When Boats Fly: 5 Remarkable Ekranoplans You Need To Know About

Ekranoplans, or "ground-effect vehicles," are unique vehicles that combine aspects of a boat with an aircraft and a hovercraft. Ekranoplans can ride on a surface of water or a cushion of air using the ground effect. When the Americans first received spy images of the Soviets building a massive ekranoplan, they dubbed the half-boat/half-plane the Caspian Sea Monster.