The Lun ekranoplan is one of the projects of a promising type of weapon, created in the 80s in the USSR. Abroad, these machines were admired for their unusual appearance, and, without exaggeration, they were feared because of their impressive capabilities.
But due to changes in the country, they first wanted to convert this combat vehicle from a ship destroyer into a ship rescuer, and then they left it undeservedly to rust in one of the factories. This article is devoted to the history of this unique aircraft.
History of the development of ekranoplanes
At the beginning of the 20th century, during the active development of aviation, an interesting phenomenon was discovered related to the behavior of an aircraft in the air. The first pilots noticed and experienced it.
The phenomenon was as follows: when landing or when flying at low altitude over a smooth surface, the plane began to behave differently - an increase in speed and a decrease in fuel consumption was noticed. But at the same time, some force prevented the plane from landing, as if pushing it away during landing. the plane from the ground, which made landing difficult and more than once led to accidents. This phenomenon was called the “screen effect,” which later became the basis of movement for a new type of aircraft called ekranoplans.
Projects of such aircraft were developed by engineers in many countries of the world, but most of all they succeeded in the development of this type of transport in the USSR.
Since the 50s in the Soviet Union, a number of design bureaus began experiments with the screen effect, which led to the creation of prototypes of such machines. The pinnacle of the development of Soviet ekranoplanes are several types of heavy vehicles developed since the 60s, one of which was the Lun ekranoplane-missile carrier of Project 903 “Caspian Monster”.
What kind of cars are these?
An ekranoplan is a transport and combat vehicle capable of flying at low altitudes above the surface of water, ice or flat land. Developed during the Cold War at Rostislav Alekseev's , some ekranoplanes were more than 140 meters long and weighed more than 500 tons.
But despite this, they easily glided low above the surface of the water thanks to the screen effect. At low altitude, the air is “squeezed” between the wing and the ground, compacted and creates an air cushion, which sharply increases the lift of the wing. This phenomenon was called the ground effect, and later - the screen effect. It was discovered by aviators in the 1920s when, just before landing, the plane suddenly acquired additional lift and, ignoring controls, did not want to land.
Development of ekranoplanes in the USSR
The main driver of the development of ekranoplanes in the USSR can be considered the Central Design Bureau for hydrofoils (SPK) of Rostislav Alekseev, which began work on this type of transport in the 50s. In the early 60s, this design bureau presented the first self-propelled ekranoplane models SM-1 and SM-2. They were aircraft 20 meters long, driven by a single turbojet engine and crewed by three people.
Despite a number of minor accidents, the tests of these devices were considered successful and received approval from high-ranking officials of the country. Their flight was demonstrated by D.F. Ustinov and N.S. Khrushchev, who were impressed by the tests. Perhaps thanks to this, state programs were soon approved involving the development of combat ekranoplanes, intended mainly for the navy. In 1962, the same Central Design Bureau for SPK began work on creating a heavy ekranoplane KM, and in 1964 - the T-1 project, intended for the Navy.
KM tests started in 1966. It had amazing dimensions and characteristics - length 92 m, wingspan - 37 m, take-off weight - 544 tons. The creation of the KM demonstrated all the possible development potential of these machines in the coming years - in speed it had no equal among ships and at the same time had the best carrying capacity among aircraft (before the appearance of the An-225 Mriya). The Americans were also impressed by this ekranoplan, giving it the nickname “Caspian Monster”.
The T-1 project, later called “Eaglet,” was sent for testing in 1972, and 7 years later the vehicle entered service with the USSR Navy. This ekranoplan was intended for transporting troops - it could accommodate up to 200 infantrymen or 2 armored personnel carriers. 5 such machines were built.
In addition to the landing "Eaglet", the fleet also required a combat model capable of resisting enemy ships.
It was the attack ekranoplane-missile carrier "Lun", work on which began at the Central Design Bureau in the 70s.
our school
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 the production of tanks. 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 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.
History of creation
The design assignment for the development of the ekranoplane-missile carrier "Lun" was issued in 1970 by the Central Design Bureau for the SPK. V.N. was appointed chief designer. Kirillov. The task involved the creation of a heavy ekranoplan weighing more than 200 tons, capable of carrying ZM-80 Moskit anti-ship missiles.
By 1980, technical documentation was ready and the development of working drawings began. During development, the designers actively used the results of previous developments on KM and Orlyonok; in particular, many on-board systems and control systems were borrowed, which significantly reduced the design time. In 1983, construction of the first model began, and already in 1986 the Lun ekranoplane was put into operation. Tests began in 1987, and trial operation of the missile carrier began in 1990.
Vladimir Nikolaevich Kirillov was born on March 30, 1931 in the village of Verkhoshizhemo. From his youth he was fond of yachting; at the yacht club he first met Rostislav Alekseev. Graduated from the shipbuilding department of Nizhny Novgorod University. In 1960, he began working at the Central Design Bureau for the SPK, was successively promoted, and in 1976 was appointed chief designer for the 903 Lun project. Kirillov considered ekranoplanes to be an advanced weapon that gave a great advantage in the arms race.
Vladimir Nikolayevich had high hopes for the Lun under construction and positioned it as a universal weapon against any enemy surface forces that existed at that time.
Screen effect phenomenon
To begin with, it is worth telling how ekranoplanes carry out their flight, and what difficulties are associated with this. Delving into the essence of the phenomenon, one can notice that humanity observed the screen effect long before the advent of airplanes - it was used by some species of birds.
For example, seagulls, flying over the surface of the water, deliberately descended to the very surface of the water and continued their flight like that. At the same time, it was noticeable that the seagulls began to flap their wings much less often during such a flight. Thus, birds use the screen effect to facilitate flight and save energy. But how does this effect help them?
Let's understand the essence of this phenomenon.
