Ground effect in aircraft (GEA) is a new type of high-speed vehicle between airplanes, ships and hovercraft. Unlike ordinary airplanes, ground effect in aircraft mainly in the ground effect area flight, that is, close to the ground, water flight, while the aircraft mainly in the ground effect area outside the flight; and hovercraft is different from the hovercraft rely on their own power to generate air cushion, and ground effect in aircraft rely on the ground effect of air cushion. A wing-ground effect aircraft, also known as a ground effect vehicle, is a vehicle that utilizes the wing-ground effect to fly, and is a vehicle that combines the characteristics of both an ordinary aircraft and a hovercraft. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union experimented with the jet-propelled Ekranoplan, an aircraft that could fly up to 1,000 metric tons and was tested in Cold War secrecy, and was dubbed the Caspian Sea Monster by the United States. Most winged aircraft are designed to operate over water, which is smoother than the ground and has fewer obstacles, making it less hazardous and allowing the weight of the aircraft to be carried by the buoyancy of the water when it is not in operation. It is also easier to take off. Physicist Stanley Hooker proposed the concept of a very large, 2,000 metric ton, winged ground effect aircraft. It could carry more than 1,000 passengers to and from their destinations at high speeds and at a low cost. Hovercraft are also often referred to as winged or ground effect aircraft, which is actually a mistake. Performance
Fast speed, Ground Effect Vehicle
Large capacity, good stealth, excellent airworthiness, can fly close to the ground or sea, desert or swamp surface, can take advantage of radar's blind spot, can approach the target silently and quickly, used for assault landing, can easily cross the shore anti-landing obstacles and mines.
Edit Flight Principle
When a moving ground-effect vehicle
walker flies close to the ground or water surface, the airflow will flow backwards and downwards after flowing over the wings, at which time the ground or the water surface will produce a reaction force, and when it is flying at an altitude equal to or less than 1/2 wingspan away from the water surface, the upper and lower pressure difference of the whole airframe increases, and the lift force will steeply increase and drag decreases, blocking the vehicle wing from falling. This physical phenomenon, which allows the vehicle to induce less drag and at the same time achieve a higher lift-to-drag ratio than airborne flight, is known to scientists as the ground effect, and has led to the opening of ground-effect flight technology.
Editing the advantages
Fast speed
Because it flies on water, its speed is 10 times or even more than 10 times that of an ordinary ship, and more than three times that of a hovercraft.
High safety
The ground effect vehicle flies at a low altitude of 1~6 meters from the water surface and can land on the water surface at any time in case of emergency. In the military it can use the blind spot of the other side's detection radar, which is difficult for the other side to discover, to avoid the attack of the other side's shipboard and anti-aircraft firepower.
Wave resistance
Small aircraft can resist waves of about 1 meter, medium-sized aircraft can resist waves of about 3 meters, and large aircraft do not need to worry too much about waves of 5 meters. On land, it can easily fly over deserts, swamps, and snow, and can fly to heights of tens or even thousands of meters if necessary.
Design and manufacturing costs are lower than airplanes
The selling price is about 50% to 60% of the same class of airplanes, which is much higher than the cost-effectiveness ratio of purchasing an airplane or a warship. In addition, the use of ground effect vehicle flaps, can freely fall back, hovering, as well as vertical take-off and landing, in the military use of ground effect vehicle
effective vehicle for landing, landing and anti-submarine warfare, will be very effective means.
Geo-efficiency vehicles have a wide range of uses
In the military field, in addition to the ground-effect vehicle can be used to attack enemy ships and landing operations, can also be used for the implementation of the delivery of weapons and equipment, rapid mine laying, mine-clearing and other tasks, but also for the naval forces to provide emergency medical care. In the civil field, the ground effect vehicle can not only be used for passenger and cargo transportation, but also can be used for resource exploration, search and rescue, tourism, ocean-going fishing vessels and drilling platforms to change the staff transportation, communication security and mail, etc., used for cross-sea transportation has a better economy and security. It has been predicted that the emergence of ground effect vehicles will cause a revolution in maritime transportation in the 21st century. Despite the broad prospects for the use of ground-effect vehicles, there are still many technical barriers to their development.
