The US Department of Defense has chosen promising ekranoplan projects from Aurora Flight Sciences and General Atomics

The US Department of Defense has opted for promising ekranoplans on the projects of Aurora Flight Sciences and General Atomics. About it writes the publication The Drive.

According to the publication, the peculiarity of the Aurora Flight Sciences project is the use of a single-hull design and eight engines. General Atomics has a twin-hull ekranoplan design with twelve engines.

After selecting projects, it is necessary to determine the design itself and the capabilities of a promising ekranoplan. If the Pentagon decides on the project of one of the companies, then the promising ekranoplan will be used for the sea transportation of heavy loads, which will bring it closer in functionality to the C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft.

The US military argues that the ekranoplane should be able to work even in assault conditions, to rise to a height of up to three kilometers above sea level. Note that the creation of ekranoplanes is planned as part of the Liberty Lifter program. The Office of Advanced Research Projects of the US Department of Defense is responsible for this area of ​​work.

Recall that the ground effect implies a sharp increase in the lift of the wing near the surface of the water or land, which makes it possible to increase the takeoff weight. Previously, several powerful ekranoplanes were created in the Soviet Union. Actually, now American companies are trying to surpass Soviet developers using more modern technologies.

Comments

[Lykases1]

Let them do it. The pros and cons of this technique are known. That's why we don't deal with ekranoletov? Really interesting.

[ivan1979nkl]

don't do a lot of things. Serious funding is needed, but banks are not interested, because banks are under the influence of GlavBank (FRS)

[Beaver]

It is not interesting, especially for developers. Our people's priorities have shifted to the area of ​​personal wealth and leisure, and this does not mean working with your head

[alexoff]

Well, let's say the developers develop, advertise on TV, journalists talk about another analogue, the Ministry of Defense will ignore it and spend a maximum of 10 years on tests until the developers die of hunger.

[Beaver]

They won't develop. A lot of money is allocated, zero sense

[yho]

No money. You yourself know that 300 billion dollars have been stolen from us.

[Mister X]

ekranoplan should be able to work even in assault
conditions

How's that?

[ProkletyiPirat]

Quote: Lykases1

That's why we don't deal with ekranoletov? Really interesting.

in short then:
1) we don’t have a theater for them, in theory only the Caspian Sea and that’s it, in all the rest there are problems and shortcomings that, if solvable, then the solution is less cost-effective relative to other developments for the same tasks.
2) the main reason is that ekranoplans, when introduced, will not allow abandoning submarines, ships and aviation, because ekranoplans cannot solve the entire range of their tasks, but on the contrary it is quite possible.

[Lykases1]

You almost misunderstood, or I wrote it wrong. Not an ekranoplan, in my opinion there are more problems from it, namely an ekranoplan, in my opinion it was called a "crew". Something like a UFO. His performance characteristics were interesting, and the current samples are ready, but something went wrong.

[Viktor Sergeev]

That's right, the USSR ditched a lot of money for this hopelessness, even if the United States will now try.

[Trapp1st]

The USSR ditched a lot of money for this hopelessness

Of course, there were fools, not like now ...

[mark1]

Quote: Trapp1st

Fools were, not like now ...

Yeees! - now the d / to the wrong one went)))
It's strange why some people get this word and others don't...

[Vladimir80]

there is not entirely hopelessness, rather, the advantages of an ekranoplan only when flying at a certain height above a smooth surface, during maneuvers, storms, obstacles, etc. he is forced to fly like a regular plane, while the glider is not well suited for this ... most likely the Americans will solve this problem by introducing an advanced "autopilot" that compensates for the low performance of an ekranoplan (like an airplane)

[Myths]

Here rather a variable shape of the wing will help. But the design of the ekranoplan and its weight when flying like an airplane is not profitable both in terms of speed and fuel consumption. Therefore, they planned to use them only as drones for the delivery of goods. The picture is beautiful, this creature is trying to take off in a sea filled with ice) And by the way, they still have not been able to create a large ekranoplan. And then they were afraid of Soviet developments, such a rocket plane and with its delivery speed was able to intercept almost any fleet.

[Egeny]

There were good examples. Maybe they will come to their senses at the top ...

I didn’t understand something ... the American "ekranoplan" in the video ... cartoonish?

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote from Egeni

I didn’t understand something ... the American "ekranoplan" in the video ... cartoonish?

