Activities
Activity 1: Programme overview
Before viewing
(Class or group discussion.)
Students may find it useful to pool their existing knowledge of:
- how conventional aircraft gain the lift they need to stay in the air
- how boats gain the lift they need to stay afloat
- how hovercraft gain the lift they need to stay above the surface of the land or water
(Students may find it helpful to jot down key words while watching the programme, as a basis for a discussion of the programme’s underlying ideas (see ‘Background’ section).)
After viewing
(Class or group discussion.)
Discuss what the programme reveals about:
- ‘ground effect’, and how it made possible a new breed of flying craft
- how design ideas can be transferred from one area of technology to another
- how design problems can generate a range of solutions
- the range of uses of scientific inventions
- the importance of adequate funding to the success of design projects
Activity 2: An Ekranoplan safety audit
(Group or individual activity.)
A European ferry company has put forward plans to replace its existing cross-channel fleet with medium-size Ekranoplans. Opponents of the scheme say Ekranoplans are too dangerous to use on cross-Channel routes.
Devise a list of safety criteria for vessels travelling to and from ports on either side of the English Channel, and build up a display chart showing how Ekranoplans might compare with current cross-channel vessels on each of your safety criteria.
The following website provides ideas and information about hazards associated with Ekranoplans and other WIG craft:
