Screen effect - an increase in the bearing properties of an aircraft wing when flying at low altitudes due to the influence of the surface. Aviators first encountered its manifestation: when approaching, in close proximity to the ground, piloting the aircraft became more complicated, and the higher the aerodynamic quality of the airplane, the stronger the effect of the screen "cushion" was. From the point of view of pilots and aircraft designers, this effect is undoubtedly harmful, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that the creators of high-speed vessels are interested in the possibility of useful use of this phenomenon.
As you know, the introduction of hydrofoils made it possible to significantly, 2-3 times, increase the speed in comparison with displacement ships. However, further growth became almost impossible due to the physical phenomenon of cavitation (cold boiling from vacuum) of water on the upper surface of the hydrofoil. Vessels on an air cushion artificially created by blowers reached a speed of the order of 150-180 km / h - a level that became a limit for them due to the loss of motion stability. The ekranoplanes, supported above the surface with a dynamic air cushion, promised a solution to the problems that had arisen to further increase the speed.
Even in the pre-war period, TsAGI carried out a number of experimental and theoretical work, which made it possible to create a mathematical basis for the design and development of existing samples. The use of the ground effect gave a sharp increase in the economic efficiency of ekranoplanes in comparison with aircraft of comparable takeoff weight and payload: for an ekranoplan, flight is possible with fewer engines (or with engines of lower power) and, accordingly, with less fuel consumption than the comparable aircraft. In addition, an ekranoplane taking off from the water does not need expensive airfields that take huge territories out of land use. The advantage over SKS (hydrofoil) is in the cruising speed 4-6 times higher than the ship's and much smaller crew. However, the most promising was the use of ekranoplanes in military affairs: the secrecy of the latter was added to the above advantages - an object flying at a height of several meters is extremely difficult to detect visually or with the help of radars, which makes it possible to inflict unexpected strikes on the enemy, while remaining hardly vulnerable to return fire. Add to this maneuverability, significant payload, long range, resistance to combat damage - and you have an almost ideal vehicle for disembarking and supporting amphibious assault forces.
In the early 60s, work began on real prototypes for use in the military field - do not now forget about the time in which the events described unfolded. The leading enterprises that created a new type of technology were the Beriev Aviation Design Bureau in Taganrog (known for its seaplanes), where a group of designers under the leadership of R. L. Bartini designed a series of ekranoplanes with the designation VVA - a vertically taking off amphibian, and a shipborne Central Design Bureau for SPK named after R. E. Alekseev in Nizhny Novgorod (formerly Gorky), Of course, at that time both leaders were alive, and the organizations headed by them bore different names.
The design teams faced a lot of intractable problems: the need to create a light and at the same time durable structure capable of withstanding the impact on the crests of waves at a speed of 400-500 km / h and a flight altitude not exceeding the value of the average aerodynamic chord of the wing, on which the screen effect manifested itself. It was necessary to develop the necessary materials, since shipbuilding was too heavy, and aviation could not withstand contact with salt water and quickly corroded. The end result was impossible without reliable engines - this work was carried out by a well-known engine-building company headed by N. D. Kuznetsov, who prepared special marine modifications of the widespread turboprop - NK-12, and turbojet - NK-8-4 aircraft engines operated on An- 22 Antey, Tu-95, Tu-154 and many others.
It should be noted that attempts to create ekranoplanes were made not only in the USSR, but also in other countries of the world: Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany, the USA.
However, the need to carry out a huge amount of research and development work, comprehensive model and field research - in the absence of confidence in the ultimate success - led to the curtailment of developments when public funding was terminated. This is how a unique situation, diverging from stereotypical ideas, developed: unlike most other cases, where the priority in creating something belonged to Russia, and then was lost due to the slowness of the state bureaucratic machine, ekranoplanes, as a type of technology invented by the Finns, received their due the assessment of the "party and government", the design bureau, which launched work on the creation of combat vehicles, enjoyed unlimited support and funding. A corresponding state program was adopted, where the customer was the USSR Navy.
And if in Taganrog after the death of Robert Bartini, a talented engineer, a descendant of an Italian aristocratic family, due to his communist convictions forced to emigrate to the USSR in 1923, work on the VVA-14 ekranoplan designed under his leadership was discontinued, then in Nizhny Novgorod, development and construction were accepted the broadest scope. They were conducted in several main directions: an attack missile carrier with cruise missiles on board, an ekranoplan transport-landing craft, and an anti-submarine patrol vehicle. At the same time, the terminology was clarified: ekranoplanes began to be called ships capable of flying only on a screen cushion, while vehicles that had the ability to enter purely airplane modes were designated as ekranolets.
