WIG (Wing In Ground) boats are something like a cross between a hovercraft and an airplane. Taking advantage of a phenomenon that creates a cushion of air between a wing and the ground, they fly a few feet above the surface of the water, able to reach higher speeds with greater efficiency than traditional boats. The best known WIG boats are the Russian ekranoplans, and the largest and most famous of these was the KM, better known in the west as the "Caspian Sea Monster".
posted on Jul 24, 2002 - View this thread