The Russian military is developing a wing in ground effect a super-heavy transport- ekranoplan is developed, capable of landing not only on water, as its predecessors, but also on land. By its dimensions, the car will be comparable to the famous “Caspian Monster” in Soviet times. The device is planned to be used in the Arctic and the Pacific for rescue operations and delivery of cargo to remote bases.

The sea skimming plane will be much faster than ships and boats and fly below most radar tracking and are immune to mines and torpedoes.

As the Izvestia was told in the Navy’s commander-in-chief, the state program of armaments for 2018-2025 includes works on the development of a prototype 600-ton warfighter capable of solving various problems in the military’s interests. The possibility of using such machines for search and rescue operations in the Arctic (along the Northern Sea Route), as well as for supplying remote garrisons, is considered. The development of the ekranoplan is carried out by JSC “Central Design Bureau for SEC of. R.E. Alekseyev “.

In this company Izvestia was told that it was a question of creating a basic platform under the working title “Rescuer”. The weight of the aircraft will be about 600 tons at a length of 93 meters and the span of the wing 71 meters. The decision in favor of a large-sized ekranoplan was adopted because such vehicles can fly at sea waves of 5-6 points.

The Caspian Sea Monster was an experimental soviet ground effect vehicle built in 1966 and flown until 1980.

Caspian Sea Plane General characteristics

Length: 92.00 m (301 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 37.60 m (123 ft 4 in)
Tail stabilizer span: 37 m (121 ft 5 in)
Height: 21.80 m (71 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 662.50 m2 (7,131.1 sq ft)
Empty weight: 240,000 kg (529,109 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 544,000 kg (1,199,315 lb)
Powerplant: 10 × Dobrynin VD-7 turbojet, 127.53 kN (28,670 lbf) thrust each

Caspian Sea Plane Performance

Maximum speed: 500 km/h (311 mph; 270 kn)
Cruise speed: 430 km/h (267 mph; 232 kn)
Range: 1,500 km (932 mi; 810 nmi)
Ground effect altitude: 4–14 m (13 ft 1 in–45 ft 11 in)
Maximum sea state: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)

Russia’s Alekseyev Design Bureau is designing the prototype 600-ton ekranoplan for supplying bases across the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The vehicle, tentatively named “Rescuer,” will be 305 feet long with a wingspan of 232 feet. It will have a top speed of 341 miles an hour and be able to transport up to 500 people at a time.

Alekseyev is responsible for several GEVs built by the Soviet Union, including the Lun and Orlenok GEVs. The 400 ton Lun, with six canard-mounted engines and a half-dozen anti-ship missile launchers along its spine, was called the Caspian Sea Monster by Western intelligence. The 150 ton Orlenok was operated by the Soviet Navy and could carry 150 personnel.

Brian Wang

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