Caffeine & Octane

Northview HS

11-6-11

If you ever think of a vehicle that could conquer ice, snow, lakes and swamps with impunity, Russians already made in probably 1961. Designed by Andrei Tupolev, one of the founders and key figures of Soviet Aviation, this wacky super-fast Russian rescue boat called Tupolev N 007 appears to be one of the early prototypes. The boat is one of the many bizarre weapons, vehicles and boats that came out as result of arms buildup during the Cold War but were never mass produced.

This strange looking contraption is powered by a 9-cylinder Vedenyev M14P radial aircraft engine generating 365HP with a 264 KW turbo charge is capable of winning any kind of terrain. The vehicle is made of very strong aluminum alloy and incorporates a pair of gull-wing doors and can transport a 630-pound payload at more than 90mph across the Siberian tundra.
Tupolev N 007’s dimensions includes a length of 611 cm, width 2160 cm, its draft at 10 cm and a weight of 3,150 pounds. N007 is capable of floating in as little as four inches of water as well as can propel through and protect its occupants from the sub-zero conditions common in the Northern Russian tundra.

N 007 is a multi use vehicle – part ground effect aircraft, part boat but mainly a sled that hovers over water, marshland, ice or snow and given a flat stretch, is claimed to reach 80 mph. Not only this but this rescue boat is all about speed and with the hull configuration, water depth, or lack of it, made no difference to the operators.

www.automotto.com/entry/tupolev-n-007-is-ground-effect-ai...