It is based on the difference in pressure above the wings (of an airplane or bird) and below them. In simple terms, the change in pressure occurs like this: during horizontal flight, the oncoming air flow seems to hit the surface of the wing and some part of it goes down, under the wing itself.
When flying at altitude, this would have virtually no effect, but when moving low over a smooth surface (ground, water, ice), the flow of air that went down shields it from the surface and returns back, as if pushing the wing from below, thereby increasing the lifting force , which is what the birds used when flying.
The effectiveness of the screen effect depends on the following parameters:
- wing width (the larger it is, the greater the flow the wing will support, and the greater the effect);
- altitude and flight speed (the lower the flight and the lower the speed, the more efficient the flight).
But in the seeming simplicity of using this effect, which even birds have mastered, there are also difficulties. This is due to balancing and maneuvering when flying above the screen - even with a slight change in altitude or speed, the center of pressure of the screen effect also changes, which changes the balance of the aircraft and can create an unexpected roll. Because of this, the same seagulls, if they are going to change direction or dive for fish, first rise up from the water so that the screen effect does not cause inconvenience when maneuvering.
High jump
It is impossible to discuss ekranoplanes without comparison with airplanes, because these are the very few features of airplane flight.
There will be no science, not even Bernoulli’s law, which is mentioned in vain by everyone. Just a couple of simple, even simple and obvious principles that lead to differences between airplanes and ekranoplanes. Losses are nonlinear
It’s a law of nature, I’m not joking: with a double intensity change, the losses are greater than with two single ones. Obtaining lift is a change, we convert the resistance of the oncoming flow into lift. To do this effectively, to get the most lift for the least drag, you need to make many small changes in flow, rather than one large change (not turning the flow at a large angle). On the wing, maximum efficiency is achieved at the leading edge, where we only slightly turn the still fresh, innocent flow. Many, many small changes made to the leading edge of an extremely long and extremely narrow wing. This is what they strive for, although the main obstacles are issues of strength. Record-breaking gliders, for example, have a wing like this (Perian 2):
In general, the wing certainly has a quite noticeable width. And the air pressure is not evenly distributed over this width. The further away we are from the leading edge, the more we turn the flow, the higher the losses and the less lift. Therefore, the point of application of lift on the wing is not in the middle, but at about a quarter to a third from the leading edge.
The point of application of aerodynamic forces is called the center of pressure.
In the future, it will become clear that this is a very important, much-determining concept for an ekranoplan; I will repeat it more than once, writing it down for brevity as simply
CD
.
Air is viscous
No matter how similar air at atmospheric pressure and low speeds is to an ideal gas, there is still viscosity. The greater the pressure, the higher the losses when obtaining the same benefit. Designers of aircraft wings have long found a way out: the wing profile is constructed in such a way that the overwhelming majority of the lifting force is provided by the upper surface due to a decrease in pressure there and, accordingly, a decrease in losses.
In other words, the plane flies like this:
Only on the heaviest aircraft is the share of lift generated by increasing pressure under the wing increased, but this is very
far from what is happening under the wing of an ekranoplan.
WIG design
Externally, the Lun resembles a large transport aircraft - a long and wide fuselage, wings with a large span, and a large tail. But there are quite a few differences from the aircraft layout. "Lun" has a hull 73 m long and 19 m high.
The fuselage consists of panels made of aluminum-magnesium alloy, up to 12 mm thick.
The bottom of the hull, like ships, has a paint coating and electrochemical protection against corrosion. A few more “marine” features of the Lunya: the lower part of the hull is covered with fairings, and there is also a hydroski on the bottom, designed to soften landing on the water.
In the front of the hull there is a pylon on which 8 traction motors are located. Their nozzles are installed at an angle to the water, due to which the flow they force goes into the water and screens it from it into the wings located slightly behind, due to which in this case the screen effect is achieved. The wings have a trapezoidal shape, their span is 44 m, their area is 550 m2, they also have flaps divided into 12 parts. The stabilizer is all-metal, its area is 227 m2. Its end is made of foam plastic lined with fiberglass.
The fuselage of the ekranoplan is equipped with weapons - three pairs of ZM-80 Moskit anti-ship missiles. Under the front pair there is a cabin of gunners-operators, in which there are GSh-23 aircraft cannons. Behind the installations there are thermal protection sheets to protect the body from high temperatures when launching missiles. Another gunner's cabin with a cannon mount is located at the rear of the hull.
You can get inside the Lunya in two ways - through the doors on the sides of the hull or through the hatch on the roof. The internal compartments are divided into 4 groups: bow, central, stern and keel compartments. In the bow there is a cockpit and rooms with auxiliary power units.
The central part houses numerous equipment of the ekranoplan, as well as cabins and accommodations for the crew.
The aft section is occupied by various equipment, in the keel area there is an installation for supplying the ekranoplan with electricity, as well as radio equipment and navigation aids, and the gunner’s cabin is located in the upper part of the keel.
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CHASING SPEED
Such an important quality as speed has always been the object of close attention of shipbuilders. But the increase in the speed of ships was limited by the rapidly growing hydrodynamic resistance of the hull and the insufficient power of sailing and oar propulsion. The second limitation was lifted with the introduction of mechanical engines on ships in the mid-late 19th century, but the situation did not change radically - sailing ships until the beginning of the 20th century. In terms of speed, if they did not exceed, then, in any case, they were not inferior to steamships. The leap in speed is associated with the idea of lifting the ship's hull from water into the air, into an environment 840 times less dense. The main obstacle - the increase in water resistance - disappeared.
