Supersonic passenger. Illusion of possibilities: why do we need a supersonic passenger aircraft Characteristics of an aircraft with supersonic speed
When can a new supersonic passenger plane take to the skies? Business jet based on the Tu-160 bomber: real? How to silently break the sound barrier?
Tu-160 - the largest and most powerful in history military aviation supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable wing geometry. Among the pilots he received the nickname "White Swan". Photo: AP
Do supersonic passenger cars have a future? - I asked not so long ago the outstanding Russian aircraft designer Genrikh Novozhilov.
Of course have. At least a supersonic business aircraft will certainly appear, - answered Genrikh Vasilyevich. - I had a chance to talk with American businessmen more than once. They clearly stated: "If such an aircraft appeared, Mr. Novozhilov, then, no matter how expensive it was, they would instantly buy it from you." Speed, altitude and range are three factors that are always relevant.
Yes, they are relevant. The dream of any businessman is to fly across the ocean in the morning, make a big deal, and return home in the evening. Modern aircraft fly no faster than 900 km/h. A supersonic business jet will have a cruising speed of about 1900 km per hour. What prospects for the business world!
That is why neither Russia, nor America, nor Europe has ever abandoned attempts to create a new supersonic passenger car. But the history of those that have already flown - the Soviet Tu-144 and the Anglo-French Concorde - has taught us a lot.
In December of this year, it will be half a century since the Tu-144 made its first flight. And a year later, the liner showed what exactly it is capable of: it broke the sound barrier. He picked up a speed of 2.5 thousand km / h at an altitude of 11 km. This event has gone down in history. There are still no analogues of passenger boards in the world that are able to repeat such a maneuver.
"One hundred and forty-four" opened a fundamentally new page in the global aircraft industry. They say that at one of the meetings in the Central Committee of the CPSU, designer Andrei Tupolev reported to Khrushchev: the car is turning out to be quite voracious. But he just waved his hand: your job is to wipe the nose of the capitalists, and we have kerosene - at least fill up ...
Nose - lost. Kerosene - flooded.
However, the European competitor, which took off later, also did not excel in efficiency. So, in 1978, nine "Concordes" brought their companies about $ 60 million in losses. And only government subsidies saved the situation. Nevertheless, the Anglo-French flew until November 2003. But the Tu-144 was written off much earlier. Why?
First of all, Khrushchev's optimism was not justified: an energy crisis erupted in the world and kerosene prices rushed up. The supersonic first-born was immediately dubbed "Aeroflot's boa constrictor around the neck." Huge fuel consumption also knocked out the design flight range: the Tu-144 did not reach either Khabarovsk or Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Only from Moscow to Alma-Ata.
And if only this. A 200-ton "iron", cruising over densely populated areas at supersonic speed, literally blew up the entire space along the route. Complaints poured in: cows' milk yields fell, chickens stopped laying, acid rains crushed ... Where is the truth, where is the lie - today you can’t say for sure. But the fact remains: the Concorde flew only over the ocean.
Finally, and most importantly, disasters. One - in June 1973 at the Paris air show in Le Bourget, as they say, in full view of the whole planet: the crew of test pilot Kozlov wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of the Soviet airliner ... The other - in five years. Then a test flight was carried out with the engines of the new series: they just had to pull the plane to the required range.
"Concorde" also did not escape the tragedy: the plane crashed in July 2000 while taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Ironically, it crashed almost where the Tu-144 had once been. 109 people on board and four on the ground were killed. Regular passenger traffic resumed only a year later. But another series of incidents followed, and a bullet was also put on this supersonic aircraft.
On December 31, 1968, the first flight of the Tu-144 took place, two months earlier than the Concorde. And on June 5, 1969, at an altitude of 11,000 meters, our aircraft was the first in the world to break beyond the sound barrier. Photo: Sergey Mikheev / RG
Today, at a new stage in the development of technology, scientists need to find a balance between conflicting factors: the good aerodynamics of the new supersonic aircraft, low fuel consumption, as well as severe restrictions on noise and sonic boom.
How realistic is it to create a new passenger supersonic aircraft based on the Tu-160 bomber? From a purely engineering point of view, it is quite, experts say. And there are examples in history when military aircraft successfully "removed their shoulder straps" and flew "to civilian life": for example, the Tu-104 was created on the basis of the Tu-16 long-range bomber, and the Tu-114 was based on the Tu-95 bomber. In both cases, the fuselage had to be redone - to change the wing layout, to expand the diameter. In fact, these were new aircraft, and quite successful. By the way, a curious detail: when the Tu-114 first flew to New York, there was neither a suitable ladder nor a tractor at the dumbfounded airport ...
Similar work will at least be required for the conversion of the Tu-160. However, how cost-effective will this solution be? Everything needs to be carefully evaluated.
How many of these planes do you need? Who will fly them and where? To what extent will they be commercially available to passengers? How soon will the development costs pay off? .. Tickets for the same Tu-144 cost 1.5 times more than usual, but even such a high cost did not cover operating costs.
Meanwhile, according to experts, the first Russian supersonic administrative aircraft (business jet) can be designed in seven to eight years if there is a backlog on the engine. Such an aircraft can accommodate up to 50 people. The overall demand in the domestic market is projected at the level of 20-30 cars at a price of 100-120 million dollars.
Serial supersonic passenger aircraft of the new generation may appear around 2030
Designers on both sides of the ocean are working on projects for supersonic business jets. Everyone is looking for new layout solutions. Someone offers an atypical tail, someone - a completely unusual wing, someone - a fuselage with a curved central axis ...
