Ekranoplans. Soviet attack ekranoplane "Lun": history of creation, description and technical characteristics

Screen effect

Air flows under the ekranoplan, depicted by the artist

In essence, the screen effect is the same air cushion, only formed by pumping air not with special devices, but with an oncoming flow. That is, the “wing” of such devices creates lift not only due to rarefied pressure above the upper plane (as in “normal” aircraft), but additionally due to increased pressure under the lower plane, which can only be created at very low altitudes (from a few centimeters up to several meters) This height is commensurate with the length of the average aerodynamic chord ( SAR) wing. Therefore, they try to make the wing of an ekranoplan with a slight elongation.

The screen effect is due to the fact that disturbances (pressure growth) from the wing reach the ground (water), are reflected and manage to reach the wing. Thus, the increase in pressure under the wing is large. The speed of propagation of a pressure wave is, of course, equal to the speed of sound. Accordingly, the manifestation of the screen effect begins with
,

where l is the width of the wing (wing chord), V is the speed of sound, h is the flight altitude, v is the flight speed.

The larger the wing MAR, the lower the flight speed and altitude, the higher the screen effect:

Traditionally, at flight speeds close to the ground, it is customary to consider the height of the screen to be half the chord of the wing. This gives a height of about a meter. But for sufficiently large ekranoplanes, the flight altitude “on the screen” can reach 10 meters or more.

The center of pressure (common point of application of force) of the baffle effect is closer to the trailing edge, the center of pressure of the “normal” lift is closer to the leading edge, so the greater the contribution of the baffle to the total lift, the more the center of pressure is shifted back. This leads to balancing problems. Changing the altitude changes the balance, changing the speed too. The roll causes a diagonal shift in the center of pressure. Therefore, operating an ekranoplan requires specific skills.

Advantages of ekranoplanes and ekranoplanes

Flaws

one of the serious obstacles to the regular operation of ekranoplanes is that the location of their intended flights (along rivers) very precisely coincides with the zones of maximum concentration of birds;
operating an ekranoplan differs from operating an airplane and requires specific skills;
the ekranoplane is “tied” to the surface and cannot fly over uneven surfaces; The ekranolet does not have this drawback;
Although flight “on the screen” is associated with lower energy costs than that of an airplane, the launch procedure requires a higher thrust-to-weight ratio, comparable to that of a transport aircraft, and, accordingly, the use of additional starting engines that are not used in cruising mode (for large ekranoplanes), or special starting modes for main engines, which leads to additional fuel consumption;
low maneuverability, since an ekranoplan, like an airplane, to change the direction of movement must create a centripetal force, the only source of which is the wing. At a flight altitude of the order of the MAR wing, the possible rolls are very small, and the turning radii are too large.

WIG designs

In the design of ekranoplanes, two schools can be distinguished: Soviet (Rostislav Alekseev) with a straight wing and Western (Alexander Martin Lippisch ( On him.)) with a forward-swept triangular wing with a pronounced reverse transverse V. R. E. Alekseev’s design requires more stabilization work, but allows movement at high speeds and in airplane mode. The Lippisch scheme includes means of reducing excess stability (a forward-swept wing and a reverse transverse V), which makes it possible to reduce the disadvantages of balancing an ekranoplan in conditions of small size and speed.

The third proposed scheme was the tandem scheme of G. Jörg (Germany), but despite a number of advantages (automatic stabilization) it has no followers yet.

Also, the idea of a screen effect is used by ships with a dynamic air cushion. Unlike ekranoplanes, their flight altitude is even lower, but compared to hydrofoils and hovercraft, they can have greater speed with less energy.

History of development

Open the screen effect and start using it

One of the first domestic works that related to the research of the screen effect is the work of B. N. Yuryev “The influence of the earth on the aerodynamic properties of the wing.” Then, already in the 1930s, theoretical studies of the screen effect were carried out by V.V. Golubev, Ya.M. Serebriysky, Sh.Ya. Biyachuev and others. In 1932, the famous aviation engineer, inventor and aircraft designer P.I. Grokhovsky developed a project for an amphibious ekranoplane with two engines, the aerodynamic layout of which is typical for some ekranoplanes of our days.

When developing ekranoplanes, design firms in many countries faced many technical problems, ranging from the problem of choosing anti-corrosion materials to problems of stability in flight. The governments of these countries refused to support the projects, and firms did not dare to develop them “at their own risk.” If the designs were developed, they remained in the form of drawings.

In the first test flight, the KM ekranoplan was piloted by V. F. Loginov and R. E. Alekseev. Further tests were carried out by leading test pilots D. T. Garbuzov, V. F. Troshin. All this work was carried out within the system of the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry.

Works by Robert Bartini

Based on his design of a variable-sweep flying wing aircraft (T-203 - prototype of the Tu-144 and the French Concorde) and research on the project, R. L. Bartini, presented in 1955 a project for the A-55 supersonic medium-range flying boat-bomber . Over 40 models were blown through, up to 40 volumes of reports were written, take-off modes from water and the possibility of long-term afloat were studied. After various projects developing the A-55 (these were: A-57 - strategic bomber - flying boat, E-57 - seaplane-bomber, carrier of the K-10 cruise missile and nuclear bomb, R-57 (F-57) - supersonic front-line bomber, R-AL (1961) - long-range reconnaissance aircraft with a nuclear power plant) Bartini came close to development ekranoplan.

