Project 903: Massive Plane/Boat Russian Attack Vehicle Is Found in Scrapyard

Photo:Pintrest

Photo:Warhistory

In 1987 Russia set out with high hopes to create a new kind of attack vehicle, They called it Project 903. The 350 ton airship/sea plane carried 6 Moskit Cruise missiles and was affectionately called the “Lun” after the Russian name for a bird of prey. Due to the end of cold war the project was changed to a rescue aircraft but the entire program was never fully realised and soon this craft went to the scrap yard.

Photo:Warhistory

Photo:Warhistory

These crafts were developed by the Soviet Union as high-speed military transports, and were based mostly on the shores of the Caspian Sea & Black Sea.  They probably should be considered more of a flying ship rather than sea-planes but much like the Spruce Goose from Howard Hughes, the plane occupies a grey area as it could fly, but only meters off the sea surface at best.

 

Photo:Warhistory

Photo:Warhistory

It is also interesting to note that this aircraft is one of the largest ever built, with a length of 73,8 meters (comparing with 73 of Airbus A380) and 8 turbojet engines. The “Lun” doesn’t have a landing gear, only a huge hydroski so there’s no way for it to get onto land and for this reason a special floating dry dock was designed for it.

Photo:Warhistory

Photo:Warhistory

 

Photo:Warhistory

The fore-part of the plane possesses the pilot house and a pillar that holds the 8 main engines. The whole keel is filled with power installation for electricity supply during mooring and a complex of radio navigation and communication equipment. A room for a gunner is placed in a cross-line of keel and stabilizer at a height of 12 meters over the waterline. The ecranoplan’s crew consisted of 7 officers and 4 warrant officers. It could be absolutely autonomous for 5 days.

Photo:Warhistory

Photo:Warhistory

Class & type: Lun

Type: Ground effect vehicle transport
Displacement: Displacement n/a, weight 286 tonnes unloaded
Length: 73.8 m
Beam: (Wingspan) 44 m
Height: 19.2 m
Draught: (2.5m 8.2ft)
Propulsion: 8× Kuznetsov NK-87 turbojet engines, 127.4 kN (28,600 lbf) thrust
Speed: 297 kn (550 km/h; 342 mph)
Range: 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi)
Capacity: 100 tonnes (220,000 pounds)
Complement: six officers and nine enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems: Puluchas search radar
Armament: Six fixed-elevation P-270 Moskitantiship missile launchers
4×23 mm PI-23 turrets (2 x 2, 2,400 rounds)
Notes: one built

Photo:Youtube

Photo: Youtube

Photo:Gizmodo