Lun-class ekranoplan

Last updated

Lun-class ekranoplan 2021-09-24-3.jpg
Beached Ekranoplan
Class overview
NameLun
Operators
In service1987–late 1990s
Planned2
Completed1
Cancelled1
Retired1
Preserved1
General characteristics
TypeAttack/transport ground effect vehicle
DisplacementDisplacement n/a, weight 286 tonnes unloaded
Length73.8 m (242 ft 2 in)
Beam(Wingspan) 44 m (144 ft 4 in)
Height19.2 m (63 ft 0 in)
Draught(2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Propulsion8 × Kuznetsov NK-87 turbojet engines, 127.4  kN (28,600 lbf) thrust
Speed297 knots (550 km/h; 342 mph)
Range1,000  nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi)
Capacity100 tonnes (220,000 pounds)
Complementsix officers and nine enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems
Puluchas search radar
Armament
Lun-class ekranoplan
Interactive map showing the position of the Lun-class ekranoplan when it beached in July 2020

The Lun-class ekranoplan (Soviet classification: Project 903) [1] is the only ground effect vehicle (GEV) to ever be operationally deployed as a warship, deploying in the Caspian Flotilla. It was designed by Rostislav Alexeyev in 1975 and used by the Soviet and later Russian navies from 1987 until sometime in the late 1990s. [2] [3]

Contents

It flew using lift generated by the ground effect acting on its large wings when within about four metres (13 ft) above the surface of the water. Although they might look similar to traditional aircraft, ekranoplans like the Lun are not classified as aircraft, seaplanes, hovercraft, or hydrofoils. Rather, craft like the Lun-class ekranoplan are classified as maritime ships by the International Maritime Organization due to their use of the ground effect, in which the craft glides just above the surface of the water. [4]

The ground effect occurs when flying at an altitude of only a few metres above the ocean or ground; drag is greatly reduced by the proximity of the ground preventing the formation of wingtip vortices, thus increasing the efficiency of the wing. This effect does not occur at high altitude. [5] [6]

The name Lun comes from the Russian word for the harrier. [7]

Design and development

Lun class at Kaspiysk, Russia, in 2010 Lun-class ekranoplan 1.jpg
Lun class at Kaspiysk, Russia, in 2010
Scale model of a Lun-class ekranoplan displayed in a museum Ekranoplan Lun'.jpg
Scale model of a Lun-class ekranoplan displayed in a museum

The Lun-class ekranoplan was developed on the basis of the experimental KM ekranoplan, which was nicknamed the "Caspian Sea Monster".

The Lun was powered by eight Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofans, mounted on forward canards, each producing 127.4 kN (28,600 lbf) of thrust. It had a flying boat hull with a large deflecting plate at the bottom to provide a "step" for takeoff. [7] It had a maximum cruising speed of 550 kilometres per hour (340 mph). [3]

Equipped for anti-surface warfare, it carried the P-270 Moskit (Mosquito) guided missile. Six missile launchers were mounted in pairs on the dorsal surface of its fuselage with advanced tracking systems mounted in its nose and tail. [8]

The only model of this class ever built to completion, the MD-160, entered service with the Soviet Navy Caspian Flotilla in 1987. It was retired in the late 1990s and sat unused at a Caspian Sea naval base in Kaspiysk until 2020. [3] [9] [10]

The second Lun-class ekranoplan was partially built in the late 1980s. While its construction was underway, it was redesigned as a mobile field hospital for rapid deployment to any ocean or coastal location. It was named the Spasatel ("Rescuer"). Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and cancellation of military funding, construction of the second craft was halted. [4] [11] As of 2021, the uncompleted Spasatel is stored adjacent to the Volga river in an old industrial complex within the central Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. [12]

The Lun design had several drawbacks. One was that although the ground effect enabled it to fly at low altitude, in order to utilize the effect it had to fly as low as 1.5–3.0 m (5–10 ft) off the water due to its short wingspan, so it could not fly when seas were even mildly rough. Another was that the craft was only designed to use the ground effect principle, so it could not ascend to higher cruising altitudes. The requirement for calm seas to operate, and the inability to fly above them if they weren't, greatly limited where it was able to deploy. [13]

2020 towing operation

Artist's concept of a Lun-class ekranoplan in flight An artist's concept of a Soviet wing-in-ground effect vehicle.jpg
Artist's concept of a Lun-class ekranoplan in flight

On 31 July 2020, the completed MD-160 Lun-class ekranoplan was towed out of the naval base in Kaspiysk, with the intention of being eventually put on public display in Derbent, Dagestan, at the planned Patriot Park, a combination museum and theme park that will display Soviet and Russian military equipment. [14] [10] The towing operation involved the use of rubber pontoons, three tugboats and two escort vessels, and would have covered approximately 100 km (62 miles) had it been completed. [14] However, during the tow the ekranoplan became stuck just offshore of a sandy beach, short of the intended destination.

