

Ekranoplan - kumarski
http://englishrussia.com/2010/03/12/ekranoplan/

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manaskarekar
Saw a documentary on it a while back.

Wings of Russia: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr8N0Z4Cl0U>

In flight <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Nu94khHoo>

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robotmay
And here's a pretty good clip with James May (of Top Gear) talking about them,
and taking a ride in a modern one:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch2zs-7je_s>

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jessriedel
Does any who's not just speculating know why these aren't used today for fast
overseas transport between cities which aren't too far inland? The relevant
wikipedia section is pretty lacking.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle#Advantage...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle#Advantages_and_disadvantages)

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ErrantX
One of these featured in the recent James Bond book, Devil May Care (decent
book, not a patch on the originals).

Ground effect [1] is a really interesting phenomena.

1\. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(aircraft)>

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arethuza
They also feature in _Missile Gap_ by Charlie Stross (HN cstross):

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_Gap>

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packetslave
Also featured briefly in the epilogue of _Zero History_ by William Gibson
(Bigend buys one)

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terhechte
Similar Machines: [http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/05/ekranoplans-
showcase...](http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/05/ekranoplans-
showcase.html)

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3327
Always fascinated by these. Are the large tubes torpedo tubes on top?

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masklinn
The angled ones on the body top yes, but they're not torpedoes they're ramjet
anti-ship missiles: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-270_Moskit>

320kg warhead flying at mach 3. They're comparable to the Harpoon except carry
50% more payload and fly 3 times as fast.

On the sides of the cabin are the engines.

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3327
wow 320kg warhead. thats lots of explosive power, and speed... that is a heavy
duty missile. Good luck to Phalanx and sea sparrow stopping a a half dozen of
these (apparently china bought them)...

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icegreentea
That's why we have AEGIS cruisers and destroyers. The entire concept was
developed during the cold war specifically to counter this class (large
supersonic sea-skimming missiles) of threats.

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cstross
ITYM "large subsonic sea-skimming missiles". Moskit was specifically designed
to punch through US Aegis defenses faster than they could intercept. While
things have moved on, there's still some question over whether western naval
defense missiles such as Standard or Aster can intercept a Moskit --
especially whatever version the Russians are using, as opposed to selling to
Iran and China.

The MD-160 was intended (in the 1980s) to be a can-opener for US carrier
battle groups -- able to close at 300 knots in nap of earth, evading
detection, then launch six Moskits at once. (By way of comparison a Tu-22M or
Tu-95 could only carry one or two Moskits.) Luckily the USSR ran out of money
before they could build more than one of the things, which now sits in
mothballs (despite various proposals to build more as, e.g., passenger ferries
or high speed mobile disaster-relief hospitals).

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3327
They totally could have been a can opener. Imagine how many missiles it would
take to disable or sink a carrier - short of a nuclear device. Battle groups
are too sophisticated (if im not mistaken 2 anti-submarine destroyers). To
actually find and takedown a carrier today requires huge effort and firepower.

>While things have moved on, there's still some question over whether western
naval defense missiles such as Standard or Aster can intercept a Moskit

In April 2012, the French Navy successfully shot and downed an American
GQM-163 Coyote target. The GQM-163 Coyote was simulating a sea-skimming
supersonic anti-ship cruise missile traveling at speeds of Mach 2.5 (3000
km/h) with an altitude of less than 5 meters. The Aster 30 missile was fired
by the Horizon class frigate Forbin (D620), also present during the shoot was
Forbins sister ship Chevalier Paul (D621). The successful shooting represents
the first time a European missile defence system has intercepted and destroyed
a supersonic, sea-skimming "missile". The trial was described as a "complex
operational scenario".

But, 2.5 mach and "test case" with your own hardware, can never know what a
Russian missele is programmed to do.

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3327
i wonder how efficient it is

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3327
50% more weight and 50% less fuel than cargo plane

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jordanb
So, dramatically less efficient than modern sea freight, while lacking the
flexibility to deliver to inland airports that you get from air freight.

PS: Why did you answer your own question?

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vineel
Because he found out the answer only after asking the original question, and
answered it for anyone else who would have been curious.

~~~
3327
exactly !

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anigbrowl
In a strange way, I miss the Cold War.

