Bartini Beriev VVA-14, A Soviet Submarine Hunting Dragon That Never Served

JAKARTA - It looks unusual, this plane was once a hope for dealing with submarines from the United States (US). Present as one of the Cold War era military technological innovations between the United States and the Soviet Union, the prototype of this aircraft is now sitting in a field near Moscow, Russia.

Bartini Beriev VVA-14 which means a vertical take-off seaplane with 14 engines, this aircraft is designed to take off from anywhere, without a runway and capable of continuous flying over the water surface.

Designed in the 1960s, it is a response to the Polaris ballistic missile of the United States. Introduced in 1961 for its submarine fleet, this missile is a mainstay of nuclear deterrence.

The United States (US) introduced them in 1961 to its submarine fleet as part of its nuclear interceptor defense system. In the mind of the designer, Robert Bartini, the amphibious VVA-14 would be the perfect machine for searching and destroying US missile-carrying submarines.

The plan is just a plan. Only two of the three proposed prototypes have ever been built, and only one has ever been flown. When Bartini died, in 1974, the project died with him, and the second prototype was dismantled.

"The VVA-14 is an airplane that should take off from water or land vertically. And then fly like a normal airplane at high altitude," said Andrii Sovenko, a historian of Soviet aviation.

The first prototype aired in 1972. It was then fitted with a pontoon and tested for floats. This aircraft does not have any lifting engines or equipment to locate submarines. Only for testing the technology to be embedded. His strange appearance earned him the nickname Zmei Gorynich, after the name of a dragon from Russian folklore.

"On seeing it from the ground, the VVA-14 caused an understandable association with Zmei Gorynych: he also had, as it were, three heads, as well as relatively small wings," said Sovenko.

The second prototype was supposed to accept engines for vertical take-off, but they were never fitted to the near-finished aircraft, as a suitable type of engine was never developed. This destroyed the project, and the aircraft was dismantled.

Bartini tried a new technology to the VVA-14 by turning it into an ekranoplan, a technology found in hovercraft, so that it could glide at high speed above before take off.

"I think the Soviet military realized very quickly that the effectiveness of the VVA-14 as an anti-submarine aircraft would be low. It can only carry a small number of missiles and the technical challenges of creating such an unusual vehicle are tough, huge. In the end, the military rely on more conventional aircraft for the job, "said Sovenko.

After retirement, the original prototype was moved by barge from Taganrog in southern Russia, where it had been built and tested, to a small town near Moscow, Lytkarino. Before ending at the Russian Central Air Force Museum.

If you want to restore this aircraft, it will cost around 1.2 million US dollars, it will take one to two years to be carried out by aviation specialists.

According to Sovenko, if the VVA-14 had been fully completed and tested, it would be a truly unique aircraft. With the ability to take off and land horizontally and vertically, on land or on water.

"This aircraft can also float. It can stay afloat for a long time as a ship and carry out anti-submarine warfare. This versatility is its most unusual and extraordinary quality. However, the VVA-14 never really reaches its full potential. "concluded Sovenko.