Over the course of many years, R.L. Bartini developed the “Theory of Intercontinental Land Transport” with an assessment of the transport performance of ships, airplanes and helicopters. As a result of these studies, he determined that the optimal vehicle was an amphibious vehicle, either vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) or hovercraft, with the lifting capacity of large ships and the speed and equipment of airplanes. He began researching an ekranoplane with hydrofoils, after which he created a project for an ekranoplane VTOL-2500 with a take-off weight of 2500 tons in the form of a flying wing with a square center section and consoles and a power plant of lifting and sustainer engines.

USA

Unfortunately, at present, for financial reasons, work on the development of this generation of ekranoplanes has been stopped, and ATTK CJSC has been declared bankrupt.

At the third international hydroair show "Gelendzhik-2000", which took place on the Black Sea from September 6 to 10, 2000, the Sukhoi Design Bureau for the first time demonstrated its new development - the S-90 ground effect vehicle. Chief designer of the ekranolet Alexander Polyakov. The new aircraft is intended for passenger and cargo transportation in the interests of various departments, including law enforcement. It can be used in three modes - as an airplane, ekranoplan and hovercraft. The maximum weight of the ekranolet in the first version is 7900 kg, in the second - 9500 kg and in the third - 10,500 kg. Commercial load is 2500, 3100 and 4500 kilograms, respectively. The flight altitude range is from 0.5 meters to 4000 meters. Range - over 3000 kilometers.

China

China is ready to become a leader in the development of ekranoplanes

Representatives of the Chinese University of Civil Engineering in Shanghai announced that they are finishing the development of designs for several models of ekranoplanes - high-speed vehicles flying at low altitudes above the surface of the water. By the end of this decade, it is planned to begin pilot production of vehicles with a carrying capacity of 10 to 200 tons, and by 2017, more ekranoplanes capable of transporting cargo weighing more than 400 tons will enter regular transport operations. Such ships will become an indispensable means for high-speed passenger and cargo communication between the islands of Southeast Asia.

Vladimir Gavrilov

Prospects

Amphibious ekranoplanes have great prospects in the field of rescuing people in distress at sea. The only way an airplane can help in this situation is to drop the rescue cargo onto the water; A helicopter has a small capacity, and water vessels have a low speed, which means they will not come to help right away. The rescue ekranoplan can splash down, and an entire medical center can be located on board to provide care to the wounded. And such projects are already being developed.

Ekranoplanes also have great prospects in the field of passenger and cargo transportation, both international and for the domestic needs of individual regions and organizations. International “routes” of ekranoplanes will be several times shorter than the railway, road or sea routes used today.

Ekranoplans can be used to transport cargo and participants of scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Projects have been developed for passenger cargo transportation over the waters and ice of the Arctic. This will allow cargo transportation in northern ports all year round, regardless of the season.

The ekranoplan is also of interest to the military, as before, for the transfer of troops and military equipment, as well as the detection and destruction of submarines, and the launch of cruise missiles.

Among space projects for the use of ekranoplanes, two directions can be distinguished.

Classification in the International Maritime Organization

Russian ekranoplan Aquaglide 2

In 1992-2002, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with the active participation of the Russian Federation, carried out work on the development, coordination and implementation of changes to the “International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea” (COLREG-72), and also developed the first international “Interim Guidelines for the Safety of WIG Vehicles”.

Thus, the international recognition of ekranoplanes as a new promising marine vehicle was established and a legal basis was created for the development of this type of transport and its commercial operation on international routes.

In accordance with the IMO classification, ekranoplans are divided into three types:

Type A - ekranoplanes that are capable of operating only at altitudes of the “screen effect” (flight altitude no more than the size of the wing chord);
Type B - ekranoplanes capable of briefly and by a limited amount increasing the flight altitude above the screen;
Type C - ekranoplanes, capable of detaching themselves from the screen for a long time to an unlimited flight altitude (ekranoplanes).

For all ekranoplanes, the main mode of operation is flight in close proximity to the surface using the “screen effect.” This means that they are constantly within the scope of operation of conventional ships and must comply with the “International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.” In this regard, by a joint decision of the IMO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the ekranoplan is considered not as an aircraft that can float, but as a vessel capable of flying.

Since some ekranoplanes have the ability to increase flight altitude beyond the limits of the “screen effect” and even fly at such an altitude where aviation regulations apply, then, in order to divide the scope of jurisdiction of the IMO and ICAO, all ekranoplanes were divided in the “Manual” into three types according to their ability and the presence of permission to operate and beyond the height of the “screen effect”:

Type A is a vessel that is certified to operate only within the "screen effect" area. Such vessels in all operating modes are subject to IMO requirements;
Type B - a vessel that is certified to briefly and by a limited amount increase its flight altitude beyond the “screen effect”, but at a distance from the surface not exceeding 150 m (for flying over another vessel, obstacle or other purposes). Also complies with IMO requirements. The maximum altitude of such a “flight” must be less than the minimum safe flight altitude of the aircraft according to ICAO requirements (over the sea - 150 m). The height limit of 150 m is controlled by ICAO;
Type C is a vessel certified for operation outside the area of effect of the “screen effect” at a height exceeding 150 m. Subject to IMO requirements in all operating modes, except for “aircraft”. In “airplane” mode, safety is ensured only by ICAO requirements, taking into account the features of ekranoplanes.

