Ah the classic weird wings post. Still, very much deserved. If only they git the pontoons to work, this would be the best ground effect plane ever built.
The biggest problem seems to have been that the 12 lift engines were never delivered. The rigid pontoons gave problems, but were replaced with inflatable pontoons - my guess is that the first photo shows deflated pontoons of the second design (clearly present in the third and fourth in inflated form), and the first photo shows the original rigid pontoons.
That last pic I think is its final resting place as well, or at least was years ago. You can also see the now rigid pontoons.
I swear the people designing this thing were just like throwing every aeronautical concept into this thing. I'm honestly surprised it didn't have sweeping wings like the F-14. It had ground effect, amphibious, lifting body, and VTOL was in the plans but it got cancelled too soon.
IIRC it was a ground effect aircraft that could also fly normally. It was amphibious as well, at first with inflatable pontoons, then they basically built rigid ones where the inflatable ones used to go.
At one point they had a pair of engines on either side of the nose to push air into the area between the pontoons, in order to help with the ground effect part. Getting that air under there to get it to lift off easier.
Another way to lift off was supposed to be a dozen or so engines placed vertically on either side of the main fuselage in the thick parts of the lifting body, to act as VTOL thrusters.
I might be forgetting stuff. But it was/is like the quintessential weird wings mascot. Mostly due to being posted once a week or so lol
Repulsive_Aside_4122@reddit
It's a balloon.
nolongermakingtime@reddit
Looks like the submarine in Atlantis The Lost Empire
USSMarauder@reddit
Mustard covered it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD7xiWWs-bs
iwannaberockstar@reddit
God I absolutely love Mustard!
notsas@reddit
Oldie but goldie
Vethraxx@reddit
THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!
LordBelacqua3241@reddit
Fuckin' Beriev, man. Comrade was just on one, like all the time.
hypercomms2001@reddit
The Soviets really loved their "B-29" style cockpits.
Rooilia@reddit
He 111 had this style earlier...
Lirdon@reddit
Easier to do small glass panels than big ones, especially if you’re going to have a pressurized cabin.
Lirdon@reddit
Ah the classic weird wings post. Still, very much deserved. If only they git the pontoons to work, this would be the best ground effect plane ever built.
Rooilia@reddit
I don't think this would have been great with 12! lift engines. But maintenance heavy, fuel obliterating and bad controllability.
therealSamtheCat@reddit
What was the problem?
ctesibius@reddit
Wiki.
The biggest problem seems to have been that the 12 lift engines were never delivered. The rigid pontoons gave problems, but were replaced with inflatable pontoons - my guess is that the first photo shows deflated pontoons of the second design (clearly present in the third and fourth in inflated form), and the first photo shows the original rigid pontoons.
pesca_22@reddit
what are those mounting on the nose in the last image, I cant find them the other ones, they added canards?
EliRocks@reddit
Glad I could help :)
That last pic I think is its final resting place as well, or at least was years ago. You can also see the now rigid pontoons.
I swear the people designing this thing were just like throwing every aeronautical concept into this thing. I'm honestly surprised it didn't have sweeping wings like the F-14. It had ground effect, amphibious, lifting body, and VTOL was in the plans but it got cancelled too soon.
ziper1221@reddit
90% of soviet aircraft designers stop before implementing the feature that will give miraculous performance
thaifoodpower@reddit
To hunt the submarine, you have to think, look and feel like a submarine!
el__gato__loco@reddit
So an anti submarine airplane that could actually be shot down by a torpedo?
BobbiePinns@reddit
Metal gear solid 3 introduced me to this beauty, and for a long while I thought it was just a piece of weirdness from Kojimas brain.
KokoTheTalkingApe@reddit
Soo bulbous...
zoinkability@reddit
Standard-Tension9550@reddit
Womp womp
bartwasneverthere@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartini_Beriev_VVA-14
jusayin
thesixfingerman@reddit
This looks like it was designed by George Lucas.
zevonyumaxray@reddit
I don't think I've ever seen this creature before. If anything belongs on this sub, here it is.
404-skill_not_found@reddit
An ekranoplan, technically. China is working on one as well.
Lunar-Outpost415@reddit
How on Earth does this chunker even get airborne?
EliRocks@reddit
Wings....
weird ones.
IIRC it was a ground effect aircraft that could also fly normally. It was amphibious as well, at first with inflatable pontoons, then they basically built rigid ones where the inflatable ones used to go.
At one point they had a pair of engines on either side of the nose to push air into the area between the pontoons, in order to help with the ground effect part. Getting that air under there to get it to lift off easier.
Another way to lift off was supposed to be a dozen or so engines placed vertically on either side of the main fuselage in the thick parts of the lifting body, to act as VTOL thrusters.
I might be forgetting stuff. But it was/is like the quintessential weird wings mascot. Mostly due to being posted once a week or so lol
GrapeSwimming69@reddit
More power Scotty!
Far_Future_1982@reddit
I heard it did the Kessel Run in Less Than 12 Parsecs.