Chinese Wing-in-Ground Effect Vehicles - Ekranoplans in PLA service

Deino

Deino

General
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Here via SOC at the CDF ... even if it is constantly called the “Bohai Sea Monster”, the initial report, it "was spotted on a pier on the Bohai Sea, at the northwestern end of the Yellow Sea" is wrong!

SOC: "It's being tested about 2300 km from the Bohai. Whoever originally reported the sighting in the Bohai was incorrect."

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siegecrossbow

siegecrossbow

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Tomboy said:
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New pictures of the new GEV, interestingly it has apparently 4 underwing hardpoints (of which two of them on the left side has been fitted with pylons) for presumably antiship munitions or torpedos. Also, it appears to be much smaller in size than previous expected.
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From what I’ve heard the primary role is not lobbing munitions at enemy ships. It is intended to rapidly evacuate wounded troops during naval conflict.
 
lcloo

lcloo

Major
WIG craft have been used by border patrol troops as personnel transport over the water in North China for a long time. It is faster than patrol boats and can land the troops at riverbank with gentle slopes just like any boat.

It is basically a transport craft more suitable for calm water like lakes and rivers since it "flies" just a few meters above the water so that it stays within the ground effect zone, the lower the craft from water surface the more drag efficient due to higher air pressure below the wings.

For evacuation of wounded in open water, the design might have to be modified to make it a hybrid of WIG and conventional aircraft with stronger structure and larger wingspan so that it can fly higher above the waves. Normal WIG flies at 20 to 50 feet above the water. the abandoned huge Boeing Pelican WIG craft is an example of over ocean trans-continental capable high altitude WIG craft, but was too ambitious to be realized.
 
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plawolf

plawolf

Lieutenant General
lcloo said:
WIG craft have been used by border patrol troops as personnel transport over the water in North China for a long time. It is faster than patrol boats and can land the troops at riverbank with gentle slopes just like any boat.

It is basically a transport craft more suitable for calm water like lakes and rivers since it "flies" just a few meters above the water so that it stays within the ground effect zone, the lower the craft from water surface the more drag efficient due to higher air pressure below the wings.

For evacuation of wounded in open water, the design might have to be modified to make it a hybrid of WIG and conventional aircraft with stronger structure and larger wingspan so that it can fly higher above the waves. Normal WIG flies at 20 to 50 feet above the water. the abandoned huge Boeing Pelican WIG craft is an example of over ocean trans-continental capable high altitude WIG craft, but was too ambitious to be realized.
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It’s originally for CASEVAC of troops from the beachheads during AR beach landings where they want to get casualties from the beach to hospitals within the golden hour timeframe to maximise chances of saving lives. These projects predate the fall of the USSR, and ironically one of the biggest threat to them was the fall of the USSR, which resulted in a lot of Soviet WIG planes becoming available at very affordable prices.

But I think these days there is far less interest in them, as the projected beach assault casualties keeps dropping with each year of advancement, in addition, the PLAN has added a fair number of hospital ships to their fleet, and many of their latest amphibious assault ships also have vastly improved medical facilities such that I don’t think rushing casualties back to the mainland is as imperative as it once was.
 
W

WaterbDoge

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lcloo said:
WIG craft general have wheels in order for them to be pulled out of water for maintenance or to be kept in a hangar to shield against the weather. In general operations they land and take off from the water instead of from runway.

WIG craft is neither an amphibious aircraft nor a flying boat. WIG craft is classified as maritime vehicles and their certification is based on their classification thus without air worthiness certificate, they are unlikely to be allowed for taking off/landing from airfield.
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Why do you think a millitary thing has to follow such standards if it is opereated in PLA airport? We don't even know if it is purely GEV (since we know it is restricted by weather a lot), its wing span is larger than this type usually have and closer to a sea plane's span, the wing is mounted high and nothing blows air below it to help taking off (which means its wing produce enough lift).
 
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lcloo

lcloo

Major
WaterbDoge said:
Why do you think a millitary thing has to follow such standards if it is opereated in PLA airport? We don't even know if it is purely GEV (since we know it is restricted by weather a lot), its wing span is larger than this type usually have and closer to a sea plane's span, the wing is mounted high and nothing blows air below it to help taking off (which means its wing produce enough lift).
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No, WIF craft has never operated on an airfield, let alone a PLA airbase. The only recorded use so far is transportation of China's border guards on patrol along the Northen frontier. They are usually based in small hangar built on riverside.

Frankly WIG craft does not seem to offer any advantages over other platforms like hovercraft, transport drones or helicopters.

These old WIG craft were operated by the China's border guards, probably already retired now.
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WaterbDoge

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lcloo said:
No, WIF craft has never operated on an airfield, let alone a PLA airbase. The only recorded use so far is transportation of China's border guards on patrol along the Northen frontier. They are usually based in small hangar built on riverside.

Frankly WIG craft does not seem to offer any advantages over other platforms like hovercraft, transport drones or helicopters.

These old WIG craft were operated by the China's border guards, probably already retired now.
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So as I said, we still have to make sure it is a pure WIG, I believe you can find it is quite different to traditional WIG designs.
 
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