Developed during the 1980s in Soviet Russia, the futuristic-looking MD-160 Lun-class ekranoplane had been unused at a Russian naval base since the late 1990s, but has now been stranded on the shores of the Caspian Sea, as part of a plan. to turn it into a tourist attraction by the sea.
Known as the Caspian Sea Monster, the giant ekranoplan was designed in 1975 by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev, a prominent developer of hydrofoils and ground-effect vehicles. It used a cushion of air under its giant wings to float about 13 feet above the water, making it difficult to detect. It was built as part of the Soviet WIG program, dating back to the Cold War of the 1960s, and was the only Lun-class ekranoplan to be completed and equipped with supersonic missiles.
The experimental aircraft received its nickname from the CIA. When spy satellite photos revealed this giant plane with “KM” stamped on the wings, they called it the Kaspian Monster, not knowing that the letters actually stood for Korabl-Maket (prototype ship).
The MD-160 ekranoplan was retired in the late 1990s and had since been abandoned at a Russian naval base. On July 31, the vehicle was towed to Derbent, Dagestan, with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction as part of a park. When it arrived, authorities realized there was nowhere to put the giant plane, which dwarfs a 747 jet.
This one-of-a-kind ekranoplane has been stranded on the coast of the Caspian Sea since August, despite several attempts by locals to pull it onto dry land with their hands.
It seems that the Caspian Sea Monster has once again been abandoned, at least for the moment, and there is the sad possibility that the waves will tear it apart. A tragic end to one of the most visually impressive aircraft ever built.
