The boat "Meteor" is a river passenger ship. It is a hydrofoil-powered vessel. It was developed by the domestic shipbuilder Rostislav Alekseev.
History of "Meteor"
The boat "Meteor" dates back to 1959. It was then that the first such experimental vessel was launched. Sea trials took almost three weeks. Within their framework, the very first boat "Meteor" covered the distance from Gorky to Feodosia. The ship was built at a plant called Krasnoye Sormovo.
The Meteor spent the winter in Feodosia. He set off on his return journey only in the spring of 1960. This time it took him five days to swim from Feodosia to Gorky. The tests were considered successful by all participants.
Mass production
Everyone was happy with it, so already in 1961 it was put into mass production. It was established in the name of Gorky, who was located in Zelenodolsk. Over 30 years, more than 400 ships from this series were produced here.
At the same time, the design bureau did not stand still. New and improved versions were constantly being developed. Thus, Nizhny Novgorod designers proposed making the Meteor on hydrofoils. In this case, imported engines and air conditioners were used. The history of this ship ended only in 2007, when the line was finally dismantled and rebuilt for ships of a new class.
Inventor of "Meteor"
The shipbuilder Rostislav Alekseev is rightfully considered the creator of the Meteor boat. In addition to aircraft on air wings, his merit is the appearance in our country of ekranoplanes (high-speed vehicles flying in the range of an aerodynamic screen) and ekranoplanes (using the screen effect for flights).
Alekseev was born in the Chernigov province back in 1916. In 1933 he moved with his family to Gorky, where he developed a successful working career. He graduated from the Industrial Institute and defended his thesis on hydrofoil gliders. He started working as a shipbuilding engineer.
During the Great Patriotic War he was given resources and people to create hydrofoil combat boats. The leadership of the Soviet Union believed in his idea. navy. True, their creation was delayed, so they never had time to take part directly in hostilities. But the resulting models convinced skeptics of the feasibility of this project.
Work on "Meteor"
A group of scientists began to develop the “Meteor” hydrofoil under the leadership of Alekseev. Initially it received the symbolic name "Rocket".
The world community became aware of this project in 1957. The ship was presented at the international festival of youth and students, which took place in Moscow. After this, active shipbuilding began. In addition to the boat "Meteor", specifications which turned out to be impressive, projects were created under the names “Burevestnik”, “Volga”, “Voskhod”, “Sputnik” and “Comet”.
In the 60s, Alekseev created an ekranoplan for the navy and a separate project for the airborne troops. If the flight altitude of the first was only a few meters, then the second could rise to a height comparable to airplanes - up to seven and a half kilometers.
In the 70s, Alekseev received an order for the landing ground effect vehicle "Eaglet". In 1979, the world's first ekranolet ship was adopted by the navy as an official combat unit. Alekseev himself regularly tested his vehicles. In January 1980, while testing a new model of a civilian passenger ekranolet, which was supposed to be completed for the Moscow Olympics, it crashed. Alekseev survived, but received numerous injuries. He was urgently hospitalized. Doctors fought for his life, two operations were performed. But on February 9, he still died. He was 63 years old.
Hydrofoils
The hydrofoil Meteor is a striking example of ships of this class. It has hydrofoils under the hull.
Among the advantages of such aircraft They note high speed of movement, low resistance when moving on the wings, insensitivity to pitching and high maneuverability.
At the same time, they also have significant shortcomings. Their main disadvantage is low efficiency, especially in comparison with slow-moving displacement vessels, and they begin to have problems when the water is rough. In addition, they are not suitable for unequipped parking lots, and to move they need both powerful and compact engines.
Description of "Meteor"
"Meteor" is a hydrofoil motor ship, which is designed for high-speed transportation of passengers. It runs on diesel and is single-deck. Used exclusively during daylight hours on navigable rivers. It is also possible for it to move through freshwater reservoirs and lakes, but only in areas with a predominantly temperate climate. It is controlled remotely, its movement is controlled directly from the wheelhouse.
