The Lun-class Ekranoplane was used by the Soviet Navy starting in 1987, and wasn't retired until the late 1990s, after the Soviet Union's fall
At nearly 243 feet long — and at almost the size of the Spruce Goose — the Lun is a ground-effect aircraft that can only fly near the surface of the sea
Eight turbofans producing 28,600 pounds of thrust apiece are mounted at the nose of the vehicle
It has a "flying boat"-style hull and a "step" for takeoff
It was built for anti-surface warfare in the event of a European invasion or an unexpected attack from NATO forces
The vessel carried six P-270 Moskit guided missiles — armed with nuclear warheads
The missiles were mounted in pairs on the top of the vehicle's hull
Its nose and tail concealed the most cutting-edge tracking systems and radar of the day
Another version of the Lun was slated to be a highly-mobile, fast-moving field hospital
... but funding for the medical version never materialized, and the plane was never built.
In 2007, Russia's defense minister announced that the country would resume production of this model of Ekranoplane
The "wing-in-ground" effect allows the fully-loaded 2 million pound aircraft to fly low over the water — and even get decent fuel economy for a vehicle of its massive size
It was the first hovercraft to use turbojet power, and the first vehicle of its type to be operated successfully
The Lun could only fly at incredibly low altitude, and could not travel any higher than the length of its wings
The Lun could carry 15 officers, flying 340 mph and reaching a maximum operational range of 1,240 miles. It could only ever reach an altitude of 16 feet.
The effect that allows the huge Ekranoplane to skim the surface of the water can be seen in low-flying seabirds that glide above the sea without needing to flap their wings
These kinds of "Ground Effect Vehicles" are twice as efficient as traditional airplanes and can carry twice as much weight
Two-million pounds of Soviet might barreling around at 340 mph.
The Lun also had an anti-submarine function, with six anti-ship missile launchers across the top of the fuselage
The Ekranoplane can carry hundreds of tons of cargo and troops, in addition to anti-ship and anti-submarine munitions and nuclear arms. A fleet of them would have allowed for a potential European invasion
The Lun isn't perfect though. It risks tipping over if it banks sharply. And it can only take off into the wind
Though it has a tail gunner, the low-flying Lun would likely require fighter support as well
Though it can avoid mines and torpedoes, the hulking vehicle is vulnerable from the air
This is the only existing complete Lun. As of early 2012, it sat in Kaspiysk, Russia on the coast of the Caspian Sea
Today's state-of-the-art weapons are even more complicated than the Ekranoplane
