Ace of Spades HQ

August 16, 2013

Little known Soviet era aircraft - the Caspian Sea Monster
— Purple Avenger

In keeping with being a smart military blog and all, I present the Soviet Lun ekranoplan. Specs:

300mph+

380 tons, 148' wingspan

Skims over water at 20' altitude

8 jet engines

50% more lift capacity than comparable size cargo planes

Could launch 6 mach-3 anti-ship missiles

I've always been impressed with some of the weird hardware the Soviets built. Pushing the comfortable boundaries of conventional thinking was something they weren't afraid to dabble in.

Here's a Google Maps overhead sat shot of the thing berthed. It is BIG.

This Wired article is full of interior and exterior shots and more history.

San Francisco to LA in just over an hour. I'm betting a few of these style aircraft plying that route would cost dramatically less $$$ than high speed rail. No right of ways to purchase, no hundreds of miles of rail to lay. What's not to like?

How much would it suck if you were a pirate and one of these appeared on the horizon and got all in your face going all AC-130 on your ass at 300mph...about two minutes after you first noticed it peeking over the horizon. I'm pretty sure the suck factor would be cranked up to 11.

The plane featured in the Wired piece had an even larger predecessor in the 1960's that was over 300' long.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 03:59 PM | Comments (66)
Post contains 243 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Not a plane.Wing in ground effect.

Posted by: steevy at August 16, 2013 04:00 PM (9XBK2)

2 They used them as very fast missile boats.

Posted by: steevy at August 16, 2013 04:01 PM (9XBK2)

3 Bless you for the new, smoke-free thread! Sadly, I have to go out now.

Posted by: Y-not at August 16, 2013 04:03 PM (5H6zj)

4 This one was capable of normal flight above ground effects...with reduced cargo capacity of course.

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/u][/s] at August 16, 2013 04:04 PM (yLe+f)

5 OT Oprah is really getting on my nerves now. http://tinyurl.com/mw8mb9w

Posted by: steevy at August 16, 2013 04:04 PM (9XBK2)

6 Is being giant plen!

Posted by: Jones in CO at August 16, 2013 04:05 PM (8sCoq)

7 Speaking of a smart military blog, OK, well actually this isn't exactly what I'd call smart, but remember that guy in Tienanmen Square facing down that tank? Yeah, well here is the Islamic version. It doesn't work out to well.

Content warning.

http://tinyurl.com/kq37j5o

Posted by: WalrusRex at August 16, 2013 04:06 PM (XUKZU)

8 God bless you Purp...

the smoke from the Mystery Machine was pretty thick...

this piece of kit always struck me as a mega hydro-foil in doctrinal use more than a jet...but I digress

Posted by: sven10077 at August 16, 2013 04:06 PM (A4hKL)

9 But the dififculties of implementing high speed rail are the entite point: it provides more opportunity for kickbacks and bribery.

Posted by: wooga at August 16, 2013 04:06 PM (m14ui)

10 In Soviet Russia, magic dragon puffs you!

Posted by: fluffy at August 16, 2013 04:07 PM (2ntHf)

20 Feet?

Aren't they on the Metric System?

Posted by: garrett at August 16, 2013 04:07 PM (u2dnR)

12 I want one. Do they work over solid ground, too? Twenty feet, that should clear most vehicles.

Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 16, 2013 04:07 PM (CeNUw)

13 Thanks Purp. I was tired of Christie thread. I did a search on someone I didn't know about, one of Rush's callers talked about him today. Gouverneur Morris.

Posted by: CarolT at August 16, 2013 04:07 PM (z4WKX)

14 Nice links Purp. That is a truly awesome airplane - I don't think I can even get the true sense of size from the pictures.

Posted by: Yoshi, Aggrieved Victim of the White Man at August 16, 2013 04:08 PM (YNK3y)

15 The Russians and us have something in common. We like to think BIG. Just let us have some decent leadership for a while.

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at August 16, 2013 04:08 PM (l3vZN)

16 Boeing are (or were) proposing a similar beast as a naval cargo lifter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Pelican

The US military has an increasing weight problem. Washington, D.C. doesn't like casualties, but in recent wars, it's become clear that heavy vehicles are required to reduce casualties.

This came as a surprise to the Pentagon, who as usual weren't paying attention to other countries' contemporaneous military experiences. (Israel and Russia both invested in creating heavy armored personnel carriers in the early 2000s, after hurting from the lack of them in regional fights in the 1990s.)