Passengers are seated in three salons with comfortable and soft seats. They are located in the bow, middle and stern parts of the vessel. A total of 114 passengers can be accommodated. Movement between parts of the vessel is carried out through the deck, from which doors lead to the toilet, utility rooms and engine room. In the middle salon there is even a buffet for those who want to refresh themselves.
The wing device includes load-bearing wings and flaps. They are fixed to the sides and bottom racks.
The main engines are two diesel. In this case, to service the power plant, a combined unit consisting of diesel engine power up to 12 horsepower. The mechanical installation is controlled from the wheelhouse and engine room.
Power supply of the ship
"Meteor" is a motor ship for which two running generators are considered the main source of electricity direct current. Their power is one kilowatt at a stable and normal voltage.
There is also an automatic machine for simultaneous operation batteries and a generator. There is also an auxiliary generator, which is used directly to power consumers.
Specifications
The passenger ship "Meteor" has enviable technical characteristics. The empty displacement is 36.4 tons, and the full displacement is 53.4 tons.
The length of the vessel is 34.6 meters, width is nine and a half meters with a hydrofoil design span. The height when parked is 5.63 meters, when moving on the wings - 6.78 meters.
The draft also differs when stationary and when moving on the wings. In the first case, 2.35 meters, in the second - 1.2 meters. Power varies from 1,800 to 2,200 horsepower. "Meteor" can reach a maximum speed of 77 kilometers per hour, as a rule, it is operated at a speed of 60-65 kilometers per hour. Autonomously, the ship can sail about 600 kilometers.
One of the disadvantages of Meteor is fuel consumption. Initially, it was about 225 liters per hour, but thanks to the use of new modern engines, today it can be significantly reduced - by about 50 liters of fuel per hour.
The crew is small - only three people.
Countries where Meteor is distributed
Currently, serial production of Meteors has been discontinued, so new ships of this type are no longer appearing. But their exploitation continues today. In particular, they are used by the river fleet of the Russian Federation, and they are also common in other countries.
Until now, they can be seen in Hungary, Greece, Vietnam, Italy, Egypt, China, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
These river hydrofoils were actively used in Bulgaria until about 1990, in Latvia until 1988, in Ukraine until 2000, in the Netherlands until 2004, and in Germany until 2008. Now in these countries they have been replaced by more modern ones vehicles.
Safe Travel
Exciting river trips and walks are still organized today using Meteor. Safety on board the ship for passengers is guaranteed special system management and regular thorough Maintenance all devices and mechanisms. Therefore, we can say with confidence that when you set sail on the Meteor, you do not risk anything.
You can take a ride on this river boat in different parts of the country. For example, excursions from St. Petersburg to Peterhof and back are very popular today. The ship sets off through the picturesque places of the Neva, tourists can enjoy the amazing beauties of Northern Palmyra. Moreover, everything is done for the convenience of people; it is not even necessary to waste time in line at the box office; it is enough to purchase a ticket online.
This high-speed river boat will delight you smoothly, which is provided by powerful and reliable modern engines. On board each vessel there are radio navigation control, communication and air conditioning systems.
In three comfortable cabins, passengers are protected from any vagaries of nature. IN soft chairs, which take the form of a tourist, they can fully relax, have a snack, using the folding wooden tables, hidden in the armrests.
There are also installed between the seats round tables made of natural wood, which are much larger. They will come in handy if you are traveling with a friendly group.
Service for tourists
It is worth noting that today these vehicles are mainly used for tourism purposes. Therefore, they organize the most comfortable pastime. Great attention is paid to service.
Companies organizing such river cruises provide a full range of services, providing everything a vacationer might need. For example, tourism services, which include not only the transportation and accommodation of passengers, but also the organization of nutritious meals, are fascinating entertainment programs and educational excursions.
