Seaplane Resurgence?

In article . com,
(Jack Linthicum) wrote:

Here's a display of what it says is the latest on the Ekranoplans.
Since I was the guy who named them I consider the idea to be mine. I
would guess somewhere in the Russian realm or working a deli in
Brooklyn is someone who could explain why the Sovs chose the Caspian
for basing this bugger. No way out, no use except thrill rides,
pictures and exciting Western intelligence people.

Simple: someone had the idea, and said, reasonably enough, "Let's do the
development somewhere the sea - and land - are nice and flat."

Ekranoplans can fly over land if it's sufficiently flat and bereft of
buildings. The central Asian steppes are one of very few places that are
sufficiently large, flat and undeveloped that it makes any kind of
sense. The Soviet Union might even have had a practical use for such
vehicles at various points in its history. They're just no damn use
anywhere the sea gets seriously rough.

For an entertaining alternate-history SF story with Ekranoplans as a
significant plot element, see Charlie Stross' _Missile Gap_.

--
John Dallman, , HTML mail is treated as probable spam.