Notes

Five-seat passenger ekranoplane "Aquaglide-5"
CONCEPTS OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS BASED ON EKRANO PLANS
Volga-2 multi-purpose light ekranoplan.
VortexCell2050 (English)
Comparative analysis of structural options for a system for measuring flight parameters at low altitudes. Prof. A. V. Nebylov, Sukrit Sharan, Proceedings of the 17th IFAC Symposium on Automatic Control in Aerospace Systems, Toulouse, France, 2007
Russian financial and industrial group "High-Speed Fleet"
Small shipyard
Sinitsyn D. N., Maskalik A. I. The first civilian ekranoplane “Amphistar”.
JSC "ATTK" - history of high-speed shipbuilding - St. Petersburg, ed. "Shipbuilding", 1999 - 112 p.
Maxim Kalashnikov Ekranoplans - the future of Russia // almanac Vostok, Issue: N 5 (41), December 2006, essay
The Moscow Arctic Trade and Transport Company intends to complete the reconstruction of the workshop for the production of ekranoplanes in Chkalovsk in 2008
http://www.sostav.ru/news/2003/04/09/gl49/ The Arctic Trade and Transport Company (ATTC) bought a site in the Nizhny Novgorod region for the production and testing of ekranoplanes
Decision of the Moscow Arbitration Court (decision dated December 22, 2011, case No. A-40-139490/10)
Heavy ekranoplanes and reusable spacecraft: a promising tandem E. A. AFRAMEEV, Candidate of Technical Sciences (Krylov Central Research Institute), “Bulletin of Aviation and Cosmonautics” No. 4 2001
Utility-and-passenger ekranoplane with a displacement of up to 10 tons "Orion-20"
Ekranoplans for maritime border guards will be built in Petrozavodsk
Production of “Caspian monsters” will resume in Russia, lenta.ru (Retrieved July 18, 2010)
New generation ekranoplans will appear in Russia by 2016
ITAR-TASS, 09.27.07 Message “South Korea intends to begin commercial operation of ekranoplanes in 2012”
Analytical online magazine RPMonitor: The Great Arctic Confrontation

Literature

Petrov G. F. Seaplanes and ekranoplanes of Russia: 1910-1999. - Rusavia, 2000. - 248 p. - 3000 copies.
- ISBN 5-900078-05-1

Lange R.H. and Moor J.W. Large wing-in-ground effect transport aircraft. Journal of Aircraft, 1980, v 17, IV, N 4, p 260-266.

Links
OJSC Central Design Bureau for SPK named after. R.E. Alekseev" - Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils named after. R. E. Alekseeva
Ekranoplans. On the verge of two elements - a site dedicated to ekranoplanes
Scientific and Technical Center "Sargan" - development and design of ekranoplanes
The WIG page
The Arctic Trade and Transport Company (ATTC) bought a site in the Nizhny Novgorod region for the production and testing of ekranoplanes

Russian small ekranoplane "Aquaglide 5", ILA-2006, Berlin

The Soviet Union created a whole series of amazing vehicles - ekranoplanes - capable of destroying enemy aircraft carriers. Unfortunately, in the 90s, almost all of the developments were destroyed. Life journalist Mikhail Kotov was looking into whether these monsters are still capable of taking to the air.

They say that on this day everyone at the CIA communicated exclusively with the dirtiest curses. During the development of footage taken by a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, something incredible was noticed in the Caspian Sea. Judging by the photographs, a giant plane was flying over the surface of the sea at a speed of about 500 kilometers per hour. Then this miracle of technology received the nickname “Caspian Monster”, and American intelligence officers began development based on Soviet ekranoplanes, perhaps the most amazing military vehicles of that time.

A conventional airplane uses lift to fly, which occurs due to the difference in pressure above and below the plane of the wing. The air flow is faster along the upper edge of the wings (depending on the angle of attack), and slower under the lower edge. Because of this, the pressure above the wings is less than below them, which pushes the aircraft upward. At the same time, when the plane descends, almost close to the ground, an interesting effect can arise. It is called screen, since the surface (runway or water surface) can also slow down the flow of air under the wing - from a high pressure zone it shifts to a low pressure zone, but is now slowed down not only by the plane of the wing, but also by the approaching ground.

As a result, the plane seems to land on an “air cushion,” which leads to an even greater increase in pressure and its displacement from the front of the wings, as happens during normal flight, to the rear. In flights of the early era of aeronautics, this led to the plane “nodding off” when landing, or even doing a somersault. The problem was solved by placing the wings above the cockpit and placing the plane on the landing gear. But later the engineers thought: “Why not apply a screen effect to the movement of the aircraft itself?”

And they created ekranoplanes. It is no coincidence that we mentioned the air cushion. Ekranoplans are closest to sea vessels that use this principle. Only the air cushion of an ekranoplan is created not by pumping air with special devices, but by an incoming flow. The pressure under the lower plane of the wing increases, which keeps the equipment in flight above the surface of the water.

Such conditions are created only at very low altitudes (from several centimeters to several meters), which is why ekranoplanes are used primarily over water. They can fly over an ordinary surface, but it must be flat, without trees or strong curvatures of the terrain. For example, an ekranoplan will fly over the surface of a dry salt lake without any problems.

Due to the specific nature of the flight, it is difficult to control an ekranoplan. It will be extremely unusual for an ordinary pilot to move into the cockpit of such a machine. Everything is different here: a change in altitude changes the balancing of the aircraft, and a change in speed does the same. The roll causes a diagonal shift in the center of pressure. However, the ekranoplan has many advantages compared to modern aircraft and ships, since they combine the qualities of both:

ground effect aircraft are much safer than conventional aircraft, since if a malfunction is detected during flight, the amphibian can land on the water even in strong seas;

ekranoplanes are faster than hovercraft, as they reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour;

ekranoplanes are more economical than airplanes due to the specific nature of the flight;

ekranoplanes do not need an airfield.

our school

Ekranolet "Rocket-2". The designer is a laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes, Doctor of Technical Sciences Rostislav Alekseevich Alekseev.

