A-90 Orlyonok
| A-90 "Orlyonok" | |
|---|---|
| A-90 "Orlyonok" in Moscow | |
| General information | |
| Type | Ekranoplan |
| Manufacturer | Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau |
| Designer | Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev |
| Primary user | Soviet Navy |
| Number built | 4 (of which one was a static test airframe) |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1979 |
| First flight | 1972 |
| Retired | 1993 |
The A-90 Orlyonok (Russian: Орлёнок, lit. 'eaglet') is a Soviet ekranoplan that was designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev of the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau.
The A-90 uses ground effect to fly a few meters above the surface. The Russians classify it as Ekranoplan Class B – it can achieve an altitude of 3,000 m (9,800 ft), placing it between Class A – which is limited to ground effect, and Class C, which exploits the ground effect only during take-offs and landings and otherwise functions as a typical airplane.