S. Korean company to build flying ship manufacturing plant

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean company plans to build the world's
first large-scale commercial flying ship plant, the government said Thursday.
The plant, to be built by Wingship Heavy Industries, will cover 43,000 square
meters of land at the Gunsan Free Trade Zone located 274 kilometers south of
Seoul, with the company aiming to produce 12 so-called wing in ground effect
craft (WIG) every year starting in 2012, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.

WIG ships can fly 1-5 meters off the water's surface and can reach speeds of up
to 300 kilometers per hour. Such vessels use the natural lift created by an
object traveling at high speeds close to the water.
They are slower than passenger jets but are much faster than conventional
commercial ships whose max speed usually does not surpass 40 kilometers per hour.
South Korea started work on these flying ships in 1995 and successfully tested
four-person and 20-person prototypes in 2001 and 2007 respectively.
The company that received funds from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
Co. and the government plans to invest 4.73 billion won (US$3.67 million) this
year in the building effort. Most state funds are centered on research and
development.
The first ships to be built will be capable of carrying 40 passengers with larger
craft able to carry more than 350 people being planned down the road. Such ships
will have the cargo carrying capacity of existing jumbo jets like the Boeing 747.
"Because of their speed, these craft can reach most South Korean islands,
including Jeju, from the mainland within an hour and can ferry passengers and
cargo to many Japanese and Chinese ports within three hours," a ministry official
said.
He pointed out that because WIG ships need not climb several kilometers into the
air, they use less fuel than planes and are safe because they can land on the
water quickly if they experience mechanical problems.
"WIGs promise to become a clean, fast and safe way to travel short- and medium
distances over water," the official said.
Wingship Heavy Industries, meanwhile, said that once production begins in earnest
in 2012 it expects to sell 60-70 craft in the following five years that can
generate sales exceeding 600 billion won per year.
Of the total, 20 ships may be sold in South Korea with 40-50 WIGs being exported,
the conpany said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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