By using the convenient form for ordering tickets for these river ships on the Internet, you will not only save time, but also fully enjoy an unforgettable journey along the great rivers of Russia.
A lot of fascinating and useful facts, which will not only expand your horizons, but also make the trip on this ship even more exciting.
Most of them are collected in a book called “Winged Ones”, which combines all the most interesting things about this unusual look water transport.
For example, one of the captains of the Meteor ship, which moved on hydrofoils, was the famous Hero Soviet Union, participant in the Great Patriotic War Mikhail Devyatayev. While fighting against the Nazi invaders, he was captured, but managed to free himself and even hijack an enemy bomber.
A successful escape was achieved in February 1945 from a concentration camp located in Germany.
And in 1960, the new ship was demonstrated to the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev. The famous aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev, who was present, was so impressed by what he saw that he even asked the main developer, Alekseev, for permission to jointly control the ship.
Today, the Meteor has been replaced by the passenger ship Lena, which is also produced at the shipyard in Zelenodolsk. In the future, this project is being developed at a shipbuilding plant located in Khabarovsk. It is capable of covering a distance of 650 kilometers. At the same time, it develops an average speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour. Capable of accommodating 100 passengers or 50 with VIP accommodation. And the crew is only 5 people.
In Russia, the construction of a civilian hydrofoil vessel (SPK) is in full swing according to a new, first project since the times of the Soviet Union. It's about about a ship designed to carry 120 passengers. Construction of a civilian vessel is underway in the city of Rybinsk Yaroslavl region at the Vympel shipyard. The vessel, intended for high-speed sea transportation, is being built according to project 23160 “Kometa 120M”.
JSC Shipbuilding Plant Vympel specializes in the production of small and medium-tonnage sea and river vessels and boats for both civil and military purposes. Since the founding of the enterprise in 1930, more than 30 thousand various ships of all types have been assembled and launched in Rybinsk. Over the past 40 years, more than 1,800 ships and boats built in the Yaroslavl region have been delivered to 29 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Passenger hydrofoil ship "Kometa"
The vessel is being built according to a project that was created by the designers of the famous Nizhny Novgorod Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils named after R. E. Alekseev in Russia. The very fact of construction symbolizes the fact that high-speed civil shipbuilding is beginning to awaken from a long hibernation and period of decline in the 90s of the 20th century. A source in the Russian shipbuilding industry in an interview with RIA emphasized that in the 1990s, available passenger high-speed ships were sold abroad: to Greece, China, the Baltic countries, where at that time they were in demand by local customers. But now such ships are in demand in Russia itself. They would be very useful today on the Black Sea, where there are really great difficulties in servicing passenger flows. By yet Soviet projects Such ships were built in Russia until about the mid-90s of the last century.
The new ship according to project 23160 was laid down at the Vympel shipyard in the city of Rybinsk on August 23, 2013. IN solemn ceremony The laying of the marine passenger hydrofoil vessel "Kometa 120M" was attended by the regional governor Sergei Yastrebov and the Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov. At the ship's laying ceremony, the approximate time frame for the construction of the new vessel was announced - 9-10 months. As it turned out, the terms that appeared in the press at that time turned out to be very optimistic. But the event itself, when, after an almost 20-year break in Russia, the construction of high-speed passenger hydrofoil ships began under a new project and the subsequent serial production of the new generation SPK in Rybinsk, is certainly a very important and significant stage for Russian civil shipbuilding.
Perhaps it is precisely such a long break that affects the construction time of the small vessel as a whole. According to the manufacturer's information, on March 13, 2015, the ship under construction was moved from the conductor slipway from the first construction position to the second. In Rybinsk they note that this important point, which means the end of a large construction phase. Now the ship will remain at the second outfitting position for about another month. The technological clamping strips, the so-called butts, have already been removed from the ship. The body is welded from the outside. There's a ship waiting ahead mandatory stage works - testing the housing for leaks. As part of this work, X-ray inspection of the seams will be carried out; in addition, the tanks will be filled with water and tested for water tightness.