TsAGI specialists are developing a SDS / SPS project ("supersonic business aircraft / supersonic passenger aircraft"): as planned, transatlantic flights at a distance of up to 8600 km, it will be able to perform at a cruising speed of at least 1900 km / h. Moreover, the salon will be made transformable - from an 80-seat to a 20-seat VIP class.
A last summer at the air show in Zhukovsky, one of the most interesting was the model of high-speed civil aircraft, created by TsAGI scientists as part of the international project HEXAFLY-INT. This aircraft must fly at a speed of more than 7-8 thousand km / h, corresponding to Mach 7 or 8.
But in order for a high-speed civil aircraft to become a reality, a huge range of tasks must be solved. They are related to materials, the hydrogen power plant, its integration with the airframe and obtaining high aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft itself.
And what is absolutely certain: design features of the designed winged machine will be clearly non-standard.
Competently
Sergey Chernyshev, Director General of TsAGI, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences:
The level of sonic boom (a sharp pressure drop in the shock wave) from the Tu-144 was 100-130 pascals. But modern research has shown that it can be brought up to 15-20. Moreover, reduce the volume of the sonic boom to 65 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise of a large city. Until now, there are no official standards for the permissible level of sonic boom in the world. And most likely it will be determined no earlier than 2022.
We have already proposed the appearance of a demonstrator of a supersonic civil aircraft of the future. The sample should show the feasibility of reducing sonic boom in supersonic cruising and airport noise. Several options are being considered: a plane for 12-16 passengers, also for 60-80. There is a variant of a very small business aircraft - for 6-8 passengers. These are different weights. In one case, the machine will weigh about 50 tons, and in the other - 100-120, etc. But we will start from the first of the designated supersonic aircraft.
According to various estimates, today there is an unrealized need in the market for fast flights for business people on airplanes with a passenger capacity of 12-16 people. And, of course, the car must fly at a distance of at least 7-8 thousand kilometers along transatlantic routes. Cruise speed will be Mach 1.8-2, which is about twice the speed of sound. This speed is a technological barrier to the use of conventional aluminum materials in the airframe design. Therefore, the dream of scientists is to make an aircraft entirely from thermal composites. And there are good practices.
Clear requirements for the aircraft must be determined by the launch customer, and then at the stages of preliminary design and experimental design work, some change in the initial appearance of the aircraft obtained at the preliminary design stage is possible. But the sound principles of sonic boom reduction remain unchanged.
The short-term passenger operation of the supersonic Tu-144 was limited to flights from Moscow to Alma-Ata. Photo: Boris Korzin/ TASS Newsreel
I think we are 10-15 years away from the flying prototype. In the near future, according to our plans, a flying demonstrator should appear, the appearance of which is being worked out. Its main task is to demonstrate the basic technologies for building a supersonic aircraft with a low level of sonic boom. This is a necessary step in the work. A production supersonic aircraft of a new generation may appear on the horizon of 2030.
Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR, Chairman of the Commission on civil aviation Public Council Rostransnadzor:
To make a passenger supersonic aircraft based on the Tu-160? For our engineers - absolutely real. No problem. Moreover, this machine is very good, with excellent aerodynamic qualities, a good wing and fuselage. However, today any passenger aircraft must first of all comply with international airworthiness and technical requirements. The discrepancies, if we compare the bomber and the passenger plane, are more than 50 percent. For example, when some say that during the alteration it is necessary to "inflate the fuselage", one must understand that the Tu-160 itself weighs more than 100 tons. "Inflate" is to add more weight. And that means - to increase fuel consumption, reduce speed and height, make the device absolutely unattractive for any airline in terms of its operating costs.
To create a supersonic aircraft for business aviation, we need new avionics, new aircraft engines, new materials, new types of fuel. On the Tu-144, kerosene, as they say, flowed like a river. Today, this is impossible. And most importantly, there should be massive demand for such an aircraft. One or two cars commissioned by millionaires will not solve the financial problem. Airlines will have to lease it and "work off" the cost. On whom? Naturally, on passengers. From an economic point of view, the project will be a failure.
Sergey Melnichenko, Director General of the ICAA "Safety Flights":
In the almost 35 years that have passed since the start of serial production of the Tu-160, technology has advanced, and this will have to be taken into account in the deep modernization of the existing aircraft. Aircraft builders say it's much easier and cheaper to build a new aircraft according to a new concept than to rebuild an old one.
Another question: if the Tu-160 is rebuilt specifically for a business jet, will the Arab sheikhs still be interested in it? However, there are several "buts". The aircraft will need to obtain an international certificate (and the European Union and the United States are behind its issuance), which is very problematic. In addition, new economical engines will be needed, which we do not have. Those that are available do not consume fuel, but drink.
If the plane is converted to transport economy passengers (which is unlikely), then the question is where to fly and who to carry? Last year, we only just approached the figure of 100 million passengers carried. In the USSR, these figures were much higher. The number of airfields has decreased several times. Not everyone who would like to fly to the European part of the country from Kamchatka and Primorye can afford it. Tickets for a "fuel-drinking plane" will be more expensive than for Boeings and Airbuses.
If the plane is planned to be rebuilt purely for the interests of the leaders of large companies, then most likely it will be so. But then this question concerns only them, and not the Russian economy and people. Although in this case it is difficult to imagine that flights will be operated only to Siberia or to Far East. The problem with the noise in the area. And if the updated plane is not allowed to Sardinia, then who needs it?
