Exactly 15 years ago, the last three supersonic passenger aircraft Concorde of the British airline British Airways made a farewell flight. On that day, October 24, 2003, these planes, flying at low altitude over London, landed at Heathrow, ending the short history of supersonic passenger aviation. However, today aircraft designers around the world are again thinking about the possibility of fast flights - from Paris to New York in 3.5 hours, from Sydney to Los Angeles in 6 hours, from London to Tokyo in 5 hours. But before supersonic aircraft return to international passenger routes, developers will have to solve many problems, among which one of the most important is reducing the noise of fast aircraft.

A short history of fast flights

Passenger aviation began to take shape in the 1910s, when the first airplanes specifically designed to transport people by air appeared. The very first of them was the French Bleriot XXIV Limousine from Bleriot Aeronautique. It was used for entertainment air walks. Two years later, the S-21 Grand appeared in Russia, created on the basis of the Russian Knight heavy bomber by Igor Sikorsky. It was built at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant. Then aviation began to develop by leaps and bounds: first flights began between cities, then between countries, and then between continents. Airplanes made it possible to get to your destination faster than by train or ship.

In the 1950s, progress in the development of jet engines accelerated significantly, and supersonic flight became available to military aircraft, albeit briefly. Supersonic speed is usually called movement up to five times faster than the speed of sound, which varies depending on the propagation medium and its temperature. At normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, sound travels at a speed of 331 meters per second, or 1191 kilometers per hour. As you gain altitude, the density and temperature of the air decrease, and the speed of sound decreases. For example, at an altitude of 20 thousand meters it is already about 295 meters per second. But already at an altitude of about 25 thousand meters and as it rises to more than 50 thousand meters, the temperature of the atmosphere begins to gradually increase compared to the lower layers, and with it the local speed of sound increases.

The increase in temperature at these altitudes is explained, among other things, by the high concentration of ozone in the air, which forms the ozone shield and absorbs part of the solar energy. As a result, the speed of sound at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above the sea is about 318 meters per second, and at an altitude of 50 thousand - almost 330 meters per second. In aviation, Mach number is widely used to measure flight speed. In simple terms, it expresses the local speed of sound for a specific altitude, density and air temperature. Thus, the speed of a conventional flight, equal to two Mach numbers, at sea level will be 2383 kilometers per hour, and at an altitude of 10 thousand meters - 2157 kilometers per hour. For the first time, American pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier at a speed of Mach 1.04 (1066 kilometers per hour) at an altitude of 12.2 thousand meters in 1947. This was an important step towards the development of supersonic flights.

In the 1950s, aircraft designers in several countries around the world began working on designs for supersonic passenger aircraft. As a result, the French Concorde and the Soviet Tu-144 appeared in the 1970s. These were the first and so far the only passenger supersonic aircraft in the world. Both types of aircraft used conventional turbojet engines optimized for long-term operation in supersonic flight. Tu-144 were in service until 1977. The planes flew at a speed of 2.3 thousand kilometers per hour and could carry up to 140 passengers. However, tickets for their flights cost on average 2.5–3 times more than usual. Low demand for fast but expensive flights, as well as general difficulties in operating and maintaining the Tu-144, led to their removal from passenger flights. However, the aircraft were used for some time in test flights, including under a contract with NASA.

Concorde served much longer - until 2003. Flights on French airliners were also expensive and were not very popular, but France and Great Britain continued to operate them. The cost of one ticket for such a flight was, in terms of today's prices, about 20 thousand dollars. The French Concorde flew at a speed of just over two thousand kilometers per hour. The plane could cover the distance from Paris to New York in 3.5 hours. Depending on configuration, Concorde could carry from 92 to 120 people.

The Concorde story ended unexpectedly and quickly. In 2000, the Concorde plane crash occurred, in which 113 people died. A year later, a crisis began in passenger air travel caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (two planes with passengers hijacked by terrorists crashed into the towers of the World War II shopping center in New York, another, the third, fell into the Pentagon building in Arlington County, and the fourth fell in a field near Shanksville in Pennsylvania). Then the warranty period for Concorde aircraft, which was handled by Airbus, expired. All these factors together made the operation of supersonic passenger aircraft extremely unprofitable, and in the summer and autumn of 2003 airlines Air France and British Airways took turns decommissioning all Concordes.

After the closure of the Concorde program in 2003, there was still hope for the return of supersonic passenger aircraft to service. Designers hoped for new efficient engines, aerodynamic calculations and computer-aided design systems that could make supersonic flights economically affordable. But in 2006 and 2008, the International Organization civil aviation adopted new aircraft noise standards that prohibited, among other things, all supersonic flights over populated land areas in peacetime. This ban does not apply to air corridors specifically designated for military aviation. Work on projects for new supersonic aircraft has slowed down, but today they have begun to gain momentum again.

