The Return of the Hydrofoil
Although experimental work on hydrofoil vessels in the USSR began as early as 1933, the greatest practical success was achieved by R. Ye. Alekseyev, a graduate of the shipbuilding department of the Gorky Industrial Institute. His 1941 diploma thesis, "Hydrofoil Planing," presented a hydrodynamic design for a hydrofoil torpedo boat, along with its basic drawings and calculations. In the summer of 1943, an experimental boat, the A-4, was built. In 1946, a boat with a new hydrofoil design, which had proven itself in all respects, was built at the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard, under the factory designation A-5.
The operating principle of a hydrofoil
Work on creating hydrofoil torpedo boats for the Navy continued, for which a group of specialists led by Alekseev was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1951.
In December 1954, by order of the Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry, a branch of TsKB-19 (now the R. E. Alekseev Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Vessels) was established at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant, with Alekseev appointed as its head and Chief Designer.
R. E. Alekseev
In addition to boats for the Navy, since 1956 the Alekseev Design Bureau has begun designing a passenger hydrofoil vessel (SPK). On August 25, 1957, the SPK "Rocket-1" entered trial operation on the Gorky-Kazan line. In total, until 1976, there were no river fleet Around 400 of these ships, of four designs, were built in the USSR and for export. They were also produced in China using Soviet documentation.
SPK "Raketa"
The passenger cabin of the Rocket
With speeds of up to 70 km/h, the Raketas could carry 64-66 passengers over a distance of 600 km and were extremely popular with the public. Hydrofoils of this type were actively used on most navigable rivers of the USSR and post-Soviet countries for many decades and are still used today on the Lena River. This was also facilitated by the Raketa's shallow draft in displacement mode—just 1,8 meters.
In addition, the Gomel Shipyard built 51 Raketa-M hydrofoils with a reduced draft of 1,2 meters for Belarusian rivers. Ten Raketa-P firefighting vessels with two fixed monitor nozzles were also built in Feodosia.
The Meteor hydrofoils became larger and more seaworthy. Their design began in May 1958, and by November of the following year, sea trials of the first experimental vessel began. During a crossing of the Sea of Azov, it encountered a force-five storm, demonstrating excellent seaworthiness. In 1961, serial production of the Meteor began at the A. M. Gorky Zelenodolsk Shipyard in the Tatar ASSR. Between 1961 and 1999, more than 400 (according to other sources, around 350) of these hydrofoils (Projects 342, 342E, 342U) were built, as well as two units in 2006.
SPK "Meteor"
These vessels could comfortably carry 78 to 123 people (depending on the modification) in three passenger cabins for distances of up to 600 km at speeds reaching 75-77 km/h. One of the Meteors was experimentally converted into a version with 50 cabins, similar to those found in railway passenger compartment cars.
M-400 diesel engines in the engine room of the Meteor
For decades, Meteors operated on major rivers, reservoirs, and lakes not only in the USSR and post-Soviet countries, but also in several dozen foreign countries. Although most of these vessels have been decommissioned, approximately 60 remain in service after modernization. The domestic M-401 engines, which were known for their poor fuel economy, service life, and reliability, were replaced with MAN engines of similar power.
The outstanding designer R. E. Alekseev also considered sea-going hydrofoils. In 1961, the 342MS Kometa project was developed based on the Meteor 342E variant. The hull was manufactured from an aluminum alloy resistant to seawater corrosion, and the foil design was modified. The Kometa hydrofoil was mass-produced from 1962 to 1992 at the Poti Shipyard in Georgia (39 vessels) and from 1964 to 1981 at the Feodosia Production Association "More" in Crimea (86 units). Of these, at least 34 vessels were exported. In addition to coastal shipping, the Kometas were also used on large lakes (Ladoga, Onego, and Baikal). Some of these vessels are still in service in Russia today. The Comet can carry 118 passengers in three cabins over a distance of up to 325 miles at a speed of 34 knots.
Comet on Lake Baikal
Other types of marine civilian hydrofoils were also built using Alekseev Design Bureau designs, although most were one-off experimental or limited-edition production. Among these, the Cyclone M, with a passenger capacity of 250, deserves special attention. This double-deck vessel, powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine engine, literally flew over the waves at a speed of 38 knots in wave heights of up to 2,5 meters. Built as a single unit at the More Shipyard named after the 26th Congress of the CPSU in Feodosia in 1986, the Cyclone M demonstrated excellent performance on the Tallinn-Helsinki route, where it provided serious competition to Norwegian catamarans. High construction and operating costs, as well as the imminent perestroika era, put an end to this project.
SPK "Cyclone-M"[/ Center]
In 1993, the More shipyard built the hydrofoil vessel Olympia (project 14600) with increased seaworthiness, a displacement of 142 tons, accommodating 250 passengers and a speed of 37 knots (2 vessels were built, and have since been scrapped).
