Supersonic flights: the first aircraft, breaking the supersonic barrier and Mach number in aviation. Supersonic aircraft - history of development When did supersonic aircraft appear?

When might 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 the outstanding Russian aircraft designer Genrikh Novozhilov not long ago.

Of course have. At least a supersonic business aircraft will definitely appear,” answered Genrikh Vasilievich. - I have had the opportunity 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: to fly across the ocean in the morning, conclude a major deal, and return home in the evening. Modern aircraft They 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 have 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.

This December it will be half a century since the Tu-144 made its first flight. And a year later, the liner showed exactly what it was 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 went down in history. There are still no analogues of passenger aircraft in the world that are capable of repeating such a maneuver.

The One Hundred and Forty Four opened a fundamentally new page in the global aircraft industry. They say that at one of the meetings at the CPSU Central Committee, 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 noses of the capitalists, but we have enough kerosene...

The nose was wiped. They filled themselves with kerosene.

However, the European competitor, which took off later, was also not distinguished by its efficiency. Thus, 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 did not come true: an energy crisis broke out in the world and kerosene prices went up. The supersonic first-born was immediately dubbed “a boa constrictor around Aeroflot’s neck.” The enormous fuel consumption also knocked out the designed flight range: the Tu-144 did not reach either Khabarovsk or Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Only from Moscow to Alma-Ata.

And if only that. A 200-ton “iron”, cruising over densely populated areas at supersonic speed, literally blew up the entire space along the route. Complaints poured in: cow milk yields fell, chickens stopped laying eggs, acid rain crushed them... Today you can’t say for sure where the truth is and where the lies are. But the fact remains: Concorde flew only over the ocean.

Finally, the most important thing is disasters. One - in June 1973 at the air show in Paris 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 - five years later. Then a test flight was carried out with engines of a new series: they were just supposed to pull the plane to the required range.

Concorde also did not escape tragedy: the plane crashed in July 2000 while taking off from Charles de Gaulle airport. Ironically, it crashed almost where the Tu-144 once did. 109 people on board and four on the ground were killed. Regular passenger services resumed only a year later. But a series of incidents followed, and this supersonic aircraft was also put to rest.

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 plane was the first in the world to break the sound barrier. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/ RG

Today, at a new stage of technology development, scientists need to find a balance between contradictory factors: good aerodynamics of a new supersonic aircraft, low fuel consumption, as well as strict 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’s quite possible, experts say. And in history there are examples 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, it was necessary to redo the fuselage - change the wing layout, expand the diameter. In fact, these were new aircraft, and quite successful ones. By the way, an interesting detail: when the Tu-114 first flew to New York, there was neither a ramp nor a tractor suitable in height at the stunned airport...

At a minimum, similar work will be required for the conversion of the Tu-160. However, how cost effective will this solution be? Everything needs to be carefully assessed.

How many such planes do you need? Who will fly them and where? How commercially available will they be for passengers? How soon will the development costs pay off?.. Tickets on 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 the engine reserves are available. Such an aircraft can accommodate up to 50 people. Total demand in the domestic market is projected at 20-30 cars at a price of 100-120 million dollars.

A new generation of serial supersonic passenger aircraft may appear around 2030

Designers on both sides of the ocean are working on supersonic business jet projects. Everyone is looking for new layout solutions. Some offer an atypical tail, some a completely unusual wing, some a fuselage with a curved central axis...

TsAGI specialists are developing the SDS/SPS project ("supersonic business aircraft / supersonic passenger aircraft"): according to the plan, it will be able to perform transatlantic flights over a distance of up to 8600 km with a cruising speed of at least 1900 km/h. Moreover, the cabin will be transformable - from 80-seat to 20-seat VIP class.

A last summer At the air show in Zhukovsky, one of the most interesting was the model of a 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 numbers 7 or 8.

But for a high-speed civil aircraft to become a reality, a huge range of problems 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: the design features of the designed winged aircraft will be clearly non-standard.

Competently

Sergey Chernyshev, CEO 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 showed: it can be increased to 15-20. Moreover, reduce the volume of the sonic boom to 65 decibels, which is equivalent to noise big city. There are still no official standards in the world on the permissible level of sonic boom. 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 must demonstrate the ability to reduce sonic boom in supersonic cruise flight and noise in the airport area. Several options are being considered: an aircraft for 12-16 passengers, also for 60-80. There is an option for a very small business aircraft - for 6-8 passengers. These are different weights. In one case, the car will weigh approximately 50 tons, and in another - 100-120, etc. But we start with the first of the designated supersonic aircraft.