Edited military utility
Good maneuverability, direct assault on land
Ground-effect aircraft good maneuverability is reflected in its versatility and amphibiousness. Ground-effect aircraft are 10-15 times faster than the average ship and 3-5 times faster than most high-speed ships. Because it is not in direct contact with the water surface during the cruise flight phase, it greatly reduces the resistance when sailing and improves the maneuverability performance. It can flexibly adjust the flight height and speed according to the need to smoothly cross the vertical barriers set up specifically for landing craft, hovercraft, but also not subject to the restrictions of the sea area, coast and complex terrain, a better solution to the general drainage landing craft on the landing site conditions require high, can not directly transport landing soldiers on the ground; to solve the landing soldiers need to be in the near-shore transfer to start, wading across the beach on foot, the formation of the attack battle formation The problem of large casualties is easy to be caused when the landing soldiers are on board the ground effect airplane. Landing soldiers carrying ground-effect aircraft, can be in any place, time and relatively complex terrain conditions, from the other side of the fire range, beyond the conventional landing operation of the commutation to start the area, put the water, the ground various obstacles in the face of high-speed rushing to the enemy, direct assault on the land, to the enemy shore to launch an attack. Such as the Russian army "Orlan" ground effect aircraft cruising speed of 450-550 kilometers per hour, can take off and land in 3.2-1.5 meters wave height of the sea conditions, transport 400-850 soldiers and several tanks. However, if the objective is to land on a beach, the ground effect vehicle has the advantage of high speed, because of which a large area of water must be freed up for landing on a beachhead full of ships. As a result, direct assault landings are still somewhat limited.
Covert performance is good, strong ability to surprise and defense
Ground effect aircraft integrated ship and aircraft advantages, set of high-speed, covert and offensive in one, both high-speed sea flight, but also can effectively use the radar blind spot, God, so that the other side is difficult to find the footprints; can be maneuvered in the water, from the water, water attacks, but also can be close to the sea flight, the implementation of precision strikes. This unique advantages and strong ability to break through the defense is far from the general combat ships and aircraft can be compared. Because of its small size, flexible operation, good maneuverability, not easy to be found by the enemy, before the launch of landing operations, ground-effect aircraft can carry reconnaissance, attack, special detachments, the use of bad weather covertly implement secret maneuvers, to complete a variety of tactical tasks.
Large load capacity, high security efficiency
Compared with ordinary aircraft, ground-effect aircraft load capacity is amazingly large, thus filling the gap between the sea and air transporters. Ground-effect aircraft can quickly transport 100 to 1,000 soldiers and several tanks at a time, making a landing craft out of reach. The United States is developing ground-effect aircraft carrier, for example, its size is equivalent to a destroyer, can carry 405 tons of cargo, once can carry 400 soldiers, 16 helicopters, dozens of cars and artillery. The fully loaded cruising radius is about 6,350 kilometers and the maximum cruising speed is 470 kilometers per hour. Due to the special performance of the ground-effect aircraft, so that it has in the absence of ports and terminals can be free to enter and exit, rapid loading of supplies, and because of its wide deck, large capacity, high transport efficiency, so in addition to amphibious tasks, but also give full play to its strengths, for a variety of combat supplies, personnel, the front of the loss of the rear, to carry out rapid security. Carrying special reconnaissance detachment, the use of night darkness and bad weather secretly infiltrated to the enemy obstacle area near the enemy shore defense deployment reconnaissance, sabotage, for air attack operations to guide the target.
Water engineers, remove obstacles
Since the ground-effect aircraft speed, load capacity and other characteristics fully adapt to the requirements of modern landing operations and the future development trend of means of transportation. The famous Boeing 747 airplane load capacity is only 20% of its own weight, while the ground-effect aircraft can carry up to 50% of its own weight. Ground-effect aircraft can carry a large number of anti-mine systems and engineer detachments, can remove obstacles in the water, but also can cross the mine obstacle area, directly into the inter-water beachhead obstacle area to open up the way. When sailing in the water, the pressure to the water is small, will not be less acoustic mines, hydraulic mines, magnetic mines, anchor mines and other explosive obstacles to harm, with super-draft, hydrostatic fast and good, underwater physical field is small, insensitive to underwater explosions and so on, even if the mine blasts, due to the ground effect aircraft because of its own decompression and riot control, the degree of damage will also be much smaller than the other drainage-type ships in order for it to enter the complex minefield to exclude The water all kinds of obstacles.
