For all those aspiring engineers out there, I present this video of a Soviet ummm... Boat? no...Plane? ....Boatplane! called the Ecronoplan. It is designed to fly in water or on water, but never really leave the water. You just have to watch the Youtube clip to see what I mean, because until you see one, you just won't understand it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PNJXTEViAw
For all you Top Gear fans, here it is in a series called "James May's Big Ideas."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdBYdw0R6TU
I also have found some references to a new Japanese bullet train that functions via the Ground Effect used in Ecronoplans. So yeah, a flying train that barely leaves the ground. I can't find a good enough article to link to though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PNJXTEViAw
For all you Top Gear fans, here it is in a series called "James May's Big Ideas."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdBYdw0R6TU
I also have found some references to a new Japanese bullet train that functions via the Ground Effect used in Ecronoplans. So yeah, a flying train that barely leaves the ground. I can't find a good enough article to link to though.