According to various estimates, today there is already an unrealized market need for fast flights business people on airplanes with a passenger capacity of 12-16 people. And, of course, the car must fly a distance of at least 7-8 thousand kilometers along transatlantic routes. The cruising speed will be Mach 1.8-2, that is, approximately twice the speed of sound. This speed is a technological barrier to the use of conventional aluminum materials in airframe construction. Therefore, the dream of scientists is to make an airplane entirely from temperature-controlled composites. And there are good developments.

Clear requirements for the aircraft must be determined by the launch customer, and then at the stages of preliminary design and development work, some changes in the original appearance of the aircraft obtained at the preliminary design stage are possible. But the sound principles for reducing sonic boom will remain unchanged.

The short passenger operation of the supersonic Tu-144 was limited to flights from Moscow to Alma-Ata. Photo: Boris Korzin/ TASS Photo Chronicle

I think we are 10-15 years away from a 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 objective is to demonstrate the basic technologies for creating a supersonic aircraft with a low sonic boom level. This is a necessary stage of work. A new generation serial supersonic aircraft may appear on the horizon in 2030.

Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR, Chairman of the Commission on civil aviation Public Council Rostransnadzor:

Make a passenger supersonic aircraft based on the Tu-160? For our engineers - absolutely real. No problem. Moreover, this car is very good, with remarkable aerodynamic qualities, a good wing and fuselage. However, today any passenger aircraft must first of all meet international airworthiness and technical requirements. The discrepancies, when comparing a bomber and a passenger plane, are more than 50 percent. For example, when some people say that when remodeling it is necessary to “inflate the fuselage,” you need to understand: the Tu-160 itself weighs more than 100 tons. “Inflate” means adding weight. This means increasing fuel consumption, reducing speed and altitude, and making the aircraft 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, and new types of fuel. On the Tu-144, kerosene, as they say, flowed like a river. Today this is impossible. And most importantly, there must be mass demand for such an aircraft. One or two cars ordered from millionaires will not solve the financial problem. Airlines will have to lease it and “work off” the cost. On whom? Naturally, on the passengers. From an economic point of view, the project will be a failure.

Sergey Melnichenko, General Director of ICAA "Flight Safety":

Over 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 when thoroughly modernizing the existing aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers say it is much easier and cheaper to create a new aircraft in accordance with new concept than rebuilding the old one.

Another question: if the Tu-160 is rebuilt specifically as a business jet, will they still be interested in it? Arab sheikhs? However, there are a few "buts". The aircraft will need to obtain an international certificate (and the European Union and the USA are behind its issuance), which is very problematic. In addition, we will need new efficient engines, which we do not have. Those that are available do not consume fuel, but drink.

If the plane is converted to carry 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-guzzling plane” will be more expensive than for Boeings and Airbuses.

If the plane is planned to be rebuilt purely for the interests of the heads of large companies, then this will most likely be the case. But then this question concerns them purely, and not the Russian economy and people. Although in this case it is difficult to imagine that flights will be carried out only to Siberia or to Far East. Problem with area noise. And if the updated plane is not allowed to fly to Sardinia, then who needs it?

Published Tue, 09/29/2015 - 07:20 by russianinterest...

Original taken from Speed, like a dream. Speed as a calling

Golden years supersonic aviation can perhaps be considered the 1960s. It was at that time that it seemed that just a little more - and squadrons of supersonic aircraft would become the only option for air combat, and supersonic airliners would trace our firmament with their tracks, connecting everything big cities and world capitals. However, it turned out that, as in the case of manned space, man’s journey to high speeds is by no means strewn with roses: passenger aviation remains frozen at around 800 kilometers per hour, and military aircraft hang around the sound barrier, occasionally daring to briefly fly into low supersonic region, around Mach 2 or slightly higher.

What is this connected with? No, not at all because “there is no need to fly fast” or “no one needs this.” Rather, what we are talking about here is that at some point the world began to follow the path of least resistance and considered that scientific and technical progress- this is a self-running cart that is already going downhill, so pushing it additionally is just an unnecessary waste of extra effort.

Let’s ask ourselves a simple question: why is supersonic flight so difficult and expensive? Let's start with the fact that when an airplane overcomes the supersonic barrier, the nature of the flow around the body of the aircraft changes sharply: the aerodynamic drag increases sharply, the kinetic heating of the airframe structure increases, and due to the shift in the aerodynamic focus of the streamlined body, the stability and controllability of the airplane is lost.

