Engineering graduate develops ‘water plane’

KOCHI: It’s not a seaplane or a boat, but a mechanical mutant of both. A Kochi-based BTech graduate and his father claim to have built a six-seater water plane, which was taken to the water on Saturday ahead of its trial run slated to be held on Sunday. The watercraft was developed by Godson D’souza, a mechanical engineering graduate, with the support of his father Shabel D’Souza at his welding workshop at Ponnarimangalam. Though the motor-powered watercraft, which apparently looks like a water plane, will not take off or land on the surface of water as in the case of seaplane, the watercraft will cruise through water surface at a maximum speed of up to 100 km per hour, they said. 

“It is not sure if the official trail run of the watercraft can be conducted on Sunday as some fine-tuning works remain to be completed. However, we are trying our level best to hold the event on Sunday itself, “ said Godson. He conducted a test-ride of the watercraft at the backwaters of Vallarpadom on Saturday evening, ahead of the trial run on Sunday.

Interestingly, the 1.2 tonne watercraft has a 26 metre long and 1.5 metre wide fuselage like part capable of accommodating six passengers. Powered by an 800 CC engine from an old Maruti Omni car, the watercraft has been made with an aluminum composite panel (ACP) frame, which is relatively lightweight than steel body. They will conduct the trial run with permission of Cochin Port Trust and Ports Department in the backwaters of Kochi and seek certification for the vessel after the trial run.