Ekranolet S-90 - forgotten ideas and unrealized prospects

After the "dashing" 90s with their "privatization", robberies, the outflow of the best minds of the country abroad, it seemed that the scientific potential of Russia would not be restored soon. However, in the devastated state there were people who continued to think, create, develop new projects. The idea to make a modern ekranolet was born in the late 90s. Moreover, the designers tried to create not just a car capable of flying over water, but a universal vessel that simultaneously combines a hovercraft and an ekranolet. The idea was partially implemented: the design never got on the conveyor, although it had good performance characteristics. But first you need to understand the scheme of the aircraft.

Screen and air cushion

The latter is understood as a structure that creates uniform pressure under the bottom of the vessel. This allows him to move over the water surface, land, ice, snowy plains, etc. There are three types of pillows.

Air lubricated

Such designs can lift something as little as 1 mm above a very smooth surface. The gap is small, but it allows, for example, to move multi-ton loads around the workshop without any problems. For land transport, such a pillow is rarely used, but for water transport it is often used: for example, the Zarya passenger glider and others.


They trap air under the body and reduce resistance when moving.

conventional air cushion

Allows you to rise higher than 1 mm. To do this, you need to exclude air leakage from under the bottom. The way out was found in the form of fences on both sides - a flexible "skirt". It is at rest when passing a flat surface, and when obstacles appear, it bends. Attempts to apply an air cushion in practice date back to 1936 (L-5 torpedo boat). However, Finn T. Kaario, who created a machine tested over the ice of a frozen lake in 1932, is considered the “ancestor” of the ekranoplan. Today, such a design can be found on the Murena landing craft, a civilian ferry crossing the English Channel SR.N4.


However, such transport has not received wide distribution: on land, the skirt wears out quickly, fuel consumption is high, and poor maneuverability.

Dynamic Cushion (Fibreboard)

Here speed is used. Instead of propellers, water or water cannons are used. Fiberboard is formed due to braking under the bottom of the air flow, which is created by a special supercharger. As a result of excessive pressure, a lifting force is generated that exceeds the mass of the vessel.


When it increases speed, the car begins to rise above the surface. Efficiency depends on the proximity to the surface: the lower, the better - the higher the speed, the lower the fuel consumption. The designers tried to combine all of the above ideas in the described ekranolet.

Why was the S-90 created?

First, marketing research was carried out, which showed that Russia's potential need for such machines is approximately 2 pieces of equipment. To create a prototype, subject to sufficient funding, it will take at least three years. The total development cost is estimated at 46,5 million "green".


Speaking in a professional language, then this machine is a non-aerodrome-based multi-purpose aircraft. It is intended for transportation of goods and transportation of passengers in areas where there is no infrastructure necessary for "classic" aircraft, and it is not economically profitable to build roads. The S-90 was developed as a machine operated in three modes:

✅ regional aircraft equipped with ballscrews - air cushion landing gear
✅ WIG
✅ vessel (self-propelled barge)

The chief designer who led the work on the development of a universal aircraft is Alexander Polyakov.

How did the ekranolet move

The unique design, which combined a number of technologies in one vehicle, allowed the S-90 to move in space in several ways. The first mode is flight over the water surface where ordinary river navigation is difficult for one reason or another. In this case, the force of permissible excitement is no more than two points. Also, the ekranolet in this mode “can” fly over land, provided that the height of the relief does not exceed half a meter. This achieves maximum efficiency in fuel consumption.


The second ability of the ship is to move in the air “like an airplane”. This mode is used when there is a strong wave, a storm on the water, and it is impossible to fly over land in the screen mode due to many irregularities. Operation takes place in accordance with the requirements of FAR25 and Russian AP25 (certification rules). Another feature of the C-90 is the possibility of micro-point takeoff / landing. To take to the air, a runway of 230-240 m is enough for the car. Technical characteristics of the S-90 ekranolet:

✅ wingspan, length and height - 16,91 m, 13,83 m, 4,85 m
✅ power plant - a pair of theater engines, issuing 960 "horses" each
✅ air cushion compressor - axial type with a capacity of 350 liters. With.
✅ empty weight (maximum takeoff) - 4,5 tons (up to 10,5 tons)
✅ flight altitude - from 0,05 to 4000 m
✅ speed - from 80 km / h (in screen mode) to 400 km / h (if, like an airplane)

A car with full tanks is capable of covering a maximum distance of 3100 km. Under load, the indicator decreases: if there are 19 passengers on board - up to 2940 km, 25 - 2450 km, 31 people - 1970 km. The cost of operating the S-90 for one hour is 330 greenbacks. For example: the price of 1 hour of using the L-410, accommodating 19 passengers, reaches 39 thousand rubles. Estimated operational resource of the ekranolet is 25 thousand hours or 20 years.

Design features and on-board equipment

A fairly spacious passenger compartment was envisaged, where the seat pitch was assumed to be 762 mm. The height of the "room" was 185 cm - most passengers could walk without bending. In the salon there is a wardrobe, a kitchen and a toilet. When converting the aircraft into a truck, a pair of containers of the LD-3 type was freely placed inside (total weight - up to 4,5 tons). Onboard equipment allows you to fly in all weather conditions, at night, as well as over sparsely populated areas in the absence of landmarks.

With the result that

In 2000, a hydroaviation show was held in Gelendzhik, where the Sukhoi Design Bureau presented its new development - the S-90 ekranolet. The Ministry of Emergency Situations showed the greatest interest in the car. In particular, the ability of the vessel to land and take off from unprepared airfields in the Far North, where there is no infrastructure needed, for example, even for Mi-8 helicopters. Ekranolety could well replace them. Everything, as always, rested on funding.


By the way, this problem with regard to the development of ekranolet is typical not only for Russia, but also for other countries where a similar picture is observed. The problem is the large sums and complexity of creating such vehicles. It is required to conduct a lot of experiments, tests, respectively, it will take time. Private airlines, design bureaus do not want to take risks alone. As soon as it becomes clear that the government refuses to participate in financing, work is immediately curtailed. One can only hope that someday the idea of ​​ekranolet will return and the state will become interested in this topic.