To save time on the construction of the vessel, work on the formation of the superstructure frame will begin at the second outfitting position. At the third stage construction work"Kometa 120M" will be returned back to the conductor slipway, where the superstructure will be riveted. At the fourth, final stage of work, the ship will be placed on high keel blocks for the installation of the propulsion and steering complex, wing device, propellers, shafts and rudder.
The marine passenger hydrofoil ship "Kometa 120M" is a single-deck ship equipped with a twin-shaft diesel-geared power plant. The vessel is designed for high-speed transportation of passengers during daylight hours in new aviation-type seats. It is reported that this project The sea vessel was designed on the basis of the SPK, which were created in the USSR according to the projects “Kometa”, “Kolkhida” and “Katran”. The main purpose of this ship is to transport passengers in the coastal sea zone. It is reported that the ship will be able to reach a speed of 35 knots. Its main difference from the SECs previously built in our country will be the provision high level comfort for passengers. For this purpose, the ship will have to have automatic system moderation of pitching and overload. Modern vibration-absorbing materials will be used in the design of the ship, which should also have a positive effect on passenger comfort.
The spacious business and economy class cabins on the new Comet will have comfortable airline-type passenger seats, the maximum number of passengers is 120, and an air conditioning system will be installed in the cabins. The peculiarities of the ship include the accommodation of passengers in the bow and middle salons. There will be a bar in the aft saloon. There is also double glazing in the pilothouse and bar areas. The vessel will receive modern means communications and navigation. It is planned to reduce fuel consumption by installing modern 16V2000 M72 engines with electronic fuel injection manufactured by German company MTU, and propellers with increased efficiency.
Also, Sergey Italiantsev, who holds the post of director of the River-Sea Vessels program in the civil shipbuilding department of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, told reporters that USC is considering the option of completing two hulls of marine passenger hydrofoil ships of the Olympia project located at the Khabarovsk Shipyard . In the future, these completed ships could be used to provide passenger transportation at the Kerch crossing in Crimea. Also, in the event of completion, the vessel data could be used for Far East. It is in the Black Sea and the Far East that today there are big problems with servicing passenger traffic.
The ships of the Olympia project are able to carry up to 232 passengers. They are designed for high-speed transportation of passengers across seas with tropical and temperate climates at a distance of up to 50 miles from “ports of refuge”. A total of two such vessels were built, both of which were sold for export. The degree of completion of the two unfinished ships is approximately 80%. If a decision is made and a contract for their completion is concluded, the ships can be completed within 6-8 months, as noted on the website of the Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils named after R. E. Alekseev.
Two such vessels were built in the 80s of the last century and were successfully operated. Olympia is one of the latest projects Soviet civilian SPK. According to RIA Novosti, there are currently several potential customers who are ready to use these vessels in the Black Sea. According to Italiantsev, currently in Khabarovsk there is preparatory work, in order to modernize this project to meet the requirements today and according to the register rules in force in Russia and complete the construction of the ships.
In the meantime, the ferry crossing across the Kerch Strait (crossing port "Crimea" - port "Caucasus") is the main transport artery that connects Crimea with the rest of Russia. For this reason, long traffic jams and hours of waiting for cars to be loaded onto the ferry have become commonplace here, especially during the summer holidays. Moreover, in winter and autumn, traffic jams occur here only during a storm. By the end of 2018, it is planned to complete and put into operation a new bridge across the Kerch Strait. 247 billion rubles are allocated for the construction of this bridge, and in total for the development transport infrastructure It is planned to allocate 416.5 billion rubles to Crimea.
Main characteristics of the vessel "Kometa 120M":
Displacement - 73 tons.
Overall dimensions: length - 35.2 m, width - 10.3 m, draft - 3.2 m.
Operating speed - 35 knots (in calm water).