In the design of ekranoplanes, there are two main schools - the Soviet, created by Rostislav Alekseev, and the Western, the primacy of which belongs to the German, and then the American (after World War II he was transported to the USA, where he worked until his death) designer Alexander Lippisch ).

German ekranoplanes were always made as triangular flying wings, most often without a tail, stable, but unable to reach high speed. Soviet and then Russian developments, on the contrary, were based on a straight wing. This scheme requires additional efforts to stabilize the structure, but allows it to move at high speeds and in airplane mode. There is also a tandem scheme, but it has not yet gone beyond the scope of theoretical aviation.

Rostislav Alekseev, the chief designer of ekranoplanes in the world, was a shipbuilder who dreamed of real flight and made his dreams come true. In 1935, he entered the Zhdanov Gorky Industrial Institute, and in October 1941 (due to the outbreak of war, exams were postponed) he defended his thesis on the topic “Hydrofoil glider.”

During the war, he worked as a control foreman for tank production at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant. In 1942, it was decided to allocate premises and people to Alekseev to work on creating hydrofoil combat boats. Yesterday's graduate, he was able to infect everyone with his idea and convince everyone of the possibility of making a boat “fly.” The Navy's shipbuilding department also believed in Alekseev's project, and funds were allocated to him.

“I was so inspired by the concern for my project, it was such a powerful charge of confidence in the necessity of what was conceived that it was enough for decades. After all, just think, the war is still in full swing, everything is subordinated to the slogan “Everything for the front!”, every pair of hands counts, and people think about tomorrow's peaceful day"

Development dragged on for many years; after the war, in 1957, Alekseev presented the hydrofoil “Raketa” to the world community, bringing the ship to Moscow during the International Festival of Youth and Students. From that moment on, high-speed shipbuilding began in the world. All Soviet hydrofoils - "Meteors", "Petrels", "Comets" - were built by Rostislav Alekseev.

Birth of a Monster

Aviation and maritime search and rescue complex aircraft "Mriya" - ekranoplane "Eaglet". Developed at the Central Design Bureau for hydrofoils named after R.Ya. Alekseeva. Reproduction.

Alekseev began creating ekranoplanes in 1962. At the same time, he saw his task as combining the capabilities of a conventional aircraft and, in fact, an ekranoplane in an ekranoplan. According to his idea, this technique was supposed to be used both above the surface of the water and at an altitude of up to 7500 meters. To test the capabilities of ekranoplanes, he created an experimental model of the KM "Mock-up Ship". However, foreign experts deciphered these letters in their own way: “Caspian Monster”.

The ekranoplan had a wingspan of almost 38 meters, a length of 92 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 544 tons. Before the appearance of the An-225 Mriya aircraft, it was the heaviest aircraft in the world. On June 22, 1966, before dawn, the largest aircraft on the planet at that time was launched from the Volga pier.

Immediately after leaving the factory, the problem arose of moving the ekranoplan to the testing site. For almost a month, the ekranoplane, half-submerged, with its wing undocked, and covered with a camouflage net, was towed along the Volga from Gorky to the training ground in Kaspiysk. For reasons of secrecy, we walked only at night; during the day, the “monster” rested in the shadow of a camouflage net.

In 1966, the “Caspian Monster” finally entered testing, which was carried out at a specially created test and delivery station on the Caspian Sea near the city of Kaspiysk (Dagestan). Tests of this miracle of technology went on for 15 long years, until an accident occurred in 1980 due to a pilot error. There were no casualties; moreover, the ekranoplan remained afloat for another week, but no attempts were made to save it. It sank in the Caspian Sea.

First flight of the "Eaglet"

In the early 70s, Alekseev's design bureau received an order to create a military ekranoplane, and on November 3, 1979, the world's first landing ship-ekranoplane "Orlyonok" was accepted as a combat unit into the navy. It received the standard number MDE-160 (small landing ekranoplan).

"Eaglet" had a not at all small total displacement of 122 tons, developed a speed of 216 knots and could transport 200 paratroopers in full combat gear or 28 tons of cargo. The small amphibious ekranoplane was intended to transport amphibious assault forces over a distance of up to 1,500 kilometers, with the ability to take off at wave heights of up to two meters. Loading and unloading of people and equipment was carried out through the bow that folded to the right.

A total of five such machines, unique for their time, were created. Unfortunately, in 1984, Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov, who supported the idea of building a fleet of amphibious ekranoplanes, died. The new Minister of Defense Sergei Sokolov closed the program, using the freed-up money to build nuclear submarines. But even this did not stop the process of creating one of the most unique military vehicles in the world - the Lun ekranoplan.

"Harrier" - a proud bird

Rostislav Alekseev no longer saw the flight of this ekranoplan, which became the expression of all his ideas and thoughts. On January 14, 1980, while testing a model of a new passenger ground effect vehicle, he was injured during launching. Two operations did not help, and the most important creator of ekranoplanes in the world died on February 8, 1980. At this time, design work on the Lun project had already been completed, all that remained was to wait for the start of construction.