After a person began to master the expanses of heaven, he always sought to improve aircraft as much as possible, to make them more reliable, faster, and more spacious. One of the most advanced inventions of mankind in this direction are supersonic passenger aircraft. But, unfortunately, with rare exceptions, most of the developments have been closed or are currently at the project stage. One of these projects is the Tu-244 supersonic passenger aircraft, which we will discuss below.
faster than sound
But before we start talking directly about the Tu-244, let's do brief digression in the history of mankind overcoming the speed of sound, because this aircraft will be a direct continuation of scientific developments in this direction.
A significant impetus to the development of aviation was given by the Second World War. It was then that real projects of aircraft appeared with the ability to reach speeds greater than propeller ones. Since the second half of the 40s of the last century, they have been actively adopted both in military and civil aviation.
The next task was to maximize If you go to supersonic barrier was not difficult, simply by increasing the power of the engines, then overcoming it was a significant problem, since the laws of aerodynamics change at such speeds.
Nevertheless, the first victory in the race with sound was achieved already in 1947 on an American experimental aircraft, but mass use of supersonic technologies began only in the late 50s - early 60s of the 20th century in military aviation. Production models such as the MiG-19, North American A-5 Vigilante, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and many others appeared.
Passenger supersonic aviation
But civil aviation is not so lucky. The first supersonic passenger aircraft appeared only in the late 60s. Moreover, only two production models have been created so far - the Soviet Tu-144 and the Franco-British Concorde. These were typical long-haul aircraft. The Tu-144 was in operation from 1975 to 1978, and the Concorde from 1976 to 2003. Thus, at the moment, not a single supersonic aircraft is used for passenger air transportation.
There were many projects for the construction of super- and hypersonic airliners, but some of them were eventually closed (Douglas 2229, Super-Caravelle, T-4, etc.), while the implementation of others dragged on for an indefinitely long time (Reaction Engines A2, SpaceLiner, Next Generation Supersonic Transport). The Tu-244 aircraft project also belongs to the latter.
Start of development
The project to create an aircraft that was supposed to replace the Tu-144 was launched by the Tupolev Design Bureau back in Soviet times, in the early 70s of the last century. When designing a new airliner, the designers used the developments of its predecessor, Concorde, as well as materials from American colleagues who took part in the work. All developments were carried out under the leadership of Alexei Andreevich Tupolev.
In 1973, the projected aircraft was named Tu-244.
Project objectives
The main objective of this project was to create a truly competitive supersonic passenger aircraft in comparison with subsonic jet airliners. Almost the only advantage of the former over the latter was the gain in speed. In all other respects, supersonic airliners were outperformed by their slower competitors. Passenger Transportation they simply did not pay off economically. In addition, flying on them was more dangerous than on simple jet-powered aircraft. The latter factor, by the way, became the official reason why the operation of the first Tu-144 supersonic aircraft was terminated just a few months after it began.
Thus, it was precisely the solution of these problems that was put before the developers of the Tu-244. The aircraft had to be reliable, fast, but at the same time, its operation for the purpose of transporting passengers had to be economically profitable.
Specifications
The final model of the Tu - 244 aircraft, accepted for development, was to have the following technical and operational characteristics.
The crew of the airliner included three people. The cabin capacity was taken at the rate of 300 passengers. True, in the final version of the project it had to be reduced to 254 people, but in any case it was much more than that of the Tu-154, which could accommodate only 150 passengers.
The planned cruising speed was 2.175 thousand km/h, which was twice as high. That is, the plane was planned to be made a little slower than its predecessor, but due to this, it would significantly increase its capacity, which was supposed to provide economic benefits from passenger transportation. The movement was provided by four. The flight range of the new aircraft was to be 7500-9200 km. Carrying capacity - 300 tons.
The airliner was supposed to have a length of 88 m, a height of 15 m, while its wingspan was 45 m, and the working surface area was 965 m 2.
The main external difference from the Tu-144 was to be a change in the design of the nose.
Continued development
The project for the construction of the second-generation supersonic airliner Tu-244 took on a rather protracted character and underwent significant changes several times. Nevertheless, even after the collapse of the USSR, the Tupolev Design Bureau did not stop developing in this direction. For example, already in 1993 at the air show in France was provided detailed information about development. However, the economic situation of the country in the 90s could not but affect the fate of the project. In fact, his fate hung in the air, although design work continued, and there was no official announcement of its closure. It was at this time that American specialists began to actively join the project, although contacts with them were made back in Soviet times.
To continue research on the creation of passenger supersonic airliners of the second generation, in 1993 two Tu-144 aircraft were converted into flying laboratories.
Closing or freezing?
Against the backdrop of ongoing development and statements that by 2025 TU-244 aircraft will enter the operation of civil aviation in the amount of 100 units, the absence of this project in the state program for the development of aviation for 2013-2025, which was adopted in 2012, was quite unexpected. . It must be said that this program also lacked a number of other notable developments that until that time were considered promising in the aircraft industry, for example, the Tu-444 supersonic business aviation aircraft.
This fact could indicate that the Tu-244 project was either finally closed or frozen for an indefinite period. In the latter case, the release of these supersonic aircraft will be possible only much later than 2025. However, no official clarifications on this matter have been given, which leaves a fairly wide field for various interpretations.
prospects
Considering all of the above, it can be stated that the Tu-244 project is currently at least hovering in the air, and possibly even closed. There has not yet been an official announcement about the fate of the project. Also, the reasons why it was suspended or permanently closed are not voiced. Although it can be assumed that they may lie in the lack of public funds to finance such developments, the economic unprofitability of the project, or the fact that in 30 years it could simply become obsolete, and now more promising tasks are on the agenda. However, it is quite possible that all three factors can influence simultaneously.
In 2014, in funds mass media assumptions were made about the resumption of the project, but so far they have not received official confirmation, as well as denials.