The world's first hydrofoil vessel (HFV) was built in 1894 by the French engineer Charles D'Alembert. The boat turned out to be unsuccessful, it was not possible to achieve stable movement, but the idea was received with interest: in 1906, E. Forlanini built a boat in America that reached a speed of 40 knots. D'Alembert also built the first self-propelled glider (1897), which showed a speed of about 20 knots in tests. In 1935, under the leadership of professor of the Moscow Aviation Institute V.I. Levkov, the world's first hovercraft (hovercraft) L-1 was created. The very fact of the existence of this and subsequent ships, including the record-breaking L-5, was deeply classified, and in the West, independently of Levkov, their own methodology for calculating SVP was developed. In 1959, under the leadership of Kokkeren, the Hovercraft hovercraft was built in the UK - the first that the general public learned about. Glider, SPK, SVP are stages in the development of the idea of lifting the hull of a high-speed vessel from water into the air, the logical conclusion of which is ekranoplane vessels flying over water.
PRINCIPLE OF MOTION
Briefly about the physical basis of the movement of this high-speed vessel at the surface of the screen (usually water, but can also be relatively flat land and ice). The screen effect - a change in the load-bearing properties of the wing at low flight altitudes - was discovered by aviators. It was first encountered by pilots during takeoff and landing of aircraft back in the 1920s. Since the flight characteristics of the aircraft, and in particular its stability, were not designed for this effect, in a number of cases it led to accidents and catastrophes of aircraft during take-off and landing modes of movement. Apparently, one of the first domestic works devoted to the influence of the earth on the aerodynamic properties of the wing was the experimental work of B.N. Yuryev (1923). In the period 1935 – 1937 a complex of experimental and theoretical studies in this direction was carried out by Ya.M.Serebriysky and Sh.A.Biyachuev at TsAGI. Around the same period, a number of theoretical studies were carried out by prominent foreign scientists: A. Betz, K. Wieselsberg, S. Haggett, D. Bagley, M. Finn. The results of these studies made it possible to give a qualitative assessment of the influence of the ground effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of a low-flying wing. In particular, it was shown that the lift of the wing increases, and the greater the closer the wing is to the ground; the resistance decreases, the longitudinal moment changes. This made it possible to develop appropriate recommendations for controlling an aircraft in which the screen influences the aerodynamic characteristics during takeoff and landing conditions. However, this effect continues to be “harmful” for aviation.
IN THE AIR - WIG GLANDS
Apparently, the first ekranoplan was created by the Finnish engineer T. Kaario. In the winter of 1932, over the frozen surface of the lake, he tested an ekranoplane towed by a snowmobile. Later, in 1935 - 1936. Kaario built an improved device equipped with a propeller engine. In 1939, the American engineer D. Warner, working on high-speed boats, proposed a design for a vessel with a system of load-bearing air wings. By order of the Swedish military department, extensive work was carried out in the 40s by I. Troeng. Two ekranoplan boats were built, but the results obtained did not satisfy the customer, and the work was stopped. The experience of the Second World War showed the high efficiency of high-speed ships, especially when launching surprise attacks on the enemy and conducting landing operations. After the war, in various countries around the world, small (weighing up to 5 tons) experimental ekranoplanes were built on orders from the Navy or on their own initiative. However, large devices (military and civilian) never left the drawing stage. Designing an aircraft intended for high-speed movement near the interface between two media - air and sea water - poses many problems not encountered in other areas of technology. Among them is ensuring the stability of the vehicle’s movement at very low (0.5...2 m) flight altitudes; strength and at the same time low weight of the structure, designed to be hit by a wave crest at high
The increase in lift can reach 50%, the increase in aerodynamic quality (the ratio of lift to drag force) - by 1.5...2.5 or more times. The influence of the screen on the wing is a very complex physical phenomenon, and there is still no complete clarity in understanding the mechanism of this influence. For example, there may be such modes of wing movement above the screen when, with a decrease in flight altitude, the lift force does not increase, but, on the contrary, decreases.
(200...400 km/h) speeds; choosing a material for the hull that does not break down in sea water (shipbuilding materials are too heavy, and aviation materials quickly corrode); creating powerful and lightweight engines for operation in marine conditions (unafraid of splashes of water and salt) and many other equally complex problems. The solution to these problems requires a huge amount of theoretical and experimental research, design and development work, and full-scale tests. Apparently, for this reason, Western firms did not dare to work on ekranoplanes entirely at their own peril and risk and curtailed work as soon as the government refused funding. This fate befell the Grumman missile carrier, the RAM1 anti-submarine ekranoplane, the RAM2 landing craft and many other projects. Successful experimental devices were sometimes used as prototypes of small recreational ekranoplanes (for example, a series of ekranoplanes by G. Jörg, Switzerland - Germany). If you believe open press reports from the 60s to the 80s, in the USSR work on ekranoplanes was at the same stage as abroad: on a semi-legal basis, enthusiasts using artisanal methods created light experimental machines that did not receive further development. However, it was precisely at this time that at least two design bureaus (the aviation design bureau of G.M. Beriev in Taganrog and the shipbuilding TsKV R.E. Alekseev in Gorky) developed, built and tested prototypes (and not light experimental vehicles!) of Soviet combat ekranoplanes .
The English aviation magazine Flight International recently published a family tree of Soviet ekranoplanes. The diagram, which is reproduced here in full, is significant in two respects. Firstly, there is still (!) no open information about the results of the work in Taganrog (these devices are designated as “Bartini”, since the author and supervisor of the work was R.L. Bartini) - there are question marks on the diagram. There were also errors in the designations and diagrams of the ekranoplanes of the Alekseevsky Central Design Bureau (the top family in the diagram): the missile carrier has the corporate designation “Lun”, and not “Duck” (“Utka”); the second copy of the “Lun” (in the “Lun” diagram) has 8 engines, not 6. Secondly, the development lines of the three families (the upper one is TsKB Alekseev, the middle one is Bartini, the lower one is light vehicles) do not intersect anywhere. This diagram indirectly shows the degree of secrecy of work on combat ekranoplanes in the USSR - not only specialists in the West did not know about this, even the developers themselves were not aware of the affairs of their colleagues.