The team managing the towing operation was unable to free the massive vehicle, so the ekranoplan was secured and remained beached in the surf zone while plans were drawn up on how to continue the move to Patriot Park. In the meantime, the unusual craft began attracting attention from the media, onlookers, and trespassing "urban explorers", even before the park was built. [14] [15] One report published in August 2020 stated that the hull, exposed to the waves in the surf zone, was taking on water. [16] Moving the craft to dry land beyond the surf zone would eliminate the possibility that increased wave action during storms could damage the hull further.

In December 2020 a successful recovery operation resulted in the ekranoplan being hauled out of the water, nose-first, with the tail ending up about 20–30 m (65–100 ft) from the sea, as seen from satellite imagery. [17] The ekranoplan was towed ashore on 30 December 2021. [18]

Former operators

Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union

Specifications

Data from [19]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Related Research Articles

SS-N-22 Sunburn is the NATO reporting name for two unrelated Soviet anti-ship missiles. Although the missiles were very different, distinguishing between them is difficult because their ship-mounted launching containers were identical. Confusion was exacerbated by the Soviet practice of mixing missile types within a class of ships. It was therefore not confirmed that the "SS-N-22" actually referenced two different missiles until after the fall of the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish Navy</span> Military unit

The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for "Finnish Navy ship", but this is not used in Finnish-language contexts. The Finnish Navy also includes coastal forces and coastal artillery.

Tarantul-class corvette Class of Soviet missile corvette

The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 Molniya are a class of Russian missile corvettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caspian Flotilla</span> Military unit

The Caspian Flotilla is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P-270 Moskit</span> Anti-ship missile

The P-270 Moskit is a Soviet supersonic ramjet powered anti-ship cruise missile. Its GRAU designation is 3M80, air launched variant is the Kh-41 and its NATO reporting name is SS-N-22 Sunburn. The missile system was designed by the Raduga Design Bureau during the 1970s as a follow-up to the P-120 Malakhit. The Moskit was originally designed to be ship-launched, but variants have been adapted to be launched from land, underwater (submarines) and air, as well as on the Lun-class ekranoplan. The missile can carry conventional and nuclear warheads. The exact classification of the missile is unknown, with varying types reported. This uncertainty is due to the secrecy surrounding an active military weapon. The missile has been purchased and exported to the People's Liberation Army Navy (China) and Egyptian Navy (Egypt).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaspiysk</span> City in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia

Kaspiysk is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, 18 kilometers (11 mi) southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the fourth-largest in Dagestan. It is a working-class satellite city to Makhachkala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beriev Be-2500</span> Russian super heavy amphibious transport aircraft currently in design and development

The Beriev Be-2500 Neptun is a super heavy amphibious transport aircraft that, as of 2007, was in design and development by Russian design firm Beriev. The maximum takeoff weight is estimated at 2500 tons, hence its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-90 Orlyonok</span> Ground effect vehicle

The A-90 Orlyonok is a Soviet ekranoplan that was designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev of the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau.

<i>Bora</i>-class corvette Russian class of guided-missile corvettes

The Bora-class, Soviet designation Project 1239, hoverborne guided-missile corvette of the Russian Navy, also bears the NATO class name "Dergach", is one of the few types of military surface effect ship built solely for marine combat purposes, rather than troop landing or transport. The first vessel produced under this designation was Sivuch, which was later renamed Bora. It is one of the largest combat sea vehicles with catamaran design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rostislav Alexeyev</span> Russian designer of highspeed shipbuilding

Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev was a Russian Soviet Director & Chief of Design known for his pioneering work on hydrofoil ships and ground-effect vehicles. Alexeyev was an accomplished designer of hydrofoil ships, such as the Raketa, and became a prominent developer of ground-effect vehicles, particularly the Caspian Sea Monster and the A-90 Orlyonok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground-effect vehicle</span> Special vehicle to fly in air just above sea or ground

A ground-effect vehicle (GEV), also called a wing-in-ground-effect, ground-effect craft, wingship, flarecraft or ekranoplan, is a vehicle that is able to move over the surface by gaining support from the reactions of the air against the surface of the earth or water. Typically, it is designed to glide over a level surface by making use of ground effect, the aerodynamic interaction between the moving wing and the surface below. Some models can operate over any flat area such as frozen lakes or flat plains similar to a hovercraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuznetsov NK-86</span> 1970s Soviet/Russian turbofan aircraft engine

The Kuznetsov NK-86 is a low bypass turbofan engine used on the Ilyushin Il-86 rated at 13,000 kgf or 28,600 lbf thrust. It is made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. It is an upgraded version of the Kuznetsov NK-8.

