Boat "Rocket" on hydrofoils: description, technical characteristics. Water transport

The "Rocket" boat is a ship equipped with wings below the waterline. It is classified as "P" and is designed for simultaneous service of 64-66 passengers. The specific capacity is determined by the modification of the vehicle. The "rocket" has dimensions of 27 * 5 * 4.5 m, it precipitates by 1.1 m during the course, and by 1.8 m during idle time. In the empty state the displacement of the vessel is 18, in the filled state it is 25.3. The ship can move at a speed of no more than 70 km / h, but the normative - from 60 to 65 km / h. The design provides one propeller, and the main engine is installed in 900-1000 horsepower capacity.

It is interesting

The "Rocket" boat is not a single product, but a whole series launched in production even during the Soviet period. The projects on which these ships were built were called:

• 340 ME;
• 340;
• 340E.

We began to make ships in 1957. Their production continued until about the mid-70's. During this period, about three hundred boats for river transport were launched. The first of them received the symbolic name "Rocket-1". His construction was rightfully proud of the plant "Krasnoe Sormovo".

The boat "Rocket-1" made the first voyage in 1957, it was launched on August 25. The route ran between Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod. In total, the ship has overcome 420 kilometers of water surface in seven hours! The technical characteristics of the "Raketa" cutter hit the imagination of the inhabitants. 30 lucky people became those people who for the first time in such a short time on the water were able to make this fascinating journey.

Present and Future

Since the boat "Rocket" (speed of the ship - up to 70 km / h) showed such excellent parameters, it quickly gained popularity. The name of this ship in the people almost immediately became a household name. This tradition has survived to the present day - today all rockets are called "missiles", reminiscent of the classic Soviet ship.

In the Soviet period, the river boat "Rocket" was not available to everyone. Secured families could afford a trip on weekends to some beautiful land: the pilots delivered their passengers to charming bays and bays that were inaccessible to those traveling by land. But the price of a similar cruise bite. For example, electric trains, which could be driven to the same distance from the city, were cheaper several times. Nevertheless, it was simply impossible to imagine the best rest on the water for the whole family, rather than the boat "Rocket".

Nowadays this ship is used daily. For example, it can be seen at the river terminal in Nizhny Novgorod. Day by day, loyal vessels carry passengers between cities and drive tourists on excursion routes.

The Metropolitan "Rocket"

Projects of boats were immediately considered as schemes on which it will be necessary to build water vehicles for the great Soviet capital - Moscow. Therefore, the best shipbuilders of that era designed them. Accordingly, as soon as the first "Rocket-1" was launched, in the shortest time this ship was in the capital. His first flight was made in 1957 in the summer months, when the city hosted a festival dedicated to students and youth. It was an international event, in which the authorities were going to show all the best that is in the Soviet Union. And ships of the river fleet, of course, too.

Massively hydrofoil vessels began to be operated in the water areas of Moscow only at the beginning of the next decade, where they enjoyed a well-deserved success until 2006. And since 2007, the authorities have launched a large-scale program, designed to restore inland water transport, in particular, the park "Rocket". Since 2009, regularly fly four such ships:

• 102 (only for VIP flights);
• 185;
• 191 (previously shuttled as the 244th);
• 246.

Informal sources say that other hydrofoil ships will soon appear along the legendary Soviet projects - as soon as they finish the work on the restoration of cars.

general characteristics

The hydrofoil boat is such a fast ship, which operates on the principle of dynamic support. The ship has a hull, and under it are "wings." If the ship is slowly moving or standing, the balance is provided by the Archimedean force. With the increase in speed, there is a rise above the water surface by the force that wings provoke. Such a design solution allowed to minimize the water resistance, which affects the speed.

River types of water transport with wings did what previously seemed impossible - high-speed navigation on the water arteries of the country. Now the travel began to take hours, which led to a rapid increase in the popularity of transport. At the same time, ships are relatively inexpensive to operate and are characterized by a long service life. All this has become the basis for competitiveness, thanks to which from the moment of their launch and to this day "winged" types of water transport are serious rivals of other means of transportation.

Non-Rocket "Missiles"

The "missile" did not become the only vehicle of this type. It was the first launch of this ship, which was sign for river boat ships, and the following year the Volga hydrofoil boat took off for the voyage. By the way, it was demonstrated at the Brussels exhibition, and not without reason: the ship was able to get a gold medal.

Two years later, the first "Meteor" (another analogue of the "Rockets") was launched, and then the "Comet", which became the first in the sea for such a type of ships. Years later, the light was seen by numerous "Seagulls", "Vortices" and "Satellites". Finally, the top of shipbuilding in this area can be called the vessel "Burevestnik" - a full-fledged gas turbine ship.

Pride of the Land of Soviets

The Soviet Union possessed the largest base of hydrofoil ships, and in many respects it was ensured by the fact that the release of the "Rocket" was well established. But the country did not use all that it produced: the channels for selling motor ships abroad were debugged. In total, the "Rockets" were sold in several dozens of different states.

Rostislav Alekseev was engaged in the development of ships with wings under water. "Rocket" - this is one of the important reasons for pride. The ship, created for routes up to half a thousand kilometers, fully justified the money invested in it and remains attractive to this day.

Production seriously

When the Rocket boats showed their excellent parameters, they proved their reliability and it became clear that they had considerable prospects, the government decided to launch a mass production of these ships. The task was entrusted to the plant "Sea", located in Feodosia. A little later it was possible to establish the manufacture of vessels in the following cities:

• Leningrad;
• Khabarovsk;
• Nizhny Novgorod;
• Volgograd.