SPK "Olimpia"
Among the sea-going hydrofoils, noteworthy are the larger series (around 40) of the Kolkhida-class vessels (Projects 10390 and 10391), which operated in the Black Sea, the Far East, Lakes Onega and Ladoga, as well as in Italy, Greece, Thailand, Poland, Croatia, Spain, Tanzania, and Vietnam. Some of these remain in service today.
SPK "Kolkhida"
In addition to those described above, other river and sea vessels and boats were built according to the designs of Alekseev's Central Bank, both for civilian purposes and for the Navy and the Naval units of the KGB border troops.
Project 206M2 hydrofoil torpedo boat
Marine hydrofoils were also designed by the Central Design Bureau No. 5 (Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau) in Leningrad. Of particular interest is the experimental hydrofoil "Typhoon" (Project 1233), which incorporated the latest and often groundbreaking advances in shipbuilding theory and technology. The results obtained were used in the design of the "Uragan" missile ship (Project 1240).
Commissioned in 1969, the vessel was equipped with automatically controlled hydrofoils, which, by automatically adjusting their angle of attack, allowed the vessel to operate on foils in significant wave heights (up to 2 meters). The vessel had a powerful gas turbine main propulsion system, enabling speeds of up to 44 knots, as well as a diesel engine for low-speed cruising in displacement mode.
For about a year, the ship was used on the Leningrad-Tallinn, Yalta-Sochi, Yalta-Odessa and a number of other lines.
SPK "Typhoon"
Hydrofoils were predicted to have a great future. Popular science magazines and even serious scientific publications and projects predicted the emergence of enormous all-weather vessels on wings, crossing oceans at incredible speeds with thousands of passengers on board.
However, in the 80s and 90s, the priorities of high-speed vessels began to shift. Vessels with small waterline areas, hovercraft, air caverns, and the like came onto the scene. Many "experts" declared that hydrofoils were ineffective and even a dead end in shipbuilding.
The revival of hydrofoil craft in Russia began in 2011, when JSC NPP Radar MMS, in accordance with the Federal Target Program "Development of Civil Marine Engineering for 2009-2016," signed an agreement with JSC R. E. Alekseev Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Craft for the design of the sea-going hydrofoil craft Kometa 120M and Cyclone 250M, as well as the river hydrofoil craft Valdai 45R and Albatros 120R.
On August 23, 2013, the keel of the lead hydrofoil vessel of Project 23160, the Kometa 120M, was laid at the Vympel shipyard in Rybinsk. On August 1, 2018, the motor ship, named Chaika in honor of cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who became her godmother, set off on her maiden voyage from Sevastopol to Yalta.
In August 2018, the first Kometa 120M, operating on the Sevastopol-Yalta-Sevastopol route, carried 12,772 passengers. A total of 112 flights were operated. The average load factor for all flights was 99%.
Since May 2021, the Kometa 120M route network has been expanded with flights between Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, and Sochi. In August and September 2023, the Kometa operated flights between Anapa and Gelendzhik.
In 2020, the Feodosia shipyard "More" joined the construction of the "Komet 120M" class. Five vessels of this type have been built to date.
SPK "Kometa-120M"
The wheelhouse of the Comet 120M
Compared to the old Kometa, the new vessel has many advantages: an improved wing system has been installed; an automatic wing flap control system driven by the Serdolik 120M automatic vessel motion control system has been used to moderate pitching and overload; comfort has been improved by installing an air conditioning system in the passenger cabins and wheelhouse; modern electronic control systems for technical equipment and navigation; reliable and fuel-efficient 16V2000 M72 main engines from the German company MTU, replacing the outdated, lower-powered domestic M-401 family of diesel engines; and propellers with increased efficiency.
MTU Comet engines
M-401 engine
The hydrofoil can operate in wing mode at wave heights of up to 2,0 m and winds of up to Force 4. Safe navigation in displacement mode is ensured at wave heights of up to 2,5 m and winds of up to Force 5.
Western sanctions dealt a serious blow to the hydrofoil construction program of this class, halting supplies of MTU diesel engines, which were installed only on the lead vessel. An attempt was made to use Chinese-made engines on the second Kometa, but these proved very problematic.
The construction of further ships had to be suspended until the main diesel-gear units with the same M-401 were created for them, story which began in the late 30s. During this time, the capacity dropped from 1066 to 820 kW.
The first Valdai 45R hydrofoil vessel (Project 23180) was laid down in late 2014. Its prototype was the Polesie-class motor vessel. Vessels of this type were built at the Gomel Shipyard in Belarus from 1983 to 2008, based on a design by the R. E. Alekseev Central Design Bureau. In September 2017, the lead Valdai 45R vessel, the Rostislav Alekseev, was launched, and in 2019, serial production began at the Research and Production Complex of the R. E. Alekseev Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Vessels in the village of Kuznetsovo, Chkalovsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Region.
Valdai 45R
Passenger cabin of the Valdai 45R.
