The Soviets Had Big Plans For This Enormous Nuclear-Equipped Ekranoplane
Igor 113In the thick of the Cold War, the Soviet Union built a revolutionary transport vessel that was bigger than any plane and faster than any ship. It was also capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Classified as a ground effect vehicle, the 300-foot-long Lun-class Ekranoplane flew just four meters or so off the surface of water through the ground effect generated by its large wings.
It theoretically represented a new threat against the West, though the ship did not enter wide production and it never saw action.
The only model ever produced, the MD-160, was retired in the late 1990s and now sits rusting at a naval station in Kaspiysk. Aviation blogger Igor113 captured some awesome pictures of the Ekranoplane and shared them here.