A experimental nuclear tipped missle platform that was unsuccessful. This type of vehicle called in russian ekranoplan uses so called ground effect extra lift of large wings when in proximity to the surface. The massive cold war russian plane 36 pictures atchuup. So cool to see that it wasnt the only flying ship, and even getting to see it and others fly was wonderful. Part plane, part ship, this ekranoplan was a giant. The cold war contest for a nuclearpowered aircraft. This shipprototype was the first in a series of soviet ekranoplan screen plane developments and was designed by rostislav evgenievich alexeev of. Earlier, a russian navy spokesperson said that the mass production of what was known as the caspian monster is due to start in the russian city of nizhny novgorod after 2020. My interest in ekranoplans started in 1998 when channel 4 first broadcast equinox. The most famous soviet ekranoplan were troopeaglet built five units and strokewinged rocket lun built by one unit, separated from the black sea fleet in 1990. It was called lun after the russian name for a bird of prey hen harrier. Russian lunclass ekranoplan ground effect aircraft.
The soviet unions secret flying ekranoplan business insider. Caspian sea monsters ekranoplan indian defence forum. A floatplane flying hospital was planned from the md160 airframe, though the collapse of the soviet union in 1989 did the idea in. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. These craft were originally developed by the soviet union as very highspeed military transports, and were based mostly on the shores of the. Abandoned soviet union lunclass ekranoplan ground effect. Russias caspian monster to make impressive comeback. In the james bond continuation novel devil may care.
Or rather, it could, before it was retired to a forlorn pier in southern russia. The ground effect vehicle was armed with six soviet mosquito antiship missiles. The lun was mostly based in the caspian sea and the black sea, and would travel at a maximum height of three meters over the sea but could go higher in case of there being high wave conditions to provide safety to the craft. According to him, a 60ton mockup model of an ekranoplan has already been created and work is currently underway to build a 500ton vehicle. These massive and strange planes can supposedly carry heavy weapons and fly just. One of the strangest was a half ship, halfairplane soviet specialty called the ekranoplan russian for groundeffect plane. It flew using the lift generated by the ground effect of its large wings when within about four metres ft above the surface of the water. One of the strangest was a halfship, halfairplane soviet specialty called the ekranoplanrussian for groundeffect plane. When the soviet union started developing their massive ekranoplan or flying ship dubbed km in the mid1960s, the cia was so scared that it developed a drone specifically to spy on the km. Caspian sea monster ekranoplan flight video youtube.
Flixxy editors search the internet daily, to find the very best videos for you. The russianbuilt km from the 1960s is over 330 ft 100 meters long, weighs 540 tons fully loaded and travels at a speed of over 250 mph 400 kmh. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here. It was used by the soviet and russian navies from 1987 until the late 1990s. The old man instructed ivan how he should build the flying ship and ivan built it with great ease. Abandoned ekranoplan the lunclass harrier ekranoplan was a seaplane used by the soviet and russian navies from 1987 to sometime in the late weighing over 400 tones the caspian sea monster is a marvel of the soviet union russia. Between the 1960s and the early 1990s, the soviet and russian navies flew a handful of huge, bizarre, seaskimming hybrid aircraft they called ekranoplans.
The lun ekranoplan weighs 380 tons, has a 148foot wingspan and can launch six antiship missiles from flight. The a90 orlyonok was another of the ekranoplan ground effect vehicles in service with the soviet navy during the cold war years. Eight decades of realpolitik herman j cohens latest book. Ground effect vehicle russian ekranoplan super flying ship. The caspian sea monster, also known as the kaspian. The lunclass ekranoplan, the only model of this class ever built, the entered service with the black sea fleet in it was retired in the late and is now sitting unused at a naval station in kaspiysk, russia the ussr designed and built the most massive aircraftship ever made. Ekranoplans are curious craft, flying a few feet off of the ocean at high speeds completely intentionally. Boatplane mix that flies just above the surface of the water. Hi, im ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity.
Soviet and russian ekranoplans is a thoroughly revised and expanded version of sergey komissarovs book red star. Stated as for sar, but would also be militarily useful as military interest in the high arctic continues to grow. At present, it is believed that the lunclass ekranoplan is not in any type of operational service with the russian fleet operating in the black sea. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to baldy and the guys at advrider is growing really fast. Ekranoplans features several ekranoplans, including the km.
Ekranoplan a russian flying boat troop carrier ricardo. Old people are wise, please, give me a piece of good advice, asked ivan. The name caspian sea monster perfectly fits the experimental ekranoplan built in 1966. Russia wants to bring back a weird sovietera flying boat to gain an edge in the arctic, but it may never take off. The fool of the world and the flying ship has remained to be one of the greatest russian folktales ever told and has spawn many popular movies such as the adventures of baron munchausen. Ground effect vehicle russian ekranoplan super flying ship above sea military power with missile icbm if you are interested in science topics and projects, you can go to internet to search. The lun ekranoplan became an excellent example of this achievable principle though its kind has yet to find widespread use. The lunclass ekranoplan is a ground effect vehicle gev designed by rostislav evgenievich alexeyev in 1975 and used by the soviet and russian navies from 1987 until sometime in the late 1990s. The presidents book of secrets stop the return to north korea. Bewildered western military experts dubbed it the caspian sea monster. Igor 1 in the thick of the cold war, the soviet union built a revolutionary transport vessel that was bigger than any plane and faster than any ship.
