Alekseyev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau
Alekseyev Design Bureau, NPO imeni R.E. Alekseyeva, Tsentralnoye konstruktorskoye byuro sudov na podvodnykh krylyakh (TsKB SPK) 603602 Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia Telephone: N/A, Telex: N/A; Fax: N/A
The Alekseyev Design Bureau has designed hydrofoils, air cushion craft, and air cavity vessels. It marketed several designs for wing-in-ground effect (WIG) vehicles including the 400 ton "Lun," 140 ton "Orlenok," and 20 ton "Utka." This design bureau collocated with the Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, although it is organizationally distinct.
The plant dates back to 1955, when the “Krasnoye Sormovo” plant allotted Rostislav Alekseev one of its shops, to implement his design ideas. By that time Rostislav Alekseev had been designing and building various hydrofoil boats for 14 years and had almost finished his famous first riverine hydrofoil passenger ship “Raketa”. In 1957 this ship was launched on its maiden voyage, and the creation of “Raketa” and subsequent hydrofoil vessels and ekranoplan craft followed.
'Volga' Shipbuilding plant appeared from the pilot-scale production of the central hydrofoil design bureau, which was occupied in 1950s-1960s with the building and tests of hydrofoil vessels. The first passenger hydrofoil vessels in the country were built, such as "Raketa", "Meteor", "Kometa", and the first in the world all-welded hydrofoil motor vessel "Sputnik". The pilot-scale production was reorganized into the "Pilot plant Volga" in December 1970 by an order of the Shipbuilding Ministry. This enterprise was set up on 31 December 1970 by the Minister of the Shipbuilding Ministry of the USSR, on the premises of the experimental production area of the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau. Unique vessels-ekranoplans were built on the plant in 1970s-1980s such as "Orlyonok", "Lun" and "Strizh".
In 1992 the plant was reformed into the joint stock company 'Volga Shipbuilding Plant'. "The Joint Stock Company “Volga Shipbuilding plant” was set up in December 1992 following the privatization of the experimental plant “Volga” of the R.E. Alekseev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau. Series of cargo air cavity boats "Serna" and passenger hydrofoil crafts "Katran" were built on the plant for export during the last years. Gas turbine power station was built for gas industry and for the Ministry of extraordinary situations - air cushion vessels SVP-500. Comfortable pleasure vessels are also built and refitted on the plant including hydrofoil boats of "Dolphin" type and cruise hydro-jet boats.
