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WIG hulls: steps, hydrofoils and hydroskis
How do WIG craft get off the water? · Standard part · basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
Also called: wig hull, ekranoplan hull step, wig hydrofoil, hydroski, wig takeoff from water, ground effect boat hull, stepped hull wig, rc ekranoplan hull, wig sponsons
Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.
- sizes
- 5 in table
Notes
- WIG craft must break free of water drag before flying. Designs used hull steps (m-Sky 2), front and stern hydrofoils to soften water landing (Lippisch X-114), bow hydroskis for pitch stability (Lockheed 1963) and aft ski structures to trim take-off and landing (Douglas DAW-S) (Rozhdestvensky).
- Weiland proposed hydroskis as an alternative to power augmentation, and the Hoverwing HW20 used a static air cushion with retractable skirts only for take-off (Rozhdestvensky). KM operated in waves up to 3 m at take-off (Rozhdestvensky).
- Used on: Lippisch X-114, m-Sky 2, Douglas DAW-S, Hoverwing HW20.
- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.
WIG hulls: steps, hydrofoils and hydroskis size chart
| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Lippisch X-114 | two front hydrofoils + one stern | Rozhdestvensky 2006 |
| Lockheed wingship study | V-shaped landing hydrofoil, 4.64 m span | Rozhdestvensky 2006 |
| m-Sky 2 | step on centre-body bottom | Rozhdestvensky 2006 |
| KM take-off wave height | up to 3 m | Rozhdestvensky 2006 |
| Hoverwing HW20 | static cushion, retractable skirts for take-off | Rozhdestvensky 2006 |
Where the files are
Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.
| Progress in Aerospace Sciences (K.V. Rozhdestvensky, 2006) | Wing-in-ground effect vehicles (review) | web | Publisher's page; dimensions are facts |
Free files
★ Free files 1 parts. Xem Studio design: free to use, print and sell things from; not to be republished as files. Xem Studio Design License. index.json
| wig-hull-steps-hydrofoils-hull | stepped hull, 600 × 150 mm, deadrise 20°, 1 steps (sections illustrative, scale to your boat) | STEP · STL |
https://xemstudio.com/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client (free, no account, one minute) and it can look up exact sizes, mating fits and free STEP/STL from every chat.Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=wig-hull-steps-hydrofoils

Fits with






Questions
What hull helps a WIG model unstick?
A stepped hull or hydrofoils/hydroskis, all used on full-size craft (Rozhdestvensky).