In 1983, the first and, as it turned out, the last heavy attack ekranoplane-missile carrier of Project 903 was laid down. In 1986, this amazing colossus was ready. A continuation of the ideas of the “Caspian Monster,” the ekranoplan was intended to combat surface ships by launching a missile strike in conditions of weak opposition from enemy air attack weapons.

In essence, the Lun is an aircraft carrier hunter, capable of approaching an enemy order with great speed and firing missiles while remaining out of reach. Armed with six launchers with Moskit anti-ship missiles, the Lun could strike from a distance of 120 kilometers, while flying over water up to 2,000 kilometers, remaining virtually invisible to enemy radars.

The wingspan of this bird is 44 meters and its area is 550 square meters. Inside the wing there are four compartments with fuel for eight NK-87 engines. The length of this ekranoplan is 73 meters, and the height is comparable to a five-story building - 19 meters.

Initially, it was planned to create eight rocket ekranoplanes of the Lun type, but due to financial problems and military inexpediency, these plans could not be realized. Currently, the Lun is decommissioned and mothballed in dry dock on the territory of the Dagdizel plant in Kaspiysk. All secret electronics are gathering dust in secret warehouses, from where they will probably never be returned. You can look at this miracle of Soviet engineering from space by following the link to Google maps and entering the following coordinates (42°52′54″ N 47°39′24″ E).

Abroad

The most high-profile foreign project was the Boeing Pelican, a military ekranoplan with the ability to transport 1,200 tons at a time. He did not go further with development; the concept turned out to be too huge and hardly feasible even by the standards of the American military, which does not particularly consider money.

The device was supposed to fly at an altitude of about ten meters above the sea, with the ability to rise to a height of 6000 meters for flights over land or to avoid storms. At one time, the Pelican could lift up to 17 M1 Abrams tanks or almost 200 20-foot shipping containers. However, nothing has been heard about this project since 2013.

There was information about the construction of a large ekranoplan by South Korea, however, this project is currently frozen.

Current state

Currently, there is no serious production of ekranoplanes in Russia. There are scattered companies involved in the creation of small ekranoletov. From time to time ideas arise about the revival of the Soviet school, but they remain nothing more than projects. Moreover, in Russia there is a complete lack of a regulatory framework regulating the operation of ekranoplanes. Manufacturers of this type of equipment are faced with difficulties: they are unable to collect a complete set of permits for the use of this type of transport. Moreover, for none of the three purposes of ekranoplanes: military, rescue and civilian. A huge number of different bureaucratic organizations and the lack of a clear legal framework turn the ordinary situation of aircraft certification into an insoluble problem.

In Russia, they still haven’t even been able to solve the problem of transporting the Lunya and organizing a museum. So until now it is slowly rusting, starting to fall apart. The huge country did not have the opportunity either to preserve Soviet technologies or to transfer them to civilian commercial use.

However, it is quite possible that ekranoplanes may now receive a new development. The fact is that for the development of the Arctic they will become one of the most convenient options - capable of covering long distances, not paying attention to whether ice or water is under their wing. Let's see, maybe soon we will again see the low flight of these amazing devices.

They say that on this day everyone at the CIA communicated exclusively with the dirtiest curses. During the development of footage taken by a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, something incredible was noticed in the Caspian Sea. Judging by the photographs, a giant plane was flying over the surface of the sea at a speed of about 500 kilometers per hour. Then this miracle of technology received the nickname “Caspian Monster”, and American intelligence officers began development based on Soviet ekranoplanes, perhaps the most amazing military vehicles of that time.

A conventional airplane uses lift to fly, which occurs due to the difference in pressure above and below the plane of the wing. Along the upper edge of the wings (depending on the angle of attack), the air flow passes faster, and under the lower edge - slower. Because of this, the pressure above the wings is less than below them, which pushes the aircraft upward. At the same time, when the plane descends, almost close to the ground, an interesting effect can arise. It is called screen, since the surface (runway or water surface) can also slow down the flow of air under the wing - andFrom the high pressure zone it shifts to the low pressure zone, but is now slowed down not only by the plane of the wing, but also by the approaching ground.

As a result, the plane seems to land on an “air cushion,” which leads to an even greater increase in pressure and its displacement from the front of the wings, as happens during normal flight, to the rear.In flights of the early era of aeronautics, this led to the plane “nodding off” when landing, or even doing a somersault. The problem was solved by placing the wings above the cockpit and placing the plane on the landing gear. But later the engineers thought: “Why not apply a screen effect to the movement of the aircraft itself?”

Due to the specific nature of the flight, it is difficult to control an ekranoplan. It will be extremely unusual for an ordinary pilot to move into the cockpit of such a machine. Everything is different here: changing the altitude changes the balancing of the aircraft, changing the speed too. The roll causes a diagonal shift in the center of pressure. However, the ekranoplan has many advantages compared to modern aircraft and ships, since they combine the qualities of both:

ground effect aircraft are much safer than conventional aircraft, since if a malfunction is detected during flight, the amphibian can land on the water even in strong seas;
ekranoplanes are faster than hovercraft, as they reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour;
ekranoplanes are more economical than airplanes due to the specific nature of the flight;
ekranoplanes do not need an airfield.

our school

German ekranoplanes were always made as triangular flying wings, most often without a tail, stable, but unable to reach high speed. Soviet and then Russian developments, on the contrary, were based on a straight wing. Such a scheme requires additional efforts to stabilize the structure, but allows you to move at high speeds and in airplane mode. There is also a tandem scheme, but it has not yet gone beyond the scope of theoretical aviation.

