Conquerors of water and air: "miracle" -screens of Rostislav Alekseev
Ekranoplan "Lun"
100 years ago in the city of Novozybkov (now the Bryansk region) was born a man who was destined to create one of the most amazing cars on Earth - WIG, combining the features of an airplane and a ship.
Rostislav Evgenievich Alekseev was born in 1916 year in the family of an agronomist and teacher. In 1933, the Alekseevs family moved to Gorky, where Rostislav went to study at the Gorky evening work school, while at the same time working as a draftsman and artist. In the same years he began to practice sailing.
Alekseev became interested in the idea of increasing speed on the water during his studies at the transport and engineering department of the Gorky Industrial (Polytechnic) Institute named after Zhdanov. Rostislav Evgenievich came to the Krasnoe Sormovo plant with his diploma project. During the Great Patriotic War, he began work at the factory in the Quality Control Department for acceptance tanks T-34. Out of hours, he tests the first hydrofoil model. In 1943, the launch of the first hydrofoil boat took place.
Subsequently, for the creation of the first domestic torpedo boats on hydrofoils, Alekseev and a group of his associates who were directly involved in the work, in 1951, the Stalin Prize was awarded.
From 1952, a Research Experimental Hydrodynamic Laboratory was established on the basis of a hydrodynamic laboratory and an experimental tank workshop, which subsequently grew into the Central Design Bureau for hydrofoil vessels.
Since 1960, the Central Design Bureau has been developing ekranoplan designs. In total, about 40 projects of these ships were developed, more than 30 units of various purposes were built. The transition from hydrofoil to air wings made it possible to remove restrictions on the speed of ships and bring it closer to aviation.
WHAT IS SCREENPLAN
The ekranoplan is an apparatus that uses the so-called screen effect, which consists in the property of a wing moving near the surface of the sea or even land, to increase lift and reduce drag. The effect is greater, the smaller the distance of the wing from the surface.
Ekranoplans have airspeed of movement, but do not require airfields, have a large carrying capacity, can be operated over any relatively flat surface. On seaworthiness restrictions for ekranoplans exist only during takeoff and landing.
The winged surface effect vehicle (as opposed to an airplane) has a special profile and shape, maximally adapted for the effective use of the incident flow, which is compressed between the wing and the surface ("screen").
Large ekranoplans, equipped with engine jetting under the wing, have seaworthiness on take-off and landing up to 5 points, and in flight their seaworthiness is practically unlimited. This ensures a high regularity of movement of an airplane.
Sea ekranoplan has much more safety in flight than airplanes, because the airfield is always under it, and even the simultaneous failure of all engines allows it to perform a safe landing on the water. The ekranoplan can fly over shallow water, which is not available to high-speed vessels.
The speed and controllability of ground effect vehicles, as well as the ability to quickly increase the flight altitude, allow you to safely disperse from ships and other obstacles.
FAMOUS "MOON" AND "Eaglet"
Ekranoplan "Lun"
In 1966, the first experimental full-scale naval warship "Ship-mock-up" (KM) with ten aircraft turbojet engines was created.
The pilot sea transport assault landing vehicle Eaglet (C-21, laid in 1970 year) built at the Volga plant in 1973 made the first test output in the technological configuration on the Volga River.
In 1982, a group of two marine transport and landing craft "Orlyonok" during the exercises on the Caspian Sea demonstrated unprecedented speed and secrecy, delivering marines from Baku to Krasnovodsk and returning in just three hours. The division of these ekranoplanes was part of the Red Banner Caspian flotilla.
In 1989, after the shooting, the first in stories world technology experienced shock ekranoplan-rocket carrier "Lun".
In 1992-m, the project of an experienced search and rescue WIG model "Rescuer" was created and approved on the basis of the material part of the second built model of an WLG.
Ekranoplan "Lun"
The take-off weight is up to 400 tons, the flight speed is up to 550 km / h, the capacity is 150 – 500 people, the hospital-medical complex is unprecedented for aircraft in scale.
Analogs to the previously created ekranoplans with similar characteristics of take-off weight, speed indicators and seaworthiness do not exist.
Today TsKB on hydrofoil vessels to them. R.E. Alekseeva leads the development of a number of ekranoplan projects for various application areas, with different take-off mass and a range of speed characteristics. EKP projects can be used for the transportation of passengers, urgent cargo delivery, as well as for solving the problems of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The ekranoplan in contrast to the aircraft does not imply a change in pressure associated with a change in altitude, as well as "air holes" and "bumpiness."
EKP designs are more technological than planes, which gives a slightly lower cost. Infrastructure for maintenance and safety of ekranoplans is less costly. Ekranoplans can take off from the water at a considerable distance from the coast, which means that they can produce less noise in the city than airplanes and move from the port in the "small gas" mode. The parameters of the exhaust gases of engines comply with the requirements of international standards and, compared with aircraft, are neutralized faster by the surface of the sea.
Operation of WIG is possible in all climatic zones. Most advantageous is their use in the south. Ekranoplans are particularly effective, ranging from 600 – 800 tons of carrying capacity. Depending on the setting of tasks, a ground-drive vehicle may have a minimum crew size. An amphibious landing vehicle can transport up to 50% of take-off weight.
The flight range of the ground effect vehicle is commensurate with the performance of aviation technology. For a water based ekranoplan, a pontoon dock is needed, the rest of the equipment is required the same as for aircraft. For training pilots accumulated the necessary base. Learning how to control ground effect vehicles will be easier for pilots with experience in managing seaplanes.
CIVIL PROJECTS
Ship-ekranoplan "Ship-layout"
At the moment, experts are working on the creation of projects of high-speed boats of the new generation "Sagaris", "Tourmalin", "Goldfinger". The exterior of these ships has a futuristic design, according to the CDB.
The Central Design Bureau for the SEC in the territory of its own research and production complex is building a prototype hydrofoil vessel (SEC) "Valdai 45Р". The prototypes of this vessel are the SEC "Belarus" and "Polesie".
The Vimpel plant is building the leading hydrofoil ship Comet 120M. A great experience has been gained in creating ships and boats with an air cavity on the bottom with a displacement from 100 to 400 tons and speeds from 30 to 60 nodes: a speedboat Serna, a landing craft Dugong, patrol boats Mercury and Sokhoi, a passenger boat ship "Linda".
One of the new developments is the high-speed expedition ship KVK 1200. The ship is able to solve a whole range of tasks: implementation of research and development, geological exploration, environmental monitoring; transportation of fuel and energy complex; the implementation of freight transport; participation in rescue operations. On the basis of the KVK 1200 platform, the concept of an "intelligent ship" was implemented, providing a high level of management efficiency. The command complex is concentrated in one place and allows for constant monitoring of all life support systems of the ship and the state of the crew.
Rostislav Alekseev’s design ideas were ahead of time by decades. We can say that the word "ekranoplan", which is commonly spoken in Russian all over the world, has come down from the light hand of the ingenious designer.
It was under the leadership of Alekseev that the ships for the transport of goods and passengers on rivers and seas managed to reach speeds of 200, 300 and even 500 km / h. High-speed vessels of the Central Design Bureau for SEC are recognized by classification societies of the USA, Italy, France and other shipbuilding powers.
The ships designed under Alekseev were operated not only in the USSR, but also were exported to Italy, Greece, Cuba, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary and other countries.
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