So, the pols and the Pentagon jointly panicked and the force got a lot heavier almost overnight. Existing vehicles were up-armored. New bulky purchases such as MRAP were made. Except... moving all those massive vehicles around is a giant logistics challenge. So much for fast-reaction forces. Especially ones which it was hoped would be air mobile.

There are going to have to be aviation innovations, or the model breaks.

Posted by: torquewrench at August 16, 2013 04:08 PM (gqT4g)

17 Damn, that was a fine catch by Cano.

Posted by: garrett at August 16, 2013 04:08 PM (u2dnR)

18 Without clinking on a Wired article: Ekranoplan? They're not very useful on the ocean (what with the water making those big water hump things all over the place) or in bad weather.

Posted by: Stark DickflÃ¼ssig at August 16, 2013 04:08 PM (0XbWx)

19 By the way, I'm sure a GEV could work today with one of those fly-by-wire schemes. From the context provided in the article, I'm guessing its faults were too-sharp turns and typical Ruskie reliability.

Posted by: Yoshi, Aggrieved Victim of the White Man at August 16, 2013 04:09 PM (YNK3y)

20
No right of ways to purchase, no hundreds of miles of rail to lay. What's not to like?

Hmm.. having to scrap wakeboarders and whale watchers out of your grill?

The seas have other users and traffic.is kinda heavy near the coast and ports.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at August 16, 2013 04:09 PM (kdS6q)

21 Nice find Purp!

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at August 16, 2013 04:10 PM (lbBsF)

It's got forward canards.

I've always thought that forward canards are pretty cool design feature.

Posted by: wheatie at August 16, 2013 04:10 PM (el7k2)

23 The Soviets had some grandiose ideas, but they tended to fail in actual practice. Kinda like communism itself.

Posted by: packsoldier at August 16, 2013 04:10 PM (QqYSQ)

24 Do they work over solid ground, too?

Sure. A normal airliner enters ground effect the same way when landing. If you watch one landing you'll notice the flair, then it starts kinda surfing along before sinking the last few feet.

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/u][/s] at August 16, 2013 04:11 PM (yLe+f)

25 Paging Anna for random historical trivia related to this plane.

Posted by: ConservativeMonster at August 16, 2013 04:11 PM (GoMJD)

26 Posted by: Stark DickflÃƒÂ¼ssig at August 16, 2013 08:08 PM (0XbWx) Dude they can fly at regular altitudes and stuff. Hopefully they wouldn't need to that much though...

Posted by: Yoshi, Aggrieved Victim of the White Man at August 16, 2013 04:11 PM (YNK3y)

27 Daily reminder: We are living in East Germany, without the heavy industry.

Posted by: Yep at August 16, 2013 04:12 PM (6sqK6)

It's got forward canards.

Too many airplane designers forsooth the canard.

Posted by: garrett at August 16, 2013 04:12 PM (u2dnR)

29 Modern CF/composite construction and FBW would probably cure most of its faults

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/u][/s] at August 16, 2013 04:13 PM (yLe+f)

30 Iz zat a nuclear wessel?

Posted by: Chekov at August 16, 2013 04:13 PM (aq1xO)

31 That'd be hella fun to drive stoned!

Posted by: SFGoth at August 16, 2013 04:13 PM (WdYjL)

32
Sounds like a Ruskie version of the Spruce Goose.

Posted by: soothsayer at August 16, 2013 04:14 PM (Y4TdB)

33 6 Is being giant plen!

Da, is moose and squirrel!

Also, how does this work for anything other than flat seas. I would think 20' swells would cause you to have a really bad day.

Posted by: pep at August 16, 2013 04:14 PM (6TB1Z)

34 You'd want very flat ground indeed.Like the salt flats.

Posted by: steevy at August 16, 2013 04:14 PM (9XBK2)

35 24 Do they work over solid ground, too?

-----
Sure. A normal airliner enters ground effect the same way when landing. If you watch one landing you'll notice the flair, then it starts kinda surfing along before sinking the last few feet.
Posted by: Purp at August 16, 2013 08:11 PM (yLe+f)

With the caveat that the ground is unlikely to be flat where you need it, unlike the ocean.

And if you crash, well, hope the ground under you is unpopulated.