I was so inspired by the concern for my project, it was such a powerful charge of confidence in the necessity of what was planned that it lasted for decades. After all, just think, the war is still in full swing, everything is subordinated to the slogan “Everything for the front!”, every pair of hands counts, and people are thinking about tomorrow’s peaceful day

Rostislav Alekseev

Development dragged on for many years, after the war in 1957 Alekseev presented the hydrofoil "Raketa" to the world community, bringing the ship to Moscow during the International Festival of Youth and Students. From that moment on, high-speed shipbuilding began in the world. All Soviet hydrofoils - "Meteors", "Petrels", "Comets" - were built by Rostislav Alekseev.

Birth of a Monster

Alekseev began creating ekranoplanes in 1962. At the same time, he saw his task as combining the capabilities of a conventional aircraft and, in fact, an ekranoplane in an ekranoplan. According to his idea, this technique was supposed to be used both above the surface of the water and at an altitude of up to 7500 meters. To test the capabilities of ekranoplanes, he created experimental model KM "Ship-model". However, foreign experts deciphered these letters in their own way: “Caspian Monster”.

The ekranoplan had a wingspan of almost 38 meters, a length of 92 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 544 tons. Before the advent of the airplane An-225 "Mriya" it was the heaviest aircraft in the world. On June 22, 1966, before dawn, the largest aircraft on the planet at that time was launched from the Volga pier.

First flight of the "Eaglet"

In the early 70s, Alekseev’s design bureau received an order to create a military ekranoplan, and on November 3, 1979 The world's first amphibious assault ship "Eaglet" was accepted as a combat unit into the navy. It received the standard number MDE-160 (small landing ekranoplan).

"Harrier" - a proud bird

Rostislav Alekseev no longer saw the flight of this ekranoplan, which became the expression of all his ideas and thoughts. On January 14, 1980, while testing a model of a new passenger ekranoplane, during its launchreceived injuries. Two operations did not help, and the most important creator of ekranoplanes in the world died on February 8, 1980. At this time, design work on the Lun project had already been completed, all that remained was to wait for the start of construction.

In 1983, the first and, as it later turned out, the last heavy impact ekranoplane-missile carrier of Project 903 was laid down. In 1986, this amazing colossus was ready. Became a continuation of the ideas of the "Caspian Monster" The craneplane was designed to combat surface ships by launching a missile strike in conditions of weak opposition from enemy air attack weapons.

In essence, the Lun is an aircraft carrier hunter, capable of approaching an enemy order with great speed and firing missiles while remaining out of reach. Armed with six launchers with Mosquito anti-ship missiles, the Lun could strike from a distance of 120 kilometers, while flying over water up to 2,000 kilometers, remaining virtually invisible to enemy radars.

Initially, it was planned to create eight rocket ekranoplanes of the Lun type, but due to financial problems and military inexpediency, these plans could not be realized. Currently, "Lun" is decommissioned and mothballed in dry dock on the territory of the Dagdizel plant in Kaspiysk. All secret electronics are gathering dust in secret warehouses, from where they will probably never be returned. You can look at this miracle of Soviet engineering from space by following the link to Google maps and entering the following coordinates (42°52′54″ N 47°39′24″ E).

Abroad

The most high-profile foreign project was the Boeing Pelican - a military ekranoplan with the ability to transport 1,200 tons at a time. He did not go further with development; the concept turned out to be too huge and hardly feasible even by the standards of the American military, which does not particularly consider money.

There was information about the construction of a large ekranoplan by South Korea, however, this project is currently frozen.

Current state

Currently, there is no serious production of ekranoplanes in Russia. There are scattered companies involved in the creation of small ekranoletov. From time to time ideas arise about the revival of the Soviet school, but they remain nothing more than projects. Moreover, in Russia completely lacks a regulatory framework regulating the operation of ekranoplanes. Manufacturers of this type of equipment are faced with difficulties: they are unable to collect a complete set of permits for the use of this type of transport. Moreover for none of the three purposes of ekranoplanes: military, rescue and civilian. A huge number of different bureaucratic organizations and the lack of a clear legal framework turn the ordinary situation of aircraft certification into an insoluble problem.

Everyone knows what an airplane is and what a ship is. But what happens if you combine these two objects? Flying ship or floating plane? It turns out that scientists have long invented such a “hybrid”, and its name is ekranoplan.

Ekranoplan - what is it?

Wikipedia, in its strict style, defines an ekranoplan: it is a high-speed vehicle that flies at low altitude and is capable of landing on the surface of the water. What distinguishes it from an airplane is the need to remain above a smooth surface, which can be water, snow, ice, or, at worst, earth. From the ship - the ability to fly. However, it is noteworthy that this miracle of technology applies specifically to sea vessels.

Physics of ekranoplan flight

Lifting force is required to keep vehicles in the air. In the case of an ekranoplan, it is generated by the so-called screen effect. In essence, it is an air cushion, which is formed due to the flow of air flowing onto the wing, and not by mechanical devices, such as in. The wing of an ekranoplan creates lift not only due to rarefaction of the air from above, like that of an airplane, but also due to its compaction from below. The trouble is that it is possible to create increased pressure under the plane of the wing only at low altitudes. This is the limitation of using ekranoplans.