Of course, for the average person and unprepared reader, all these terms sound quite faded and incomprehensible, but if we summarize all this in one phrase, we get: “it’s difficult to fly at supersonic speed.” 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 appearance of the aircraft - characteristic “swift” straight lines appear in it, sharp angles on the nose and leading edges, which immediately distinguishes a supersonic aircraft even externally from “smooth” ones. "and "sleek" forms of subsonic aircraft.

The nose of the Tu-144 leaned down during takeoff and landing to provide at least minimal visibility to the pilots.

In addition, when optimizing an aircraft for supersonic flight, it develops another unpleasant feature: it becomes poorly suited for subsonic flight and is quite clumsy in takeoff and landing modes, which it still has to carry out at fairly low speeds. The same sharp lines and sweeping shapes that are so good at supersonic 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 cars also prevent pilots from full review Runway.

Here, as an example, are the nose parts of two Soviet supersonic aircraft that were not implemented in the series - the M-50 of the Myasishchev Design Bureau (in the background) and the T-4 “object 100” of the Sukhoi Design Bureau (nearby).

The efforts of the designers are clearly visible: this is either an attempt to reach a compromise in contours, like the M-50, or a sliding nose, deviating downward, like the T-4. It is interesting that the T-4 could well have become the first production 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 movable nose cone of a supersonic aircraft - it can already be lifted and landed only by instruments, or even without the participation of pilots at all.

Identical conditions and tasks give rise to similar designs. The Anglo-French Concorde's nose also moved down during takeoff and landing.

What prevented the USSR from creating, already 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 alone?

The thing is that by the mid-1970s the Sukhoi Design Bureau did not have its own production capacity to conduct extended state tests of the “100 object”. For this process, what was needed was not an experimental, but a serial plant, for which KAPO (Kazan Aviation Plant) was quite suitable. However, as soon as a decree began to be prepared on the preparation of the Kazan Aviation Plant for the assembly of the pilot batch of T-4, Academician Tupolev, realizing that he was losing the serial plant where the “strategic defect carrier” Tu-22 was produced, came up with an initiative proposal to create its modification Tu-22M, for which, supposedly, it was only necessary to slightly repurpose production. Although, later, 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 eventually ended up in a 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, often the conquest of new frontiers in speed and altitude by aviation is associated not only with the use of a more advanced or fundamentally new propulsion system and a new aircraft layout, but also with changes in their geometry in flight. This option was never implemented in the first generation of supersonic vehicles, but it was this idea of a variable-sweep wing that eventually became practically canon in the 1970s. Such changes in wing sweep, while improving the aircraft's performance at high speeds, should not have deteriorated their performance at low speeds, and vice versa.

The Boeing 2707 was supposed to be the first passenger supersonic aircraft with variable sweep wings.

It is interesting that the fate of the Boeing 2707 was ruined not by its design imperfections, but only by a host of political issues. By 1969, as Boeing's 2707 development program entered its final stretch, 26 airlines had ordered 122 2707s from Boeing at a cost of nearly $5 billion. At this point, the Boeing program had already left the design and research phase and construction of two prototypes of the 2707 model had begun. To complete their construction and manufacture test aircraft, the company needed to raise somewhere between 1-2 billion. And the total cost of the program with construction 500 aircraft was approaching $5 billion. Government loans were required. Fundamentally, in another time, Boeing would have found its own funds for this, but the 1960s were not like that.

In the late 1960s, Boeing's production facilities were heavily loaded with the creation of the largest subsonic passenger plane in the world - the Boeing 747, which we still fly on. Because of this, model 2707 literally “did not crowd” ahead of the “air cattle carrier” for several years and ended up behind its knobby fuselage. As a result, all available funding and all equipment were used for the production of the 747, and 2707 was financed by Boeing on a residual basis.

Two approaches to passenger aviation - Boeing 747 and Boeing 2707 in one picture.

But the difficulties with the 2707 were much more serious than just technical issues or Boeing's production program. Since 1967, the environmental movement against supersonic technology has been growing in the United States. passenger transport. It was argued that their flights would destroy the ozone layer, and the powerful acoustic shock generated by supersonic flight was considered unacceptable for populated areas. Under pressure from public opinion and then from Congress, President Nixon created a 12-member commission to resolve the issue of financing the SST program, which included the Boeing 2707. But contrary to his expectations, the commission rejects the need for an 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, which would only pay off if 300 aircraft were sold. The financial condition of the United States was weakened by the long war in Vietnam and the costs of the lunar race.