The devices created in Taganrog, strictly speaking, are not ekranoplanes. The team of R.L. Bartini (the amazing fate of this designer, who was born in Italy, founded the Italian Communist Party in 1921 and emigrated to the USSR in 1923, deserves a separate discussion), located after moving from the Moscow region on the territory of the G.M. Beriev Design Bureau , proposed using the screen effect to improve the takeoff and landing performance of aircraft. According to N.A. Pogorelov, who was at that time the first deputy of R.L. Bartini, one of the main areas of work was the implementation of the idea of the so-called non-contact takeoff and landing: the aircraft takes off from the ground or from the water vertically to a low altitude, and then performs take-off run, “leaning on the screen.” The implementation of this method of takeoff and landing would lead to the creation of a non-airfield-based aircraft with significantly better characteristics than a conventional vertical take-off aircraft.
In accordance with this concept, two anti-submarine aircraft VVA-14 (short for the full name - “Vertical take-off amphibian”) were built. Due to non-contact takeoff and landing, improved seaworthiness was achieved, and it became possible to take off and land on the open sea in almost any sea conditions. Thanks to this, patrol time and the efficiency of the aircraft increased significantly. Vertical take-off was ensured with the help of a gas cushion, which was formed under the center section using special boost engines. In 1976, one of these devices was converted into an ekranoplan. It received the designation 14М1П. Two D-30M starting engines were installed on the bow, to provide air under the wings, and the inflatable pontoons were replaced with rigid floats.
Some time after the death of R.L. Bartini in 1974, work on these aircraft was stopped under pressure from TANTK (Beriev Design Bureau), which was working on the A-40 and A-50 flying boats. One of the remaining aircraft, VVA-14 No. 10687, damaged after a fire, without tail, engines and wings, is now on display at the Monino Aviation Museum. TsKB Alekseev (the full modern name is the Research and Production Association “Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils” named after R.E. Alekseev, General Director V.V. Sokolov) originates from the one organized in 1943 at the “Hydrolaboratory”. It was created on the initiative of the talented engineer Rostislav Evgenievich Alekseev (1916 - 1980), who headed it. The subject of the work - hydrofoils - was classified, although almost forty years had passed since the successful testing of the Forlanini boat. Apparently, this veil of secrecy prevented forty years later from including in the encyclopedia at least a few lines about the Chief Designer, laureate of the State and Lenin Prizes, Honored Inventor of the RSFSR, Doctor of Technical Sciences R.E. Alekseev, whose results of work on SPC are widely known and are used not only here, but also in the West. Now the Central Design Bureau is known for its civilian products - SPK “Raketa”, “Meteor”, “Kometa”, “Kolkhida”, “Burevestnik”, “Sputnik”, “Voskhod”. But few people know that, starting from the 50s, the Central Design Bureau began work on creating combat ekranoplanes. The situation that prevailed in the USSR in those years, when money and resources were allocated for defense projects with almost no restrictions, made it possible to achieve something that turned out to be impossible for the Western economy with its strict and sober calculations: to overcome the huge financial and technical risk and create fully combat-ready machines, moreover, build them in series. The Central Design Bureau worked in several main directions: the creation of an attack ship, an anti-submarine ekranoplan and a landing vehicle. As a result of work commissioned by the Navy at the Central Design Bureau in 1963, a huge (100 m long, weighing 544 tons) ekranoplane KM (“model ship”) was built, which received the nickname “Caspian Monster” in the West. It was the largest and heaviest aircraft in the world. Tests that lasted several years showed the correctness of the basic engineering solutions. The first example crashed in 1969, when the pilot lost his visual horizon due to heavy fog and crashed into the water at high speed. The second copy, also due to a pilot error, crashed in 1980 and sank in the Caspian Sea (the crew managed to escape).
“Monster” became the ancestor of several ekranoplanes. In 1987, “Lun”, the first ship in a series of combat missile-carrying ekranoplanes weighing 400 tons, launched. The chief designer was V. Kirillov. The ship was armed with three pairs of 3M80 or 80M Moskit cruise missiles (NATO designation SS-N-22 Sunburn). The second Lun was also laid down as a missile carrier, but the ongoing conversion made its own adjustments, and it was completed as a rescue ship.
In 1972, after a series of experiments and full-scale tests of manned self-propelled models, a medium-sized transport and landing ekranoplan (length 58 m and take-off weight 120 tons) was built, called “Eaglet”. The design of the vehicle turned out to be successful and reliable, and its survivability exceeded our wildest expectations.
EKRANOPLAN "EAGLE" A-90
The creation of this aircraft, unique in its properties, from the inception of the idea to its implementation and then the cessation of work in this promising area is a very interesting, but little-known page in the history of technology. While working on further increasing the speed of hydrofoil ships, R.E. Alekseev encountered a physical limitation on the growth of the speed of the hydrofoil: a strong increase in resistance and cavitation (low-temperature boiling) of water on the hydrofoils and propeller. The natural way out was to completely rise from the water into the air, and Rostislav Evgenievich decided to go by using the screen effect.