It should be noted that foreign developments of second-generation supersonic passenger aircraft have not yet reached the finish line, and the implementation of many of them is a big question.
At the same time, while there is no official statement from authorized persons, it is not worth completely putting an end to the project of the Tu-244 aircraft.
Posted on Tue, 09/29/2015 - 07:20 by russianinterest...Original taken from in Speed like a dream. Speed is a calling
Perhaps the 1960s can be considered the golden years of supersonic aviation. It was at that time that it seemed that, just a little more, squadrons of supersonic aircraft would become the only option for air combat, and supersonic liners would trace our sky with their traces, linking everything big cities and world capitals. However, it turned out that, as in the case of manned space, a person’s approach to high speeds is by no means littered with roses: passenger aviation has frozen at about 800 kilometers per hour, and military aircraft hang around the sound barrier, occasionally daring to fly into space for a short time. the region of low supersonic, in the region of Mach 2 or slightly more.
What is it connected with? No, not at all with the fact that "there is no need to fly fast" or "nobody needs it." Rather, we are talking about the fact that at some point the world began to follow the path of least resistance and considered that scientific and technological progress is a self-running cart that is already going downhill, which is why pushing it additionally is only just a waste of extra energy.
Let us ask ourselves a simple question - why is supersonic flight so difficult and costly? Let's start with the fact that when the aircraft overcomes the supersonic barrier, the nature of the flow around the body of the aircraft changes dramatically: aerodynamic resistance increases sharply, the kinetic heating of the airframe structure increases, and due to the displacement of the aerodynamic focus of the streamlined body, there is a loss of stability and controllability of the aircraft.
Of course, for the layman and the unprepared reader, all these terms sound rather faded and incomprehensible, but if we summarize all this in the form of one phrase, it will turn out: “it is difficult to fly in supersonic”. But, of course, it is by no means impossible. At the same time, in addition to increasing engine power, the creators of supersonic aircraft have to consciously change the external appearance of the aircraft - characteristic “rapid” straight lines appear in it, sharp corners on the nose and on the leading edges, which immediately distinguishes a supersonic aircraft even outwardly from “smooth "and" sleek "forms of subsonic aircraft.
The nose of the Tu-144 deviated down during takeoff and landing in order to provide at least a minimal view to the pilots.
In addition, when an aircraft is optimized for supersonic flight, it has another unpleasant feature: it becomes poorly adapted for subsonic flight and rather clumsy in takeoff and landing modes, which it still has to perform at fairly low speeds. Those very sharp lines and swift forms that are so good at supersonics give in to the low speeds at which supersonic aircraft inevitably have to move at the beginning and end of their flight. And the sharp noses of supersonic machines also do not give pilots a complete view of the runway.
Here, as an example, are the noses of two Soviet supersonic aircraft not sold in the series - the M-50 Myasishchev Design Bureau (in the background) and the T-4 “object 100” of the Sukhoi Design Bureau (close).
The efforts of the designers are clearly visible: this is either an attempt to reach a compromise in the contours, like the M-50, or a sliding nose deviating downwards, like the T-4. Interestingly, the T-4 could well have become the first serial supersonic aircraft that would fly completely in horizontal supersonic flight without natural visibility through the cockpit canopy: at supersonic, the nose cone completely covered the cockpit and all navigation was carried out only by instruments, in addition, the aircraft had optical periscope. The current level of development of navigation and telemetry means, by the way, makes it possible to abandon the complex design of the sliding nose fairing of a supersonic aircraft - it can already be lifted and landed only by instruments, or even without the participation of pilots.
The same conditions and tasks give rise to similar constructions. The Anglo-French "Concorde" nose also moved down during takeoff and landing.
What prevented the USSR from creating in 1974 an innovative anti-ship warfare system based on the supersonic T-4, which was so advanced that there were as many as 600 patents in its design?
The thing is that the Sukhoi Design Bureau by the mid-1970s did not have its own production facilities for conducting extended state tests of the "object 100". For this process, not an experimental, but a serial plant was needed, for the role of which KAPO (Kazan Aviation Plant) was quite suitable. However, as soon as the decision on the preparation of the Kazan Aviation Plant for the assembly of the T-4 pilot batch began to be prepared, academician Tupolev, realizing that he was losing the serial plant, which produced the "strategic defect carrier" Tu-22, came out with an initiative proposal to create its modification Tu-22M, for which, allegedly, it was only necessary to slightly re-profile production. Although, in the future, the Tu-22M was developed as a completely new aircraft, the decision to transfer the Kazan plant to Sukhoi was not made at the time, and the T-4 ended up in the museum in Monino.
Such a big difference between the Tu-22 and Tu-22M is a legacy of the fight against the T-4.
The issue of the nose cone is not the only compromise that the creators of supersonic aircraft have to make. For many reasons, they end up with both an imperfect supersonic glider and a mediocre subsonic aircraft. Thus, the achievement of new frontiers by aviation in terms of speed and altitude is often associated not only with the use of a more advanced or fundamentally new propulsion system and a new layout of aircraft, but also with changes in their geometry in flight. On the first generation of supersonic machines, this option was never implemented, but it was this idea of a variable sweep wing that eventually became almost canon in the 1970s. Such changes in the sweep of the wing, while improving the characteristics of the aircraft at high speeds, should not have worsened their qualities at low speeds, and vice versa.
The Boeing 2707 was to be the first passenger supersonic aircraft with a variable-swept wing.
