Classification

[Volga70]

Two years ago I corresponded with Martinas from Lithuania, another owner of a Volga, who speaks Russian well and had been digging into Russian "literature" to find out more about these boats. He told me about the following classification (where the '65' boat that is mentioned, is my officer's volga, and the 8X is the rescue volga).

Speaking about your older Volga, it's just some people in Russia are used to call these boats as:

• "Molnia" (Lightning) - the one of oldest ones
• "Strela" (Arrow) - a little bit newer ones with the same styling, but little better mechanics and body parts
• just "Volga" - later ones.

Also there are many nicknames of these foils..

As for production types of Volga's, except of styling differences i can divide them to such groups:

• boats with "wide body" as your '65
• boats with "narrow body" as your '8x

then:

• 6-cyl GAZ engine + reverse reducer + V-drive (as your '65)
• 8-cyl GAZ engine + hydro reducer + V-drive (as your '8x)
• 8-cyl Volvo engine + Z-drive (export version)

Now adding this info to what I have learned before, is it safe to say that the Volga's can be classified as follows?

• Molnia - early model, "wide body" with 2 separate front foils and a straight aft foil, 6 cilinder GAZ engine, reverse reducer
• Strela - second model, "wide body" with double front foil (made out of one piece) and a W shaped af foil, 6 cilinder GAZ engine and a reverse reducer
• Volga - narrow body, double front foil and W shaped aft foil, V8 GAZ engine and hydro reducer
• Volga 70 - narrow body, double front foil and W shaped aft foil, Volvo engine and Z-drive
• Volga 275 - narrow body, half-open body, double front foil and W shaped aft foil, V8 GAZ engine and hydro reducer

I purchased Jane's Surface Skimmers book to get a complete picture, but not only was this book (at least my 1969 version) incomplete, it was also inaccurate. I have the feeling that the above list is not complete - check for instance the Volga monument of Khlebnikovo, which seems similar to the Volga 275, but which has a different dog-house. What's the model of this boat? Are there any other models that are not listed here?

If any one of you has better / more accurate classifications, please share!

[Georg Weinstabl]

Hi,

What do you mean with a hydro-reducer? It's a reverse reduction gearbox based on the planetary one I have on my 198x Volga. Or do you mean something else?

[Mark]

Hay Georg,

https://picasaweb.google.com/markvanrij ... directlink

Above link is to a picasa web album of the rebuild of my URRP-25(УРРП-25) v-drive/gearbox.
I think he means that type of gearbox..
The info on the top lid of my says it is from1970.
Papers of my strela say that the boat is from 1965...
and has building nr R-1165.
But i did not (yet) find a number on my hydrofoil

I also looked in to my Jane's (1990 edition) for numbers of volga's and strela's..
It only mentions volga, first launched in 1972.
Strela is mentioned, but as a 94 seater launched in 1962.
And only two were build..

As the weater is getting beter here in Holland,
Today i took out the dashboard..

Mark..