Posted on 07/18/2010 1:29:53 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Wonder how a not quite airplane that can maneuver in 2 dimensions will stand up against real airplanes that can maneuver in three dimensions?
Release the Kraken
It attains level flight near the surface of the Earth, made possible by a cushion of high-pressure air created by the aerodynamic interaction between the wings and the surface known as ground effect.
The big multi-engine ones are very impressive, but I imagine they really burn up the fuel.
That's what I'm saying, there is not much in the "Up or Down" maneuverability of this thing, easy pickings for an aircraft that has lots of "Up and Down" maneuverability.
Ground effect works great as long as there are no waves or sand dunes.
International Maritime Organization recognizes three classes of ground effect craft:
1.Type A cannot operate out of ground effect.
2.Type B can jump to clear obstacles by converting kinetic energy (speed) into potential energy (height), but cannot maintain flight without the support of the ground effect.
3.Type C are certified as aircraft, with the ability to operate safely and efficiently out of ground effect.
Type C are certified as aircraft, with the ability to operate safely and efficiently out of ground effect
Didn't know about type "C".
Types "A" and "B" would definitely be a thrill ride ;^)
Ping!
Ping
Water is very smooth - not open ocean. I fail to see the modern utility in a prop plane that guzzles fuel and flies neither high nor fast and is sensitive to waves.
(Spent some time as an A.I. in the 70's trying to figure these guys out)
I think they are bringing it back for military use.
Military use in inland waterways? Cause the water has to be sooth and then, unoccupied. Sea Monster versus commuter ferry. Sea Monster versus trawler. Sea Monster versus row boat/jet ski. So they want to cover long flat unoccupied bodies of water...hmmmm....
“amphibian troops transportation” Hmmmm....doesn’t seem practical. It does mention ballistic missile...so...assuming one is riding up on hostiles, you hope their waterways are clear and calm? For the Black Sea or some other neighbor?
I do believe that this “somewhat” limited aircraft wannabe is an ideal mass troop carrier for any high speed invasion.
How many Russian troops in just one aircraft? a thousand, or more?
I can imagine 6 of these aircraft all wave skimming to make a beach head landing.
I personally think its a very admirable Russian design that is overlooked by western over-tech thinking.
The Soviet Navy ordered 120 Orlyonok-class ekranoplans. ut this figure was later reduced to fewer than thirty vehicles, with planned deployment mainly in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea fleets.A few Orlyonoks served with the Soviet Navy from 1979 to 1992. In 1987, the 400-ton Lun-class ekranoplan was built as a missile launcher.
These craft were originally developed as very high-speed military transports, and were based mostly on the shores of the Caspian Sea and Black Sea
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