It is interesting that the fate of the Boeing-2707 was not ruined by its constructive imperfection, but only by a host of political issues. By 1969, when the Boeing 2707 development program was in its final stretch, 26 airlines had ordered 122 Boeing 2707 aircraft at a cost of nearly $5 billion. At this point, the Boeing program had already left the design and research phase and the construction of two prototypes of the model 2707 had begun. To complete their construction and manufacture test aircraft, the company needed to attract somewhere between 1-2 billion. And the total cost of the program with the construction 500 aircraft approached 5 billion dollars. Government loans were required. In principle, at another time, Boeing would have found its own funds for this, but the 1960s were not like that.
Late 1960s production capacity Boeing was heavily loaded with the creation of the largest subsonic passenger aircraft in the world - the Boeing 747, which we still fly today. Because of this, the model 2707 literally for several years “did not “crowd” forward from the “air cattle truck” and ended up behind its curvy fuselage. As a result, all cash financing and all equipment were involved in the production of the 747, and the 2707 was financed by Boeing on a residual basis.
Two approaches to passenger aviation - "Boeing-747" and "Boeing-2707" in one figure.
But the difficulties in building the 2707 were much more serious than just technical issues or Boeing's production program. Since 1967, an environmental movement against supersonic passenger transport has been on the rise in the United States. It was claimed that their flights would destroy the ozone layer, and the powerful acoustic shock that occurs during supersonic flight was considered unacceptable for populated areas. Under pressure from public opinion, and then Congress, President Nixon creates a commission of 12 members to decide on the financing of the SST program, which included the Boeing 2707. But contrary to his expectations, the commission rejects the need to create SST not only for environmental but also for economic reasons. To create the first aircraft, according to their calculations, it was necessary to spend 3 billion dollars, which would pay off only with the sale of 300 aircraft. The financial condition of the United States was weakened by the long war in Vietnam and the cost of the lunar race.
Work on the 2707 model was discontinued in 1971, after which Boeing tried to continue construction at its own expense for about a year. In addition, individuals, including students and schoolchildren, also tried to support the "American Dream Plane", which raised more than a million dollars. But this did not save the program. The end of the program coincided with a recession in the aerospace industry and an oil crisis, forcing Boeing to lay off nearly 70,000 of its employees in Seattle, and the 2707 being dubbed "the plane that ate Seattle."
Goodnight, sweet prince. The cockpit and part of the fuselage of a Boeing 2707 at the Hiller Aviation Museum.
What motivated the creators of supersonic machines? With military customers, the situation is generally clear. Warriors have always needed a plane that would fly higher and faster. The supersonic flight speed made it possible not only to reach enemy territory faster, but also to increase the flight ceiling of such an aircraft to a height of 20-25 kilometers, which was important for reconnaissance and bombers. At high speeds, as we remember, the lift force of the wing also grows, due to which the flight could take place in a more rarefied atmosphere, and, as a result, at a higher altitude.
In the 1960s, before the advent of anti-aircraft missile systems capable of hitting targets at high altitudes, the main principle of the use of bombers was to fly to the target at the highest possible altitude and speed. Of course, the current air defense systems close this kind of niche for the use of supersonic aircraft (for example, the S-400 complex can shoot down targets directly in space, at an altitude of 185 kilometers and at their own speed of 4.8 km / s, in fact, being a missile defense system , not air defense). However, in operations against ground, surface and air targets, supersonic speed is quite in demand and is still present in promising military plans for both Russian and Western aircraft. It’s just that the implementation of a fairly complex supersonic flight is hardly compatible with the task of stealth and stealth, which they have been trying to instill in bombers and fighters over the past 30 years, which is why you have to choose, as they say, one thing - either hide or break through.
However, does Russia now have a reliable means against American AUGs? In order not to approach them for 300 kilometers to launch the Onyxes with some inconspicuous but vulnerable vessel? The T-4 had a coherent concept of its own style of destroying an aircraft carrier group, but does Russia have it now? I think not - just as there are still no Kh-33 and X-45 hypersonic missiles.
American bomber XB-70 "Valkyrie". It was with them that the MiG-25 had to fight.
Where the future of military aircraft construction will turn is an open question.
I want to say a few more words about civilian supersonic aircraft.
Their operation made it possible not only to significantly reduce the flight time on long-haul flights, but also to use unloaded airspace for high altitude(about 18 km), while the main airspace used by liners (heights of 9-12 km) was already significantly loaded even in the 1960s. Also, supersonic aircraft flew on straight routes (outside air routes and corridors). And this is not to mention the elementary: saving the time of ordinary passengers, which accounted for about half of the flight time for, for example, the Europe-US flight.
At the same time, I repeat once again - the project of supersonic aircraft, both military and civilian, is by no means impossible from a practical point of view or somehow unrealistic from an economic point of view.
We just turned “the wrong way” at one time and rolled the cart of progress not uphill, but along the easiest and most pleasant path - down and downhill. Even today, projects for supersonic passenger aircraft are being developed for the same segment for which another innovative concept was made: the Augusta-Westland tiltrotor AW609. This segment is a segment of business transportation for wealthy clients, when the plane carries not five thousand passengers in bestial conditions, but a dozen people in conditions of maximum efficiency and maximum comfort. Meet Aerio AS2. If you're lucky, it will fly in the near future, in 2021:
I think that everything is already quite serious there - both the partnership with Airbus and the announced investments of $3 billion make it possible to consider the project not as a “sham”, but as a serious application. In short, "a respectable Lord is for respectable gentlemen." And not for all the rogues who allowed the world at the end of the twentieth century to turn onto an easy and convenient path.
However, I have already written about this, I will not repeat myself. Now it's nothing more than the past:
Now we live in a different world. In a world without supersonic aviation for everyone. However, this is not the worst loss.
One of the examples of existing supersonic aircraft projects.
Today I'll start with a little preface 🙂.
