The first Soviet ekranoplans - experimental ekranoplanes CM
The ekranoplan - in the official Soviet classification the so-called dynamic air cushion ships - vehicles with high speed, flying within the limits of the aerodynamic screen, that is, at a relatively low altitude (up to several meters) from the surface of water, ice, snow or earth. With equal speed and mass, the winged surface of the airplane was significantly smaller than that of the aircraft. According to the International Classification (IMO), this type of equipment belongs to sea vessels.
Ekranoplans are unique devices that can be operated on a wide variety of routes, including those that are inaccessible to ordinary ships. Together with higher seaworthiness and hydroaerodynamic qualities than other high-speed vessels, W-RVs almost always have amphibious properties. They are able to move not only along the water surface, but also along solid (ice, earth, snow) and also be based on it. Thus, WIG combines the best qualities of the aircraft and the vessel.
It should be noted that the development of shipbuilding was associated with solving a rather acute problem of increasing the maximum speed of vessels. In this case, the maximum speed of displacement vessels is limited by the wave resistance and is of the order of 25-30 km / h for river and 50-60 km / h for seagoing ships. Application to reduce the wave resistance of hydrofoils or planing allows you to bring these figures to 100-120 km / h. However, due to their low seaworthiness, the speedboats were not widely used in practice and were preserved mainly only as sports vessels. At the same time, various hydrofoil vessels became much more widespread, and the Russian scientist and designer R. E. Alekseev (1916-1980) made a decisive contribution to their creation. The efforts of this designer in the 1940-60-ies of the XX century was created by the Soviet sea and river passenger fleet on hydrofoils, which retains world leadership in high-speed water transport to this day.
Back in 1940-ies, working on projects of torpedo boats on hydrofoils, Alekseev ran into the problem of hydrofoil cavitation — a phenomenon associated with boiling water in the dilution zone, which drastically reduces its hydrodynamic characteristics, violates the flow around the wing, limits the economically feasible the speed of movement of a hydrofoil with a maximum speed in 100 km / h. So it was possible to find out that hydrofoil vessels turned out to be unpromising in relation to work to further increase their speed characteristics.
This discovery was one of the main reasons in shipbuilding for the revitalization of work on finding a new principle of vessel traffic, which would be free from the noted fundamental flaws - cavitation and wave barriers. Eliminating these barriers, at the same time getting rid of both wave formation and cavitation, would be possible only by eliminating the vessel’s contact with the surface of the water.
Work on such vessels was begun in the 1930-40-ies of the XX century, when the first real proposals for the creation of vessels using aerodynamic support forces. It took a significant amount of time and effort to create such vessels that could compete on equal terms with already existing technical solutions. Such vessels for the first time in world practice were represented by the Russian high-speed ships-ekranoplans designed by Alekseev — the impact ekranoplan “Lun” and the landing ekranoplan “Orlyonok”.
However, the path to the creation of these machines was quite long. The first domestic proposals for the use of aerodynamic forces near the screen when moving high-speed ships R. E. Alekseev expressed in the 1947 year, and in the 1958 year he led the work on the creation of practical EKP samples for the needs of the Soviet Navy. On the basis of the scientific and experimental base established by the designer for the development of high-speed ships, by the time of 1960, the first aerohydrodynamic layout of an airplane was created, called the “tandem” or “two-point”. It was a logical realization of the ship’s scheme on 2's lightly submerged hydrofoils.
In 1961, the first self-propelled model of an WIG was created and built under this scheme, known as CM-1. 22 July of the same year during the tests the first flight of the Soviet WIG was performed. In the first test flight, the machine was piloted by R. E. Alekseev himself, who was the head of the Central Design Bureau for the SEC and the chief designer of the apparatus. By the autumn of 1961, the ground-driving vehicle was mastered to such an extent that, being completely confident in the reliability of the vehicle, he began to invite guests from Moscow to the demonstration flights. The flights of the first Soviet ekranoplan SM-1 were demonstrated, in particular, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S. G. Gorshkov, secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU D. F. Ustinov, Chairman of the State Committee for Civil Engineering B. E. Butome. Demonstrations of the capabilities of the wig were more than convincing. The distinguished guests from the capital appreciated the novelty and expressed a desire to ride an ekranoplane, under the personal responsibility of R. E. Alekseev. Their desire was granted. In the process of testing SM-1 was able to reach speeds of the order of 200 km / h.
