Lun Ekranoplan, now thàt's some weathering! :)

[Meph]

I just stumbled across this page. I've known of this design for some time but I was blown away by these photo's.
Besides being a wicked cool craft, these Lun photo's show incredible detail for weathering references. Good stuff.

Lun Ekranoplan


Enjoy!

 

[TomasP]

dude, that's some awesome pics... great find.... thanks v much for sharing...

 

[freakinacage]

great find there!

 

[supervike]

Did that thing actually fly?

 

[me_in_japan]

"flying fortress" is a phrase I've heard from time to time in movies, or read in novels. Well, now I know what it looks like. Wowza, that's a big hunka metal.

Also, talk about yer one-stop-shop for weathering reference! Straight into the bookmarks with that lad!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Wow, part of me is going Nah that never got off the water, and yet part of me is saying, hell that`d be super cool to see in the air.
Since my `Russian` is non existent, I`m thinking that might actually have been a hydroplane missile craft?
Can anyone confirm, what she was?

Anyhow the weathering references are superb, many many thanks. Great find.

 

[noneedforaname]

If I remember right ekranoplan's used ground effect over bodies of water to fly literally a few metres above the surface, fast and efficient but doesnt do well with bumps. The lun class was indeed used as a missile platform and did fly just not very high up. Apparently it was a fast intercept surface to surface, anti-ship missile launcher.

Some interesting stuff on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSaAvl3egwg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTbi8kWovI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Meph]

Yup, according to some details I've read that Lun could carry 50% more as a cargo aircraft of comparable size and at almost half the fuel usage. The ground effect air cushion creates lots of lift, but without the drag of a hovercraft's skirts.

There are roughly three classes of Ekranoplans, Class A such as the Lun, meant to operate only within ground effect. Class B, such as the Orlyonok, which had an max altitude of 3000 meters. And then you have Class C, which can operate at high altitudes as well. Beriev has a design on the table and if i would ever become filthy rich, I'm funding it. btw, the 2500 stands for 2500 tonnes. ^^

Beriev BE-2500

And some more info on the Lun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lun-class_ekranoplan

 

[freakinacage]

aaaah i remember seeing something on them before. they conserved fuel by flying mentally low but could only do it in calm conditions as a reasonable wave could hit it and knock it flying!