In a small cozy museum of the Baltic fleet, located in a building still of German construction in Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region), the guide demonstrates historical relics - first Peter the Great (guns, anchors and flags from Swedish ships), then the times of the First and Second World Wars. And finally, he moves on to modern artifacts, with particular pride in displaying the project 12321 Jeyran air-cushion control panel mounted on the booth, most of which were based in Baltiysk: “It’s unlikely to see anything like that anywhere else!” “Well, why? I cautiously notice. “Just yesterday I saw how they controlled the Bison”! The guide grins with increased respect: “And how, are you not deaf?”
The landing ship "Mordovia", standing on the concrete pier of the military harbor of Baltiysk, is a bit like a whale cast ashore. Only helplessness does not blow from him at all - the open mouth of the lowered “lip” of a flexible rubber fence and the front ramp are more like a predatory smile. Several BMPs lined up in front of the ship, and one of the officers, with gestures, helped the driver mechanics to back in. After the last BMP takes its place in the landing compartment, the officer carefully checks the placement of the vehicles. He doesn’t like something, at his command several BMPs move forward - literally several centimeters. Finally, the results of the test satisfy the officer, and the machines are fastened with chains. The commander of the ship, captain of the 3 rank, Sergey Konov explains the meaning of these manipulations: “Accurate load centering is very important for the hovercraft. If the trim at the stern exceeds 2 °, the nose section rises too high above the water, the stern section drops, and the pressure of the air flow can exceed the pressure of the air created by the pillow. There will be the danger of breaking a flexible rubber fence on the move, which is approximately equivalent to a collision with a wall. ”
In a water coat
Having huddled in a corner of the wheelhouse (so as not to disturb anyone), I watch the preparations for going to sea. The posts report readiness, and now, finally, a command is given to start the engines, freeing the herd of 50 000 horses. In the armored wheelhouse, the roar of the engines is pretty muted, and I can only guess how this incredible sound is perceived outside. At the same time, I understand that the ride with the breeze will not work: while on the move, access to the deck is forbidden, because with the operation of a person’s engines it can simply blow off.
“Rise!” - the commander of the ship, personally sitting at the helm, throws one of the tumblers on the console. On each side, two injection units are installed, the air intakes of which are closed from above by rotating vanes. Clicking the toggle switch turns the blades, and the blowers begin to blow air into the pad. Around the "Mordovia" takes off the dust, the ship, shaken by a large tremor, rises above the surface. Turning the steering wheel from side to side, Sergey Konov swings the heavily loaded Bison, slowly creeping down the concrete slope into the water. When the ship is completely on the water, an amazing sight opens from the wheelhouse - around, wherever you look, a lot of rainbows sparkle - this light is refracted on a cloud of mist raised by an air bag. At full speed (and this is 60 nodes!) The ship is almost invisible - only the nose section and the cabin glazing protrude from the cloud of mist. According to the officers, this also serves as a masking factor: the water dust interferes with the signals of enemy radars, making it difficult to detect and target designation. The case of an aluminum-magnesium alloy is non-magnetic, and taking into account the height of its flight (about half a meter), the Bison is not afraid of either magnetic or contact mines.
Most terrible weapon "Bison" - these are two launchers for 140-millimeter uncontrolled missiles.
Such installations are used for assault fire support. But in the running position of the ship, you will not see them.
Such installations are used for assault fire support. But in the running position of the ship, you will not see them.
Commander and helmsman
Hovercraft are the only ones where the commander not only gives orders to the helmsman, but is personally at the helm. Displacement vessels and ships deep in the water are much more inertial and predictable. “Bison” hovering above water without touching it, and literally reacts to gusts of wind: “The main problem that makes it difficult to control a hovercraft is its windage,” explains Sergey Konov. - The lateral projection area is more than 500 m², so even a moderate wind makes its corrections, not to mention the gusts that knock the ship off course. Therefore, in the management of "Bison" more from aviationthan from navigation, instant reactions and correction for the wind. "
Off-road clearance
Finally, the Zubr approaches its destination, one of the beaches on the Baltic coast. Two sailors inspect the landing area with the help of sightings and report that everything is clean. The ship slows down and, raising clouds of sand and dust, falls out onto the shore. “Landing!” - the commander clicks the toggle switch, translating the injection units into the landing mode: the blades of the upper air intakes are closed, the air circulates inside the airbag, cooling the engines. The Zubr settles on the sand, lowers the bow and the gangway, along which five BMP assault forces slide down one after the other to the beach. The gangway is removed, and then the ascent to the pillow is again in the sea. The whole operation takes a couple of minutes.
The ship easily goes to the sandy beach, almost not noticing the boundary between the water and the firmament.
Going ashore is easy for the “Bison” at almost any speed. Launching is much more difficult for him, although it is noticeable only from the inside, from the wheelhouse.
Technically, the ship can not just go ashore, but also go by land or through the swamp much further. Flexible rubber fencing consists of two parts - the receiver and mounted easy-replaceable elements ("kerchiefs"). Thick reinforced rubber is fairly resistant to various damages, and small holes do not affect driving performance. The ship can overcome obstacles up to 1,6 − 2 m in height, and those that are less than a meter are not noticed at all. There was a case when, during the demonstration of a night landing, one of the export samples destined for Greece simply “rolled out” GAZ-66, which was supposed to highlight the landing site. Fortunately, none of the people was hurt, but the car, of course, had to be written off. Not without reason, the manufacturer claims that the Bison is available for landing assault forces up to 70% of the total length of the coastline of the seas and oceans of the world.