The Soviet MD-160 “Caspian Sea Monster” ground effect vehicle aquatic plane/boat [called an ekranoplan in local parlance] is a little like the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell that some small midwest towns have. It’s not particularly good at flying, as it stays just a few feet off the water with some hydrofoils stuck down into the water, and it’s not a particularly good boat either, because it’s huge and difficult to maneuver. I can’t help but wonder why the Ruskies saw fit to build just this one.
I was introduced to this massive beast by Davey Johnson and the Jalopnik of over a decade ago, and it’s been half-assed flying/floating around my head ever since. Come on back home Davey, there are more DAFs and FAFs to argue over.
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