Korabl' Maket "KM "

 

The Korabl' Maket (Ship Model) KM is more widely known as the Kaspian sea Monster. Boldest of all the Ekranoplans, leaping from 3.5 to 500 Tonnes! The aerodynamics and controls were scaled up from the SM-8, but with 8 starting engines on fixed stub wings on top of the fuselage behind flight deck. Two cruise engines were mounted high on each side of the fin and fitted with inlet spray deflectors. The controls included jet deflectors to vector the starting jets down under the wing, 2 powered flaps forming the trailing edge, 8 sections of powered elevator and 3 air powered rudders. Hull with planing bottom under forward fuselage, with a succession of steps to assist unstick. The KM was constructed from a stressed Aluminium and Titanium skin. The first of the 8 KM's produced was completed in 1965 and after sea trials it was noticed that the fuselage needed strengthening for bad weather operation.

According to Kryla Rodiny : 'The great ship - which is not a ship nor an aeroplane - always appeared in the early morning and roared across the smooth surface of the Caspian Sea. At times, as if tired, it settled; then, after a short run, it rose into the air and at low level and vanished into the distance......'

In 1969, whilst cruising in dense fog, the captain lost his visual horizon and entered uncontrolled pitching which resulted in the KM crashing and catching fire. Another KM was lost in 1980, again due to pilot error.

 

Role	Experimental Ekranoplan
Wing Span	131 ft (40 m)
Length	348 ft (106 m)
Height	22 m
Weight	495 tonnes - loaded 540 tonnes - maximum takeoff
Engine	10 (8+2) x VD-7
Maximum speed	500 km/h
Range	3000 km
Armament	None
Crew	?
Produced	8 (1965-78)