High cruising speed, fast running combat
Ordinary ship's speed is generally about 30 knots, hovercraft for 40-140 knots, ground-effect aircraft is as high as 100-320 knots. When flying, it is completely out of the water, the speed can be compared with the helicopter. Such as at present, the Russian army equipped with the "Caspian Sea monster" ground-effect aircraft, equipped with 10 engines, cruising altitude of 10 meters, speed up to 400 km / h, can carry 500 soldiers for low-altitude flight, water taxiing, over the dunes, marshes, etc. to carry out the task of searching for submarines, equipment and other tasks, you can run thousands of kilometers.
Good airworthiness, landing operations versatile
Future ground-effect aircraft will be a comprehensive use of a variety of stealth technology to reduce radar, infrared, sound, light, electromagnetic and other physical signal characteristics, and the application of more advanced integrated electric superconducting propulsion system, eliminating noise, reducing infrared radiation, thus greatly improving the stealth capability of ground-effect aircraft, fast mobility, surprise and defense capabilities; will be equipped with Air, sea and ground weaponry, the implementation of dynamic strike; with docking, reverse, vertical takeoff and landing and other functions, equipped with missiles, can implement a full range of rapid attacks. Because the ground-effect aircraft has the above characteristics, so in the future war, it will be widely used for landing, airborne landing, transportation and supply, anti-ship operations, anti-submarine warfare, mine clearance and mine laying, reconnaissance patrol. Can take off and land on the water and land, but also in the wave height of 1.5 meters below the surface of the water stable flight, fly over the general ground transportation barriers, over deserts, swamps, rivers, snow. Can skim the sea and skim the surface of rivers and lakes to fly, can also glide on the water, can also be on the ground, ice or snow surface for low altitude flight.
Edit paragraph rescue use
Ground effect vehicle can be used to dry sea rescue, can quickly respond to arrive at the scene of the accident in time, and can be landed on the water, the start of life-saving. Russia's under-construction "lifesaver" sea rescue ground effect vehicle, equipped with a full set of medical equipment such as operating rooms, rehabilitation rooms and burn centers, can be set up 150 beds, carrying 500 lightly wounded, or carrying 700-800 people waiting for assistance. In addition, the ground-effect vehicle can also be used for maritime search and anti-submarine warfare, its search efficiency far exceeds any other maritime vehicle.
"Caspian Sea monster" close-up (20 pictures) Russia developed a secret ground-effect vehicle "Caspian Sea monster". U.S. spy planes over the Soviet Union as early as the early 1980s noticed a strange flying body on the ground, which flew over the Caspian Sea at unbelievable speeds and at low altitudes undetectable by any radar. American military experts gave this flying body the name "Caspian Monster". The Russians call it a "ground effect vehicle" or "ground screen vehicle". Structurally it is an airplane, but it sticks to the ground. It utilizes the ground effect to form an air coil under the fuselage, which moves with the aircraft. This effect is strengthened by the corresponding bearing surface of the triangle. Due to the lack of line action on the "air roll", the efficiency of movement is a full 40% higher than conventional airplanes for the same takeoff weight. The effect of this type of vehicle is enhanced by the huge jet engine in the front, which shoots the inhaled air diagonally under the supporting surfaces. Real flight is achieved by other engines mounted on the tail. The "Ground Effect Vehicle" is not only capable of flying over water, landing and re-launching anywhere, but also of crossing the frozen tundra. It is not disturbed by waves, tides or even mine fields. Russia has already built several models that can move not only at an altitude of 10 meters. It can also reach heights of more than 3,000 meters when needed. "Ground Effect Vehicles are equipped with cruise missiles or rockets carrying nuclear warheads. With a range of 7,500 kilometers, the "Caspian Monster" is capable of transporting 850 soldiers around the world at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour without being detected by any radar. As early as 1975, the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesanstalt für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (BIZ)) knew that there was a version of the Caspian Monster with a take-off weight of 500 tons. With a wingspan of 50 meters, it was capable of carrying about 200 tons. In order to prove the credibility of the current construction of civil rescue "ground effect vehicles", a strictly confidential flight movie, which no one has seen so far, has been shown. The civilian "ground effect vehicle" developed by Russia was also intended for military purposes, but the rocket tubes on top and the military instruments inside have been eliminated. The vehicle's military instrumentation has also been eliminated. The vehicle was 100 meters long, with a tail as wide as a soccer field, and its total weight was to be 400 tons. Propulsion is provided by eight jet engines, the largest that the Russian aircraft manufacturing industry can provide.