Further work was carried out to improve the aero-hydrodynamic layout of the apparatus. The new self-propelled model, the CM-2, was ready in the 1962 year. To improve its takeoff and landing characteristics, for the first time in world practice, engines were used to lift the carrier under the wing. Alekseev put forward the idea of inflation even at the end of 1959, but it took a whole range of experiments to be done before it was possible to develop practical recommendations on the choice of the concept of blowing. The aero-hydrodynamic layout implemented on the CM-2, became the prototype of the layout of all the first domestic W-ray screens.
At the suggestion of Ustinov, who was already familiar with the project, at the beginning of May 1962, the SM-2 ekranoplan was shown personally to N. S. Khrushchev, as well as to other members of the Soviet government. The demonstration was organized on the waters of the Khimki reservoir near Moscow, not far from the Khrushchev dacha. From Gorky, the ground-effect vehicle was delivered to the Moscow region by a Mi-10K helicopter crane. Although during the performance of the demonstration flights, the CM-2 was never able to go into the design modes, the ground-wing vehicle (WIG) managed to make a rather favorable impression on Khrushchev. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the state program was soon adopted, which included the creation of new ekranoplans, as well as the creation of combat ekranoplans for the needs of the Navy and other types of troops. At the same time, it was decided to build a full-size experimental ground-effect vehicle (WIG), designated KM.
In the 1962, another ekranoplan was ready, which was different from those already created, it received the designation CM-3. The ekranoplan was built to conduct aerodynamic layout studies using a small wing extension. It was implemented scheme blowing under the wing: nozzles located in the toe of the wing on its lower surface created a jet curtain along the entire leading edge, while the engines themselves were located in the fuselage.
In the 1963 year, another sample of the experimental ground-effect vehicle was prepared, designated CM-4. It was a further development of the CM-3 model with two engines - a sustainer and a starter, as well as a crew increased to 3. Behind the nozzle of the first engine was located the gas steering wheel to control the ekranoplan at low speeds. The adjustable nozzle system of the starting engine sent gas jets under the winged surface effect vehicle.
In the same year 1963, the construction of a large-scale copy of a giant CM WI called CM-5 was completed, the copy was made on the scale of 1: 4. The following year, the 1964, the SM-5 ekranoplane crashed. The ekranoplan crashed, hitting a very strong oncoming airflow. The car rocked very sharply and lifted. WIG pilots turned on the fast and the furious, trying to gain altitude, but the CM-5 broke away from the screen and lost stability, the crew died as a result of this catastrophe. This accident was the first disaster with ekranoplanes of the SM family.
After that, the construction of new experimental WIG family SM slowed down a bit. The next ekranoplan SM-6, designed to study the problems of hydro and aerodynamics, as well as strength, was designed and built in the 1972 year in Sormovo in the Central Design Bureau for hydrofoil vessels (CDB SEC), which was headed by R. E. Alekseev. This machine was also created for the development of technological solutions of the Eaglet heavy transport-transport ekranoplan later created on the basis of the CM-6. The power plant of this ground effect vehicle included the 3 engine: a sustained AI-20 AFD, which was installed on the keel and 2's main cruise-assisted turbojet engines, which were designed to facilitate take-off.
The experimental ekranoplan SM-6, as well as the "Eaglet" was designed according to the normal aerodynamic design of the boat low planes, having a T-shaped tail. The glider was made of alloy and steel AMG-61, as a corrosion protection special coating was used, as well as an electrochemical protector. The ekranoplan fuselage was a beam-stringer design, the bottom was formed by a redan system, as well as 2 hydraulics, to which were attached the nose and main landing gear.
Before 1972, another ekranoplan was built, designated CM-8. It was made in the 1967 year after the disaster with the CM-5 and was the second analogue of the future KM vehicle, made on the scale of 1: 4. This ekranoplan became the latest in the line of experimental ekranoplans of the “SM” family. The results of the work on these machines made it possible to create not just a theory, but also develop a methodology for creating and designing new types of heavy civilian and combat ekranoplans.
The tests of the SM-8 WIG took place in parallel with the tests of the world's largest aircraft KM (ship-mock-up), which by its acronym in the West received the unofficial nickname “Caspian Monster”. On the ekranoplane CM-8, the test method of the CM was tested. At the same time, the leading test-pilots, as well as the commander of the test-flight unit of the TsKB for SEC VFLoginov, flew at SM-8 and KM.
