Michi wrote:I don't know, those things look more like a joke to me.  What is that on there, a two stroke lawnmower engine?  I doubt they have much useful payload.  Like Chuck said, they may do well a few feet above the water level, but passed that, good luck.  Stick a PT-6 on it, then we're talking.

My thoughts exactly!  It looks like a high-school science fair project!  It looks fine until you consider the engine in what appears to be some kind of afterthought modification lawn-mower engine attachment for one of those small pond boats that you have to peddle like a bicycle.

In all seriousness, though, what is the usefulness of something like this?  It doesn't appear to be able to do much, especially since it can't fly very high above the water.  I've never heard of ekranoplan's before, so I guess I don't know what the purpose/goal is for such a machine.

Very interesting article, Michi.  I love Wikipedia!

The one section (referring to the Russian classification system) seemed to answer Chuck's question about whether their height off the water would negate their classification as a GEV (a more appropriate, generic name for Ekranoplan, according to the article):

"Type B can jump to clear obstacles by converting kinetic energy (speed) into potential energy (height), but cannot maintain flight without the support of the ground effect."

I don't know, these things aren't very fast.  Carriers have the ability to pick up just about anything in their closer vicinity.  These flying lawnmowers which currently only have a machine gun on board can't be a big threat to a carrier group.  Remember those insane machine guns with radar tracking which can blow a surface missile to bits which are mounted on the carriers?  They will shred those lawnmowers to bits before they become a threat.