WIG craft VVA-14
After a series of experiments with models, during which the basic layout scheme was worked out, ten prototypes were sequentially built with a gradual increase in dimensions and take-off weights. The pinnacle of the aerodynamic solution found was the CM built in 1963 - the Model Ship of colossal dimensions: more than 100 m long, a wingspan of about 40 m and a take-off weight of over 540 tons. nickname "The Monster of the Caspian Sea" for its unusual predatory appearance. The ekranoplan has been comprehensively tested for over fifteen years and has proven the full viability of this type of technology. Unfortunately, in 1980, due to a piloting error, he crashed, resulting in significant damage, and sank.
Continuing the line of development, in 1972, the Eaglet ekranolet was launched for sea (flight) tests, intended for the transfer of amphibious assault forces at a distance of up to 1,500 km. "Eaglet" is capable of taking on board up to 200 marines with full weapons or two amphibious tanks (armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles) with crews, take off from a wave up to 2 meters and deliver troops to the landing site at a speed of 400-500 km / h. For him, any protective barriers - mine and network - are not an obstacle - he simply flies over them. After landing on the water and reaching a relatively gentle shore, the "Eaglet" disembarks people and equipment through the bow reclining to the right. On tests, in one of the test flights, the ekranolet showed amazing survivability, having received fatal damage to the ship, and even more so to the aircraft. From hitting the water at the "Orlyonok" stern came off with a keel, horizontal tail and main engine NK-12MK. However, the pilots were not at a loss, and, having increased the speed of the nose takeoff and landing engines, they did not allow the ekranolet to plunge into the water and brought the car to the shore. The cause of the accident, apparently, was the cracks in the tail section of the hull, obtained during previous flights and not noticed in time. On new copies, the fragile structural material K482T1 was replaced by the aluminum-magnesium alloy AMG61. A total of five Eaglet-type ekranoliters were built: "Double" - for static tests; S-23 - the first flight prototype made of K482T1 alloy (developed after the accident); S-21, built in 1977; S-25, assembled in 1980 and S-26, commissioned in 1983. All of them became part of the naval aviation, and on their basis the 11th separate air group was formed directly subordinate to the General Staff of Naval Aviation. One of them was also lost in 1992 in a disaster during which one crew member was killed.
Ekranoplan Double
According to some information, the state program provided for the construction of 100 (!) "Eaglets". Finally, this figure was adjusted to 24, serial assembly was to be carried out by shipyards in Nizhny Novgorod and Feodosia. However, these plans were not destined to materialize. In 1985, Dmitry Ustinov, the USSR Minister of Defense and a former People's Commissar (Minister), died under Stalin. In the days of Ustinov, the production of the latest types of weapons in general and ekranoplanes in particular was actively developing. The new Defense Minister Sergei Sokolov, a dashing tanker in the past and a figure with a broad vision limited to a triplex tank, closed the ekranoplan construction program, and preferred to spend the funds allocated for it on expanding the nuclear submarine fleet, after which the Navy lost interest in its unique unit, and The once top secret base in the city of Kaspiysk, located on the shores of the sea of the same name, a few kilometers from the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala, is gradually falling into disrepair - funds are allocated only for the maintenance of personnel. The flight personnel, who, before arriving in the group, flew mainly on Be-12 anti-submarine amphibious aircraft, have a minimum annual flight time of 30 hours - “on other types of aircraft”: ekranoplans are not in flight condition partly due to resource depletion, partly due to the lack of all the same funding, and therefore spare parts, materials, fuel.
Tarus - Anti-submarine amphibious aircraft Be-12
In the same way as the branch of Eaglet-class ground-effect vehicles, the branch of the Lun attack missile carriers also dries up. Occupying an intermediate position in size and starting weight between KM and Orlyonok, Lun is also unique in its kind. In fact, being a high-speed transport and launch platform for supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles ZM80 of the Mosquito complex, developed by the Raduga Design Bureau, it has the power of an onboard salvo - 6 container-type launchers - comparable to a salvo of a missile cruiser, surpassing it in speed applied in 10 once. The advantage in maneuverability and stealth is out of the question. It is also important that the cost of construction and operation of "Lun" is much cheaper. Of course, ekranoplanes are not capable of replacing missile carriers, and this was not foreseen. But for action in relatively limited areas, which are, for example. Baltic, Black or Mediterranean seas, squadrons of "Lune" could effectively complement warships. Now one built attack "Lun" stands on the territory of the base in Kaspiysk, presenting a sad sight, evoking associations with a stuffed dinosaur on display in the paleontological museum. The second, according to some information, is being completed in a search and rescue version.