Information sources:
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm1.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm4.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm6.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm8.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Ekranoplans are unique devices that can be operated on a wide variety of routes, including those that are inaccessible to ordinary ships. Together with higher seaworthiness and hydroaerodynamic qualities than other high-speed vessels, W-RVs almost always have amphibious properties. They are able to move not only along the water surface, but also along solid (ice, earth, snow) and also be based on it. Thus, WIG combines the best qualities of the aircraft and the vessel.
It should be noted that the development of shipbuilding was associated with solving a rather acute problem of increasing the maximum speed of vessels. In this case, the maximum speed of displacement vessels is limited by the wave resistance and is of the order of 25-30 km / h for river and 50-60 km / h for seagoing ships. Application to reduce the wave resistance of hydrofoils or planing allows you to bring these figures to 100-120 km / h. However, due to their low seaworthiness, the speedboats were not widely used in practice and were preserved mainly only as sports vessels. At the same time, various hydrofoil vessels became much more widespread, and the Russian scientist and designer R. E. Alekseev (1916-1980) made a decisive contribution to their creation. The efforts of this designer in the 1940-60-ies of the XX century was created by the Soviet sea and river passenger fleet on hydrofoils, which retains world leadership in high-speed water transport to this day.
Ekranoplan CM-2
Back in 1940-ies, working on projects of torpedo boats on hydrofoils, Alekseev ran into the problem of hydrofoil cavitation — a phenomenon associated with boiling water in the dilution zone, which drastically reduces its hydrodynamic characteristics, violates the flow around the wing, limits the economically feasible the speed of movement of a hydrofoil with a maximum speed in 100 km / h. So it was possible to find out that hydrofoil vessels turned out to be unpromising in relation to work to further increase their speed characteristics.
This discovery was one of the main reasons in shipbuilding for the revitalization of work on finding a new principle of vessel traffic, which would be free from the noted fundamental flaws - cavitation and wave barriers. Eliminating these barriers, at the same time getting rid of both wave formation and cavitation, would be possible only by eliminating the vessel’s contact with the surface of the water.
Work on such vessels was begun in the 1930-40-ies of the XX century, when the first real proposals for the creation of vessels using aerodynamic support forces. It took a significant amount of time and effort to create such vessels that could compete on equal terms with already existing technical solutions. Such vessels for the first time in world practice were represented by the Russian high-speed ships-ekranoplans designed by Alekseev — the impact ekranoplan “Lun” and the landing ekranoplan “Orlyonok”.
However, the path to the creation of these machines was quite long. The first domestic proposals for the use of aerodynamic forces near the screen when moving high-speed ships R. E. Alekseev expressed in the 1947 year, and in the 1958 year he led the work on the creation of practical EKP samples for the needs of the Soviet Navy. On the basis of the scientific and experimental base established by the designer for the development of high-speed ships, by the time of 1960, the first aerohydrodynamic layout of an airplane was created, called the “tandem” or “two-point”. It was a logical realization of the ship’s scheme on 2's lightly submerged hydrofoils.
Ekranoplan CM-5
In 1961, the first self-propelled model of an WIG was created and built under this scheme, known as CM-1. 22 July of the same year during the tests the first flight of the Soviet WIG was performed. In the first test flight, the machine was piloted by R. E. Alekseev himself, who was the head of the Central Design Bureau for the SEC and the chief designer of the apparatus. By the autumn of 1961, the ground-driving vehicle was mastered to such an extent that, being completely confident in the reliability of the vehicle, he began to invite guests from Moscow to the demonstration flights. The flights of the first Soviet ekranoplan SM-1 were demonstrated, in particular, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S. G. Gorshkov, secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU D. F. Ustinov, Chairman of the State Committee for Civil Engineering B. E. Butome. Demonstrations of the capabilities of the wig were more than convincing. The distinguished guests from the capital appreciated the novelty and expressed a desire to ride an ekranoplane, under the personal responsibility of R. E. Alekseev. Their desire was granted. In the process of testing SM-1 was able to reach speeds of the order of 200 km / h.