Work on the 2707 model was stopped in 1971, after which Boeing tried to continue construction for about a year using its own funds. In addition, private individuals, including students and schoolchildren, also tried to support the “American Dream Plane”, for which more than a million dollars were raised. But this did not save the program. The eventual demise of the program coincided with a downturn in the aerospace industry and the oil crisis, as a result of which Boeing was forced to lay off almost 70,000 of its employees in Seattle, and the Model 2707 became known as “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 cars? The situation with military customers is generally clear. Warriors always needed a plane that would fly higher and faster. 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 an altitude of 20-25 kilometers, which was important for reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. At high speeds, as we remember, the lifting force of the wing also increases, 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 using bombers was to fly to the target at the highest possible altitude and speed. Of course, current air defense systems cover 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, essentially being a missile defense system , not air defense). However, in actions against ground, surface and air targets, supersonic speed is quite in demand and is still present in long-term military plans for both Russian and Western aircraft. It’s just that the implementation of a rather complex supersonic flight is difficult to compatible with the task of stealth and stealth that they have been trying to instill in bombers and fighters over the past 30 years, due to which you have to choose, as they say, one thing - either hide or break through.

However, does Russia now have a reliable weapon against American AUGs? So, not to get within 300 kilometers of them to launch the Onyxes by 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 hypersonic missiles X-33 and X-45.

American bomber XB-70 Valkyrie. It was with them that the MiG-25 was supposed to fight.

Where the future of military aircraft will turn is an open question.

I want to say a few more words about civil supersonic aircraft.

Their operation made it possible not only to significantly reduce flight time on long-distance flights, but also to use unloaded airspace at high altitudes (about 18 km), while the main airspace used by airliners (altitudes 9-12 km) was already even in the 1960s significantly busy. Also, supersonic aircraft flew along straight routes (outside airways and corridors). And this is not to mention the most basic: saving time for ordinary passengers, which amounted to about half the flight time during, for example, a Europe-USA 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 in any way unrealistic from an economic point of view.

We just took a wrong turn at one time and rolled the cart of progress not uphill, but along the easiest and most pleasant path - down and downhill. Even today, supersonic passenger aircraft projects are being developed for the same segment for which another innovative concept was made: the Augusta-Westland AW609 tiltrotor. This segment is the segment of business transportation for wealthy clients, when the plane carries not five thousand passengers in brutal 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 everything is already quite serious there - both the partnership with Airbus and the announced investments of 3 billion dollars allow us to consider the project not a “decoy”, but a serious application. In short, “a respectable gentleman - for respectable gentlemen.” And not for any beggars who allowed the world at the end of the twentieth century to turn onto an easy and convenient path.

However, I already wrote about this, I will not repeat it. 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.

A typical passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km/h. A military fighter jet can reach approximately 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 relevant concepts?

Criteria for a hypersonic aircraft

What is a hypersonic aircraft? This is usually understood as a device capable of flying at a speed many times higher than that of sound. Researchers' approaches to determining its specific indicator vary. A common methodology is that 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 adhere to this methodology, must reach a speed 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 device as an aircraft. There is a version that only those machines that are controlled by a person can be classified 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 this type into those that are subject to human control and those that function autonomously. Such a division may be justified, since unmanned vehicles can have much more impressive technical characteristics, for example, in terms of overload and speed.

At the same time, many researchers consider hypersonic aircraft as a single concept, for which the key indicator is speed. It doesn’t matter whether a person sits at the helm of the device or the machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the plane is fast enough.

Take off - independently or with outside help?

There is a widespread classification of hypersonic aircraft, which is based on classifying them into the category of those that are capable of taking off on their own, or those that require placement on a more powerful carrier - a rocket or a cargo plane. There is a point of view according to which it is right to include mainly those that are capable of taking off independently or with minimal involvement of other types of equipment as devices of the type under consideration. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft, speed, should be paramount in any classification. Whether the aircraft is classified as unmanned, controlled, capable of taking off on its own 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.

Main problems of hypersonic solutions

The concepts of hypersonic solutions are many decades old. Throughout the years of development of the corresponding type of devices, world engineers have been solving a number of significant problems that objectively prevent the production of “hypersonics” from being put into production - similar to organizing the production of turboprop aircraft.

The main difficulty in designing hypersonic aircraft is creating an engine that can be sufficiently energy efficient. Another problem is lining up the necessary apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in the values that we discussed above implies strong heating of the body due to friction with the atmosphere.

Today we will look at several examples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the corresponding type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in successfully solving the noted problems. 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. Thus, during testing of this device, it was recorded that it reached speeds exceeding 11 thousand km/h. That is approximately 9.6 times faster

What's so special about the X-43A hypersonic aircraft? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

The maximum speed recorded in tests is 11,230 km/h;

Wingspan - 1.5 m;

Body 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 emit harmful combustion products.

