Today I'll tell you about unfinished ekranoplan, who for many years literally gathering dust in one of the shops of the largest shipbuilding companies.
Today I will tell you about the unfinished ekranoplan, which for many years has literally been gathering dust in one of the shops of a large shipbuilding enterprise.
This is the ekranoplan of project 903, called the "Spasatel" – "Rescuer". Work on it was frozen in the 90s at a high stage of readiness, and for a long time nobody remembered about it. Relatively recently, activists from Nizhny Novgorod began to work in the direction of turning ekranoplan into a monument. What it will lead to is just guessing, but I suggest reading about the current state of the ekranoplan in my notes.
To see an ekranoplan at the factory, without knowing the specific location, you would have to wander around the vast territory in search of the right shop for a long time.
In one of the workshops, we encountered a situation comparable to the entourage of films about war or the end of the world.
A huge tanker is being built in another workshop.
But here is the shop we need. The first thing we see is another ship, seemingly in a state of conservation.
And here is our goal.
It should fly on eight turbojet engines, which are arranged in groups of 4 pieces on each side.
8 turbojet engines with a maximum thrust of 13 tons each. In the case of a shipwreck, the "Rescuer" goes to the disaster area, splashes down, and inflatable boats are deployed on the wings of an ekranoplan, which are used to rescue people. In addition, there is a small hospital on board.
Unfortunately, in practice, the "Rescuer" never took off – it still stands in a preserved state. As can be seen, the wings and keel plumage were dismantled.
Photos from the inside of the ship.
This partitioned hospital is divided by several partitions into compartments in which there are many suspended beds-stretchers.
From the tail there is a lift upward, where the radar should have been located.
Upstairs are various flight support systems and empty residential bays, as well as a cockpit.
And below the next free space for some equipment.
It is not yet sawn into aluminum and has some chances to turn into a monument.