The «Chaika» was an experimental water-jet hydrofoil vessel for 30 passengers, built at Krasnoye Sormovo Plant in 1962 to a design by the bureau of Rostislav Alekseev. On trials it reached a speed of about 100 km/h, but it never went into series production. [1]
Speed
The «Chaika» was built as a fast-line vessel: small, carrying thirty passengers, fitted with a water-jet propulsor instead of a screw propeller. The water jet let it operate in shallow water without risking damage to a propeller, and removed the draft restrictions at mooring sites. [1]
About a hundred kilometers per hour on trials was an outstanding result for an early-1960s passenger river vessel: the standard Raketa (hydrofoil))» boats held to around sixty. However, this speed came at the cost of fuel consumption and complexity, and the «Chaika» never reached series production, remaining an experimental vessel. [1][2] The «Chaika»'s cruising speed was 80-90 km/h, and at speeds of around 90-100 km/h cavitation developed on its structures, quickly wearing them out — it was only overcome fifteen years later, on the titanium structures of the «Burevestnik». [2]
Sources
- spkfleet.ru — The vessel «Chaika» (archive)
- korabel.ru — Mikhail Frantsev. The fleet that rose onto the wing (archive)