The X-43A hypersonic aircraft was developed jointly by NASA engineers, as well as Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. was created about 10 years ago. About $250 million was invested in its development. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft in question is that it was conceived for the purpose of testing latest technology ensuring the operation of motor traction.

Development from Orbital Science

The Orbital Science company, 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 more than 12 thousand km/h. True, during 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 when the Pegasus rocket, which operates on solid fuel, is activated. The X-34 was first tested in 2001. The aircraft in question is significantly larger than the Boeing aircraft - its length is 17.78 m, its wingspan is 8.85 m. Maximum height the flight of the hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 kilometers.

Aircraft from North American

Another famous hypersonic aircraft is the X-15, produced by North American. Analysts classify this apparatus as experimental.

It is equipped, which gives some experts a 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 device 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. The X-15 flies at a speed of more than 7 thousand km/hour. 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 production models of aircraft that are close in characteristics to hypersonic ones or are (according to one methodology or another) hypersonic ones.

Among such 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 take-off weight, which exceeds 77 tons. The length of the device is more than 23 m, the wingspan is more than 13 m.

The Russian MiG-25 is considered one of the fastest military aircraft. The device can reach speeds of more than 3.3 thousand km/h. Maximum take-off weight Russian plane- 41 tons.

Thus, in the market for serial solutions with characteristics close to hypersonic ones, the Russian Federation is among the leaders. But what can be said about Russian developments regarding “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 it is going quite actively. It's about about the Yu-71 aircraft. Its first tests, judging by 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 destructive weapons over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element of attack aircraft. 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 mounted 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 be separated from the ballistic missile at the final stage of flight, and then, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of the aircraft, 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, conversations about it began back in the 80s. Among the most notable characteristics 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 identified above.

The traditional thermal protection scheme for aircraft involves placing 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 heat, but to let heat inside the machine, while simultaneously increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet aircraft was considered the hypersonic aircraft “Aurora”, created in the USA. However, due to the fact that designers from the USSR significantly expanded the capabilities of the concept, the new development was assigned a wide range of tasks, in particular research ones. We can say that the Ajax is a hypersonic multi-purpose aircraft.

Let's take a closer look at the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.

So, the Soviet developers of Ajax proposed using the heat generated as a result of friction of the aircraft body with the atmosphere and converting it into useful energy. Technically, this could be realized by placing additional shells on the device. As a result, something like a second corps was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with some kind of catalyst, for example, a mixture of flammable material and water. The heat-insulating layer made of 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, would promote a catalytic reaction, which, meanwhile, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - the movement of heat from the outside body parts inward. Theoretically, the cooling of the external parts of the device could be anything. The excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used 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 the fuel.

At the moment, there is no information available to the general public about the continuation of the development of Ajax, however, researchers consider the implementation of Soviet concepts into practice to be very promising.

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 controlled glider mounted on a ballistic missile.

An ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the vehicle sharply dives down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese device can be mounted on various ICBMs with a range from 2 to 12 thousand km. It was found that during tests, the WU-14 was able to reach a speed exceeding 12 thousand km/h, thus becoming the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.

At the same time, many researchers believe that it is not entirely legitimate to classify the Chinese development as an aircraft. Thus, there is a widespread version according to which the device should be classified specifically as a warhead. And very effective. When flying downward at the specified speed, even the most modern missile defense systems will not be able to guarantee 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 appropriate type, differs significantly, as evidenced by data in some media, from the technological principles implemented by the Americans and the Chinese. Thus, developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraft equipped with a ramjet engine that can be launched from the ground. Russia plans to cooperate in this direction with India. Hypersonic vehicles created according to the Russian concept, according to some analysts, are characterized by lower cost and a wider range of applications.

At the same time, the Russian hypersonic aircraft, which we mentioned above (Yu-71), suggests, as some analysts believe, deployment on ICBMs. If this thesis turns out to be correct, then we can say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working simultaneously in two popular conceptual directions 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, is still the Chinese WU-14. Although you need to understand that real information about it, including those related to tests, may be classified. This is quite consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often strive to keep their military technologies secret at all costs. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is more than 12 thousand km/h. The American development of the X-43A is “catching up” with it - many experts consider it to be the fastest. Theoretically, the hypersonic aircraft X-43A, as well as the Chinese WU-14, can catch up with the development from Orbical Science, designed for a speed 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 quite 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 independently, rather than based on an ICBM.

