https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lun-class_ekranoplan

Only one built, and it’s still on the shore of the Caspian sea:

General characteristics

  • Crew: 15 (6 officers, 9 enlisted)
  • Capacity: 137 t (302,000 lb)
  • Length: 73.8 m (242 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 44 m (144 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 19.2 m (63 ft 0 in)
  • Wing area: 550 m2 (5,900 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 286,000 kg (630,522 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 380,000 kg (837,757 lb)
  • Powerplant: 8 × Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofans, 127.4 kN (28,600 lbf) thrust each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 550 km/h (340 mph, 300 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 450 km/h (280 mph, 240 kn) at 2.5 m (8 ft)
  • Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 5 m (16 ft) in ground effect

Armament

  • Guns: two 23mm Pl-23 cannon in a twin tail turret and two 23mm Pl-23 cannon in a twin turret under forward missile tubes
  • Missiles: six launchers for P-270 Moskit Sunburn antiship missiles
  • jpreston2005@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    9 months ago

    wow, could only fly a few meters above sea level, so anytime the water was choppy, this thing just… wouldn’t be able to fly. Such an odd design

    • owen@lemmy.caEnglish
      8·
      9 months ago

      It was probably developed to push the limits of ground effect, since it can provide such a great advantage to travel efficiency. Think min-maxing to find the meta in a new competitive game.

    • infeeeee@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      6·
      9 months ago

      This and other older ekranoplanes were only used on the Caspian, Black and Baltic sea, where huge waves are rare.