First, as with the SPK, towed models were tested. The Volga hydrofoil boat was used as a towing vehicle. By the way, Alekseev tested the first models of SPK in tow behind a sailing dinghy - a case in world shipbuilding, if not unique, then, in any case, atypical. But let's return to ekranoplanes. The models were blown in the wind tunnel of the Chkalovsky branch of the Central Design Bureau (Gorky Region) and tested on the track: they were accelerated by a special catapult and flew by inertia along a long, flat path. When studying the stability of movement of track models, a heavy sheet of plywood was used to perturb: the air wave from its fall caused the model to sway. Further movement was the subject of research. Once, however, they overdid it - the model fell off the track and, soaring into the air, broke through the roof. But in general, the tests gave encouraging results: the movement was stable. Since 1961, the Central Design Bureau began building and testing self-propelled manned models: SM-1, SM-2 and so on. The SM-6 device actually became the prototype of the “Eaglet”. On these machines the main design solutions were worked out, airflow, land access (amphibiousness), and controllability were studied. The tests were carried out at the Gorky Reservoir, away from prying eyes. In the fall of 1972, the first flight prototype of the "Eaglet" was launched for sea trials. Below Nizhny Novgorod (then Gorky) along the Volga there is Velyachiy Island. On the left side it is separated from the shore by a non-navigable, but quite large channel about 8 km long. The first tests of the “Eaglet” took place there. It was no longer possible to hide such a huge thing, and for the local population they came up with a legend that this was an airplane that had crashed, and now they were trying to fly it to the airfield. The tests were successful, and in the spring the ekranoplan, disassembled, was transported along the Volga to the Caspian Sea, assembled there, and testing continued in sea conditions. The ekranoplan was designed and built as an airborne transport vehicle for transporting wheeled and tracked vehicles, as well as manpower to areas of combat operations and landings. And for the uninitiated, they invented an excellent legend: “a floating stand for testing new engines of high-speed ships.”
During tests in sea conditions, the ekranoplan showed good results. High speed, amphibiousness, and lift-off from the water at low speed (due to the jets of the front engines blowing under the wings) made this vehicle unique in its capabilities. In 1975, during testing, the ekranoplan was planted on rocks. Then the pilot turned on the air, and the car launched into the water, took off and reached the base without incident. But the landing on the rocks did not pass without a trace. The body of the pre-production "Eaglet" was made of K482T1 alloy - hard, durable, but fragile. Apparently, impacts with stones damaged the hull; cracks appeared in the stern, which were not noticed during external inspection. The next tests were carried out in heavy seas. During takeoff from the water, the stern, along with the tail and main engine, simply fell off due to the impact of the damaged hull on the crest of a wave. The pilots throttled down the nose engines in surprise. R.EAlekseev, who was also sitting in the pilot’s cockpit (the Chief Designer was personally present at almost all tests), without being confused, took control. He set the bow engines to cruising mode, did not allow the ekranoplan to completely submerge in the water (and then the ship would inevitably sink - after all, there is no stern), brought the "Eaglet" to planing (!) and brought it to the shore himself. The people sitting in the ship escaped with fright, but for Rostislav Evgenievich himself this accident had much more serious consequences. Everyone expected that Alekseev would receive the title of Hero of Socialist Labor for the creation of ekranoplanes. But instead, the then Minister of the Shipbuilding Industry B.E. Butoma, who already “had a grudge” against Alekseev for his independence of character, used the accident as a pretext and removed Alekseev from the post of Chief Designer and Head of the Central Design Bureau, demoting him to the head of the department, and then to the head of the promising sectors. But the military and Alekseev himself looked at this accident somewhat differently: “Eaglet” showed its amazing survivability (tear off the tail of an airplane or the stern of an ordinary ship - what happens?). Having analyzed the causes of the accident, the Chief Designer replaced the body material with aluminum-magnesium alloy AMG61. Following this, three more ekranoplans were launched for the Navy. All of them were built at the Central Clinical Hospital. There were five “Eaglets” in total, according to chronology: “Double” - a specimen for statistical testing; scrapped; S-23 – the first flying “Eaglet” (from K482T1); after an accident it was scrapped; S-21 – delivered to the Navy in 1978; now in service; S-25 – delivered to the Navy in 1979” is now in service; C-26 - delivered to the Navy in 1980 - now in service. The series of ekranoplanes S-21, S-25 and S-26 was an installation series: the development plans of the USSR Navy provided for the construction of 120 (!) Eaglets. Military sailors were attracted by the effectiveness of the ekranoplan as a landing craft. High speed ensured the speed of transfer of troops, unattainable for conventional landing ships, and the surprise of the attack. Conventional anti-landing barriers and minefields are not a hindrance for the "Eaglet" (it will simply fly over them), and to seize a bridgehead on a well-protected enemy shore, the ekranonlan would be simply irreplaceable. But the plans did not come true: in 1985, the Minister of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union D.F. Ustinov, who supported the idea of building a fleet of amphibious ekranoplanes, died. The new Minister of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.L. Sokolov, by a strong-willed decision, closed the program, and used the money intended for it to build nuclear submarines.
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE
Currently, three ekranoplanes are stationed at the naval base in Kaspiysk. The situation in the world has changed dramatically, and now they have become a burden for the military - neither ships nor planes, and it is not clear what to do with them. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Caucasus is close with its numerous hotbeds of tension and open wars. However, “Eaglet” is not going to give up its position. On its basis, a passenger modification is being developed, known in the West as A.90.150. It will be able to operate on regular routes, carrying 150 people, or be used as a cargo-passenger high-speed vessel, transporting cargo and replacement crews for floating drilling rigs, fishing vessels and polar stations (this is landing on drifting ice!). A further development of the ideas contained in the “Eaglet” and “Lun” could become a large passenger ekranoplane for 250 people. A research modification of the Orlyonok MAGE (marine Arctic geological exploration ekranoplan) is being actively developed. In addition to the design changes that are usual for the transition from a military to a civilian version (weapons and landing equipment are removed), a low-speed propulsion unit is installed in the stern - a propeller in a nozzle - driven by a diesel engine. At the aft end, drop-down doors are made and special equipment is placed: the ekranoplan can take samples of bottom soil, conduct seismic-acoustic, magnetometric and gravimetric reconnaissance. Together with the Ukrainian ANTK Antonov, a very interesting project of a unique air-sea rescue system is being developed. “On the back” of the giant An-225 aircraft is placed the rescue version of the “Eaglet”, which has an increased range and is equipped with everything necessary to provide assistance to people at sea (outpatient clinic, folding beds, etc.). The carrier aircraft delivers the ekranoplane to the crash site at a speed of 700 km/h. Next, the “Eaglet” starts its engines, takes off from the An-225, descends and lands on the water, turning into a seaworthy rescue vessel. Thanks to its great structural strength, the ekranoplane will be able to land in strong waves, which are destructive for seaplanes, and its cruising range will allow it to operate almost anywhere in the World Ocean (after all, fuel is consumed only on the return trip to the nearest port). This system will also work in polar regions - the ekranoplan lands on ice. Such a system can deliver urgent cargo to polar explorers (not only in the Arctic, but in Antarctica). Moreover, all these projects are financed by interested customers, so, despite the difficulties that the entire CIS industry is currently experiencing, there is reason to look into the future with optimism.