Current projects of researchers from Russia, China and the United States are in one way or another related to the military sphere. Hypersonic aircraft, regardless of their possible classification, are considered primarily as carriers of weapons, most likely nuclear. However, in the works of researchers from different countries of the world there are theses that “hypersonic”, like nuclear technologies, may well be peaceful.

The issue is the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that make it possible to organize mass production of machines of the appropriate type. The use of such devices is possible in the widest range of sectors of economic development. Hypersonic aircraft are likely to find greatest demand in the space and research industries.

As production technologies for the corresponding vehicles become cheaper, transport businesses may begin to show interest in investing in such projects. Industrial corporations and providers of various services may begin to consider “hypersonic” as a tool for increasing business competitiveness in terms of organizing international communications.

Aircraft designers were faced with the task of further increasing their speed. Higher speed expanded the combat capabilities of both fighters and bombers.

The supersonic era began with the flight of Chuck Yeager, an American test pilot, on October 14, 1947, on an experimental Bell X-1 aircraft with an XLR-11 rocket engine that reached supersonic speed in controlled flight.

Development

The 60s-70s of the 20th century were marked by the rapid development of supersonic aviation. The main problems of aircraft stability and controllability and their aerodynamic efficiency were solved. The high flight speed also made it possible to increase the ceiling to over 20 km, which was important for reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. At that time, before the advent of anti-aircraft missile systems capable of hitting targets at high altitudes, the main principle of using bombers was to fly to the target at the highest possible altitude and speed. During these years, supersonic aircraft for a wide variety of purposes were built and put into production - fighters, bombers, interceptors, fighter-bombers, reconnaissance aircraft (the first supersonic all-weather interceptor - Convair F-102 Delta Dagger; the first supersonic long-range bomber - Convair B-58 Hustler) .

Nowadays, new aircraft are appearing, including those made using Stealth technology to reduce visibility.

Comparative diagrams of Tu-144 and Concorde

Passenger supersonic aircraft

In the history of aviation, there have only been two passenger supersonic aircraft operating on regular flights. The Soviet Tu-144 aircraft made its first flight on December 31, 1968, and was in operation from 1978 to 1978. Two months later, on March 2, 1969, the Anglo-French Concorde (fr. Concorde- “consent”) made transatlantic flights from 2003 to 2003. Their operation made it possible not only to significantly reduce flight time on long-distance flights, but also to use uncongested airspace at high altitudes (≈18 km), while the main airspace used by airliners (altitudes 9-12 km) was already in those years significantly loaded. Also, supersonic aircraft flew along straight routes (outside air routes).

Theoretical issues

Flight at supersonic speed, in contrast to subsonic speed, proceeds according to different laws, since when an object reaches the speed of sound, the aerodynamic flow pattern changes qualitatively, due to which aerodynamic drag increases sharply, kinetic heating of the structure increases, the aerodynamic focus shifts, which leads to loss of stability and aircraft controllability. In addition, a hitherto unknown phenomenon called “wave resistance” appeared.

Therefore, achieving the speed of sound and efficient flight were impossible by simply increasing engine power; new design solutions were required. The consequence was a change in the appearance of the aircraft - characteristic straight lines and sharp corners appeared, in contrast to the “smooth” shape of subsonic aircraft.

It should be noted that the task of creating an effective supersonic aircraft cannot yet be considered solved. The creators have to make a compromise between the requirement to increase speed and maintain acceptable takeoff and landing characteristics. Thus, the conquest of new frontiers in speed and altitude by aviation is associated not only with the use of a more advanced or fundamentally new propulsion system and a new aircraft layout, but also with changes in their geometry in flight. Such changes, while improving the aircraft's performance at high speeds, should not worsen their performance at low speeds, and vice versa. Recently, creators have been refusing to reduce the wing area and the relative thickness of their profiles, as well as increasing the wing sweep angle of aircraft with variable geometry, returning to low-sweep wings and a large relative thickness, if satisfactory maximum speed and ceiling values have already been achieved. In this case, it is considered important that a supersonic aircraft has good performance at low speeds and reduced drag at high speeds, especially at low altitudes.

Notes

Where it all started

In the forties of the twentieth century, during the Second World War, German designers actively worked to resolve this issue, hoping to use such aircraft to turn the tide of the war. As we know, they didn’t succeed, the war ended. However, in 1945, closer to its completion, the German pilot L. Hoffmann, testing the world's first jet fighter Me-262, was able to reach a speed of about 980 km/h at an altitude of 7200 m.

