this is awesome: river rockets of the soviet union

[solarbird]

The Soviet Union was really fond of hydrofoils. This is awesome.

There are some clickthroughs in this article, many are worth it.

http://www.messynessychic.com/2016/04/20/river-rockets-of-the-soviet-space-age/

Comments

[stickmaker]

Don't forget the ekranoplan (aka The Caspian Sea Monster) which actually flew in the air, just slightly higher than hydrofoils flew in water.

The Russians seemed to have this _thing_ about moving people and supplies very quickly very low over water. Maybe remembering the lesson of air superiority from The Great Patriotic War (aka WWII).

[vatine]

Ekranoplans are also very very good for transporting all sorts of things very fast across frozen steppes.

[solarbird]

Is that what was going on with those things? Do they work over ice as well as water?

That makes so much more sense now - particularly if they do.