# WWII Soviet ice gliders?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 24, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514 "2002-11-24T19:40:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/1 "2002-11-24T19:40:53Z")
While watching a wartime documentary on the Soviets’ recapture of Stalingrad, a brief clip shows and mentions their use of what are called ice gliders. I’d never heard of these. The film quality is terrible, but they appear to be armored personnel carriers on skis.
Google is not turning up much. Do these beasties have another name? Anybody know anything about them (drive mechanism)?
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### Author:  [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/2 "2002-11-24T22:08:09Z")
Closest thing I can think of is the Soviet Ekranoplane. They were first built in the late '30s, apparently, though designs date to the '20s. Weird doesn’t even begin to describe them.
[Ekranoplanes](http://www.airforce.ru/english/aircraft/ekranoplanes/)
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### Author:  [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/3 "2002-11-25T02:08:13Z")
Try “aero sledge” in Google.
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/4 "2002-11-25T03:06:10Z")
Bingo **Desmostylus**! That did the trick. What I saw was an [RF-8-GAZ-98](http://www.battlefield.ru/library/bookshelf/aerosani/aerosan3.html) aero sledge. The film I saw them in was so bad that I couldn’t make out the airplane engine on the back. Thanks. And welcome to the board.
Those Ekranoplanes are interesting items, as well.
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/5 "2002-11-25T05:38:57Z")
FWIW, I looked a little closer and what I saw in the documentary were [NKL-16](http://www.battlefield.ru/library/bookshelf/aerosani/aerosan.html)s.
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### Author:  [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-soviet-ice-gliders/138514/6 "2002-11-25T05:53:44Z")
Glad to be of help.
The aero sled is a fairly simple and cheap way of traversing flat snow or ice. Tracked vehicles are more complicated mechanically, but work better once gradients become significant.