The first person to realize the dream of all pilots about breaking the supersonic barrier was American test pilot Chuck Yeager. In 1947, this pilot was the first in history to overcome the speed of sound in a manned vehicle. He flew the prototype rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft. By the way, German scientists and their developments captured during the war greatly contributed to the appearance of this device, as well as, in fact, to the entire further development of flight technologies.

The speed of sound was reached in the Soviet Union on December 26, 1948. It was an experimental aircraft LA-176, at a flight altitude of 9060 m, piloted by I.E. Fedorov and O.V. Sokolovsky. About a month later, on this aircraft, but with a more advanced engine, the speed of sound was not only reached, but also exceeded by 7000 m. The LA-176 project was very promising, but due to tragic death O.V. Sokolovsky, who controlled this apparatus, the developments were closed.

Subsequently, the development of this industry slowed down somewhat, as a significant number of physical difficulties arose associated with controlling an aircraft at supersonic speeds. At high speeds, such a property of air as compressibility begins to manifest itself, and aerodynamic streamlining becomes completely different. Wave resistance appears, and such an unpleasant phenomenon for any pilot as flutter - the plane begins to heat up very much.

Faced with these problems, designers began to look for a radical solution that could overcome the difficulties. This decision turned out to be a complete revision of the design of aircraft intended for supersonic flights. The streamlined shapes of airliners that we now see are the result of many years of scientific research.

Further development

At that time, when the Second World War had just ended and the Korean and Vietnamese wars began, the development of the industry could only occur through military technologies. That is why the first production aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound were the Soviet Mig-19 (NATO Farmer) and the American F-100 Super Saber. The speed record was held by an American aircraft - 1215 km/h (set on October 29, 1953), but already at the end of 1954 the Mig-19 was able to accelerate to 1450 km/h.

Interesting fact. Although the USSR and the United States of America did not conduct official military operations, real repeated combat clashes during the Korean and Vietnam Wars showed the undeniable advantage of Soviet technology. For example, our Mig-19s were much lighter, had engines with better dynamic characteristics and, as a result, a faster rate of climb. Radius of the Possible combat use the plane was 200 km longer than the Mig-19. That is why the Americans really wanted to get their hands on an intact sample and even announced a reward for completing such a task. And it was realized.

After the end of the Korean War, 1 Mig-19 aircraft was hijacked from an air base by Korean Air Force officer No Geum Seok. For which the Americans paid him the required $100,000 as a reward for delivering an undamaged aircraft.

Interesting fact. The first female pilot to reach the speed of sound is American Jacqueline Cochran. She reached speeds of 1,270 km/h while piloting an F-86 Saber aircraft.

Development of civil aviation

In the 60s of the last century, after the appearance of technical developments tested during the wars, aviation began to develop rapidly. Solutions were found for the existing problems of supersonic speeds, and then the creation of the first supersonic passenger aircraft began.

The first ever flight of a civilian airliner faster than the speed of sound occurred on August 21, 1961, on a Douglas DC-8. At the time of the flight, there were no passengers on the aircraft other than the pilots, and ballast was placed to accommodate the full load of the aircraft under these experimental conditions. A speed of 1262 km/h was reached while descending from an altitude of 15877 m to 12300 m.

Interesting fact. On February 19, 1985, a China Airlines Boeing 747 SP-09 entered an uncontrollable dive while flying from Taiwan's Taipei to Los Angeles. The reason for this was engine malfunctions and subsequent unqualified actions of personnel. During the dive from an altitude of 12,500 m to 2,900 m, where the crew was able to stabilize the aircraft, the speed of sound was exceeded. At the same time, the airliner, not designed for such overloads, received serious damage to the tail section. However, with all this, only 2 people on board were seriously injured. The plane landed in San Francisco, was repaired and subsequently carried out passenger flights again.

However, truly real supersonic passenger aircraft (SPS), capable of regular flights at speeds above the speed of sound, were designed and built of all two types:

Soviet airliner Tu-144;
Anglo-French aircraft Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde.

Only these two aircraft were able to maintain cruising speed. supersonic speed(English supercruise). At that time, they were superior to even most combat aircraft; the design of these airliners was unique for their time. There were only a few types of aircraft capable of supercruise; today, most modern military vehicles are equipped with such capabilities.

Aviation of the USSR

The Soviet Tu-144 was built somewhat earlier than its European counterpart, so it can be considered the world's first supersonic passenger airliner. Appearance these aircraft, both Tu-144 and Concorde, will not leave any person indifferent even now. It is unlikely that there have been more beautiful aircraft in the history of aircraft manufacturing.

The Tu-144 has attractive characteristics, with the exception of the range of practical use: higher cruising speed and lower landing speed, higher flight ceiling, but the history of our airliner is much more tragic.