On this site I already have a flight of aircraft. That is, it is high time to write something about supersonic, especially since I promised to do it :-). The other day I took up the work with considerable zeal, but I realized that the topic is as interesting as it is voluminous.
Recently, my articles have not shined with brevity, I don’t know if this is an advantage or a disadvantage :-). A release on the topic " supersonic"Threatened to become even bigger, and no one knows how long I would have to" create "it" :-).
So I decided to try to make some articles. A sort of small series (three or four pieces), in which each component will be devoted to one or two concepts on the topic supersonic speeds. And it will be easier for me, and I will bother readers less :-), and Yandex and Google will be more favorable (which is important, you understand :-)). Well, what will come of this to judge, of course, you ..
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So let's talk today about supersonic and supersonic aircraft . The very notion of supersonic" in our language (especially in superlatives) flashes much more often than the term " subsonic".
On the one hand, this is, in general, understandable. Subsonic aircraft have long become something quite ordinary in our lives. A supersonic aircraft, although they fly in airspace for 65 years now, but still seem to be something special, interesting and deserving of special attention.
On the other hand, this is quite fair. After all, flights to supersonic- this, one might say, is a separate area of \u200b\u200bmovement closed by a certain barrier. However, inexperienced people may well have a question: “What, in fact, is so outstanding in this supersonic sound? What is the difference between an airplane flying at a speed of 400 km/h or 1400 km/h? Give him a more powerful engine and everything will be all right!” Approximately in this semantic position was aviation at the dawn of its development.
Speed has always been the ultimate dream, and initially these aspirations were quite successfully implemented. Already in 1945, the Messerschmitt test pilot L. Hoffmann in level flight on one of the world's first aircraft with jet engines, ME-262, reached a speed of 980 km / h in level flight at an altitude of 7200 m.
However, in reality, everything is far from being so simple. After all, the flight supersonic differs from subsonic not only in the magnitude of the speed and not so much in it. The difference here is qualitative.
Already from speeds of about 400 km / h, such a property of air as compressibility begins to gradually appear. And there is nothing, in principle, unexpected. is a gas. And all gases, as you know, unlike liquids, are compressible. When compressed, gas parameters change, such as, for example, density, pressure, temperature. Because of this, various physical processes can already proceed differently in a compressed gas than in a rarefied one.
The faster an airplane flies, the more it, together with its aerodynamic surfaces, becomes like a kind of piston, in a certain sense compressing the air in front of it. Exaggerated, of course, but in general exactly like that :-).
With increasing speed, the aerodynamic pattern of the flow around the aircraft changes and the faster, the more :-). And on supersonic it is qualitatively different. At the same time, new concepts of aerodynamics come to the fore, which often simply do not make any sense for low-speed aircraft.
To characterize the flight speed, it now becomes convenient and necessary to use such a parameter as the Mach number (Mach number, the ratio of the aircraft speed relative to air at a given point to the speed of sound in the air stream at this point). Another type of aerodynamic drag appears and becomes tangible (very tangible!) wave resistance(along with the already increased conventional drag).
Such phenomena as the wave crisis (with a critical number M), supersonic barrier, shock waves and shock waves.
In addition, the controllability and stability characteristics of the aircraft deteriorate due to the rearward displacement of the point of application of aerodynamic forces.
When approaching the region of transonic speeds, the aircraft may experience severe shaking (this was more typical for the first aircraft that stormed the then mysterious boundary of the speed of sound), similar in its manifestations to another very unpleasant phenomenon that aviators had to face in their professional development. This phenomenon is called flutter (a topic for another article :-)).
There is such an unpleasant moment as the heating of the air as a result of its sharp braking in front of the aircraft (the so-called kinetic heating), as well as heating as a result of viscous friction of air. At the same time, the temperatures are quite high, about 300ºС. The skin of the aircraft is heated to such temperatures during a long supersonic flight.
We will definitely talk about all the concepts and phenomena mentioned above, as well as the reasons for their occurrence, in other articles in more detail. But right now, I think it's quite clear that supersonic- this is something completely different than flying at subsonic (especially low) speed.
In order to get along with all the newly emerging effects and phenomena at high speeds and fully correspond to its purpose, the aircraft must also change qualitatively. Now this should be supersonic aircraft, that is, an aircraft capable of flying at a speed exceeding the speed of sound in a given section of airspace.
And for him it is not enough just to increase the engine power (although this is also a very important and mandatory detail). Such aircraft usually change externally as well. Sharp corners and edges, straight lines appear in their appearance, in contrast to the "smooth" outlines of subsonic aircraft.
supersonic aircraft have a swept or triangular wing in plan. A typical and one of the most famous delta wing aircraft is the remarkable MIG-21 fighter ( maximum speed at an altitude of 2230 km / h, near the ground 1300 km / h).
Supersonic aircraft with a triangular wing MIG-21.
One of the swept variants is an ogival-shaped wing, which has an increased lift coefficient. It has a special influx near the fuselage, designed to form artificial spiral vortices.
MIG-21I with an animated wing.
MIG-21I - animated wing.
Animal wing of TU-144.
It is interesting that a wing of this type, later installed on the TU-144, was tested on a flying laboratory based on the same MIG-21 (MIG-21I).
The second option is supercritical wing. It has a flattened profile with a certain curved rear part, which makes it possible to delay the occurrence of a wave crisis at high speeds and can be economically advantageous for high-speed subsonic aircraft. Such a wing is used, in particular, on the SuperJet 100 aircraft.
SuperJet 100. An example of a supercritical wing. The profile bend is clearly visible (rear part)
Photos are clickable.
