A Soviet mega-plane used in the Cold War has become a tourist attraction in the Russian sea. In 2020, the “Sea Monster” was taken to a museum for 14 hours, but was abandoned near the Derbent coast due to unexpected events on the way.
The MD-160 ecranoplane mixes the structures of an airplane with a ship and can take off in extreme weather conditions. This versatility allowed him to carry out lightning strikes on enemy ships with six guided missile launchers with a range of up to 100 km.
In addition, eight jet engines allowed the hybrid to reach speeds close to 550 km/h. The Sea Monster’s potential worried the enemy, and the US spy agency, the CIA, investigated it even in the 1980s.
At 75 meters long and 45 meters from wing to wing, the MD-160 is larger than a Boeing 747. However, it was only able to reach a flight altitude of nine meters. On the other hand, enemy radars could not detect you.
Although it planned to increase the fleet to eight hybrid aircraft, the Soviet Union stopped the project when it began to collapse in the early 1990s.
Image: Vladimir Zapletin/Getty Images/iStockphoto
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.