Launching a giant 'flying hotel', speed 750km/h

The Aerocon Wingship is twice the size of a Boeing 747 passenger jet. With a capacity of thousands of passengers and 1,500 tons of cargo, the 400-ton, 173-meter-long machine was designed with funding from the Steering Body. Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA). Engineers expect the giant aircraft model to be able to travel more than 19,300 meters, powered by 20 rocket engines mounted along the wings near the nose of the plane, Sun reported on August 14.

The Aerocon Wingship will glide above the sea instead of flying overhead.

However, unlike most aircraft that usually fly at an altitude of over a thousand meters, the Aerocon Wingship will hover above the water thanks to the ground effect. This effect creates a layer of air bubbles underneath the aircraft similar to a hovercraft, allowing the vehicle to travel faster with much greater stability.

The aircraft is designed to fly across the Atlantic Ocean between the US and Europe. But with a respectable range, the vehicle can fly continuously from the US to Japan, Australia, China or almost anywhere in the world. Aerocon Wingship has a wingspan of 100 meters, almost as wide as a football field. The machine can carry 30 times the weight of a Boeing 747, transporting cargo like a ship at the speed of an airplane when surfing at an altitude of 30m above the sea. Aerocon Wingship is also expected to become a luxury aircraft equipped with bedrooms, bars and restaurants like a flying hotel or a giant cruise ship.

Steven Hooker, the main designer of the aircraft, dreamed of creating the Aerocon Wingship after seeing similar vehicles in the Soviet Union, such as the Caspian Sea Monster. This is an experimental ground effect vehicle that can reach speeds of 500 km/h. However, Hooker thought he could get better performance and designed the Aerocon Wingship to be 10 times larger than the Sea Monster.

The Aerocon Wingship project has a development cost of up to 600 million USD. The US military has considered buying 13 aircraft at a total cost of $ 15 billion. DARPA's project can serve to transport troops when quick response is required. It is estimated that the vehicle can carry 32 helicopters, 20 tanks, 4 amphibious ships and 2,000 soldiers.