The Kuznetsov NK-87 is a low-bypass turbofan engine rated at 127.5 kN thrust. It powers the Lun-class ekranoplan. It is made by the soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau.

Lebed-class LCAC

The Kalmar class are a class of medium-sized assault hovercraft designed for the Soviet Navy. The few remaining craft are operated by the Russian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caspian Sea Monster</span> 1966–1980 Soviet ground-effect aircraft

The KM, known colloquially as the Caspian Sea Monster, was an experimental ground effect vehicle developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s by the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau. The KM began operation in 1966, and was continuously tested by the Soviet Navy until 1980 when it crashed into the Caspian Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alekseyev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau</span> Russian aviation company based in Nizhniy Novgorod

Alekseyev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau is a company based in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. It was named after Rostislav Alexeyev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerocon Dash 1.6 wingship</span>

The Aerocon Dash-1.6 wingship was a proposed American ground-effect vehicle intended to carry large cargos and thousands of passengers over long distances at near-aircraft speeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spasatel</span> Ground-effect vehicle

Spasatel is a ground-effect vehicle, originally planned by the Soviet Ministry of Defense. The vehicle was intended to serve as the missile carrier of the project Lun-class ekranoplan, but was then converted into an ambulance craft. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, construction was halted and the vehicle was never completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Lifter</span> Type of aircraft

The Liberty Lifter is a U.S. military Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project, launched in mid-2022, to develop a low-cost seaplane that uses the ground-effect to travel long distances.

References

  1. "Small Missile Ship-Ekranoplan - Project 903". russianships.info. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. Shukla, Vikas (9 September 2015). "Russia Revives Its Soviet-Era Ekranoplan Project". ValueWalk. Retrieved 10 September 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 3 Johnson, Robert; Rosen, Armin. "Here's The Astonishing Hovercraft That The Soviets Could Have Used To Invade Western Europe In The 80s". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 Liang Yun; Alan Bliault; Johnny Doo (3 December 2009). WIG Craft and Ekranoplan: Ground Effect Craft Technology. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 436–. ISBN   978-1-4419-0042-5.
  5. Cui, E.; Zhang, X. (2010). "Chapter 18 Ground Effect Aerodynamics". S2CID   29236092.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "Here's a Closer Look at the Soviet Navy's 1987 Lun-Class Ekranoplan". interestingengineering.com. 4 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Neither Fish Nor Fowl". Flying: 72. July 1994. ISSN   0015-4806.
  8. Ashley Hollebone (31 March 2012). The Hovercraft Story. History Press Limited. pp. 33–. ISBN   978-0-7524-8512-6.
  9. Norman Ferguson (1 April 2013). The Little Book of Aviation. History Press Limited. pp. 102–. ISBN   978-0-7524-9285-8.
  10. 1 2 Cenciotti, David (10 August 2020). "Take A Look At These Incredible Shots Of The Russia's Sole Completed Lun-Class Ekranoplan". The Aviationist. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  11. Fast Ferry International. High-Speed Surface Craft Limited. 2003.
  12. Satellite view of uncompleted Lun-class ekranoplan in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Archived 22 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine via Google Maps. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  13. Katz, Justin (27 May 2022). "DARPA's revolutionary seaplane wants to change how the Pentagon hauls cargo]". Breaking Defense. US.
  14. 1 2 3 Ros, Miquel (22 October 2020). "The 'Caspian Sea Monster' rises from the grave". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  15. Chapple, Amos (11 August 2020). "Belly Of The Beast: Illicit Photos From Inside The Soviet Ekranoplan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  16. Sutton, H. I. (11 August 2020). "Russian Navy's Mighty 'Ekranoplan' May Have Been Wrecked". Forbes. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  17. "Satellite view of beached Lun ekranoplan". Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022 via Google Maps.
  18. Ros, Miquel (22 October 2020). "The 'Caspian Sea Monster' rises from the grave". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  19. van Optal, Edwin. "Lun". Netherlands: The WIG Page. pp. The WIG Page Datasheet no. 26. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.

41°56′25″N48°22′43″E / 41.94028°N 48.37861°E / 41.94028; 48.37861