An ordinary passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km/h. A jet fighter jet can reach about three times the speed. However, modern engineers from the Russian Federation and other countries of the world are actively developing even faster machines - hypersonic aircraft. What are the specifics of the respective concepts?
Criteria for a hypersonic aircraft
What is a hypersonic aircraft? By such it is customary to understand an apparatus capable of flying at a speed many times higher than that for sound. Researchers' approaches to determining its specific indicator vary. There is a widespread methodology according to which an aircraft should be considered hypersonic if it is a multiple of the speed indicators of the fastest modern supersonic vehicles. Which are about 3-4 thousand km / h. That is, a hypersonic aircraft, if you follow this methodology, should reach speeds of 6 thousand km / h.
Unmanned and controlled vehicles
The approaches of researchers may also differ in terms of determining the criteria for classifying a particular apparatus as an aircraft. There is a version that only those machines that are controlled by a person can be considered as such. There is a point of view according to which an unmanned vehicle can also be considered an aircraft. Therefore, some analysts classify machines of the type in question into those that are subject to human control and those that function autonomously. Such a division can be justified, since unmanned vehicles can have much more impressive technical specifications, for example, in terms of overloads and speed.
At the same time, many researchers consider hypersonic aircraft as a single concept, for which the key indicator is speed. It does not matter whether a person is sitting at the helm of the apparatus or the machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the aircraft is fast enough.
Takeoff - independent or with outside help?
The classification of hypersonic aircraft is widespread, which is based on classifying them as those that can take off independently, or those that involve placement on a more powerful carrier - a rocket or a cargo plane. There is a point of view according to which it is legitimate to refer to the vehicles of the type under consideration mainly those that are able to take off independently or with minimal involvement of other types of equipment. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft, speed, should be paramount in any classification. Whether it is classifying the device as unmanned, controlled, capable of taking off independently or with the help of other machines - if the corresponding indicator reaches the above values, then it means that we are talking about a hypersonic aircraft.
The main problems of hypersonic solutions
The concepts of hypersonic solutions are many decades old. Throughout the years of development of the corresponding type of vehicles, world engineers have been solving a number of significant problems that objectively prevent the production of "hypersound" from being put on stream - similar to organizing the production of turboprop aircraft.
The main difficulty in the design of hypersonic aircraft is the creation of an engine that can be sufficiently energy efficient. Another problem is the alignment of the necessary apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in the values that we considered above implies a strong heating of the hull due to friction against the atmosphere.
Today we will consider several samples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the corresponding type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in terms of successfully solving the problems noted. Let us now study the most famous world developments in terms of creating hypersonic aircraft of the type in question.
from Boeing
The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, according to some experts, is the American Boeing X-43A. So, during testing of this device, it was recorded that it reached a speed exceeding 11 thousand km / h. That is about 9.6 times faster
What is special about the X-43A hypersonic aircraft? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:
The maximum speed recorded in the tests is 11,230 km / h;
Wingspan - 1.5 m;
Hull length - 3.6 m;
Engine - direct-flow, Supersonic Combustion Ramjet;
Fuel - atmospheric oxygen, hydrogen.
It can be noted that the device in question is one of the most environmentally friendly. The fact is that the fuel used practically does not involve the release of harmful combustion products.
The X-43A hypersonic aircraft was developed by the joint efforts of NASA engineers, as well as Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. created for about 10 years. About 250 million dollars were invested in its development. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft under consideration is that it was conceived to test the latest technology for ensuring the operation of motive thrust.
Developed by Orbital Science
Orbital Science, which, as we noted above, took part in the creation of the X-43A, also managed to create its own hypersonic aircraft, the X-34.
Its top speed is over 12,000 km/h. True, in the course of practical tests it was not achieved - moreover, it was not possible to achieve the indicator shown by the X43-A aircraft. The aircraft in question is accelerated by the use of the Pegasus rocket, which operates on solid fuel. The X-34 was first tested in 2001. The aircraft in question is significantly larger than the aircraft from Boeing - its length is 17.78 m, the wingspan is 8.85 m. Max Height the flight of a hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 kilometers.
Aircraft from North American
Another well-known hypersonic aircraft is the X-15, produced by North American. Analysts refer to this apparatus as experimental.
It is equipped, which gives some experts reason not to classify it, in fact, as an aircraft. However, the presence of rocket engines allows the device, in particular, to perform So, during one of the tests in this mode, it was tested by pilots. The purpose of the X-15 apparatus is to study the specifics of hypersonic flights, evaluate certain design solutions, new materials, and control features of such machines in various layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that it was approved back in 1954. X-15 flies at a speed of more than 7 thousand km / h. Its flight range is more than 500 km, its altitude exceeds 100 km.
The fastest production aircraft
The hypersonic vehicles we studied above actually belong to the research category. It will be useful to consider some serial samples of aircraft that are close in characteristics to hypersonic or are (according to one methodology or another) hypersonic.
Among these machines is the American development of the SR-71. Some researchers are not inclined to classify this aircraft as hypersonic, since its maximum speed is about 3.7 thousand km / h. Among its most notable characteristics is its takeoff weight, which exceeds 77 tons. The length of the device is more than 23 m, the wingspan is more than 13 m.
One of the fastest military aircraft is the Russian MiG-25. The device can reach speeds of more than 3.3 thousand km / h. Max takeoff weight Russian aircraft- 41 tons.
Thus, in the market of serial solutions, close in characteristics to hypersonic ones, the Russian Federation is among the leaders. But what can be said about Russian developments in terms of "classic" hypersonic aircraft? Are engineers from the Russian Federation capable of creating a solution that is competitive with machines from Boeing and Orbital Scence?