Passenger capacity - 120 people (22 business class, 98 economy class).
Range - 200 miles.
Autonomy (flight duration) - up to 8 hours.
The power of the main power plant is 2x820 kW.
Fuel consumption - 320 kg/hour.
Seaworthiness (wave height): when sailing on foils - 2 m, in displacement position - 2.5 m.
Crew - 5 people.
Information sources:
http://www.vz.ru/news/2015/5/19/746141.html
http://ria.ru/economy/20150519/1065394853.html
http://portnews.ru/news/166150
http://www.vympel-rybinsk.ru (manufacturer)
http://www.ckbspk.ru (design company)
The hydrofoil vessel (SPK) "Raketa-246" was built in 1974 at the Feodosia shipyard "More". The length of the vessel is 27 meters, width 5 meters, height 4.5 meters, draft 1.8 meters (when parked) and 1.1 meters (when moving on the wings).
Raketa-246 has special wings located under the body. When stationary and traveling at low speed, the Raketa-246 is kept afloat by the Archimedes force, just like an ordinary displacement vessel. On high speed, due to the lifting force caused by these wings, the ship rises above the water. This significantly reduces water resistance, allowing you to reach high speeds.
The maximum speed that this vessel can reach is 70 km/h. But usually, Raketa-246 runs no more than 60 km/h, and on the Moscow Canal, due to frequent turns and high shipping traffic, even less, only 40-45 km/h. The higher the speed of the ship, the big wave it creates, which erodes the banks of the canal. Therefore, on the Moscow Canal, the speed of ships is limited to 12 km/h. But an exception is made for hydrofoils, such as Raketa-246. The wave from them is quite small.
Sometimes, in order for the Raketa-246 to take wing, passengers are asked to move from the rear of the Raketa to the cabin. The interior of the Rocket-246 is somewhat reminiscent of the interior of the Tu-154.
When the “Rocket” “takes wing”, its nose rises slightly and the captain of this ship has a “dead zone of visibility” of about 80 meters. Passengers in the front seats can still see everything in the cabin :)
Compared to other ships on the Moscow Canal, the Raketa moves extremely quickly. For example. We caught up in front of the Leningradskoye Shosse bridge.
Now we have already gone under the Leningradka Bridge.
We are already at a considerable distance from the Leningradsky Bridge, and “Felix Dzerzhinsky” has just begun to go under it.
I liked “flying” on the “Rocket”. SPK rushes along the canal, overtaking large and small ships. From the slightest wave, the “Rocket” is thrown up a little and sways to the side. You immediately feel all the unevenness of the water.
And a few more photos.
Mooring bollard SPK "Raketa-246". A pair of pedestals with a common base on the deck of a ship, used for fastening cables.
Prohibition sign.
While moving, you cannot be on the awning deck of the ship.
"Rocket-246" is alive! :)
"Meteor-193" was built at the Zelenodolsk plant named after. A.M. Gorky in 1984. Export version, built for sale in Brazil. It was equipped with Czechoslovakian aircraft seats. He worked in Kazan until 1997, belonged to the Volga United River Shipping Company, and later to the Tatflot company, and in 2004 was installed as a monument in front of the Kazan River Technical School named after Mikhail Devyatayev in honor of the centenary of this educational institution.
Address and coordinates of the object: Kazan, st. Nesmelova, 7, Kazan River College (now the Kazan branch of the Volzhsky Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education State University water transport"). Monument on Wikimapia.
Photographs of the monument are dated August 2011.