Russia restarts Caspian Sea Monster project to equip powerful sectors
Russia's Interfax news agency reported on July 15, 2010, that Russia's Alexeev Central Design Bureau will restart the Caspian Sea Monster ground-effect vehicle (GEO) project in the near future. "The Russian Central Design Bureau will soon restart development and testing of the Caspian Monster ground-effect vehicle. The head of the design bureau's quality department, Yevgeny Meleshko, disclosed that the Russian government has ordered the resumption of development of this unique vehicle to equip Russia's powerful services. According to Meleshko, design work will be carried out in 2010-2011, and from 2012 onwards a more detailed second stage will be carried out, during which testing will begin and a "sufficiently large vehicle" will be built. During this process, most of the specialists from the Alexeyev Central Design Bureau will be involved in the development of the Caspian Sea Monster ground-effect vehicle. The development of the ground-effect vehicle was initiated in 1957, and the program was terminated in the early 1990s. During this period, the Soviet Union built a total of about 30 such vehicles. This type of vehicle mainly utilizes the "wing-ground effect" to achieve high-speed flight. The so-called "wing-ground effect" refers to the aircraft at a low altitude flight, as well as in the take-off and landing process of the ground produces a kind of wing-induced drag reduction, lift-to-drag ratio increases, the aircraft lift significantly increased effect. A large number of wind tunnel tests have proved that when the height of the wing from the ground is 15% of the wing length, the ground effect is the most obvious, and the lift-to-drag ratio of the wing can be increased by more than 30%, and this area is called the ground effect area. A craft flying in the ground effect zone is like being gently lifted by a mysterious force. Unlike hovercrafts and other waterborne vessels, the "ground effect vehicle" can reach very high speeds - more than 250 knots. In the 1960s, the Alexeyev Central Design Bureau developed and tested on the Caspian Sea an experimental ground-effect vehicle that Western intelligence agencies called the "Caspian Monster". The vehicle was built with a wingspan of 37.6 meters, a length of about 100 meters, a maximum take-off weight of 544 tons and a load capacity of about 200 tons. However, a serious accident in 1980 led the authorities to abandon the program. The Soviet Union also developed a ground-effect missile boat called the Harrier (only one was built, and it was decommissioned from the Black Sea Fleet in the 1990s). Its back is installed with six oblique SS-N-22 anti-ship missile launchers, the vertical tail is equipped with a large radome, not only can attack aircraft carriers and other large surface ships, but also can directly hit the enemy shore-based targets. Military experts pointed out that the ground effect vehicle has a water surface, ground effect area and high altitude a variety of navigation options, its use of flexible, fast speed, long endurance, very suitable for the implementation of anti-submarine, air defense, mine clearance and mine laying and many other tasks. In addition, the ground effect wing boat also has good operability, its directional control and movement stability is better than the aircraft, the driver does not need special training, maintenance is also simpler and more convenient than the aircraft. Especially due to the high lift-to-drag ratio when flying in the ground effect area, the fuel consumption is more than 30% lower than that of an ordinary airplane when flying at the same loading capacity and flight speed, with good economy and long range. Caspian Sea Monster Caspian Sea Monster (Ekranoplan or "Kaspian Monster", Russian: Экраноплан), the former Soviet Union Alexeev Central Design Bureau to use the wing ground effect design of the ground-effect vehicle. In the 1980s, during a photographic reconnaissance of Soviet military bases in the Caspian Sea, U.S. spy satellites discovered that they were secretly test-flying a strange object that resembled both an airplane and a boat, and unlike a seaplane sailed at high speeds almost against the surface of the water. The West gave it a name - "Caspian Sea Monster". After the end of the Cold War, a large amount of information was declassified, and the truth came out. It turned out that the Soviet Union's secretly developed "Caspian Sea Monster" was a ground-effect winged boat. The so-called "ground effect" is the abbreviation of ground effect, refers to the aircraft at a low altitude flight, as well as in the take-off and landing process on the ground to produce a wing induced drag reduction, drag ratio increase, the aircraft lift effect of a significant increase. A large number of wind tunnel tests have proved that when the height of the wing from the ground is 15% of the wing length, the ground effect is the most obvious, and the lift-to-drag ratio of the wing can be increased by more than 30%, and this area is called the ground effect area. The aircraft flying in the ground effect zone is like being gently lifted up by a mysterious force, so some people jokingly call the "ground effect" as "God's hand". "With a range of 7,500 kilometers, the Caspian Monster was able to transport 850 soldiers around the world at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour without being detected by any radar. As early as 1975, the German Federal Intelligence Service knew that there was a version of the Caspian Monster with a take-off weight of 500. With a wingspan of 50 meters, it was capable of carrying about 200 tons.