INSTEAD OF CONCLUSION
In order to gain a strong position, it took the steamship almost a century, hydrofoils - half a century, gliders - more than a quarter of a century. Recently, the ekranoplan turned 60 years old - a respectable age. Research on the economics of transport, conducted by a number of organizations both here and in the West, has identified a unique niche that flying ships could fill. These are long-distance sea transportation of passengers and urgent cargo (and for an ekranoplan, flying over the sea is also much safer than for an airplane), as well as transport links between islands in archipelagos and between the mainland and the islands: an ekranoplan does not need a pier, like a ship, not an airfield, as for an airplane, and building a sea or air port with low traffic intensity is economically unprofitable. And, knowing about the results of the work of R.E. Alekseev and the designers of the Central Design Bureau, about the scope and intensity of modern research and experiments, one can firmly hope that the ekranoplan will not have to wait for its centenary anniversary for its final recognition.
Technical description
EKRANOPLAN "EAGLE" is designed according to the aircraft design. This is a three-engine nizkonlan with a T-tail and a boat hull. The CREW consists of a commander, co-pilot, mechanic, navigator, radio operator and gunner. When transporting troops, the crew includes two additional technicians. The glider is made of AMG61 alloy. Steel is used in individual components and assemblies. Radio-transparent antenna radomes are made of composite materials. The airframe is protected from corrosion by electrochemical protectors. The underwater part is painted with a special paint that prevents marine organisms from fouling the bottom. The CASE is designed to accommodate the payload, crew, weapons, launch engines and ship systems. The payload is placed in a cargo compartment 28 m long, 3.4 m wide and 4.5 m high. Loading and unloading occurs through a hatch formed by turning to the left around the hinges of the bow of the hull. The cockpit, engines and machine gun mount are located in the rotating part. The bottom is formed by a system of transverse and longitudinal steps. In the bow of the hull, a hydroski (bow) is attached to the bottom. The main (main) hydroski is attached in the area of the center of mass. Both of them can swing in a vertical plane. The crew enters and exits through doors located on the sides of the hull above the wing. Emergency escape is through the hatch on the roof of the pilot's cabin. The WING has an aerodynamic layout optimized for movement close to the screen. At the ends of the wing there are floats that act as aerodynamic and planing washers. Five-section aileron flaps are located along the trailing edge. Along the leading edge on the lower surface of the wing (closer to the ends) there are special launch flaps. The axis of rotation of the shields passes along their leading edges. Deflection angles: flaps-ailerons – from -10′ to +42′, launch flaps – 70′. The wing mechanization is used at launch to create a gas cushion that lifts the ekranoplane out of the water. When afloat, the trailing edge of the wing is in the water. For takeoff, special nose starting engines are turned on, the jet streams from which are directed under the wing. The pilot lowers the flaps and flaps, preventing gases from escaping under the trailing and leading edges. The increased gas pressure under the wing lifts the ekranoplan out of the water. Structurally, the wing consists of a center section and two consoles with a caisson structure. TAIL . The Orlyonok uses a T-shaped tail to reduce the influence of the screen on the stability and controllability characteristics of the ekranoplan. The large relative dimensions of the stabilizer are explained by the need to ensure stable flight at various heights from the screen. The elevators are four-section, the rudder is two-section. The vertical tail is integral with the body. The propulsion engine is mounted on top of the tail, navigation lights and antennas for radio systems are installed. The chassis includes a two-wheel nose gear and a ten-wheel main gear. The wheels are non-braking, the nose wheels are swivel, and the suspension is independent. The bow wheels are retracted by retracting them into the body, and the main wheels are tucked behind the main hydraulic skid using hydraulic cylinders. There are no retracted flaps; the hydraulic skis in the retracted position partially cover the landing gear niches. The chassis, together with the ski-shock-absorbing device (bow and main hydroskis) and air supply, ensure cross-country ability on almost any soil, snow and ice. The POWER PLANT consists of two launch turbojet engines NK-8-4K and a sustainer turboprop NK-12MK. All engines are marine modifications of the corresponding aircraft ones. The starting engines (the static maximum thrust of one in standard conditions is 10.5 tons) are installed on the sides in the retractable part of the fuselage. Air intakes are located in front of the canopy to prevent the entry of spray and dust when moving over sea or land. Rotary engines allow you to direct the jet stream under the wing (inflating mode) or above the wing (if you need to increase thrust during cruising flight). The main engine drives two coaxial propellers with a diameter of 6 m (static maximum thrust under standard conditions is 15.5 tons). There is also a TL-bL auxiliary power unit on board. The fuel tanks are located in the wing roots. SYSTEMS are a combination of traditional ship and aircraft equipment. On board there is a ship navigation complex "Ekran" with a surveillance radar. The control system is hydraulic. An analogue of autopilot is an automatic traffic control system. With its help, piloting is possible in both manual and automatic modes. At the bow end of the hull there is an antenna for a navigation radar collision avoidance station - “Ekran-4” with high resolution. The surveillance radar antenna is located on the top of the hull behind the machine gun mount. The hydraulic system ensures the functioning of the control surfaces, wing mechanization, retraction and release of the landing gear and hydraulic skis, and rotation of the bow of the hull on hinges. The electrical system supplies current to flight navigation, radio communications, electrical equipment, as well as the control system. The ekranoplan is equipped with a full set of ship navigation lights. An anchor-towing device is located in the hinged part of the hull in the forepeak. The anchor itself is retracted into the hawse. On board the ekranoplan there are inflatable life rafts and motorized inflatable boats. ARMAMENT consists of a defensive machine gun mount "Utes" and small arms of the crew. COLOR : the surface part of the hull, including the tail, is gray (ball); the underwater part of the hull is dark green; radar antenna radomes – light gray; waterline, tactical numbers - white; propeller blades, machine gun barrels, sights, engine nozzles, nose engine nozzle niches are black; the tips of the washers are red; the ends of the blades are yellow. On both sides of the vertical tail there is an image of the flag of the Russian Navy.