View from the nose: 
View of the bow salon: 
Stern: 
Nose wing device: 
Feed wing device: 
Wheelhouse: 
History of creation
The hydrofoil "Meteor" is the second winged passenger motor ship, developed by designer Rostislav Alekseev in 1959. The history of the creation of these ships dates back to the early 1940s, when Alekseev became interested in the topic as a student and defended his graduation project on the topic “Hydrofoil glider.” In those years, the design did not attract the attention of the top management of the navy, but interested the chief designer of the Krasnoye Sormovo plant, where Alekseev worked as a tank test master during the war. Alekseeva was allocated small room, designating it as a “hydrautolab,” and allowed him to devote three hours a day to his favorite topic. The development and testing of hydrofoil boat models began, the search for optimal design. In 1945 on the boat A-5 own design Alekseev reached Moscow under his own power, which finally attracted the attention of the military and received the task of equipping the 123K torpedo boat with hydrofoils, which he successfully completed (having worked out the next modernization of his know-how on the A-7 boat and simultaneously becoming familiar with the design of the captured German SPK TS-6) and received the Stalin Prize for it in 1951.
Rostislav Alekseev: 
In parallel with this, the designer developed a project for the first river passenger hydrofoil ship “Raketa”. But with the implementation of the project, everything turned out to be not so simple: the engineer had to knock on the thresholds of ministries for years, fight bureaucratic inertia, conservatism, skepticism, and get funding... Real work on the “Rocket” began only in the winter of 1956, and the ship was launched was in 1957. Its demonstration at the World Festival of Youth and Students was a great success, then the Raketa was tested for a year on the Gorky-Kazan line, and from 1959 the ship went into production. A revolution was accomplished in the transportation of passengers along the river: the winged motor ship was almost five times faster than a conventional displacement ship.
The first “Rocket” on the Volga, 1958 (photo from the collection of the University of Denver): 
Following the successful “Rocket”, the “Meteor” appeared - a ship larger, twice as spacious and faster than the first-born, and even capable of coping with a higher wave height. It carried up to 120 passengers and could reach speeds of up to 100 km/h (the actual operating speed was still lower - 60–70 km/h). The first Meteor went on a test flight from Gorky to Feodosia in the fall of 1959, and in 1960 it was presented in Moscow to the country's leadership and the public as an exhibit at an exhibition of the river fleet.
Sketches by R. Alekseev (from the book “From Concept to Implementation”): 
The lead ship of the series (photo from the archive of E.K. Sidorov): 
Two fragments of Soviet newsreels from those times, in which we are talking about a new outlandish ship:
Since 1961, Meteor went into production. "Meteor-2" was launched in September 1961, and on May 7, 1962, on the eve of Victory Day, led by the legendary pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Petrovich Devyatayev, left the waters of the Zelenodolsk shipyard named after. A.M. Gorky, where these ships were built. He was assigned to the Kazan river port. The next "Meteor" went to Moscow, the next - to Leningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don... Over the course of several years, the vessels of the series spread along the rivers and reservoirs of the entire Soviet Union.
"Meteor-47" on the channel named after. Moscow (photo from the Moscow Canal Avenue): 
"Meteor-59" on the Volga (photo from the archive of V.I. Polyakov). 
The cargo ship "Partisanskaya Slava" delivers "Meteor-103" to Komsomolsk-on-Amur from the Black Sea (photo from the magazine "Marine Fleet": 
In total, from 1961 to 1991, almost 400 ships were built, and they spread not only throughout the USSR, but also around the world: “Meteors” operated in Yugoslavia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, and Germany.
With the decline of the Union's economy and the advent of the market era, high-speed passenger transportation along rivers began to be massively reduced and closed: it was unprofitable. State subsidies disappeared, fuel, oil, spare parts became expensive, and passenger traffic became scarce: many passengers acquired personal transport, villages that winged ships connected with cities were deserted, and competition appeared from bus routes. As a result, over the course of several years, many hydrofoil ships were cut into scrap metal. Some Soviet Meteors were luckier; they did not fall under the knife, but were sold abroad, and are now working in China, Vietnam, Greece, and Romania.
