Technology
Ground Effect
It is the phenomenon of air being trapped under a lifting surface, during low-level flight. As a result of the air cushion created, drag is reduced and lift is increased with a raise in the overall efficiency of the lifting surface.
Technical Advantages of WIG Vehicles
Increased payload
Extreme speeds compared to marine vehicles
Low fuel consumption compared to aircraft
Low manufacturing costs
Low licence/certification costs
Low crew training costs
No need for aerodromes
Electric VTOL and Ground Effect
Less drag leads to less fuel burn in ground-effect mode
Low-altitude flight requirement for VTOL saves energy and increases range
Lower energy requirements enhances sustainability and allows lower operational costs.
Air cushion enables different modes of operation like STOL (short-take off or landing) where the S30 takes-off like a sea-plane in a short distance speeding up. This reduces the VTOL energy requirement and enables a different mode of operation for higher payload or longer range requirements.