Made in China
The father of China's ground effect vehicle is Li Xue'e, a graduate of Tsinghua University. The year 1998 was a historically significant year in the development of China's ground-effect winged craft. In the first half of the year, the "Albatross" type 3 (XTW-3) 12-seat skimming sea effect wing ship in Guangxi Beihai Harbor offshore continued to carry out sea trial test voyage. In the second half of the year, the DXF100 15-seater ground effect vehicle (boat) was demonstrated skimming over water at a press conference held by the China Academy of Science and Technology Development (CASTD) at Zhanghe Reservoir in Jingmen, Hubei Province, and in December, the Swan (751) 15-seater power cushion ground effect wing ship (boat) was also demonstrated skimming over water at a press conference held by the Shanghai Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (SSIC) at Dianshan Lake, Shanghai, China. The press conference was held at Shanghai Dianshan Lake, Shanghai Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (SSIC), which also demonstrated the water skimming, and announced that it had passed a series of tests and the acceptance of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). What's more, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation organized the China Shipbuilding Science Research Center to develop the "Albatross" 4-type 20-seat aluminum alloy skimming sea effect boat, in 1998 has entered the assembly in the Seeking New Shipyard, is expected to be completed in 1999 and began sea trials. This series of results of China's ground effect wing boat development business to practical, engineering, commercialization has advanced a welcome step. The above types of boats are 12 to 20 passenger boats, weighing 4 to 8 tons, largely belonging to the same class of small ground-effect wing passenger boats. However, they have different aerodynamic layout structures, different main hull lines, main wing sections and shapes, different structural materials, process measures, different engine-propeller matching devices, and different launching and landing programs. The further selection of the best for the operational waters is still to be seen gradually in practice. In these years, relying on the domestic technical force to fully absorb the aviation technology, aerodynamic technology, aviation engine technology, air cushion technology, high-performance technology and other aspects of the overall technical reserves, after a large number of arduous and intense research and testing, technology research, design and calculation, achieved different degrees of design and process of technological progress, but also accumulated a variety of successes and failures of the lessons learned, the formation of the Three technical teams with their own strengths and specialties have been formed, which have promoted the development of the ground effect wing boat technology in the competition. There is no official design and construction classification document for the ground effect wing boat in the international and domestic market. China Classification Society (CCS) from 1990 to send the Shanghai Bureau of Ship Inspection, the examination center to participate in the "Albatross" 2-type ship examination of the work began, and then also participated in the Albatross 3-type, 4-type, 751-type and DXF100-type ship of the examination of the drawing. 1995 to set up the ground effect wing ship safety thematic communication group, has been in June 1995 notice International Maritime Organization design equipment sub-committee, China's expert group will participate in the ground-effect wing ship safety requirements for the preparation of the international working group. Shanghai Bureau of Ship Inspection in China's ground effect wing ship research and development units to participate in the support, in early 1998 published "ground effect wing ship inspection guide", organized as China Classification Society GD010-98 guidance document. Although there are still many debatable issues on the content, not to mention the perfect supporting regulations and authority, but this document also reflects the progress of China's ground-effect winged ship technology and related work to fill the gaps, but also to improve China's technical position in the International Maritime Organization. Ground effect wing ship is the 21st century market-oriented, service battlefield new waterborne vehicles, but also has a combination of civil-military, civilian conversion prospects of high-tech industrialization of the important goal. However, it must be soberly realized that China's ground-effect winged boat development is still in the initial stage, not blind optimism, overestimating the development of practical boat capacity. Noteworthy issues are: (1) at present has been able to test in the inner lakes or offshore areas of several types of boats for the perfect commercialization, into the practical amount of engineering technology is not small. For example, to maintain a variety of sea