The unbelievably massive lun class ekranoplan planeboat. It carried 6 moskit cruise missiles ssn22 sunburn in nato classification. Designed by rostislav alexeyev and used by the soviet and russian navies from 1987 until the late 1990s, the ekranoplan flies using the lift generated by the ground effect of its large wings when. Now we have our first close look at one previously obscure example. Russian ecranoplanes an ekranoplan literally screen plane is a vehicle resembling an aircraft, but operating solely on the principle of ground effect. Alekseyev a90 orlyonok russian ekranoplan in moscow at. The last flight of the soviet beach assault ekranoplan a90 orlyonok aviation humor. In 1980, a prototype of the ship crashed and sank after which it was decided to discontinue the project. As highlighted in this book, rotislav alekseev was certainly the crown prince of ekranoplan technology, having improvised on his hovercraft by combining the strengths of a plane with the strengths of a ship to create an unorthodox vehicle that could fly over water and sea on a cushion of air, as exemplified by the km caspian sea monster, lun.
The massive ship was called lun also called project 903, after the russian name for a bird of prey, harrier. This caspian sea monster was a giant soviet spruce goose. Its the russian ekranoplan flying ship, also known as the caspian sea monster. The lunclass ekranoplan nato reportedly named duck was designed by rostislav evgenievich alexeyev. Two separate close encounters between the russian and u. Ekranoplan a russian flying boat troop carrier ricardo kuhn. The lunclass ekranoplan, also known as the caspian sea monster, is a ground effect vehicle designed by rostislav evgenievich alexeev and used by the soviet and russian navies from 1987 until the. Ekranoplan a russian flying boat troop carrier ricardo kuhn patineto this is the ekranoplan, a kind of soviet middle aircraft, middle boat. The lun ekranoplan weighs 380 tons, has a 148foot wingspan and can launch six anti ship missiles from flight. Model kits, military books and magazines the choice of the whole internet. This story is written by arthur ransome along with illustrations by uri shulevitz and is an instant treat. Flying ship flying boat russian military aircraft plane and pilot ground effects aviation humor vintage air military jets aircraft pictures. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
Externally, the lun was a mix of boat and aircraft, showcasing a very bowlike fuselage with straight, midmounted wing appendages capped by pontoons, a single vertical tail fin mounting a pair of sweptback horizontal. Too big and heavy to fly high, the ekranoplans rode a buoyant cushion of. For this reason they have been designed to travel at a maximum of three meters above the sea but at the same time could provide take off, stable flight and safe landing in conditions of up to. Ekranoplan a russian flying boat troop carrier ricardo kuhn patineto hi, im ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity.
Soviet flying boat lunclass ekranoplan testing one of. Rusavia oth045 russian and soviet seaplanes and ekranoplans 1910 1999. In the years that have elapsed since then new developments have taken place in this field both in russia and in other countries. Also great to see and hear about the history of these strange ships. The russian tankshipplane called ecranoplan flying actually hovering using the ground effect with just few feet above the water to fly and to remain undetected from the enemies radar, its. Russia wants this weird sovietera flying boat for the. Their nickname, caspian sea monster further added to the mystery. Also known as ground effect vehicles, ekranoplans are aircraft which fly via the aerodynamic interaction between the crafts wing and the water beneath.
Chdb a90 orlyonok eaglet ekranoplan ground effect flying boat transport aircraft. Russian ekranoplan also known as the caspian sea monster. The lunclass harrier ekranoplan is a groundeffect vehicle, that is, one that takes advantage of the increase in lift and decrease in drag that flying close to a fixed surface provides. Russia is saying it will build a wingingroundeffect plane to patrol sea routes and infrastructure in the arctic. Ekranoplan a russian flying boat troop carrier ricardo kuhn patineto. A device flying at low altitude is invisible to enemy radars, while the lack of. The unbelievably massive lun class ekranoplan planeboatship. Eerussia researching on 600ton ekranoplan for missions in arctic and pacific a report from izvestia says russia is researching on a new ekranoplan aka ground effect vehicle that can perform rescue missions and resupply remote bases in arctic and pacific. However, the russian flight institute is said to be studying the feasibility of much larger ekranoplan designs for carrying freight in standard containers, or. The prototype ship with a wingspan of 38 meters and a length of 92.
Ground effect vehicles gev fly above any flat surface, with the height above ground dependent upon the size of the vehicle. From over 300,000 videos uploaded to youtube daily, flixxy editors select only 1. It had a flying boat hull with a large deflecting plate at the bottom to provide a step for. In 2005, the international marine organization classified. The soviet superplane program that rattled area 51 wired. Bridges of spies sicario intelligence officers bookshelf the swallow and caspian sea monster vs.
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