Heavy-duty seaplane can carry 100 tons of cargo

The American Liberty Lifter seaplane uses ground effect to fly over the sea, and can take off with a load of up to 100 tons of cargo, which was once considered impractical.

Liberty Lifter seaplane simulation. Photo: Aurora Flight Sciences — Liberty Lifter seaplane simulation. Photo *: Aurora Flight Sciences*

American company Aurora Flight Sciences is making significant progress in the Liberty Lifter program, an initiative of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop an affordable heavy-lift transport aircraft with unprecedented capabilities, Interesting Engineering reported on February 4. Aurora Flight Sciences has just updated the design of this aircraft.

The Liberty Lifter project is in its preliminary development phase 1B, aiming to create an experimental aircraft that can float and fly efficiently at sea, transforming logistics missions for the US Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce in the future. The goal of the Liberty Lifter is to overcome the limitations of current seaplanes, allowing the aircraft to take off with loads that were once considered impractical for seaplanes.

The Liberty Lifter is expected to have a cargo capacity equivalent to that of the C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft but carry up to 100 tons of cargo. In addition, the new aircraft, which will be in development from 2022, will have a range of about 12,000 km.

A major challenge for the Liberty Lifter is maneuvering in rough seas, as the craft uses ground effect to fly low and gain additional lift by exploiting the air trapped between the wings and the surface of the ocean. This technology works well in calm seas, but when the seas are rough, the craft needs to maneuver to stay safe.

One of the latest updates to the Liberty Lifter is the change from a T-tail to a Pi-tail. According to Aurora Flight Sciences, this allows for a cargo door at the rear, while also making the airframe more structurally efficient. Another improvement is moving the floats from the flanks of the fuselage to the wingtips, which will improve performance while reducing costs. Phase 1B is nearing completion, with the Liberty Lifter’s first flight scheduled for 2028.

Thu Thao (According to Interesting Engineering )

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