Posted by: ConservativeMonster at August 16, 2013 04:15 PM (GoMJD)

36 i remember in basic training the C-5's would come over and everything would stop until you could hear again. oh, in fort dix, new jersey. was an air force base next door. they were awesome.

Posted by: vet at August 16, 2013 04:15 PM (V+Pei)

37 But is it full of eels?

Posted by: rickl at August 16, 2013 04:15 PM (sdi6R)

38 That's cool. In the book Mig Pilot, where a soviet pilot defected to japan with a mig in the late 60's, they discovered that they didn't understand transistor theory but they were able to miniaturize vacuum tubes.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at August 16, 2013 04:16 PM (XIxXP)

39 I remember this Comrade Goldberg idea...that was Dimitri from the Ilyushin crowd back in day....

Harlekwin my comrade how is day in sub shop going? said Dimitri back in blkessed Sevastopol....

Dimitri I'll have a cup of "what the fuck is that? to go comrade.

Harlekwin 15 is not my idea Brezhnev was high on medicinal MJ and lo and behold we got a Jumbo Jet with outboard fucking motors.....

but last laugh is on YOU comrade look over at Pier 51 and you'll see the new Hunter/Killer Submarine with attached Dirigible how the fuck does Submarine Float through air at 750 feet?

In glorious Russia ideas have YOU!

Life is much better here in Washington DC making Submarines at magic Subway shop....

just the other day I had crazy Joey Plugz come by and ask me about fucking camel for hump day....

what a fucking country here.

Posted by: Harlekwin15 at August 16, 2013 04:17 PM (A4hKL)

40 That would be a bitch in 40 foot seas.

Posted by: Danby at August 16, 2013 04:17 PM (xWSwr)

41
remember little TATTOO would ring the BELL and announce DA PLANE! DA PLANE!?

Posted by: soothsayerwing plover at August 16, 2013 04:18 PM (LPRBM)

42 But is it full of eels? Posted by: rickl ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Its full of Raptors....

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at August 16, 2013 04:18 PM (lbBsF)

43
Do they work over solid ground, too?

Sure. A normal airliner enters ground effect the same way when landing.
Posted by: Purp

In practice no:

A feature common to an aircraft and a
WIG craft is wings generating lift due to aerodynamic
forces.

However, in the case of the
WIG craft this lift is augmented owing to the
ground effect created by compression of the
ram air stream between the wings and the
supporting surface. A higher lift/drag ratio
enables a WIG craft to obtain the same lift at
lower speeds and lower engine power compared
to aircraft. As a result, the WIG craft are,
in principle, more fuel-efficient compared to
aircraft.

Since large flat areas on land are not a
common occurrence, WIG craft are in most
cases intended for use over water.

Runways are flat, so it helps there -- but that's a special case.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at August 16, 2013 04:18 PM (kdS6q)

44 what a fucking country here. Posted by: Harlekwin15 at August 16, 2013 08:17 PM (A4hKL) I think that was funny, but I'm drunk.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at August 16, 2013 04:18 PM (XIxXP)

45 I'm glad there was video footage because I was going to call bullshit on the still pic.

Posted by: zsasz at August 16, 2013 04:18 PM (MMC8r)

46 Thread stomped, like the plane we discussed. (Nood)

Posted by: ConservativeMonster at August 16, 2013 04:19 PM (GoMJD)

47 32 Soothsayer,

almost precisely...

in a heavily regulated society this would actually have an operational window....hell for a land invasion of Asia you could make the argument that logistical pools in say Alaska with these things carrying enough kit for a company each make hella sense for punitive economic raiders....

the problem is we are not in that regulated a planet...

yet....

"sadly"

(decided mocking sarcasm on regulatory paradise)

Posted by: Miguel Ambivalence@sven10077 at August 16, 2013 04:19 PM (A4hKL)

48 As we are on a smart military blog and all I do have to say the ekranoplan is not so unknown or little known to the aosqh. all the same, always fun to read about the ekranoplan.

Posted by: yankeefifth at August 16, 2013 04:19 PM (Z9EHQ)

49
That would be a bitch in 40 foot seas.
Posted by: Danby

That's one of the engineering constraints. The bigger the plan, the less sensitive it is to wave height. Therefor, these tended to be big planes.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at August 16, 2013 04:20 PM (kdS6q)

50 so, did you see the new jet pack ? it was approved to fly in only 1 country, and it's not a jet. but that's cool, right?