conditions, working conditions of smooth maneuverability, boat vibration damping, noise reduction, heat insulation, fire safety measures, launching and landing of practical measures to be thoroughly resolved, some of which must also increase the basic theoretical research. (2) on the bad weather, especially at sea under the complex conditions of wind and waves safe navigation. In this regard, we must further solve the wave resistance, to achieve the required annual operating hours or sea combat use requirements, the depth and breadth of the test should be increased, the design parameters must be developed with the participation of users under the test program to be rigorous assessment and verification, in order to come up with a guaranteed performance. (3) Comparison with civil aircraft, high-speed automobiles, trains and other high-performance vessels. In order to make the ground effect wing boat can really share a market in the future modern transportation, must be in the economy, safety, comfort, not only from the lift resistance ratio, load and boat weight ratio, unit passenger kilometer fuel consumption and other technical and economic indicators on the boat itself to improve the technology, but also include the new boat type of the place required to improve. (4) Most of the ground effect wing boats developed domestically still use Lycoming series piston engines imported from the U.S.A., and only the "Swan" uses domestic engines, and the propellers, drive shafts, and composite materials of some of the boats are also imported. In the future, how to fully localized, must also be put on the agenda. (5) foreign not only Russia, in recent years other countries in the development of ground effect wing boat also has considerable progress, and also shows the characteristics of the multi-channel, in the domestic self-reliance research based on a wide range of absorption of foreign advanced technology, to avoid repeating the mistakes of other countries have occurred or detour, should be carried out in various aspects of exchanges and cooperation. Moreover, only by knowing exactly the level of foreign development can we appropriately evaluate the level of technology we have reached so far. It seems that all this is to be ground-effect wing boat research and development units and their leading departments to focus on human, material and financial resources to solve, but also to collaborate with other supporting industrial sectors, shipping and tourism sectors, military and marine management, etc., to use a more reasonable mechanism to strengthen the organization and leadership, hand in hand * * * to build a new generation of 21st century, in order to create a new ground-effect wing boat development and application of a brand-new situation.
Edit the latest progress
1, the sky wing one - DF-100 is by the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Ground Effect Development Center jointly with the China Aviation Industry Corporation 605th Research Institute of the overall design, China Aerospace Industry Corporation 701st Research Institute of local design, Hongtu Aircraft Manufacturing Plant production and manufacturing of the first generation of China's first generation of practical ground-effect aircraft, the chief director of the Li Xue'e. Chief Engineer Li Xue'e, Chief Engineer Gu Chantingfen, Cui Erjie, Deputy Chief Engineer Chen Hongruo, Song Mingde, etc. The development of DF-100 started in 1995, and the test flight was successful on November 10, 1998 in Zhanghe Reservoir, Jingmen City, Hubei Province. R&D application process: the project was established in 1995, the first prototype was developed in 1998, and in 2000, it was put into commercial operation in cooperation with the city of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, so that tourists can visit the water color of Taihu Lake in the ground effect vehicle. DF-100 is mainly used for commercial operation, can carry 15 passengers, equipped with two 300 horsepower aviation engine, 16.15 meters long, 4.91 meters high, 10.98 meters wide, maximum level flight speed of 200 kilometers per hour, the maximum range of 400 kilometers, the maximum take-off weight of 4,900 kilograms, payload 1125 kilograms, cruising altitude of 0.6 a 1.2 meters, flight Cruise altitude 0.6-1.2 meters, flight height 0.9-1.4 meters. As a new type of transportation ground effect vehicle, there is a high speed of flight, without the danger of high-altitude accidents, no need to build airports, flying smoothly and comfortably, can be used in rivers, lakes, seas, grasslands and other places, in passenger transportation, freight transport, tourism rescue, maritime anti-smuggling, ocean monitoring and other aspects of the broad prospects for application. 2, "Kitty Hawk" is the former Soviet Union's first amphibious ground effect vehicle for transportation and landing, the chief designer Alexeev, produced by the Nizhny Novgorod Shipyard. It was designed in the 1960s and first flew in 1972. I'm not modest either this is online