Page 40 - Theory and Design of Air Cushion Craft

24 Introduction to hovercraft

has become the Russian Federation. Since 1993 the Russian government has pursued
a policy of conversion of its military construction facilities into commercial ventures.
The main shipyard which constructed ACVs for the Russian Navy is located on the
river Neva, and is now called Almaz Shipbuilding Company. Almaz built two of the
total 31 Gus class amphibious hovercraft (20.6 m, 27 tonnes) which were produced for
the Russian Navy between 1969 and 1979. Three Gus can operate out of the Ivan
Rogov class landing ships. Almaz shipyard also built two Utenok class (70t, 27 m, 65
knots) amphibious assault craft in 1982. Recently the Dolphin Design Bureau has
redeveloped this design as a passenger ferry for 98 persons, marketed by the shipyard
as the Utenok-D3. A commercial version of the Pomornik has also been prepared.
The Russian Navy also has in service a group of inshore minesweeping ACVs which
were commissioned in 1985/86; these are 86m, lOOt class vessels.
SES have been principally developed as passenger carrying craft for river traffic, at
Krasnoye Sormovo, which has also been the main ACV design group since the early
days. Craft were built at the Leningrad, Sosnovka, and Astrakhan shipyards. The
Vostok Central Design Bureau, also in St Petersburg (Leningrad), had responsibility
for military ACV designs, many of which were built at the Leningrad shipyard.
Soviet commercial developments in the 1960s were initially focused on alternatives
to the passenger hydrofoils, which operated along its extensive river network. The
resulting sidewall craft had high length to beam ratio, shallow cushions and simple
skirt systems, for example the experimental Gorkovchanin from 1969 (Fig. 1.24).
Production vessels, mainly the Zarnitsa and Luch classes for 60 to 80 passengers, have
been very successful. A number of other designs for more exposed waters have been
built as prototypes. Since the breakup of the USSR several design bureaux and
shipyards have been developing larger SES designs in closer competition to those
available from China, and Korea.
Commercial ACV development has focused on smaller utility craft in the range 6
to 30 seats, with designs such as the Barrs, Gepard, Taifun, Irbis and Puma. Current
technical data for these craft may be found in reference 12a and later editions of this
book. These craft paralleled the development of craft such as the AV Tiger and
Griffon range of craft in the UK. Medium pressure bag and finger skirt designs are
used. Nearly 100 Barrs and Gepard have been built since 1981. The 16 seat Puma has

Fig. 1.24 USSR passenger sidewall hovercraft Gorkovchanin.