Posted by: fly boy at August 16, 2013 04:20 PM (V+Pei)

51 Yeah, the russkies could really make big stuff. Like tractors that wouldn't start because the battery factory lied about output. And hot stuff fighters that couldn't launch because the ground crew drank the de-icer. Looks like we ain't far behind their best USSR style, even while they go full bore capitalist.

Posted by: EROWMER at August 16, 2013 04:22 PM (OONaw)

52 For the next chapter in unusual aircraft, I nominate the Do-X

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at August 16, 2013 04:22 PM (l3vZN)

53 Dude they can fly at regular altitudes and stuff. Hopefully they wouldn't need to that much though... Posted by: Yoshi, Aggrieved Victim of the White Man at August 16, 2013 08:11 PM (YNK3y) only good at altitudes where wing-in-ground effect is srtong enough to keep airborne. 300 feet or so.

Posted by: yankeefifth at August 16, 2013 04:23 PM (Z9EHQ)

54 blimps

Posted by: fly boy at August 16, 2013 04:26 PM (V+Pei)

55 This thing has enough wing it can fly normally at lighter loadings.

You'd need that capability in a military craft so you could get it in-theater. Not so much for a specialized route commercial version.

If it were intended strictly as a GEV, it would have been designed completely differently.

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/u][/s] at August 16, 2013 04:30 PM (yLe+f)

56 my grandpa fell off the LTA hanger in tustin when he was young. fucked his back up for life. they are now building the next gen blimp/transport vehicle there. wicked looking shiny thing. say it will carry more lbs then any aircraft. sad part is i saw it first on foreign web and then local weeks later. any old marines from el toro know where i'm talking about?

Posted by: fly boy at August 16, 2013 04:35 PM (V+Pei)

57 and yes i know there are 2 hangers there. they have used the other one for commercials and such for awhile now. lexus uses it for shoots

Posted by: fly boy at August 16, 2013 04:43 PM (V+Pei)

58 Why no ekranoplanes? Liability. Oh, and rogue waves. And Krakens.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith [/i] [/b] [/s] [/u] at August 16, 2013 04:45 PM (qyfb5)

59 ref Ekranoplane. The whole point of it was to invade the US with a few 1,000 of them (remember, the big one could carry 900 soldiers) . turns out there are a lot of practical difficulties but a lot of things are researched that never get beyond the prototype stage.

Posted by: Comrade Arthur at August 16, 2013 04:54 PM (83xuc)

60 As noted above, these things like smooth and calm seas. Note the water in the video. They don't like waves, rough seas, bad weather. There are reasons they kept the thing on the Caspian.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at August 16, 2013 05:05 PM (7T8QH)

61 They weren't afraid to dabble in it because who was going to stop them?

As we see now in this country, tyranny can do whatever they like and don't have to justify the cost or time to anyone. So if someone high up gives it the green light, no one else will stand in it's way.

They also made a lot of stupid worthless stuff that is now rusting and rotting in the fields.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That (Ecclesiates 9:11) at August 16, 2013 05:23 PM (28TG+)

62 They also made a lot of stupid worthless stuff that is now rusting and rotting in the fields.

Civilization and technological progress is built on mountains of failures though. If you're not willing to fail, you don't move forward.

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/u][/s] at August 16, 2013 05:55 PM (yLe+f)

63 62 They also made a lot of stupid worthless stuff that is now rusting and rotting in the fields. Civilization and technological progress is built on mountains of failures though. If you're not willing to fail, you don't move forward. Posted by: Purp at August 16, 2013 09:55 PM (yLe+f) I was just watching a two part video on YouTube about the raising of the Kursk. If the Russians put as much effort in testing and making redundant safety checks in building the Kursk as the Dutch did in getting it off the ocean floor, it wouldn't have been there in the first place. What a tragedy.

Posted by: model_1066 at August 16, 2013 08:28 PM (QMWjL)

64 How far can a drunl pilot fly at 20 feet?

Posted by: Electric at August 17, 2013 04:23 PM (ZH9Zu)

65 Make that "Drunk".

Posted by: Electric at August 17, 2013 04:23 PM (ZH9Zu)

66 Until said drunk pilot finds a 25 - 30 foot tall obstruction substantially larger and stronger than a kite-string - then comes a high-speed "landing"....

Posted by: J.S.Bridges at August 18, 2013 06:09 PM (DaHr6)

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