up to 20% faster than conventional jets.
However, BBC transport correspondent Simon Montague says there is no guarantee either will ever actually be built.
Analysts say the current climate of uncertainty in the aviation industry mean that more than ever, concept aircraft must have clear commercial potential if they are to become reality.
By: GrantT - 21st September 2002 at 15:14
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
www.avsim.com/ffg take a look 🙂
By: andrewm - 21st September 2002 at 13:12
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-09-02 AT 01:13Â PM (GMT)]Whats FFG?
By: KabirT - 18th September 2002 at 09:23
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 18-09-02 AT 09:24Â AM (GMT)]I agree with you GrantT. I still think first they should concentrate in getting something out to compete with the A380 in the future. Heavylift they are already number one in that.
By: GrantT - 17th September 2002 at 22:56
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-09-02 AT 10:57Â PM (GMT)]Is it just me or are Boeing going in the wrong direction with projects/designs like this?
Grant
By: EGNM - 17th September 2002 at 20:25
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
Cheers – i’ll look into that!
By: geedee - 17th September 2002 at 18:26
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-09-02 AT 06:28Â PM (GMT)]
EGNM
hope this works !!…if not find the Surclaro website and enter Ekranoplan in the search area.
I use it in FS2002 Pro and its pretty good…just needs a bit more spray when accelerating and decelerating thats all .
Cheers
Gary
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By: wysiwyg - 17th September 2002 at 09:53
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
That Channel 4 documentary was ‘Equinox’ if I remember correctly. Wasn’t it fascinating.
By: EGNM - 16th September 2002 at 17:21
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
Yea – got a link for us??
Ta
By: geedee - 16th September 2002 at 17:09
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
Your Ekranoplan was nicknamed the Caspian Sea Monster and caused quite a stir when it was discovered. It was able to carry shedloads of equipment / troops at ridiculous speed a few meters off the sea for long range. That documentary (copy in my collection) shows a huge amount of spray…and I mean huge !!!…with this thing trying to outrun it on its take off run. Reminded me of those RLNI lifeboat piccies with the boat crashing through big waves only this one was doing close to a couple of hundred while getting in to ground effect. Awesome indeed.
Cheers
Gary
PS: anyone who’s into flight sims, there is an Ekranoplan available for FS2002. Its quite true to life… I know , Ive got itdownloaded.
By: GZYL - 14th September 2002 at 02:31
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
I know the Russians were working on Ekranoplans (spelling!!). To my knowledge, the didn’t have a problem with efficiency when the aircraft was flying. The problem was that it needed huge amounts of energy to get it flying in the first place!! For example, that large aircraft mentioned above, had something like 10 jet engines, but it only used 2 for cruising. I think those figures are correct… They’re from a Channel 4 documentary… years ago!!
By: skog - 13th September 2002 at 10:09
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
This idea is nothing new though.
The idea of using ground effect to make huge low flying transport aircraft over sea was actually an idea from the old Soviet Union.
They experimented with that for years, and actually built a HUUUUUGE aircraft, but im not sure why it didnt see production. Maybe they couldnt make it efficient enough.
By: KabirT - 13th September 2002 at 09:49
RE: Boeing’s ‘big bird’ unveiled
Not a bad idea….. but they need to concentrate more on there match for A380 than this. Anyway lets wait and watch if this happens.
By the way can you guys see that little Russian aircraft behind that control tower? :9
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September 13, 2002 at 9:43 am