Production was also organized on the territory of Georgia, in the city of Poti.

Produced ships were exported to:

• Finland;
• Romania;
• Lithuania;
• China;
• Germany.

And today the "Rockets" go to some of these countries. Many ships were later converted to dachas, restaurants, cafeterias.

And as it was intended?

Looking at how successful the ship was, it seems inevitable that the government planned it. But was it really so? The project was developed under the supervision of the Ministry of Shipbuilding, financed by the state - this fact is undeniable. But historical reports prove that officials with these models did not connect real expectations and hopes. In many respects this was due to the non-standard nature of the idea as such - they feared that it could at all burn out. And the time was when it is very easy to remain "misunderstood," which could not only become a nuisance, but lead to a complete collapse.

In an effort to do everything possible, the brilliant Soviet shipbuilder Rostislav Alekseev set himself the task of maximum - to design and build a ship and demonstrate it not to anyone, but immediately to Khrushchev himself, that is, bypassing all lower-ranking officials. This daring plan had a chance of success and was implemented in the summer of 1957. The ship "on all wings" raced along the Moskva River and was moored not on an occasional wharf, but where the Secretary General usually liked to stay. Alekseev personally invited Nikita Khrushchev on board. So the swim started, which allowed the ship to become legendary. Even then, the main person of the country appreciated the admiration of the public caused by the overtaking ship. And the General Secretary himself was impressed by the speed. It was then that a phrase was born for the descendants: "Enough of us to ride on the rivers on the oxen! We will build! ».

The story does not end there

Yes, the "Rockets" were popular, they were the pride of the nation, they were loved, they knew, they admired them, they were paid money for them. But as time went on, the ships gradually became obsolete. Of course, the first time they were repaired, but when the Secular Union went "under the slope", it was not up to the ships. The technical and moral wear of river transport only increased. At some point, it seemed that there was practically no future in this direction of vehicles, at least not in the coming decades.

And here a few years ago, launched a program designed to revive the best motor ships of the Soviet Union - the "Rockets". And together with them it was decided to invest in "Comets" and "Meteors". Despite the rather difficult economic situation in the country, the government was able to allocate money for works to improve transport and modernize ships for the needs of modern times. A special program was designed to support ships with wings under the water. Important was the year of 2016, when the vessel "Comet 120M" was to demonstrate that the efforts made did not go to waste.

But was the "Rocket" first?

Now, few people remember this, but the "Rocket" was not the first attempt to create a transport of this kind. Even before it was developed, suggesting that you can achieve the best rates of speed, if under the hull of the vessel to put the wings. For the first time the idea of such a vessel was born in the XIX century!

Why did not you create anything sensible before Alexeyev did it? First, steam engines were used, the power of which is rather limited. They simply did not have enough to develop a speed at which the wings would be really useful. Therefore, at that stage, everything ended in fantasies and assumptions "how it can be." However, these were interesting times: regularly the public saw all the new types of buildings and the specifics of the structure, the ships set records, but months passed - and they were already beaten by new ships. This race seemed endless. In the people the first ship, equipped with wings under the water, was called a "frog". Although he moved quickly, but jumped on the surface of the water and was quite unstable.

High-speed fleet: how was it?

In 1941 in Nizhny Novgorod (which in those days was called Gorky) in the Industrial Institute was defended a thesis, dedicated to a glider with wings under the water. The author of this project was Rostislav Alekseev - the same one who in the future "with a breeze" will drive Khrushchev in Moscow.

The drawings were demonstrated by the commission excellent vessel with high speed indicators. It had to work on a principle that had never been implemented before. In the world at that time, there simply was not anything like it. To say who the jury was stunned - means, and half can not express their delight and surprise.

Opportunities and conservatism

Defense of the thesis work was excellent for Alexeyev and inspired him to draw up a report, in which he proposed to implement the project. The document was sent to the Navy, and soon the answer was: the schemes are unsuccessful, unacceptable and do not interest serious designers.

Adult uncles in the Soviet Navy did not play toys! Well, they signed a pretty flattering phrase for the young engineer at the end: "You are way ahead of time."

When perseverance triumphs over unbelief

Others would have surrendered on Rostislav's place: there was a war, there was no money, the situation was catastrophically complicated, and what threatened the near future and it was completely impossible to imagine. But the young specialist did not want to give up. Only a year has passed since the letter of resignation, and now Alekseev has established contact with Krylov, the chief designer of a factory specializing in water transport. This clever man, able to look into the future, saw in the drawings of a new engineer an opportunity for a breakthrough and wanted to take a closer look at them. Then followed a few tense years in the conditions of war and soon after it. Numerous skeptics scolded the project, the engineers worked on it, not resting. And in 1957, finally, came to real success.

The new ship was tested quickly, and immediately after that they headed to the capital, coincidentally - during the international festival, which was to be attended by the head of state. In just 14 hours the ship arrived in place, while the riverboats used in those times overcame this distance in about three days. Well, about how the story developed, you already know.

Did Alekseev expect such triumph? Probably yes. Although it was difficult to guess about the scale in advance. Are we now waiting for the return of the updated "Rockets" to the water arteries of our country? Sure, yes. This ship has become an important historical and national treasure, and at the same time an excellent vehicle, applicable in everyday life.