Advantages and disadvantages of ekranoplanes

The advantages of this type of transport include:

safety: low flight altitude and the ability to land on the surface over which the flight is carried out negates possible plane crashes due to breakdowns,
high speed - up to 600 km/h. which is much faster than any ships,
high efficiency and carrying capacity, significantly higher than that of airplanes,
Ekranoplanes do not need a runway to take off and land.

With all their advantages, ekranoplans are not without some disadvantages:

the territory of their flights along rivers coincides with the habitats of birds,
low maneuverability,
the need to fly low over a relatively smooth surface,
the starting procedure requires a lot of energy.

The use of ekranoplanes in the modern world

Different countries of the world are conducting research and experimental development to improve the design of ekranoplanes and eliminate their shortcomings. For example, in 2003, the United States presented a project for the Pelican military ground effect vehicle, capable of transporting up to 1,400 tons of cargo over a distance of 16 thousand kilometers. The Chinese company Hainan Yingge Wing conducted flight tests of CYG-11 devices assembled according to Russian drawings (project “Ivolga”) on the coast of Hainan Island. In September 2007, South Korea announced the construction of a large commercial ekranoplan, which should be capable of transporting 100 tons of cargo at speeds of up to 300 km/h. Unfortunately, there has been no further news about this development.

In Russia, in 2000, the Sukhoi Design Bureau demonstrated a small commercial ground effect vehicle, the S-90, capable of carrying 4 tons of cargo over 3 kilometers. In addition, there are several ekranoplane projects being developed by Russian organizations for civilian and military use.

Where can you see an ekranoplan live?

In 2012, in Moscow, near the shore of the reservoir near the Severnoye Tushino park, the ekranoplane "Orlyonok" of the A-90 project could be found. Whether it still stands there is unknown.

Ekranoplan(from screen + [aero]plan; in the official Soviet classification dynamic hovercraft) - a high-speed vehicle, a device flying within the range of an aerodynamic screen, that is, at a relatively low (up to several meters) height from the surface of water, ground, snow or ice. With equal mass and speed, the wing area of an ekranoplan is much smaller than that of an airplane. According to the international classification (IMO) they belong to sea vessels.

According to the definition formulated in the IMO “Interim Guidelines for the Safety of WIG Vehicles”, an ekranoplan is a multi-mode vessel that, in its main operational mode, flies using the “screen effect” over water or other surface, without constant contact with it, and is maintained in the air , mainly by the aerodynamic lift generated on the airfoil(s), body or parts thereof, which are designed to take advantage of the "air effect" action.

Ekranoplans are capable of operating on a wide variety of routes, including those that are inaccessible to conventional ships. Along with higher hydro-aerodynamic quality and seaworthiness than other high-speed vessels, ekranoplanes almost always have amphibious properties. In addition to the water surface, they are able to move over a solid surface (earth, snow, ice) and base themselves on it. The ekranoplan thus combines the best qualities of a ship and an aircraft.

Ekranoplanes capable of tearing themselves away from the screen for a long time and switching to “airplane” flight mode are called ground effect aircraft.

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In essence, the screen effect is the same air cushion, only formed by pumping air not with special devices, but with an oncoming flow. That is, the “wing” of such devices creates lift not only due to rarefied pressure above the upper plane (as in “normal” aircraft), but additionally due to increased pressure under the lower plane, which can only be created at very low altitudes (from a few centimeters up to several meters). This height is commensurate with the length of the average aerodynamic chord ( SAR) wing. Therefore, they try to make the wing of an ekranoplan with a slight elongation.
The screen effect is due to the fact that disturbances (pressure growth) from the wing reach the ground (water), are reflected and manage to reach the wing. Thus, the increase in pressure under the wing is large. The speed of propagation of a pressure wave is, of course, equal to the speed of sound. Accordingly, the manifestation of the screen effect begins with
h ≤ l ⋅ V 2 ⋅ v (\displaystyle (\mathbf (h) \leq (\mathbf (l) \cdot \mathbf (V) \over 2\cdot \mathbf (v)))),
where l is the width of the wing (wing chord), V is the speed of sound, h is the flight altitude, v is the flight speed.
The larger the wing MAR, the lower the flight speed and altitude, the higher the screen effect:

Traditionally, at flight speeds close to the ground, it is customary to consider the height of the screen to be half the chord of the wing. This gives a height of about a meter. But for sufficiently large ekranoplanes, the flight altitude “on the screen” can reach 10 meters or more.
The center of pressure (common point of application of force) of the baffle effect is closer to the trailing edge, the center of pressure of the “normal” lift is closer to the leading edge, so the greater the contribution of the baffle to the total lift, the more the center of pressure is shifted back. This leads to balancing problems. Changing the altitude changes the balance, changing the speed too. The roll causes a diagonal shift in the center of pressure. Therefore, operating an ekranoplan requires specific skills.

Design

One of the first domestic works that related to the research of the screen effect is the work of B. N. Yuryev “The influence of the earth on the aerodynamic properties of the wing.” Then, already in the 1930s, theoretical studies of the screen effect were carried out by V.V. Golubev, Ya.M. Serebriysky, Sh.Ya. Biyachuev and others. In 1932, the famous aviation engineer, inventor and aircraft designer P.I. Grokhovsky developed a project for an amphibious ekranoplane with two engines, the aerodynamic layout of which is typical for some ekranoplanes of our days.
When developing ekranoplanes, design firms in many countries faced many technical problems, ranging from the problem of choosing anti-corrosion materials to problems of stability in flight. The governments of these countries refused to support the projects, and firms did not dare to develop them “at their own risk.” If the designs were developed, they remained in the form of drawings.