Cartoony of course. This is clearly visible. And our "Caspian monster" is real.

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote: Victor Sergeev

That's right, the USSR ditched a lot of money for this hopelessness, even if the United States will now try.

Right. The USSR did not bring the matter to mind, the GK R.E. died. Alekseev, and mattress covers, using his developments, will create a working ekranoplan.

[shikin]

It is foolish to dispute the effect of the screen - everything has been studied for a long time. So, the question is to correctly use this effect - with the right tasks and with the right design. And "unpromising" - at one time, rockets were only good for fireworks

[alstr]

If so. For example, the most promising scheme of an ekranoplan - a flying wing - has not yet been fully studied.
So there is something to study.

[1razvgod]

For the first time in the history of Russia, not enemies but partners kill. These concepts should not be confused, the guarantor does not confuse, and we should not

[Leader_Barmaleev]

And our Lun, Orlyonok and other outstanding ekranoplans are rotting on the Caspian shallows. Again invented and catching up ...

[Myths]

Can you find the space monster on the latest satellite map?!

[frei67]

in the Derbent region should be on the shallows

[kot423]

3 km above sea level - never an ekranoplan, but an ordinary flyer, only taking into account the overload and clouds of engines, you can forget about fuel economy. In general, the usual PR bullshit from mattresses.

[shikin]

At one time, ekranoplans were also developed in the Novosibirsk Design Bureau Bartini in the 60-70s. The main mode is the screen mode, but if necessary, it could also go to a height of up to 10000 meters.

[kot423]

Quote from shikin

could reach a height of up to 10000 meters.

Yes, even in space, it doesn't matter. The essence of the ekranoplan is an increased carrying capacity with optimal fuel consumption. Google how much the Caspian monster ate for the flight, and estimate how much it would have devoured for 3 km ... Behind it, it was necessary to hook 10 fuel tanks with a trailer, not to mention 10 km, there is generally a kilometer train. And the mattresses have 8-12 engines, will it be accompanied by 5 tankers? That's why I say, stupid PR mattresses of the next shit.

[shikin]

And what does the number of engines have to do with it? There are many engines on an ekranoplan to create a distributed gas cushion, so there are many less powerful ones. Yes, several engines will have a slightly higher consumption than one of the total power, but not at times. It would be quite possible to get by with one hybrid - one engine and many of the same propellers or other propellers, but this has only just begun to develop.
Of course, at altitude, the flow rate will increase significantly, since this is not the main flight mode. Many 4th generation combat aircraft can fly supersonic, but this is also not the main mode for them.

[kot423]

Quote from shikin

So it's not the main flight mode.

Have you carefully read the article + imagine the principle of the screen during flight? Well, if not the main one, but storms do not end in 5 minutes. Now try to justify the flight mode for 3 km for XNUMX hours during a storm, fuel consumption with increased load + fuel itself. What's in the exhaust? Naked, very fat wasser? The same with the tanker fitting, will the costs be justified?

[shikin]

Storm is different. And the screen with large dimensions operates up to 15 meters (maybe more) - such conclusions were made during test flights of the Bartini ekranoplan.
And in a strong storm, with a wave height of more than 10 meters, I think it is unlikely that anyone will fly not only on an ekranoplan, but also on an ordinary cargo plane. And just in a storm, few will fly.

[alexoff]

And why should Americans save fuel? They will bring him up by tankers, they will line up in a queue. Well, they can calibrate the screen effect according to the weather - if it’s good, then more cargo, if it’s bad, then less and fly closer.

[Bingo]

Umm... Doesn't it bother anyone that the ekranoplan flies just above the surface, is that why it's called that? What are "3 km above the ground"?! It will no longer be an ekranoplan, there is no screen effect

[al3x]

Judging by the presented photos and videos, it will have electric propulsion, it is interesting what will be the source of electricity generation, perhaps a mini reactor.

[Ulan.1812]

Quote from Bingo

Umm... Doesn't it bother anyone that the ekranoplan flies just above the surface, is that why it's called that? What are "3 km above the ground"?! It will no longer be an ekranoplan, there is no screen effect

"Serpent Gorynych" Bartini used the effect of the screen and rose to a height.