Russian hypersonic vehicles
IN this moment Russian hypersonic aircraft is under development. But she is quite active. We are talking about the Yu-71 aircraft. Its first tests, according to media reports, were carried out in February 2015 near Orenburg.
It is assumed that the aircraft will be used for military purposes. Thus, a hypersonic vehicle will be able, if necessary, to deliver striking weapons over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element of attack aviation. Some researchers believe that in 2020-2025. the Strategic Missile Forces will receive about 20 aircraft of the corresponding type.
There is information in the media that the Russian hypersonic aircraft in question will be placed on the Sarmat ballistic missile, which is also at the design stage. Some analysts believe that the Yu-71 hypersonic vehicle being developed is nothing more than a warhead that will have to separate from the ballistic missile in the final flight segment, so that, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of an aircraft, it will overcome missile defense systems.
Project Ajax
Among the most notable projects related to the development of hypersonic aircraft is Ajax. Let's study it in more detail. The Ajax hypersonic aircraft is a conceptual development of Soviet engineers. In the scientific community, talk about it began back in the 80s. Among the most notable features is the presence of a thermal protection system, which is designed to protect the case from overheating. Thus, the developers of the Ajax apparatus proposed a solution to one of the "hypersonic" problems we have identified above.
The traditional scheme of thermal protection of aircraft involves the placement of special materials on the body. The Ajax developers proposed a different concept, according to which it was supposed not to protect the device from external heating, but to let heat into the car, while increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet apparatus was the Aurora hypersonic aircraft, created in the United States. However, due to the fact that designers from the USSR significantly expanded the capabilities of the concept, the widest range of tasks, in particular, research, was assigned to the new development. We can say that Ajax is a hypersonic multi-purpose aircraft.
Let us consider in more detail the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.
So, the Soviet developers of Ajax proposed to use the heat that arises as a result of the friction of the aircraft body against the atmosphere, to convert it into useful energy. Technically, this could be implemented by placing additional shells on the apparatus. As a result, something like a second building was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with some kind of catalyst, for example, a mixture of combustible material and water. The heat-insulating layer made of a solid material in Ajax was supposed to be replaced with a liquid one, which, on the one hand, was supposed to protect the engine, on the other hand, would promote a catalytic reaction, which, meanwhile, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - the movement of heat from the outside body parts inside. Theoretically, the cooling of the external parts of the apparatus could be anything. Excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used in order to increase the efficiency of the aircraft engine. At the same time, this technology would make it possible to generate free hydrogen as a result of the reaction of fuel and species.
At the moment, there is no information available to the general public about the continuation of the development of Ajax, but researchers consider it very promising to put Soviet concepts into practice.
Chinese hypersonic vehicles
China is becoming a competitor to Russia and the United States in the hypersonic solutions market. Among the most famous developments of engineers from China is the WU-14 aircraft. It is a hypersonic glider mounted on a ballistic missile.
An ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the vehicle dives sharply down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese apparatus can be mounted on various ICBMs with a range of 2,000 to 12,000 km. It was found that during the tests, the WU-14 was able to reach speeds in excess of 12 thousand km / h, thus turning into the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.
At the same time, many researchers believe that it is not quite right to attribute the Chinese development to the class of aircraft. So, the version is widespread, according to which the device should be classified precisely as a warhead. And very effective. When flying down at a marked speed, even the most modern missile defense systems will not be able to guarantee the interception of the corresponding target.
It can be noted that Russia and the United States are also developing hypersonic vehicles used for military purposes. At the same time, the Russian concept, according to which it is supposed to create machines of the corresponding type, differs significantly, as evidenced by data in some media, from the technological principles implemented by the Americans and the Chinese. So, developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraft equipped with a ramjet engine capable of being launched from the ground. Russia is planning cooperation in this direction with India. Hypersonic devices created according to the Russian concept, according to some analysts, are characterized by lower cost and a wider scope.
At the same time, the Russian hypersonic aircraft, which we mentioned above (Yu-71), suggests, according to some analysts, just the same placement on ICBMs. If this thesis turns out to be true, then it will be possible to say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working simultaneously in two popular conceptual areas in the construction of hypersonic aircraft.
Summary
So, probably the fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, if we talk about aircraft, regardless of their classification, this is still the Chinese WU-14. Although you need to understand that real information about him, including those related to tests, can be classified. This is consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often strive to keep their military technology secret at all costs. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is over 12,000 km/h. It is "catching up" with the American development of the X-43A - many experts consider it to be the fastest. Theoretically, the X-43A hypersonic aircraft, as well as the Chinese WU-14, can catch up with the development from Orbical Science, designed for speeds of more than 12 thousand km / h.
The characteristics of the Russian Yu-71 aircraft are not yet known to the general public. It is possible that they will be close to the parameters of the Chinese aircraft. Russian engineers are also developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of taking off not on the basis of ICBMs, but independently.
The current projects of researchers from Russia, China and the United States are somehow connected with the military sphere. Hypersonic aircraft, regardless of their possible classification, are considered primarily as carriers of weapons, most likely nuclear ones. However, in the works of researchers from around the world there are theses that "hypersound", like nuclear technology, may well be peaceful.
The point is the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that allow organizing the mass production of machines of the appropriate type. The use of such devices is possible in the most a wide range branches of economic development. The greatest demand for hypersonic aircraft is likely to be found in the space and research industries.
As the cost of manufacturing technologies for the corresponding machines becomes cheaper, transport businesses may begin to show interest in investing in such projects. Industrial corporations, providers of various services may begin to consider "hypersound" as a tool to increase the competitiveness of business in terms of organizing international communications.