In the first test flight, the KM ekranoplan was piloted by V. F. Loginov and R. E. Alekseev. Further tests were carried out by leading test pilots D. T. Garbuzov, V. F. Troshin. All this work was carried out within the system of the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry.

Works by Robert Bartini

Based on his design of a variable-sweep flying wing aircraft (T-203 - prototype of the Tu-144 and the French Concorde [ ]) and research on the project, R.L. Bartini, presents in 1955 a project for the A-55 supersonic medium-range flying boat-bomber. Over 40 models were blown, up to 40 volumes of reports were written, take-off modes from water and the possibility of long-term afloat were studied. After various projects developing the A-55 (these were: A-57 - strategic bomber - flying boat, E-57 - seaplane-bomber, carrier of the K-10 cruise missile and nuclear bomb, R-57 (F-57) - supersonic front-line bomber, R-AL (1961) - long-range reconnaissance aircraft with a nuclear power plant) Bartini came close to development ekranoplan.
For many years, R.L. Bartini developed the “Theory of Intercontinental Land Transport” with an assessment of the transport performance of ships, airplanes and helicopters. As a result of these studies, he determined that the optimal vehicle was an amphibious vehicle, either vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) or hovercraft, with the lifting capacity of large ships and the speed and equipment of airplanes. He began researching an ekranoplane with hydrofoils, after which he created a project for an ekranoplane VTOL-2500 with a take-off weight of 2500 tons in the form of a flying wing with a square center section and consoles and a power plant of lifting and sustainer engines.

USA

Currently, for financial reasons, work on the development of this generation of ekranoplanes has been stopped, and ATTK CJSC has been declared bankrupt.

At the third international hydroair show "Gelendzhik-2000", which took place on the Black Sea from September 6 to 10, 2000, the Sukhoi Design Bureau for the first time demonstrated its new development - the S-90 ekranolet. Chief designer of the ekranolet Alexander Polyakov. The new aircraft is intended for passenger and cargo transportation in the interests of various departments, including law enforcement. It can be used in three modes - as an airplane, ekranoplan and hovercraft. The maximum weight of the ekranolet in the first version is 7900 kg, in the second - 9500 kg and in the third - 10,500 kg. Commercial load is 2500, 3100 and 4500 kilograms, respectively. The flight altitude range is from 0.5 meters to 4000 meters. Range - over 3000 kilometers.
In 2010, the Sky Plus Sea design bureau under the technical center, led by cosmonaut Yuri Viktorovich Romanenko, created a 24-seater ground effect vehicle "Burevestnik-24" with a payload of 3.5 tons.
The Alekseev Central Design Bureau, known as the developer of the “Caspian Monster,” intends to resume design and development work on the creation of ekranoplanes in the near future. OJSC NPP Radar mms together with Alekseev Central Design Bureau have developed a plan according to which it is possible to produce the first ekranoplanes of a new generation with a large payload capacity of 50 to 600 tons. It is also planned to develop transport and cargo-passenger ekranoplanes with a payload capacity of up to 2-3 thousand tons.

Since 2014, the Aerokhod shipbuilding company (Nizhny Novgorod) has been testing a single-seater model of an aerodynamically unloaded hovercraft, the Tungus (an ekranoplan with an air cushion). Based on the test results, it is planned to begin the development and construction of devices with a passenger capacity of 4 to 70 people.
In 2015, work on the design of the A-050 marine ekranoplan was completed.

China

South Korea

In September 2007, the South Korean government announced plans to build a large ekranoplan designed for commercial purposes by 2012. It is expected that the device will be capable of transporting up to 100 tons of cargo at a speed of 250-300 km per hour. Its mass will be 300 tons, dimensions will be 77 meters long and 65 meters wide. The government is allocating $91.7 million for the development of the ekranoplan over the next five years. The Yonhap agency writes that South Korea began developing such an aircraft back in 1995.

China is ready to become a leader in the development of ekranoplanes

Representatives of the Chinese University of Civil Engineering in Shanghai announced that they are finishing the development of designs for several models of ekranoplanes - high-speed vehicles flying at low altitudes above the surface of the water. By the end of this decade, it is planned to begin pilot production of vehicles with a carrying capacity of 10 to 200 tons, and by 2017, more ekranoplanes capable of transporting cargo weighing more than 400 tons will enter regular transport operations. Such ships will become an indispensable means for high-speed passenger and cargo communication between the islands of Southeast Asia.

Vladimir Gavrilov

Prospects

Amphibious ekranoplanes have great prospects in the field of rescuing people in distress at sea. The only way an airplane can help in this situation is to drop the rescue cargo onto the water; A helicopter has a small capacity, and water vessels have a low speed, which means they will not come to help right away. The rescue ekranoplan can splash down, and an entire medical center can be located on board to provide care to the wounded. And such projects are already being developed.
Ekranoplanes also have great prospects in the field of passenger and cargo transportation, both international and for the domestic needs of individual regions and organizations. International “routes” of ekranoplanes will be several times shorter than the railway, road or sea routes used today.
Ekranoplans can be used to transport cargo and participants of scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Projects have been developed for passenger cargo transportation over the waters and ice of the Arctic. This will allow cargo transportation in northern ports all year round, regardless of the season.
The ekranoplan is also of interest to the military, as before, for the transfer of troops and military equipment, as well as the detection and destruction of submarines, and the launch of cruise missiles.
Among space projects for the use of ekranoplanes, two directions can be distinguished.