It was declared as a Hover Tank - it seems to be Russian.
Is this a real prototype? If yes, when was it built?
Any more pics Splinter?
I am not sure it is a hvoer, the fans don’t look big enough. to provide the lift.
This the one that ‘beats as it sweeps as it cleans,’ right ?
I am sorry - those are the only pictures i was able to discover.
@Mr. Cuts: Only with one ‘o’ for sure 
But being a infantryman near this vehicle can’t be fun :mrgreen:
The Soviet Gov’t was known for building “phoney” super weapons, mostly for propaganda purposes. I wouldnt be surprised if this was one of those efforts.
If any Russian speakers could translate this clip, we may be able to get more details. The above vehicle is featured, very briefly, at 3 min 49 seconds:
I think, by the clip, the hover tank at the start of the thread is a enhanced mobility tank.
I am guessing, that it uses the downward force of the hovercraft with it’s tracks. Note I said earlier the fans don’t look big enough, in the clip it seems to have tracks too. The fans are for getting across bogs and similar.
The clip is a celebration of the technical engenuity of the Russians. There are tanks that are designed to overcome various problems. Including a “Mole” tank for digging under the enemy and then popping up somewhere. hmmmm.
THere are also rocket propelled tanks for speed.
I think the hover tank was designed to overcome the mud problems of the steppes, esp in spring. These are shown at the start of the clip. The hover tank is so designed to lignted its footprint in order to hover across this otherwise uncrossable obstacle.
I saw that as well, that isnt a bad idea for a light vehicle, I wonder how it would hold up in tactical use?anyone know?
i’d imagine it would have trouble going over water
Well, tanks are built along the lines of ships, so this one would make a good submarine, “Take her down Private Ivan” 
The hover tank doesn’t seem to have problems going over the bog, which I think is what it was for. NOT over water, for a beach assault.
As to weight, it is my guess, that this tank would be very lightly armoured, if at all. Making it pretty pointless as a tank for tank v tank. But if it was able to scoot across bogs that other tanks wouldn’t get in to, I am sure it could be useful to smash up enemy infantry and other soft targets.
If you didn’t know about this tank, you may, as a commander, be tempted to put the bog in your defences.
The vehicle doesn’t conform with common tank profiles.
Very wide compared with height. Maybe that relates to spreading the footprint for hover effect, like a snowshoe.
Three cupolas on front look like they’d just about disappear or be disabled with canister, never mind AP etc.
Space saucer turret looks like it has windows in it?
Second picture shows some sort of /screens? either side of turret, which indicate weak spots and or engine right up to either side of turret, meaning there’s not much room forward of it.
I’m almost inclined to suspect a one or two man crew.
Almost looks like MG fire into glacis plate under left and right cupolas.
Glacis plate isn’t. Looks like formed curved sheet. Sheet metal would fit with lower weight for hover ability.
If it’s a hovercraft design it’d need solid or inflatable front and rear skirts (front could be hidden in shadow) and skirts inside tracks, or the air would blow out through tracks with no lift.
Tracks seem very narrow compared with width, but may be offset by lack of height and commensurate weight.
Hard to believe it’s anything but a prototype.
Those air intakes don’t look too different than those on the Leo 2, only slightly bigger. There is no way on this earth that you could physically pass enough air through them to get any meaningful amount of lift, let alone an amount of lift that will be meaningful to an armoured vehicle.
The tracks are also too skinny, it will certainly bog down.
I think it’s just got an air hungry engine, either a large diesel or a gas turbine,
Look at this one: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNkV6kVPos time: 3:20 - 4:30
This is a prototype of hoover armored veicle. But a had no armour, which was considered to be a disadvantage back then.