Important! The Tu-144 is not only the first flying, but also the first crashed supersonic passenger airliner. The crash at the Le Bourget air show on June 3, 1973, in which 14 people died, was the first step towards the end of Tu-144 flights. Unambiguous causes have never been established, and the final version of the disaster raises many questions.

The second crash near Yegoryevsk in the Moscow region on May 23, 1978, where a fire occurred during the flight and 2 crew members died during landing, became the final point in the decision to stop operating these aircraft. Despite the fact that after analysis it was established that the fire occurred as a result of a defect in the fuel system of the new engine being tested, and the aircraft itself showed excellent controllability and reliability of the design, when the one on fire was able to land, the aircraft were removed from flights and taken out of commercial operation .

How it turned out abroad

The European Concorde, in turn, flew for much longer, from 1976 to 2003. However, due to unprofitability (the aircraft could not be brought to the minimum payback), the operation was also eventually curtailed. This was largely due to the plane crash in Paris on July 25, 2000: during takeoff from Charles De Gaulle airport, the engine caught fire and the plane crashed to the ground (113 people died, including 4 on the ground), as well as the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 Despite the fact that this was the only accident of the aircraft in 37 years of operation, and the terrorist attacks were not directly related to Concorde, the general decrease in passenger flow reduced the already lacking profitability of flights and led to the fact that this aircraft made its last flight on route Heathrow - Filton 26 November 2003

Interesting fact. A ticket for a Concorde flight in the 70s cost at least $1,500 one way; towards the end of the nineties, the price rose to $4,000. A ticket for a seat on the last flight of this liner already cost $10,000.

Supersonic aviation at the moment

To date, solutions similar to the Tu-144 and Concorde are not expected. But, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t care about the cost of tickets, there are a number of developments in the field of business flights and small-capacity aircraft.

The most promising development is the XB-1 Baby Boom aircraft from the American company Boom technology from Colorado. It is a small aircraft, about 20 m long and with a wingspan of 5.2 m. It is equipped with 3 engines developed in the fifties for cruise missiles.

The capacity is planned to be about 45 people, with a flight range of 1800 km at speeds up to Mach 2. At the moment, this is still a development, but the first flight of the prototype is planned for 2018, and the aircraft itself must be certified by 2023. The creators plan to use the development both as a business jet for private transportation and on regular low-capacity flights. The planned cost for a flight on this car will be about $5,000, which is quite a lot, but comparable to the cost of a business class flight.

However, if you look at the entire civil aviation industry as a whole, then with today’s level of technology development, everything does not look very promising. Large companies more concerned with the benefits and profitability of projects than with new developments in the field of supersonic flight. The reason is that throughout the history of aviation there have not been sufficiently successful implementations of tasks of this kind; no matter how many attempts were made to achieve the goals, they all failed to one degree or another.

In general, those designers who are involved in current projects are rather enthusiasts who are optimistic about the future, who, of course, expect to make a profit, but are quite realistic about the results, and most of projects so far exist only on paper, and analysts are quite skeptical about the possibility of their implementation.

One of the few truly large projects is the Concorde-2 supersonic aircraft patented last year by Airbus. Structurally, it will be an aircraft with three types of engines:

Turbofan jet engines. Will be installed at the front of the aircraft;
Hypersonic air-breathing engines. They will be mounted under the wings of the airliner;
Rocket engines. Installed in the rear fuselage.

This design feature involves the operation of various engines at certain stages of flight (takeoff, landing, movement at cruising speed).

Considering one of the main problems of civil air transportation - noise (standards of the organization air traffic In most countries, they set restrictions on noise levels; if the airport is located close to residential areas, this imposes restrictions on the possibility of night flights), Airbus has developed a special technology for the Concorde-2 project that allows vertical take-off. This will practically avoid shock waves from hitting the surface of the earth, which in turn will ensure no discomfort for people below. Also, thanks to this design and technology, the flight of the airliner will take place at an altitude of about 30-35,000 m (at the moment, civil aviation flies at a maximum of 12,000 m), which will help reduce noise not only during take-off, but throughout the entire flight, since At such a height, shock waves will not be able to reach the surface.

The future of supersonic flight

Not everything is as sad as it might seem at first glance. In addition to civil aviation, there is and will always exist the military industry. The combat needs of the state have driven the development of aviation as before and will continue to do so. The armies of all states need more and more advanced aircraft. From year to year this need only increases, which entails the creation of new design and technological solutions.

Sooner or later, development will reach a level where the use of military technologies may become profitable for peaceful purposes.