Project 903 Lun (Hen-harrier) Missile Launcher WIG

Project 903 Lun
Missile Launcher Ekranoplane

Wing-In-Ground (WIG) effect craft take advantage the fact that the aerodynamic efficiency of a wing, and particularly its lifting capacity, improves dramatically when is operated within approximately one-half of its span above ground or water, in what is termed ground effect. If the wing's natural accelerated flow passing over it is further accelerated by the high-velocity exhaust of a turbojet engine, the lifting capacity of the wing is even more greatly enhanced. In 1966 the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau under Rostislav Alekseev produced a gargantuan "ekranoplan" ("surface plane") combining the smooth hull form of a ship with stub wings, a large vertical fin and horizontal tail. The craft featured ten engines: eight mounted in two clusters of four directly behind the cockpit to provide augmented lift, and two on the vertical fin to provide cruise power. This machine, which American intelligence organizations dubbed the Caspian Sea Monster, could lift 540 tons and cruise at over 300 mph at an altitude of over 10 feet.

Alekseev developed a smaller military WIG, the Lun ("Dove"), armed with six large antishipping cruise missiles perched unaerodynamically on its back. In 1989 the missile launcher ekranoplane "Lun" (about 400 tons) was enlisted in the Navy. The ship was armed by three pairs of cruise missile 3M80 or 80M "Mosquito" (NATO's designation SS-N-22 Sunburn), though they were never deployed to fighting units. The design provided an effective method of performing a premptive strike against an enemy fleet.

The apparent success of these machines hid some very real problems, not least of which were serious stability and control deficiencies, as well as tremendous power requirements to get off the water. Under low flying conditions radar sensors measuring altitude, tilt and velocity of craft trace the variable profile of wave disturbance practically without averaging, thus making it difficult to gauge the motion parameters in relation to the undisturbed level of the sea surface. It is necessary to combine radar with other sensors in order to provide high accuracy. It has a massive turning circle, and is fairly slow to accelerate. Its poor manoeuverability means it cannot turn and run from a fight, and so is a fairly easy target if caught in a confined space, or if surrounded and pushed against the shoreline.

In 1989, after the tragic accident on nuclear submarine "Komsomolets" where 42 mariners died, the decision was made to re-equipment the second "Lun", being at that time under construction, into a search-and-rescue maritime ekranoplane "Spasatel". The second copy of "Lun" had 6 engines, instead of 8. A considerable part of the work had already been accomplished by the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union, followin which there was a drastic reduction of the budget of the Russian Navy.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Lun
• Project
• 903
• Missile
• Launcher
• Ekranoplane
• WIG

[Helloween85]

those russians kick asses!

[su27forserbia]

awesome video!

[zzremington]

@vf74tomcat Their fish is decent, thier music is good, their girls are ugly though. Amercia is truly the best.

[OzaR33MidRashim]

As always Russian vs. America ...for me F-22 Raptor is best example of USA enginnering fail ^^

[NosferatuAaacaado]

@irishtimothy force 9 storm is doable for it

[vf74tomcat]

@MrDiredemon What questions did you pose, exactly? I never said a Brit didn't invent the jet engine. Without the Wright brothers he would have no use for it, though. as for the other comment you made, if you had already wrecked Germany's abilities to take the UK, why did it take so long to defeat them? Call us Johnny come latelys if you want, but without us and the Russians there could have been a much different end to the war. maybe you need to brush up on your history.

[vf74tomcat]

@MrDiredemon What questions did you pose, exactly? I never said a Brit didn't invent the jet engine. Without the Wright brothers he would have no use for it, though. as for the other comment you made, if you had already wrecked Germany's abilities to take the UK, why did it take so long to defeat them? Call us Johnny come latelys if you want, but without us and the Russians there could have been a much different end to the war. maybe you need to brush up on their history.

[MrDiredemon]

@MrDiredemon ooooh I think we hit a sore spot , so not only do you not answer the questions posed or try to refute them but then you go to the one guy who was in HONEST competition with the greatest minds in europe , oh well its a shame you couldn't have had a re-run of him :) also bud we'd already wrecked germanys ability to take the uk you guys just tipped the balance same with the russians side swapping johnny come latelys the lot of you :P

[vf74tomcat]

@MrDiredemon Maybe you would like to compare your military to ours? And don't forget, if not for the lend lease act you might not be speaking English right now. That was American industry bailing you out. Your industry couldn't keep production up to the levels needed to keep you in the war and your country was almost broke. We came to your aid with $31.4 BILLION in supplies. Thats equivalent to over $475 BILLION today! Get off your high horse and recognize who needed who, genius!

[vf74tomcat]

@MrDiredemon Ever heard of a guy named Thomas Edison? You might remember he has 1,093 patents, including the electric light and phonograph. Maybe you're familiar with those. You've been a country for over 1600 years and have yet to develop proper dental care. By the way, are you running Microsoft Windows on that computer, smart ass?

[MrDiredemon]

@vf74tomcat or like the US instead of researching your own tech co your countries quite behind in most respects you could just steal your technology like jet propulsion technology from the UK and rocketry technology from the germans to name but two , go blow it out your ass yank, god you guys are so full of yourselves with no real idea about how things are :)

[ArchiNart]

@irishtimothy @irishtimothy well Lun was tested at 13–19 ft and it did just fine, keep in mind that it was new technology (meaning lots of room for a sea going improvements ). Although it was designed to travel a maximum of 3 m (9.8 ft) above the sea, it was found to be most efficient at 20 m (66 ft), reaching a top speed of 300 kn (350 mph; 560 km/h) (400 kn (460 mph; 740 km/h) in research flight).