Russia works on airfoil craft concept

10.08.2011 Airfoil craft development concept for military and civil needs was drawn up in accordance with governmental instruction, said Yury Varakosov, Director of Airfoil Craft Developers Association.

"The concept has been coordinated with leading agencies and submitted to Military Industrial Commission at Russian Government", Varakosov said. As for him, the project development was conducted by interagency working group comprising representatives of Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Transport, Defense Ministry, EMERCOM, FSB, Ekranoplan association, specialized design bureaus and institutes.

Civil-oriented airfoil engineering is being financed under federal target program "Development of civilian maritime transport 2009–2016". According to Yury Varakasov, companies of the association do execute state orders under that program: "We have elaborated some scientific and technological solutions during realization of state contracts and managed to test them on the full-size model". Airfoil ship EK-12P was used as such model; it was designed for Russian FSB Frontier Service. "We use this airfoil ship to test certain technological innovations in order to improve technical and operational parameters of this and further vessels", Varakasov said.

Airfoil craft is a transport combatant capable to fly at altitudes equal to 0.05–0.2 of wing width over water, ice, or flat land areas with use of so-called 'screen effect' which is a kind of an air cushion increasing the wing lift.