In the 1970's when the first American satellite photos were taken of this vessel as it sat inland, it was believed to be a normal Jumbo jet sized aircraft under construction. When the vessel was later photographed sitting in water the questions started to fly "what is it ? "
Ekranoplan is a Russian word it means 'screen craft' or 'skimmer'. It is not a plane nor is it a ship, moreover its a mixture of both. The craft moves along on a dynamic cushion of air that is generated by its forward movement. It has similar characteristics of the common hovercraft in that it flies just above the surface of the water as it moves. However, it will not hover whilst stationary but just sit and float in the water like a boat.
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