[Red Badger]

Looks like something out of a Hollywood movie.................

[Thorliveshere]

That is the coolest #$%&ing plane I’ve ever seen!

[montag813]

Russian engineers have always thought outside the box. Remarkable.

[montag813]

Details behind the science of how it works HERE

[VanDeKoik]

That that is a plane built to put the fear of Ivan in you.

[dinodino]

Looks economical to operate... </sarc>

[GonzoGOP]

This thing was often referred to as the Caspian Sea Monster. The CIA saw it on recon photos but couldn't figure out what the heck it was.

[Sudetenland]

[FreedomProtector]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0y9UHyOhbo

[tumblindice]

This reminds me of the nuclear hand grenade. A Legion of Merit medal is tied to the pin.

[ctdonath2]

Another marvelous & promising technology, relegated to the dustbin of history because it was featured on the cover of Popular Mechanics.

[hoagy62]

Couple of things:

In regard to the Lun...there is some footage of the thing actually flying and firing its rockets. If you do a YouTube search for ‘Lun-class”, you’ll find it. It’s from a Russian documentary of the ekranoplanes, and the narration is in Russian. However, if you click through, you’ll recognize the Lun.

Second, in regard to the nuclear airplane concept...the Air Force finally deemed the concept as too expensive to make both safe and workable. However, they had thought of “Project Pluto”. It was a nuclear-powered cruise missile/unmanned bomber that, once it’s nuclear engine was turned on, would go blasting at supersonic speeds (likely Mach 3) and low altitude towards several targets in the Soviet Union. It would’ve carried multiple nukes onboard, dropping them on several targets before self-destructing over the last target.
Not only that, but the shock wave from flying at Mach 3 so low to the ground would have caused serious damage along its flight path...and the exhaust was also going to leave a pretty nasty radioactive trail.

They dropped the idea when intercontinental ballistic missiles proved to be easier to design and build then previously thought.

I imagine it as what I call a “middle-finger” type of weapon...where you not only destroy cities but screw up the environment of your enemy for decades to come.

[TXnMA]

Video of it in action -- including firing missiles while at speed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0y9UHyOhbo

There appears to be several more similar videos available via the "sidebar" at that same URL...

[Lazlo in PA]

Man. The shoddy, crooked welds and overall design just scream Soviet Union. From the look of the pics, more time was spent drinking Vodka than designing and constructing a decent plane.

[reg45]

We should license the design. Imagine a car ferry that could go from Chicago to Traverse City in one hour.