Further work was carried out to improve the aero-hydrodynamic layout of the apparatus. The new self-propelled model, the CM-2, was ready in the 1962 year. To improve its takeoff and landing characteristics, for the first time in world practice, engines were used to lift the carrier under the wing. Alekseev put forward the idea of inflation even at the end of 1959, but it took a whole range of experiments to be done before it was possible to develop practical recommendations on the choice of the concept of blowing. The aero-hydrodynamic layout implemented on the CM-2, became the prototype of the layout of all the first domestic W-ray screens.
At the suggestion of Ustinov, who was already familiar with the project, at the beginning of May 1962, the SM-2 ekranoplan was shown personally to N. S. Khrushchev, as well as to other members of the Soviet government. The demonstration was organized on the waters of the Khimki reservoir near Moscow, not far from the Khrushchev dacha. From Gorky, the ground-effect vehicle was delivered to the Moscow region by a Mi-10K helicopter crane. Although during the performance of the demonstration flights, the CM-2 was never able to go into the design modes, the ground-wing vehicle (WIG) managed to make a rather favorable impression on Khrushchev. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the state program was soon adopted, which included the creation of new ekranoplans, as well as the creation of combat ekranoplans for the needs of the Navy and other types of troops. At the same time, it was decided to build a full-size experimental ground-effect vehicle (WIG), designated KM.
Ekranoplan CM-6
In the 1962, another ekranoplan was ready, which was different from those already created, it received the designation CM-3. The ekranoplan was built to conduct aerodynamic layout studies using a small wing extension. It was implemented scheme blowing under the wing: nozzles located in the toe of the wing on its lower surface created a jet curtain along the entire leading edge, while the engines themselves were located in the fuselage.
In the 1963 year, another sample of the experimental ground-effect vehicle was prepared, designated CM-4. It was a further development of the CM-3 model with two engines - a sustainer and a starter, as well as a crew increased to 3. Behind the nozzle of the first engine was located the gas steering wheel to control the ekranoplan at low speeds. The adjustable nozzle system of the starting engine sent gas jets under the winged surface effect vehicle.
In the same year 1963, the construction of a large-scale copy of a giant CM WI called CM-5 was completed, the copy was made on the scale of 1: 4. The following year, the 1964, the SM-5 ekranoplane crashed. The ekranoplan crashed, hitting a very strong oncoming airflow. The car rocked very sharply and lifted. WIG pilots turned on the fast and the furious, trying to gain altitude, but the CM-5 broke away from the screen and lost stability, the crew died as a result of this catastrophe. This accident was the first disaster with ekranoplanes of the SM family.
After that, the construction of new experimental WIG family SM slowed down a bit. The next ekranoplan SM-6, designed to study the problems of hydro and aerodynamics, as well as strength, was designed and built in the 1972 year in Sormovo in the Central Design Bureau for hydrofoil vessels (CDB SEC), which was headed by R. E. Alekseev. This machine was also created for the development of technological solutions of the Eaglet heavy transport-transport ekranoplan later created on the basis of the CM-6. The power plant of this ground effect vehicle included the 3 engine: a sustained AI-20 AFD, which was installed on the keel and 2's main cruise-assisted turbojet engines, which were designed to facilitate take-off.
Ekranoplan CM-8
The experimental ekranoplan SM-6, as well as the "Eaglet" was designed according to the normal aerodynamic design of the boat low planes, having a T-shaped tail. The glider was made of alloy and steel AMG-61, as a corrosion protection special coating was used, as well as an electrochemical protector. The ekranoplan fuselage was a beam-stringer design, the bottom was formed by a redan system, as well as 2 hydraulics, to which were attached the nose and main landing gear.
Before 1972, another ekranoplan was built, designated CM-8. It was made in the 1967 year after the disaster with the CM-5 and was the second analogue of the future KM vehicle, made on the scale of 1: 4. This ekranoplan became the latest in the line of experimental ekranoplans of the “SM” family. The results of the work on these machines made it possible to create not just a theory, but also develop a methodology for creating and designing new types of heavy civilian and combat ekranoplans.
The tests of the SM-8 WIG took place in parallel with the tests of the world's largest aircraft KM (ship-mock-up), which by its acronym in the West received the unofficial nickname “Caspian Monster”. On the ekranoplane CM-8, the test method of the CM was tested. At the same time, the leading test-pilots, as well as the commander of the test-flight unit of the TsKB for SEC VFLoginov, flew at SM-8 and KM.
Information sources:
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm1.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm4.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm6.html
-http: //www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sm8.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
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