Greek "Falcon I"Greece - former Ukrainian "Meteor-19": 
Vietnamese “Greenlines 9”, former Ukrainian “Meteor-27”: 
Chang Xiang 1, China: 
"Meteor-43" went to Romania and was renamed "Amiral-1": 
In Russia, only a few dozen Meteors are now operating: the main part are on tourist routes in St. Petersburg and Karelia, a few still carry passengers along the Volga (in Kazan, Yaroslavl and Rybinsk), a dozen and a half in total are collected on the northern rivers .
"Meteor-282" on the Ob (photo by Anatoly K): 
Yaroslavl "Meteor-159" arrives in Tutaev (photo by Dmitry Makarov): 
Kazan "Meteor-249" (photo Meteor216): 
"Meteor-188" on Lena (photo by Vladimir Kunitsyn): 
“Meteor-242” in the Kizhi skerries (photo by Dmitry Makarov): 
"Meteor-189" on the Malaya Neva (photo by Seven_balls): 
Serial production of Meteors ceased in 1991, but several more ships rolled off the stocks of the Zelenodolsk Shipyard. In particular, in 2001 and 2006, two Meteors were built for OJSC Severrechflot. In addition, the Nizhny Novgorod hydrofoil design bureau named after Rostislav Alekseev developed the Meteor-2000 modification with German Deutz engines and air conditioners, and several of these ships were sold to China. By 2007, the Meteor production line was finally dismantled, and they were replaced by planing ships of the A145 project.
Chinese “Chang Jiang 1” of the “Meteor-2000” project: 
But the fate of the Krasnoyarsk "Meteor-235" was unusual: from 1994 to 2005 it served in the Yenisei River Shipping Company, after which it was sold, and a few years later, having changed owners again, it was modernized at the Krasnoyarsk shipyard according to project 342E/310, it turned into a luxury yacht and was renamed “Verny”; According to rumors, it was the personal “Meteor” of the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is easily recognized by its futuristic appearance and dubious aesthetic value interior decoration with an abundance of leopard skins.
Design and technical characteristics
"Meteor-193" is a vessel of project 342E, developed by the Central Design Bureau for the SPK ( chief designer- Rostislav Alekseev) in 1959 and produced by the Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after. A.M. Gorky. Type - two-screw passenger hydrofoil motor ship. The hull length is 34.6 meters, the width (according to the span of the hydrofoil structure) is 9.5 meters. The draft afloat is 2.35 meters, when moving on the wings it is about 1.2 meters. Displacement with full load is 53.4 tons. Operating speed - 65 km/h (record - 108 km/h). Cruising range (without replenishing fuel) - 600 km.
The Meteor has three passenger cabins: in the bow, middle and stern parts of the ship. The total passenger capacity is 124 people.
Bow salon (photo by Dmitry Shchukin): 
Middle salon (photo by Vladimir Burakshaev): 
Between the middle and aft salons there is a small semi-covered (promenade) deck.
Promenade deck (photo by Vladimir Burakshaev): 
The ship's control stations are located in the pilothouse, recessed into the semi-superstructure in the bow of the ship.
Wheelhouse (photo by Alexey Petrov): 
The main engines are two V-shaped 12-cylinder turbodiesels of the M-400 type (a version of the M-40 aviation diesel, converted into a marine one) with a power of 1000 hp each. every. They rotate two five-blade propellers with a diameter of 710 mm, which set the ship in motion.
Engine room (photo by Alexey Petrov): 
Under the hull of the Meteor there is a wing device - bow and stern load-bearing wings and two hydroplaning wing flaps mounted on the struts of the bow wing. The wing flaps help the ship when it “takes wing”, and while moving, it does not allow it to return to displacement mode, sliding along the surface of the water.
The principle of their operation of the Meteor wings is the same as that of an airplane wing: the lifting force arises due to the occurrence of excess pressure under the wing profile and a rarefaction zone above it. As speed increases, the pressure difference “pushes” the vessel upward, the hull moves from the displacement position to the surface position, which significantly reduces the area of contact with water and its resistance, which allows it to develop greater speed.