[Xenofont]

Such a device has a name - ekranolet. It didn’t seem to be in the metal and the characteristics could only be presented theoretical. Heavily overloaded and with dubious aerodynamics, he must eat fuel without measure, so he can fly without a screen only in emergency situations and not for long, in jump mode.

[Ulan.1812]

Folk wisdom has answers to all questions.
So here, we don’t store what we have, having lost weeping.
We will chase again.

[solar]

Ekranoplan and ekranoplan are not the same thing.
An ekranoplan is a ship that uses a screen effect when moving. In fact, this is a type of hovercraft.
And an ekranolet is an aircraft capable of flying over relatively long distances using the ground effect. But he can also fly at high altitudes.
Here, it seems, we are talking about ekranoletov. So far, as far as I know, not a single working ekranolet has been created in the world, only projects and models.

[yho]

In Russia, a new generation ekranoplan A-050 ("Chaika2") is being developed.
A hundred military or nine tons of cargo can be on board the ship.
Despite the high scores and bold plans of development organizations, the real prospects for the sample have not been determined. Moreover, the future of the entire direction of ekranoplanes remains unclear.
Materials for the development of the A-050 were first presented in 2011. The designers then claimed that if there was an order, the first sample of the vessel could be built by the mid-2010s. Modification A-050-742D was presented in 2017, at the same time information appeared that the construction of Chaika-2 could be completed in 2019-2020.
Developer website: http://www.ckbspk.ru/products/ekranoplanyi

[Andriuha077]

The Be-2500 "Neptun" is a Soviet and Russian project of a super-heavy amphibious transport aircraft, developed since the late 1980s, provides for the possibility of performing seaplane flights both in screen, above the water surface, and in high-altitude modes.
takeoff weight: 2500 tons;
maximum payload: up to 1000 tons;
cruising speed:
in high-altitude mode - 770 km / h;
on screen mode - 450 km / h;
(There is no mention of the project in the state program "Development of the aviation industry for 2012-2013" adopted at the end of 2025.) TANTK them. Berieva, together with TsAGI, began the development of a giant transport super-aircraft, called the Project 2500, Vzglyad.ru writes.
The creation of an aircraft, according to the designers, may take 15-20 years. What technical characteristics it will have, is not reported. On Sunday, at a press conference dedicated to the end of the Gidroaviasalon-2010, Viktor Kobzev, general director of the Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex named after Beriev, announced a new development. This is a giant aircraft, which is being created jointly with the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute.
The superplane was named "Project 2500". Its creation will require from 15 to 20 years. If the project is completed successfully, the offspring of aircraft manufacturers will be able to carry out a non-stop transatlantic flight with a large load.
“Previously, these were dreams, and now necessary technologies have appeared for their implementation,” Kobzev noted. “There are even engines, however, while abroad, capable of carrying such an aircraft.”
According to him, the passenger and cargo transportation market is growing, even despite the crisis, by 3 – 5% per year, so soon global transport companies will not be able to do with traditional cargo aircraft.
“We are looking not only at the oversized cargo market, but also at the maritime container transportation market: with this aircraft, we will be able to take part of it from seafarers,” Mr. Kobzev specified.

Who was part of the American "landing"? The head of the delegation is Colonel of the US Air Force Francis, who heads the program for creating a promising tactical fighter. Under his leadership were prominent specialists from research centers, including from NASA, as well as representatives of American aircraft manufacturing companies. Among them, the most famous person was Bert Rutan, who designed the aircraft of the unconventional aerodynamic scheme "Voyazher", on which several years ago his brother made a nonstop round-the-world flight. In addition, according to representatives of the Russian authorities present at the show, the delegation included persons who, over the years, collected information in all possible ways about Soviet ekranoplans and for the first time suddenly 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 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 ekranoplane projects.
2010
https://topwar.ru/691-orlenok.html

[dfk-80]

The ekranoplan is at least faster than a ship and more carrying capacity than an airplane. Accordingly, you can part of the weight on armor and weapons

[Ax Matt]

If it can take off for 3 km, then this is already an ekranolet. These are somewhat different systems. I am sure that our long-standing developments that went to the west, which no one here was particularly interested in at one time, were not spared. Now, as always ... we will catch up and compensate.

[Kirill Prozorovski]

Apparently it is important for them to storm the coast. There are no missiles, or everything is suppressed. And we can't land troops, they'll shoot us. You can't offend anyone.