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A bidding frenzy has begun over a New Zealand inventor's hybrid flying hover craft dinghy. The machine is listed on bidding website trademe.co.nz and at the time of writing had attracted bids of up to 26,800 NZ dollars (13,579 euros).
The vehicle, which was built by Rudy Heeman of Nelson, New Zealand, officially goes by the name of W.I.G - meaning "wing in ground effect". Surprisingly the machine has been classed as a boat under the Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand and consequently does not require an aviation license.
The W.I.G can operate as a hovercraft but when the wings and tail are put on the machine can fly at a low altitude above the water or land. Made mostly of fibreglass, the W.I.G is four metres long and has a 1.8 litre 100HP inboard engine that was installed in 2008, with only 150 hours on the clock. According to the inventor the machine can reach speeds of up to 90km/hr with a range of over 225km and an altitude of about three metres.
Heeman says the vehicle has taken years to perfect but is now ready to sell it. It is obvious that this inventor has become somewhat attached to his design, which he describes as "fast and furious, it roars like a lion, and is not for the 'faint hearted'".
Heeman promises that the buyer will be given comprehensive driving/ flying/ riding instructions and a liability disclaimer which must be signed on pick up. The online auction will end on Saturday 13 March.
It may not seem like the most glamorous way to fly, especially given the fact that Heeman composed the machine of a gas bottle from the family barbeque, parts of his wife's car and a control lever from his daughter's motor scooter, but it certainly looks fun in the footage on You Tube. Some superyacht owners may not take a fancy to the idea of this "scap heap challenge" style toy but it cannot be denied that it would turn heads and remains totally exclusive.
  Photos: Trademe.co.nz
Via Trademe and The Telegraph.
JB
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