The Meteor's wing device uses the effect of a low-submerged hydrofoil, also known as the “Alekseev effect.” As a result of his research, Alekseev obtained such hydrodynamic characteristics of a hydrofoil in which it, rising to the surface of the water, gradually loses lift due to the braking of liquid particles in the zone close to the boundary of the media. Due to the fact that at a certain depth the lift of the wing approaches zero, it does not jump out of the water.
P.S. If dear participants find any inaccuracies, please report them.
Having risen above the surface of the water, these ships rush past at the speed of an express train; At the same time, they provide their passengers with the same comfort as on a jet airliner.
Only in the Soviet Union - the leading country for ships of this class - ships various types hydrofoils annually transported more than 20 million passengers on regular lines.
In 1957, the first Project 340 “Raketa” left the Feodosia shipyard in Ukraine. The ship was capable of reaching an unheard-of speed of 60 km/h at that time and carrying 64 people. 
Following the “Rockets” in the 1960s, larger and more comfortable twin-propeller “Meteors” appeared, produced by the Zelenodolsk Shipyard. The passenger capacity of these ships was 123 people. The ship had three salons and a buffet bar. 
In 1962, Project 342m “Comets” appeared, essentially the same “Meteors”, only modernized for operation at sea. They could walk at a higher wave, had radar equipment (radar) 
In 1961, simultaneously with the launch of the Meteors and Comets series, the Nizhny Novgorod shipyard "Krasnoe Sormovo" launched the Project 329 ship "Sputnik" - the largest SPC. It carries 300 passengers at a speed of 65 km/h. Just like with Meteor, they built a naval version of Sputnik, called the Whirlwind. But during four years of operation, a lot of shortcomings were revealed, including the great gluttony of four engines and the discomfort of passengers due to strong vibration. 
For comparison, “Sputnik” and “Rocket” 
Sputnik is now...
In Togliatti they turned it into either a museum or a tavern. In 2005 there was a fire. Now it looks like this. 
"Burevestnik" is one of the most beautiful ships in the entire series! This is a gas turbine vessel developed by R. Alekseev’s Central Design Bureau SPK, Gorky. "Burevestnik" was the flagship among river SPCs. Had a power plant based on two gas turbine engines borrowed from civil aviation (from IL-18). It was operated from 1964 until the end of the 70s on the Volga on the route Kuibyshev - Ulyanovsk - Kazan - Gorky. The Burevestnik accommodated 150 passengers and had an operating speed of 97 km/h. However, it did not go into mass production - two aircraft engine made a lot of noise and required a lot of fuel. 
It has not been used since 1977. In 1993 it was cut into scrap. 
In 1966, the Gomel Shipyard produced a vessel for shallow rivers, just over 1 meter deep, “Belarus”, with a passenger capacity of 40 people and a speed of 65 kilometers per hour. And from 1983, it will produce a modernized version of the Polesie, which can already carry 53 people at the same speed. 
Rockets and Meteors were getting old. New projects were created at the R. Alekseev Central Clinical Hospital. In 1973, the Feodosia Shipyard launched the second-generation Voskhod SPK.
Voskhod is the direct receiver of the Rocket. This vessel is more economical and more spacious (71 people). 
In 1980, at the Shipyard named after. Ordzhonikidze (Georgia, Poti) production of the Kolkhida agricultural production complex opens. The speed of the vessel is 65 km/h, the passenger capacity is 120 people. In total, about forty ships were built. Currently, only two are in operation in Russia: one ship on the St. Petersburg - Valaam line, called “Triada”, the other in Novorossiysk - “Vladimir Komarov”. 
In 1986, in Feodosia, the new flagship of the marine passenger SPK, the double-deck Cyclone, was launched, which had a speed of 70 km/h and carried 250 passengers. Operated in Crimea, then sold to Greece. In 2004, he returned to Feodosia for repairs, but is still standing there in a semi-disassembled state. 
