Thats the Bartini Beriev VVA-14, different from the KM (Caspian Sea Monster). The Russians actually built 4 different big ground effect vehicles. From smallest to biggest: THe Bartini Beriev VVA-14 was 114,000 lbs, with two turbo fans, and plans for 12 more to get it off the water. They built two prototypes of them. The A-90 Orlyonok, was a 308,000 lb turbo prop that they built 4 of. Then the Lun-class that was 837,000 lbs with 8 turbofans that they built 1.5 of. Finally the KM Caspian Sea Monster was 1,200,000 lbs with 10 turbojets, it crashed in 1980. In general if a ground effect vehicle has enough thrust to get off the water, it will also be able to fly out of ground effect, its just that staying in ground effect is way more efficient. A guy on youtube has been building a number of different RC ground effect planes, and its pretty impressive to see how well they work on very calm water, and how poorly they work when the water isn't calm.
Back in the '70's and '80's a common site at Denver's Stapleton International Airport over I70. The airport was moved east of Denver in 1995. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you, Don, and to those who tolerated my post. Ahhhh yes! The instructor spot! The dungeon as I like to call it and, of course, another is with my mug. After 21-years of military then airline and corporate jet flying, I wanted to be able to go home every night, and I get to meet great people. It’s especially cool for me because the company encourages you to fly the jet on the side. Thank you, again.
This was a fantastic airplane. Epic LT. Non-RVSM, but I’d cruise at 315 TAS at FL 270/280. She did give me a rapid decompression climbing through about 12k out of Bend; SEA Center was awesome in immediately letting me down to a VFR MSA. No emergency declared. 250 below 10 was always on the brain. She was goofy for me to have a 310-315 True at cruise while reffing around 90 Indicated.
Thank you, Don! My top two favorite airplanes I’ve ever flown were the King Air 300 and the Epic; the jets are cool, but the feeling of raw flying just lacked for me. The helicopters, namely the AH-64A and UH-60A/L (flew both), were next level as tree top (NOE, contour and low level) flying was truly exhilarating. If memory serves, I recall a burn, rather sip(!) in relation to a turbofan, of 60-80 gph which is one reason these high performance, turbine propellers are so attractive to buyers/owners. I had been spoiled with mostly multi-engine aircraft to this point so with the Epic, I always had a bearing needle, if you will, to the nearest suitable airport and engine out glide range readily available on my iPad; controlled paranoia was my philosophy.
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This was from my brief time flying fractional. Cruise at FL 450 which was cool, but that was it; the cockpit was too small, and the work absolutely sucked especially with 13-day trips and four day, to and from, commutes. 17 days away from home especially after two years in Afghanistan? No thanks. It still made for a cool photo with my ‘78 GTS and a simple, “suck it” to the haters in my life.
Awesome picture! A Boxer! The differences are that you owned both and yours was/is(?) a 512BB! I flew a Turbo (turbine) Commander (a 690 if memory serves) but only for a couple months before the owner needed an Epic LT pilot; it is a great airplane though taxiing was a lesson of its own!
The Commanders are great airplanes, for sure. 300 knots on 65 or so gallons per hour at FL280, and climbs 1000fpm or more on one engine, even at heavy weights.
