Ekranoplans, special ultra-low flying aircraft, promise to combine features from ships, airplanes, and hovercraft. There are many designs and projects out there, but they have yet to truly realise their promise. Now the discovery of the large 4-jet ‘Bohai Sea Monster’ in China harks back to the mysterious Soviet projects of the Cold War.
Ekranoplans, also known as Wing-in-Ground Effect (WIG), are aircraft designed to fly just above the surface of the water. This can be more efficient and allows them to fly below the radar horizon, while being much faster than ships. Historically, the Soviet Union was the main builder of these, constructing the famous ‘Caspian Sea Monster‘ and missile-armed ‘Lun’ types. While some Soviet types were ginormous, other types globally have always been much smaller. Until now...
Bohai Sea Monster – China’s Ekranoplan
The aircraft features a flying boat hull with a distinctive T-tail arrangement with two vertical stabilizers. This configuration is not found on regular aircraft but has been used on several Ekranoplans including some in China. It appears to have a comparatively short wingspan and large tail, typical of Ekranoplans.
Four jet engines are mounted above the wing. These have slightly flattened nozzles suggesting downward angled thrust. This too is indicative of an Ekranoplan design. The engines may have a second scoop intake above the main intake, the but photo’s angle does not show this fully.
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