 |
| Image I |
The strange cloud above Southern Finland
Do you know, why I took this photograph (Image I) of the cloud formation? The thing, what makes that cloud so interesting is that it looks exactly like the Beriev A-40 "Albatross" (NATO: "Mermaid")(1) (Image II)or Soviet-era "Caspian Sea Monster" or "Lun-Class" EKRANOPLAN(2) (Image III), what is the name of the Soviet WIG (Wing In-Ground)(3)or rather saying the ground-effect plane, what was tested in the 1980s.
The question is is the reason for those strange clouds the thing, what is called the "plasma"- or "active stealth". That kind of system would be the ion layer, what mission is to act like foam rubber and deny the radar echo from the layer. Or the other way to make the plane invisible for radar is to use the radio-wave, what just suppresses the radiation like counter-wave from the ground makes waves from seal lower. And that's why in the delta of rivers the waves are lower. The same idea can be used in the electromagnetic waves.
 |
| Image II |
The "Caspian sea monster" was one of the largest aircraft in the world. The size of that aircraft was the twice of the B-52 bomber, and that thing was tested secretly in the Caspian Sea. That project terminated, and the great plane was just the memory. But there are smaller versions of the EKRANOPLAN, what is still in use, and some of them are made the hobbyists at both sides of the Atlantic. The Soviet Navy operated three A-90 class EKRANOPLANS from 1970 to 1990(4) (Image IV), and that thing shows that this technology has some kind of potential.
 |
| Image III |
In that ground-effect aircraft concept, what was created by lead engineer of Beriev engineer office Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev (1916-1990) (5) was used the fixed geometry in wings, what purpose was to create air-cushion below the aircraft. That thing would be made by using the back edge of the wing, which is folded down. That solution where the air cushion is made below all the aircraft allowed to create the largest amphibious aircraft, whatever flown.
 |
| Image IV |
The ground-effect plane can fly above the waves in a couple of meters high, which makes it difficult to detect and destroy, but the thing is that the same effect can be made by using downward folding flaps at the back of the wing. That kind of flexible solution would be installed also in high-speed jet-fighters, which can be used against the ships and coastal targets.
But the ground effect aircraft can also rise heavier cargo from the ground, and the same system can be used also in the super-heavy aircraft like C-5 (6) and An-225 "Mriya" (NATO: "Cossack") (7). The ground effect makes it possible that the extremely large and heavy aircraft need a shorter airfield or runway.
Images:
Image I (Own camera)
Comments
Post a Comment