Faced with the absence of the main customer, the Alekseev Central Design Bureau is trying to catch the wind of conversion in its sails. On the basis of existing projects, civilian modifications of the "Orlyonok" and "Lunya" are being developed. One of them - research - MAGE (Arctic Marine Geological Exploration Ekranoplan). But the main hopes are connected with two small ekranoplanes: the Volga-2 boat on a dynamic air cushion (a variant of the simplest ekranoplan) and the new Strizh multipurpose ekranoplane. Both devices were built and are undergoing development tests in Nizhny Novgorod. With them, CDB is counting on commercial success in the international market. There are already proposals from Iran, the government intends to purchase a series of "Swifts" in a patrol and patrol version for its navy in the Persian Gulf. Serial production is organized at a shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod. The ekranolet is a two-seater vehicle 11.4 m long and a wingspan of 6.6 m. The takeoff weight is 1630 kg. "Strizh" has a maximum speed of 200 km / h and has a flight range of 500 km. It is equipped with two VAZ-4133 rotary piston engines with a capacity of 150 hp. with. each rotating five-blade propellers with a diameter of 1.1 m. The airframe is mainly made of aluminum-magnesium alloy.
As mentioned above, the Russian navy does not have the funds to purchase shock and transport-assault ground vehicles, and although certain hopes for the construction of anti-submarine modifications remain, nevertheless, in the current difficult economic and political situation, these hopes look very illusory. The situation is no better with the financing of civil development - it was planned to allocate 200 million rubles from the budget by the end of 1993, the amount sufficient, according to the chief designer of the "Orlenok" Viktor Sokolov, to continue the work, but transferred to the account of the Central Design Bureau … two million.
Recently, the story with ekranoplanes has taken a completely unexpected turn.
Having analyzed the prospects of this type of technology and came to the conclusion that there is a significant, to put it mildly, backlog of work (due to the actual lack of such) in the field of ekranoplan construction, the US Congress created a special commission called upon to develop an action plan to eliminate the "Russian breakthrough". The members of the commission suggested asking for help … to the Russians themselves and went directly to the Central Design Bureau for the SEC, the leadership of the latter notified Moscow and received permission from the State Defense Industry Committee and the Ministry of Defense to negotiate with the Americans under the auspices of the Commission on Export Control of Arms, Military Equipment and Technologies of the Ministry of Defense RF. And in order not to draw too much attention to the subject of the negotiations, the curious Yankees offered to use the services of an American firm under the neutral name "Russian-American Science" (RAS), and with its mediation a delegation of overseas specialists got the opportunity to visit the Central Design Bureau for the SEC, to meet with the designers of ekranoplanes, find out, if possible, the details of interest. Then the Russian side kindly agreed to organize a visit by American researchers to the base in Kaspiysk, where they were able, without restrictions, to photograph and videotape the Orlyonok prepared for the flight specially for this visit.
Who was part of the American "landing"? The head of the delegation is US Air Force Colonel Francis, who heads the program to create a promising tactical fighter. Under his leadership were prominent specialists from research centers, including NASA, as well as representatives of aircraft manufacturing companies in America. Among them, the most famous person was Bert Rutan, who designed the Voyager aircraft of the unconventional aerodynamic design, on which his brother made a non-stop round-the-world flight. In addition, according to the representatives of the Russian competent authorities present at the show, the delegation included persons who, on duty for years, had collected information about Soviet ekranoplanes in all possible ways and for the first time unexpectedly had the opportunity to see with their own eyes - and even touch - the object of their close attention.
As a result of these visits, which cost the American taxpayers only 200 thousand dollars, our new friends will be able to save several billion and significantly, by 5-6 years, reduce the development time for their own ekranoplan projects. US representatives are raising the issue of organizing joint activities to close their gap in this area. The ultimate goal is the creation of an airborne ground effect vehicle with a takeoff weight of up to 5,000 tons for the American rapid reaction forces. The entire program may require $ 15 billion. How much of this amount can be invested in Russian science and industry - and whether it will be invested at all - is still unclear. With such an organization of negotiations, when the received 200 thousand dollars do not cover the costs of the Central Design Bureau and the pilot plant I in the amount of 300 million rubles for bringing the Orlyonok to flight condition, one cannot count on the mutually beneficial cooperation.
The reaction of the responsible official of the Commission for Export Control of Arms, Military Equipment and Technologies of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Andrey Logvinenko to the unexpected appearance in Kaspiysk (at the same time with the Americans) of representatives of the press leads to doubts about the benefits of such contacts for the state interests of Russia. Officially referring to considerations of secrecy (!), He tried to prohibit journalists from entering the base, and in a private conversation that followed then explained that his task was to prevent leakage of information to the press about Russian-American contacts regarding ekranoplanes and added that after the departure of the Americans we can film and write whatever we want, but without mentioning a word about the American visit to the former secret facility.
