The monster from the Caspian Sea
During the Cold War American intelligence services observe almost all activities beyond the “Iron Curtain”. Satellite pictures around the clock, what they get in front of the lens when you cross the territories of the Soviet Union and its allies. In general, you know what your opponent has, where it is stationed and how it works. News are usually limited troop movements. What they, however, since one day in 1967 make up the western shore of the Caspian Sea verschlägt you speechless. At first glance, it seems, however, to be without wings a huge airplane. Many years puzzle secret what the satellite as “snapped have.” In vain! Only with the fall of the Soviet Union the secret of the mysterious flying object is released. The monster of the Caspian Sea is a Ekranoplan.
The sighting of unidentified flying object puts the US forces in excitement. It has gigantic proportions, is more than 100 meters long, 22 meters high and has thereby only a span of about 39 meters — enough to carry an aircraft of this size even close to the air. Therein military experts and scientists agree. But what is it? The US military are clueless and understandably very nervous, considering the fact that has since seen the light of day on the Caspian Sea. It can not place it. But only if its size, the potential threat appears to be immense. It is one of the best kept military secrets of the Cold War, the former Soviet Union, whose development began long before the year 1967th
It all began in 1950 in Nizhny Novgorod a town near Moscow. This city is home to major industrial companies, including many secret armor forging. Here also the civil engineering office “Alexeyev” is located in close proximity to the vast rivers Volga and Oka, merging here. The most powerful and largest river in Europe plays an important role in the work of Russian engineers led by Rostislav Alexeyev . Here are scientists a strange effect on the track: Russian pilots reported repeatedly that their machines behaved differently at ground level than at high altitudes, but could not be due to the construction of their fighter jets because the effect occurred in machines of different types. The concept of “ground effect” was born.
The ground effect
Russian scientists from the Development Office Alexeyev discovered that an air roll formed under the wings and fuselage of a fast-flying aircraft near the ground, which moves with the aircraft fuselage. Better yet: The air role improved the efficiency of the wing and the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft fuselage, which makes the ground effect flight much more economical than flying at higher altitudes. And another effect that Russian scientists came to the track. It is the elimination of the lower portion of the vortex. This occurs at the end of the wing of each aircraft and generates most of the air resistance of an aircraft. Today, you try to dampen this effect for passenger aircraft by at wingtips so-called “ winglets attaching” — these are the upturned wing tips. The vortex occurs only when flying in height, as it can spread only here. In soil or water nearby, this effect does not occur because it is simply cut off the wake here. The brilliant idea Rostislav Jewgenjewitsch Alexeyev was to develop a vehicle now that these effects should be just successfully overcome.
The birth of the hydrofoil
The team led by Alexeyev developed a hydrofoil that floats with increasing speed literally across the Volga. Under the fuselage wings were attached that looked just like in an airplane. Reaches a certain speed, the boat, the vehicle automatically lifts out of the water. Thus, the resistance of the boat is reduced compared to the water, making it almost twice as fast. Inspired by the success of the prototype designs Alexeyev hydrofoil for up to 300 people. The technological forged on the banks of the Volga accomplishes true technical masterpiece, but hardly be respected in the Official, which manifests itself mainly in lack of financial support, driving the small business successively to ruin. But that should change at once.
By chance, one of the hydrofoils will be demonstrated on the occasion of a national holiday in Moscow in the 1957th Khrushchev is excited and immediately recognize the military potential, which is behind the development Alexeyev. The technician and tinkerer Alexeyev is immediately rewarded with the Order of Lenin, and more importantly, with unlimited resources. This needs Alexeyev also because the Soviet engineer has a pioneering and unprecedented idea. His spectacular new project will be a milestone in the history of aviation. It is the intersection of boat and plane. Unlike its hydrofoils it to resemble any boat, but rather a flying boat.
The secret project begins — the Ekranoplan
A name for the new Prestige secret project of the Soviet military is easily found — it should “Ekranoplan” (Russian EKRAN = screen; russ PLANJOR = glider..) Are called. The Soviet government guarantees the inventor unlimited funds, so that the work will start one of the largest secret projects of the USSR quickly — and the Americans have no idea of all this bustle.
Within just five years, engineers and scientists to Alexeyev develop a vehicle that is unparalleled. And — more importantly — Khrushchev keeps his word. He supports the project with everything necessary. After the five-year project to build hundreds of workers around the clock to the metal monster. And indeed, after two years of life dream Alexeyev is impressive reality. The Ekranoplan is down more than vastly finished and weighing 540 tons. Now the Ekranoplan just have to prove that he meets the stirred up by the developers expectations.
In October 1966, the first test flights are pending. For this, the Colossus is towed to a remote region of the Caspian Sea. The testing of the Ekranoplan runs more than satisfactory. It must have been a very impressive picture when the vehicle with a loud roar rose 350 Km / h from the water at speed. has driven the monster of the Caspian Sea ten jet engines, of which only eight engines were necessary for it to lift the Ekranoplan from the water. The theoretically calculated maximum speed should be around 750 km / h, including 280 t payload. And indeed the Ekranoplan reached the top speed effortlessly at the first test.
1967 Ekranoplan project was delivered to the military. The Red Army wanted to test the Ekranoplan to its military use out. The testing took place at a top secret base on the coast of the Caspian Sea. This was probably the time when the American spy satellite for the first time discovered the new ground-effect vehicle. The military were after a short time more than thrilled. It could for example be used as a floating base for launching rockets as landing craft or as a fast transport for troops and military equipment. And especially for use against enemy ships, the giant seems to be ideal. The flat Ekranoplan held is hard to detect by radar! In addition, the military of the Red Army were more than impressed by the efficiency of the giant. As soon as the ground effect was achieved only had 2 of the 10 engines are working to keep the Ekranoplan fully loaded on a stable altitude and speed. The other engines are simply switched off after reaching the ground effect and the cruising speed.
So promising and successfully test also started and were finished — the Ekranoplan never went into production. The new super-weapon came just too late. The Ekranoplan been victims of massive curtailment of the Soviet defense budgets and changing political conditions in the former Soviet Union. The further development of the Battle Ekranoplan for series production was stopped and mothballed the copies of the Ekranoplans already built. Currently, there are two copies of which are mothballed one a hangar near the Caspian Sea, and will not leave him.