By November 2024, 19 such hydrofoils had been built and are operating on the Volga and Oka rivers, in Yakutia, and in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs. In 2020, contracts were signed for the construction of ten Valdai 45R hydrofoils for export to Asia.
On December 23, 2019, the R. Alekseev Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Ships laid down the lead vessel, the Meteor 120R (Project 03580). It was launched on August 3, 2021. By August 2025, the total number of vessels in the series will reach seven. The vessels are designed for high-speed passenger transportation on navigable rivers and class "O" reservoirs.
Launch of the hydrofoil vessel "Meteor 120R"
The second Meteor 120R undergoing sea trials, July 2022.
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The passenger compartment of the Meteor 120R
The first Meteor 120R was ordered by Severrechflot, the main river operator in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, where river transport is often the only alternative means of communication with remote areas of the district.
The Valdai 45R and Meteor 120R helicopters suffered serious problems due to their main power units, manufactured by the German company MAN, which were affected by sanctions. Replacing them with domestic engines is currently very problematic.
MAN diesel engines in the engine room of the Meteor 120R
In addition to the above-described hydrofoils designed by JSC R. E. Alekseev Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils, the Meteor 2020 was also developed by the Nizhny Novgorod-based design bureau Si Tech LLC (a former Alekseev Central Design Bureau). Construction of these hydrofoils is underway at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after Gorky (Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation). The first vessels are operating on the Volga in Tatarstan, while others have been transferred to Severrechflot in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs. By the end of May 2025, six of the planned vessels had been launched: the first two Meteor 2020s carried passengers for Severrechflot (Khanty-Mansiysk) on the Ob River, three belonged to the fleet of the Republic of Tatarstan (with plans to commission two of them in 2026), and the sixth was built by order of State Transport Leasing Company JSC.
Meteor 2020
The vessel is designed for long-haul voyages (up to 13 hours, covering distances of at least 700 km) in sparsely populated areas. It is equipped with a wing-lifting system for shallow water navigation or approaching unimproved shores; a crew rest cabin and shower; and a luggage compartment. Accessible passengers are also provided, along with special seating and equipment for mothers with infants.
The Gorky plant's management stated that the Meteor-2020 consists of 99% Russian components. There is some uncertainty regarding the manufacturer of the main powertrain. It is claimed to be a joint production of KAMAZ and the Chinese concern Weichai, although some sources claim it is a purely Chinese copy of the German MAN.
Technical characteristics of modern Russian hydrofoils
In addition to the above, JSC "Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Craft named after R.E. Alekseev" is designing the double-deck hydrofoil giant "Cyclone 250M" (Project 23170) with a twin-shaft gas turbine. With a displacement of 220 tons and a passenger capacity of 320, the vessel can travel 700 miles at a speed of 55 knots. It can navigate in foil mode at waves up to 3 meters and winds up to force 4, and in displacement mode at waves up to 3,5 meters. The intended operating areas are the Russian regions of the Baltic and Far East.
The proposed appearance of the Cyclone 250M
Sea Tech was the first in Russia to design a Hysucat-type vessel (a dynamically unloading hydrofoil catamaran with a hydrofoil system located within the hull's widest width or slightly beyond) for Lake Baikal. Construction of sections of two HSC150B Project vessels, named "Sarma" and "Selenga," was carried out at the Vympel shipyard in Rybinsk, and their assembly took place at the Irkutsk plant. EW fleet of the East Siberian River Shipping Company. Since the summer of 2025, they have been operating on Lake Baikal.
Routes:
"Selenga": Irkutsk - Khuzhir - Turka - Khuzhir - Irkutsk.
"Sarma": Irkutsk - Peschanaya Bay - Irkutsk.
Main technical characteristics of the HSC150B project:
Full displacement, t – 98
Main engine power, kW – 2x1440
Operating speed, km/h – approx. 65
Cruising range, km – 1000
Autonomy by reserves, h – 16
Passenger capacity, people – 148
Crew, pers. - 4
The project provides for the disembarkation of passengers on an unequipped shore.
Construction of the HSC150B
Catamaran type HSC150B
Landing on an unequipped shore
A design for a high-speed, double-deck passenger catamaran with dynamic hydrofoil unloading—the HSC200 (code "Primorsky")—has also been developed for transport in Primorsky Krai, serving passenger services between Vladivostok and Bolshoy Kamen. The catamaran is designed to carry up to 200 passengers at a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h) over a distance of up to 400 km. Construction of the vessel is underway at the Livadia Shipyard as part of the state program for the development of the Primorsky Krai transport system.
HSC200
Sea Tech also presented other similar vessel designs, including the HSC120, a lightweight and cost-effective version of the HSC150B passenger catamaran. The catamaran is available with various propulsion systems, in both wing and wingless versions. It can accommodate up to 120 passengers, reach a speed of 60 km/h, and have a range of up to 750 km.
Estimated appearance of HSC120
Information