Flying Saucer Financial Problems Viewed

This document, dated July 14, 1993, is a report from the Russian newspaper IZVESTIYA regarding the development of a 'flying saucer' vehicle by the Ekip firm. The report details that the vehicle is being constructed at the Saratov Aircraft Plant. According to Ekip president Anatoliy Savitskiy, the general designer of the project is Lev Shchukin. The vehicle utilizes a surface effect combined with an 'air cushion' effect, which reportedly allows it to carry cargo equal to nearly half its own weight. The craft is designed to operate without traditional airfields, capable of taking off and landing on snow, water, swamps, and hard ground. It is estimated to reach altitudes of 8-10 kilometers with a speed of 650-700 kilometers per hour. Despite these technical claims, the project has suffered from significant financial shortages. An experimental model with a 2.5-meter diameter was tested at the plant's airfield, but further development has been delayed. Aleksandr Yermishin, the director of the Saratov plant, noted that the facility has struggled to retain specialists following the country's economic transition. Savitskiy estimated that a full-scale 120-tonne version with a 25-meter diameter would cost approximately $70 million, and while foreign interest has been expressed, the project remains a work in progress.