Sources 1. S. Kravchuk, A. Maskalik, A. Privalov. Flying over the waves. Aerohobby. No. 2. Kyiv. 1992 2. A. Belyaev. Magic flight. Aviko Press. Moscow. 1993 3. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft. Osprey Aerospace, England, 1995.
Specifications
The Lun is powered by eight NK-87 aviation turbojet engines, developed on the basis of the turbines of the Il-86 aircraft. They have a take-off thrust of 13,000 kgf, and with these engines, the Lun is capable of accelerating to 500 km/h, and its cruising range is 2,000 km. The empty weight of the vehicle is 243 tons, and the maximum take-off is 380 tons. The crew consists of 10 people.
The main flight altitude of an ekranoplan is up to 10 m, but it can also fly outside the screen at an altitude of up to 500 m. In practice, according to pilots, in this flight mode the machine became unstable and did not obey the rudders, so it was planned to tear away from the screen only in emergencies cases.
Like all ekranoplanes, in screen mode the Lun can fly not only over water, but also over any flat surface - for example, over ice or over the ground. But unlike the landing "Eaglet", the "Lun" does not have a landing gear, it only has a hydroski, because of this it can only land on water. And therefore, a special floating dock was used to base it on land.
But thanks to the hydroski, the “Lun” could be operated in high water waves – up to 5-6 points, versus 3-4 for the “Eaglet”.
Let's take a closer look at the ekranoplan's armament. It consists of six ZM-80 Moskit supersonic low-altitude anti-ship missiles. They are intended to destroy surface ships with a displacement of up to 20 thousand tons. The missile engagement range is from 10 to 250 km.
Characteristics of the Moskit anti-ship missile system:
- Rocket flight altitude: 7-20 m.
- Launch height: 20 m.
- Launch range: up to 250 km.
- Maximum flight speed of the rocket: M=2.8.
- Rate of fire during salvo launch: 5 sec.
It was believed that four such missiles would be enough to destroy any potential enemy ship, including an aircraft carrier. Also, one of the advantages of the Lun is the ability to launch these missiles on the move. In addition to missiles, the ekranoplane has auxiliary weapons - two installations with twin 23-mm 2-barrel GSh-23 aircraft cannons, which are located in the bow and stern.
Another important characteristic of the vehicle is its stealth to radar. In general, it is inherent in almost all ekranoplanes and lies in the fact that their flight altitude is too low for aircraft radars to detect them. They also remain invisible to sea locators, since they do not touch the water surface during flight.
According to the stories of test pilots, during tests in the Caspian Sea they flew near the location of the missile battalion against low-flying targets, and they really could not detect the ekranoplan on radar, although they saw it visually.
"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, "Lun" is decommissioned and mothballed in dry dock at the territory 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).
Comparison with analogues
Speaking about the issue of comparing the Lun with analogues, there is no one to compare it with - no one except the USSR produced heavy ekranoplanes, and in terms of its purpose, the Lun can generally be called the only combat ekranoplan in the world (the Soviet KM and Orlyonok were rather transport).
| "Lun" | BoeingPelican | KM | |
| Length, m | 73 | 122 | 92 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 500 | 720 | 500 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | n/a | 460 | 430 |
| Travel range, km | 2000 | 18520 | 1500 |
| Wingspan, m | 44 | 152 | 37 |
| Load capacity, t | 140 | 1200 | 304 |
But let’s take a look at the characteristics of the “Lun” in comparison with its “progenitor” - the KM ekranoplan. Let’s also compare it with the Boeing Pelican, an American cargo ekranoplane developed by Boeing since the late 90s, but which was never built even in prototype form. In comparison with the KM "Lun" it wins in range and smaller size, but loses in carrying capacity, since it was not originally conceived as a transport vehicle.
But in comparison with the Boeing Pelican, even the monstrous KM pales. The Pelican's carrying capacity was supposed to be more than 1,000 tons, and its cargo compartment was supposed to accommodate up to 17 Abrams tanks (despite the fact that US transport aircraft can only take one tank on board). The estimated size of the American is also striking, its wingspan is 3 times greater than that of the Lun.
Advantages, disadvantages and possible applications
Let us once again list all the advantages of ekranoplanes in comparison with other types of transport:
- High speed combined with high load capacity.
- The ability to fly over land and ice, the ability to fly at high altitudes.
- High survivability - in the event of engine failure, the ekranoplan can fly on the remaining serviceable ones or land on the water for repairs.
- Stealth to radar.
- The ability to quickly take off without the need for a runway.
