Caspian Sea Monster - Giant Air/Ship Hybrid Craft

More links:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7638659.stm

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

http://www.yachtboutique.com/Designers/Ekranoplan/Ekranoplan.htm

I am guessing that new materials and technology will make this dream more practical. I am wondering what the theoretical maximum advantage of the ground effect is.

The induced drag for a GEV is very low, but that doesn't mean much in practice, because the parasitic drag is very high. The craft is moving at jet aircraft speeds at near zero altitude. Did you notice all those engines in the picture?

For air cargo, it's generally more efficient to fly at altitude and take the hit in induced drag, in return for the freedom of flight path and reduced parasitic drag. That's why the GEV concept has gone nowhere, even though it's been around for ages.

There are special circumstances that favor large GEVs like the Russians are talking about. Takeoff and landing in water, and the ability to rendezvous with ships are at the top of the list. Also heavy cargo capability, especially if the cargo is dense rather than bulky. Induced drag is proportional to gross weight, and relatively insensitive to speed, whereas parasitic drag is proportional to surface area times velocity, and is insensitive to gross weight. A GEV achieves low induced drag despite stubby wings, and the stubby wings allow it to carry heavy loads with no penalty is parasitic drag.

The H-4 (Spruce Goose) was effectively a GE plane. I think they were too scared to take it any higher. It's maiden (and sole) flight never got above 70 feet, well within GE for that behemoth.

Seems to me to be too expensive for practical uses. Military, maybe.

This vessel (ship/airplane) has been used in many different military prototypes. The Military Channel recently showed a documentary in their show Top Secret Weapons Revealed. The episode was called Seaplane Strike Force. They started with the US Navy last attempts at a seaplane bomber and fighter that fell out of favor with the super carrier development. This Russian craft works using the ground effect cushion to fly just over the wave caps. It scared the hell out of the US Navy. I know the early designs had problems with jet engine swallowing water. In interesting contrast the US Navy design of the scuttled jet seaplanes very simply solved the water inlet problem that I think could be used here.

For a ferry application this ground effect approach seems ideal. For a military attack weapon I wonder about the maneuverability. One of the tested variants of this for the military was for a rapid beach landing support vessel. A form of a military ferry.

Ekronoplan's are an interesting transportation device. There have been a few people who have exploited the WIG (wing in ground effect) for personnel transporters. The Caspian Sea Monster was probably the largest iteration although the Soviets had plans for a larger more sophisticated and weaponised versions.

The CSM was a formidable machine capable of transporting heavy machinery(tanks) and troops. Very quickly and somewhat stealthily over large distances. But it was a machine which could only be supported by the military as running costs were not commercially viable.

There are a number of companies around Asia purporting to be building and operating WIG style craft in the 20-50 passenger + freight size for ferrying use.

If I was a guy with unfathomable wealth I'd approach Mr Putin to acquire and restore the CSM to operational status. My understanding is that there is not much left of it though.

There was a company in the U.S. that was importing WIG's that were 4 person sized craft (sort of Cessna 172 sized)and finishing them off with luxo interiors, for sale as "personal" transport solutions.

There was (still is ) a WIG style Ice sled/Swamp boat made by Tupolov. The N007 operates in WIG utilising a lifting body hull no wings as such. I really would like one of those for the lake commute....

The Lun.

Check this puppy out...

Thanks for the photos. It is the single oddest piece of historical technology that I can remember ever seeing. The Russians were supposed to have a modern iteration out this year, but it is undoubtedly secret too.

FYI

The world water speed record is 317 mph or around 275 knots.

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

Obviously useless, otherwise the Russians would have used it to get rid of the aliens mother ship instead of a mothballed battleship.

They said the Martians could never build flying saucers too.

It is a version of a surface effect airplane. High load carrying, surface effect only. No commercial application.

When viewed this way, it is the mirror image of a hovercraft, where a ship is lofted out of water.

Ground Effect Flight?

How about something like this?

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/51026

Spanning large bodies of water using this method -

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/73951