TECHNOLOGY
Oceanair was conceived by offshore race boat designer/builder David Borman. Testing NASA inspired aerodynamic lifting body designs in the lab of some of the world’s top offshore manufacturers.
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Several years of model building led to the construction and sea trial of multiple generations of the early prototype. Followed closely under the watchful eye of US Navy engineering consultation.
Speed of Up to 100mph
Unique patented wing-in-ground effect technology allows to travel above the ocean’s waves at cruise speed of up to 100mph.
With a substantial fuel and operational costs savings.
Unique Tecnology
Oceanair revolutionizes travel by water.
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The boats are based on one of the world’s most advanced maritime concepts. Providing unmatched maritime transport capability over short to mid-range passenger or cargo routes. At a small fraction of the price of pure aircraft. And nearly as fast.
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Many years and over one million US dollars were expended to design, build, and vet the original Oceanair prototype.
Government, academia, and private research efforts around the world have been investigating the obvious benefits of winged-lift for high speed oceangoing vessels for years.
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Most applying purely aerospace design and engineering principles, produce craft with largely the same predictable results: Vessels structurally light enough for complete free-flight off the water for best efficiency, but are too delicate to endure significant wave impact. Possessing complicated, and failure prone, wave/collision avoidance systems. And manufacturing cost more similar to aircraft, leave these designs no economic reason to exist.
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Five different generational variations of the original Oceanair prototype have been constructed and undergone extensive sea trials off the coast of Florida. Each generational itineration built upon the last in a several years' long staged confirmation of computer simulations.
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Sea trials have clearly demonstrated to us and our US Navy consultants that these new technologies have enabled the Oceanair to mark the beginning of a new era in which high speed low fuel consumption WIG vessels will offer significant solutions for maritime transport.
Our new 64 foot passenger-ferry version of Oceanair was partially modeled on a 50’ helicopter turbine powered 165mph offshore powerboat our company’s founder had the privilege of assisting with construction. Computer simulations of this boat, modified for Oceanair technology, provided real-world data from which to extrapolate the design criteria for the new 64 private Oceanair.
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Ocean Aeronautics brings a new approach to the table. Rather than build an aircraft, that stays down over the water, our design makes a boat fly.
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Designed and built more akin to an offshore raceboat than aircraft.
And with the offshore boats similar manufacturing cost- basis. The Oceanair Project brings aerodynamics down to practical sea level.
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Construction of the Oceanair vessel is very similar in nature, procedures, and processes to well established construction systems of today’s offshore powerboat builders. Power installed in our design studies of these $1million+ pleasure boats were commonly diesel-fueled, Vietnam era, Huey Helicopter jet-turbines. Widely available for pennies on the dollar. Zero hour.
The Oceanair Foil System provides pilot-passive vessel response to a variable sea state, without relying solely upon electronics. Very similar to the way a conventional boat bow responds to wave-crests.
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Offers a ride with a suspension system as a bonus; and, yields extreme maneuverability for collision avoidance due to high-performance bank-turn ability. Using a proprietary, US Patent issued, foil design to solve the three main problems of maritime-based ground-effect: Hydrodynamic lift assist from the foils provides for heavier structural elements necessary to safely absorb errant wave impact energy.
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Foil actuators hydraulically ease transition from high-drag waterborne operation, to low-drag airborne-cruise mode, without having to install massive additional horsepower. And function very similar to an advanced Baja or Dakar Rally car's nitrogen filled accumulator tank suspension technology. Well proven systems for maximum passenger comfort and safety.
Additionally, the business model’s use of full-warranty, remanufactured jet-turbine powerplants, FAA timed-out for aircraft, widely available for pennies on the dollar over original cost; puts us on a manufacturing-cost basis impossible for aircraft builders to compete. A savings passed on to our potential Oceanair operator clients. Key to our huge manufacturing price disparity with aircraft is a US Supreme Court victory officially establishing this type of technology as a boat. Not airplane. Yielding both certification and operations expenses a fraction of the price of aircraft.
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Classification now written into the International Law of the Sea Treaty. Provides an extremely profitable means to produce airliner scale ticket revenue, but operating and carrying charges to the bottom line eighty percent less than aircraft. And an aquisitions cost basis as little as 90% less than an equivelent capacity aircraft.
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