But these devices also have disadvantages. One of them is a consequence of the screen effect, due to which the center of gravity of the ekranoplan changes during maneuvering. This makes their maneuverability low, and their control specific, requiring special training. It can also be noted that the large dimensions of these vehicles make them more vulnerable to enemy fire.
The Lun ekranoplans were planned to be used as a means of destroying enemy ships, in particular aircraft carriers. Due to their speed and stealth, they could approach the target within missile launching distance, and then quickly leave.
Plane or ship?
Judging by the design and operating conditions, the ekranoplan is almost no different from a seaplane. The difference is in its ability to achieve stable near-aircraft cruising flight at altitudes of up to five meters. The ekranoplan also has the ability to independently stabilize in height, roll and pitch, which ensures safe flight at low altitudes above the waves. The ekranoplan flies, therefore it is an aircraft.
But marine scientists have their own opinion on this matter: the ekranoplan is the last stage in the development of the idea of lifting the hull of a high-speed vessel from the water (plane boat, hydrofoil, hovercraft, ekranoplan). Ekranoplans are more lifting and economical in contrast to conventional aircraft. The IMO (International Maritime Commission) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) have agreed that ekranoplanes are considered ships that can fly, not aircraft that can float.
Since ekranoplanes can fly at altitudes where aviation regulations apply, the IMO and ICAO divided the spheres of authority and divided ekranoplanes into three types:
- Type A - a vessel that is operated only in the area of effect of the screen effect. Such vessels are subject to maritime requirements in all operating modes.
- Type B - a vessel that can briefly leave the range of the screen effect. In this case, the distance from the surface should not exceed 150 meters. Such vessels are also subject to maritime requirements.
- Type C - a vessel certified for flights outside the ground effect area at an altitude of more than 150 meters. Such vessels are subject to maritime requirements in all operating modes, except for flights above 150 meters, where their safety is ensured only by aviation requirements, taking into account the features of ekranoplanes.
Further fate
The changes of the late 80s had a negative impact on the development program of such transport in the USSR. Work on the machines under construction stopped, and those already in use were taken out of service. But in 1989, the prospect of building an ekranoplane for civilian purposes arose - they decided to convert the second Lun, which was under construction, into a search and rescue vessel for ships in distress.
In this regard, the rocket launchers were removed from the ekranoplan, which increased its carrying capacity and maximum speed, and the compartments freed from equipment were supposed to serve to accommodate up to 500 rescued sailors. This ekranoplan was named “Rescuer”.
But the final collapse of the country put an end to this project as well. The new government had no time for promising military projects, and the practical need for the “Rescuer” had disappeared - most of the fleet had been sold or taken out of service, and the Navy no longer had any special need for a rescue ship.
Thus, the almost completed “Rescuer” has been forgotten for many years on Nizhny Novgorod, rusting in the dock in the city of Kaspiysk. The question of disposing of ekranoplanes and creating museum exhibits from them has been raised several times, but nothing is known about the solution to these issues.
Mark on history
A family of Soviet heavy ekranoplanes developed at the Central Design Bureau of the SPK named after R.E. Alekseev, demonstrated to the world the unique capabilities of this type of transport. But in the modern world there is no place for ekranoplanes yet.
In Russia, after the final closure of the “Rescuer” project, many developments on ekranoplanes were abandoned and specialists in working with them were lost.
So the revival of the production of heavy ekranoplanes in Russia is unlikely and is associated with great difficulties.
In the rest of the world they are also not remembered yet. In the 1990s, the United States planned to build cargo ekranoplanes - in particular, Boeing planned to build a Pelican ekranoplane with a lifting capacity of 1,200 tons by 2015, which could be used for both civilian and military purposes.
But in the end, studies showed that these projects would be unprofitable. Although ekranoplanes have an advantage in efficiency and carrying capacity over airplanes, significant savings in transportation will be achieved only when building heavy vehicles, which in turn is associated with difficulties and high costs for mastering production. Perhaps this is one of the dead-end branches of aviation development. But this will most likely be judged only in the next century.
The Last Pelican
Throughout the 80s, work on various ekranoplane projects continued in the United States, but there were no results. The sailors were not going to spend money on a strange idea; the Air Force was not at all interested in ekranoplanes. Only NASA continued to allocate small funding for the study of cargo ekranoplanes.
A certain renaissance of this idea in the West occurred only at the beginning of the 21st century. The United States, which took the role of world hegemon after the collapse of the USSR, had to defend its interests throughout the globe. And sometimes this required small military operations. And, as Desert Storm showed, it is not so easy to quickly transfer any serious troops to the other side of the world. Ships are too slow; cargo aviation requires controlled modern airports.
Project of a medium transport ekranoplan from Lockheed Martin with a payload of 113 tons
And here, it seemed, an ekranoplan could help. It is capable of transporting military cargo of any kind like a small ship, while being as fast as an airplane. Boeing has presented a project for the Pelican ULTRA (Ultra Large TRansport Aircraft) ekranoplan, capable of transporting 1,200 tons of cargo over a range of 18 thousand kilometers. Their device was created using the developments of McDonnell Douglas and was partially funded by the DARPA agency.
The US Army showed great interest in the Pelican (although they could not finance it, because such aircraft are prohibited for them), but the project was sharply criticized in the Navy. The navy was not satisfied with the excessive size; many pointed out that such an aircraft would be able to fly without using the screen effect. The project was often compared to Howard Hughes's infamous H-4. Finally, in 2003, all work stopped.
Boeing Pelican ULTRA transport ekranoplan project
As a result, not a single serious ekranoplan was built in the United States. Some will call this a big omission. Someone will say that the Americans did the right thing by not wasting energy and money on trying to combine the disadvantages of the aircraft with the disadvantages of the ship. It’s hard to say who is right, but so far all over the world ekranoplanes remain trinkets or unrealized projects. And it is unlikely that this situation will change soon.
