Ekranoplans are a sort of mix of an aircraft and a hovercraft using ground effect to fly or skim a few meters above the ground (normally the water). It is sometimes assumed that the Soviets just copied Western aircraft design (such as with the Tupolev Tu-4 – a B-29 copy) and were always playing catch-up.
But this is just wrong (or at least isn’t always right). The Soviets pioneered ground effect vehicles (GEV) or ekranoplans and built remarkable ekranoplans like the Caspian Sea Monster. Perhaps the most eye-catching proposed Russian ekranoplan is the Beriev Be-2500 Neptun.
Bartini Beriev Be-2500 Neptun
The Soviet Union may be long over, but Russia has continued to tout the idea from time to time. One of the more recent post-Cold War proposed ekranoplan designs is the Beriev Be-2500 Neptun, developed by Beriev (Beriev has also built the world’s only amphibious jet aircraft, the Be-200).
The design of the Be-2500 is incredible. The maximum takeoff weight is estimated at 2500 tons (hence the name ‘Be-2500’). If ekronoplans were to be considered aircraft and if they were ever built, they would be the largest aircraft in existence, weighing four times more than the now-destroyed Anotonov An-225.
It would be something of a flying ship. As well as flying at high altitudes on long trips, the Be-2500 would be designed to travel intercontinental routes across the sea. It wouldn’t require any special infrastructure to dock.
Sources: Simple Flying; YouTube