China tests its fastest ship in S China Sea

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-04-07

The Xianzhou 1, China's first ground effect vehicle. (Internet Photo)

The Chinese version of the Lun-class ekranoplan — which can attain level flight just off the surface of the earth — has recently completed its first sea trial over the waters off the coast of Hainan in the South China Sea, reported state broadcaster China Central Television.

Like the Russian Lun-class ekranoplan, China's domestically crafted Xianzhou 1 is neither an aircraft, seaplane, hovercraft nor hydrofoil, but a ground effect vehicle. Using the aerodynamic interaction between the wings and the surface known as ground effect, Xianzhou 1 attains level flight near the earth's surface. Classified as a maritime ship by the International Maritime Organization, the ground effect vehicle is faster than any other types of vessel in the world.

The Xianzhou 1 is 12.7 meters long and 3.9 meters high, according to the report. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 2.5 tons and cruises at speeds between 140 and 160 kilometers an hour. China has been developing its own ground effect vehicle since the 1960s. Various types of smaller ekranoplans, including the DXF100, Albatross and Tianyi 1, had been previously designed in the nation. In 1999, the Tianyi became China's first ground effect vehicle to be tested on an inland river.

After the establishment of the city of Sansha in the South China Sea, the ekranoplan has taken an added role not only as a patrol ship over the South China Sea's disputed waters, but also a vehicle for merchant activities in the region. While it takes an ordinary ship 15 hours to travel between Sanya and Woody Island, located in the Paracels, it takes the Xianzhou 1 just two.

Drills such as navigation, take off, landing, ground effect level flight, climbing and rotation maneuvers were carried on during Xianzhou 1's tests. Wang Xiaodong, the test pilot of Xianzhou 1, said that flying a ground effect vehicle is actually safer than flying an aircraft because there is always runway just under its feet.