Who can confidently predict events that may occur in a year or two, and even more so by the beginning of the next century? It is quite possible that after a relatively short period of time, the United States will deploy its fleet of fast and invulnerable ekranoliters, in the guise of which the contours of their Russian prototypes will be recognized, and Russia will have to take adequate measures, costing an amount hundreds or thousands of times higher than the funds that someone expects to receive. The ideological confrontation is over, hopefully, forever, but the geopolitical interests of America and Russia do not always coincide, and if anyone has misconceptions about this, then this circumstance cannot serve as a basis for the sale abroad at unprofitable prices of information on the latest defense technologies.
Looking through the documents of the correspondence between the Central Design Bureau for the SPK named after R. E. Alekseev with numerous state institutions on the issues of ekranoplan construction, you are once again convinced with what difficulty new unique developments make their way. In a few years, we would not have to make up for lost time, let alone buy something we invented in the West and then rejected in our own country.
Brief technical description of the landing craft "Eaglet"
Eaglet ekranoplan is designed according to the normal aerodynamic configuration. It is a three-engine low-wing aircraft with a T-shaped tail unit and a boat fuselage. The airframe structure is made mainly of AMG61 alloy, as well as steel. Radiotransparent surfaces are made of composite materials. The airframe is protected from corrosion by electrochemical protectors and special coatings.
Fuselage. Has a beam-stringer load-bearing structure. It houses a cockpit and a crew rest room, compartments for radio-electronic and radio communication equipment, a cargo compartment 28.0 m long, 3.4 m wide with a load floor and mooring units, as well as a compartment for the auxiliary power plant and on-board units that provide autonomous starting of the main power plant engines and operation of hydraulic and electrical systems. For loading and unloading equipment and people behind the cockpit, a power connector is provided, with the help of which the nose of the fuselage is turned to the right side by 90 °. The bottom of the hull-boat is formed by a system of redans and two hydro-skis, on which the main and nose landing gear are attached.
Wing. The aerodynamic layout of the wing is optimized for flight near the screen: large angle of attack, small - 3.25 - aspect ratio and sweep 15 °. Along the trailing edge of each wing, there are 5-sectional flaps-ailerons with deflection angles of + 42 ° … -10 °. On the lower surface of the consoles, along the leading edge, there are special launch flaps with a front axis of rotation and a deflection angle of 70 °. The wing mechanization is used on takeoff to create a gas cushion separating the ekranoplan from the water. At the ends of the bearing planes, floats are installed with an auxiliary chassis mounted on them. Structurally, the wing consists of a center section and two consoles with a multi-spar coffered power scheme.
Tail unit. In order to reduce the effect of the screen on the stability and controllability of the ekranolet, as well as to prevent water splashes from entering the engine and propeller blades, a T-shaped tail unit is used on the Orlyonok. The stabilizer has a 45 ° leading edge sweep and is equipped with four-section elevators. The 40 ° sweep vertical tail is integral with the fuselage.
Chassis. Consists of two-wheeled bow and ten-wheeled main supports with non-braking tires. Swivel nose wheels. There are no support flaps. The design of the chassis together with the ski-shock-absorbing device and air inflation ensure passability on almost any surface: soil, snow, ice.
Power point. Includes two starting turbojet engines NK-8-4K (static maximum thrust 10.5 t) and sustainer turboprop KN-12MK (static maximum thrust 15.5 t). The rotary nozzles of the starting engines make it possible to direct the jet jets under the wing in the inflation mode (during takeoff or landing), or over the wing if it is necessary to increase the thrust in cruising flight. The engines are started using an auxiliary power unit EA-6A. Fuel tanks are located at the root of the wing.
Systems and equipment. On board the ekranoplan, the Ekran navigation system is installed with a survey radar in a fairing on a pillar in the upper nose of the fuselage. The nose cone houses the Ekran-4 high-resolution anti-collision navigation radar antenna. The Orlenok is equipped with an automatic flight control system similar to aviation autopilots, which allows piloting both in manual and automatic modes. The hydraulic system provides the drive of the steering surfaces, wing mechanization, cleaning and release of the landing gear and hydro-skis, the rotation of the reclining nose of the fuselage. The electrical system provides current for flight and navigation, radio communication and electrical equipment. The ekranoplan is equipped with specific ship devices: nautical navigation lights and anchor and towing accessories.
Armament. On board the "Eaglet" in a rotating turret a defensive double-barreled machine gun "Utes" of 14.5 mm caliber is installed.
EKRANOPLAN