Quiet supersonic

Today, several enterprises and government organizations in the world are developing supersonic passenger aircraft. Such projects, in particular, are carried out by the Russian companies Sukhoi and Tupolev, the Zhukovsky Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, the French Dassault, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the European concern Airbus, the American Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as well as several startups, including Aerion and Boom Technologies. In general, designers were divided into two camps. Representatives of the first of them believe that it will not be possible to develop a “quiet” supersonic aircraft that matches the noise level of subsonic airliners in the near future, which means that it is necessary to build a fast passenger aircraft that will switch to supersonic where it is allowed. This approach, the designers from the first camp believe, will still reduce the flight time from one point to another.

Designers from the second camp primarily focused on combating shock waves. When flying at supersonic speed, an aircraft's airframe generates many shock waves, the most significant of which occur in the nose and tail area. In addition, shock waves typically occur at the leading and trailing edges of the wing, at the leading edges of the tail, at the swirler areas and at the edges of the air intakes. A shock wave is a region in which the pressure, density and temperature of a medium experience a sudden and strong jump. By observers on the ground, such waves are perceived as a loud bang or even an explosion - it is because of this that supersonic flights over populated land are prohibited.

The effect of an explosion or a very loud bang is produced by so-called N-type shock waves, which are formed when a bomb explodes or on the glider of a supersonic fighter. On a graph of pressure and density growth, such waves resemble the letter N of the Latin alphabet due to a sharp increase in pressure at the wave front with a sharp drop in pressure after it and subsequent normalization. In laboratory experiments, researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency found that changing the shape of the airframe can smooth out the peaks in the shock wave graph, turning it into an S-type wave. Such a wave has a smooth pressure drop that is not as significant as that of an N-wave. NASA experts believe that S-waves will be perceived by observers as a distant slam of a car door.

N-wave (red) before aerodynamic optimization of a supersonic glider and a similarity to the S-wave after optimization

In 2015, Japanese designers assembled the D-SEND 2 unmanned glider, whose aerodynamic shape was designed to reduce the number of shock waves generated on it and their intensity. In July 2015, the developers tested the airframe at the Esrange missile test site in Sweden and noted a significant reduction in the number of shock waves generated on the surface of the new airframe. During the test, D-SEND 2, not equipped with engines, was dropped from hot air balloon from a height of 30.5 thousand meters. During the fall, the 7.9-meter-long glider picked up a speed of Mach 1.39 and flew past tethered balloons equipped with microphones located at different heights. At the same time, the researchers measured not only the intensity and number of shock waves, but also analyzed the influence of the state of the atmosphere on their early occurrence.

According to the Japanese agency, the sonic boom from aircraft comparable in size to the Concorde supersonic passenger jets and designed according to the D-SEND 2 design, when flying at supersonic speeds, will be half as intense as before. The Japanese D-SEND 2 differs from the gliders of conventional modern aircraft in the non-axisymmetric arrangement of the nose. The keel of the vehicle is shifted towards the bow, and the horizontal tail unit is all-moving and has a negative installation angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the airframe, that is, the tips of the empennage are located below the attachment point, and not above, as usual. The glider's wing has a normal sweep, but is stepped: it smoothly mates with the fuselage, and part of its leading edge is located at an acute angle to the fuselage, but closer to the trailing edge this angle increases sharply.

According to a similar scheme, a supersonic American startup Aerion is currently being created and is being developed by Lockheed Martin for NASA. The Russian (Supersonic Business Aircraft/Supersonic Passenger Aircraft) is also being designed with an emphasis on reducing the number and intensity of shock waves. Some of the fast passenger aircraft projects are planned to be completed in the first half of the 2020s, but aviation regulations will not yet be revised by then. This means that the new aircraft will initially perform supersonic flights only over water. The fact is that in order to lift the restriction on supersonic flights over populated land, developers will have to conduct many tests and submit their results to aviation authorities, including the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

S-512 / Spike Aerospace

New engines

Another serious obstacle to the creation of a serial passenger supersonic aircraft is the engines. Designers today have already found many ways to make turbojet engines more economical than they were ten to twenty years ago. This includes the use of gearboxes that remove the rigid coupling of the fan and turbine in the engine, and the use of ceramic composite materials that allow optimizing the temperature balance in the hot zone of the power plant, and even the introduction of an additional third air circuit in addition to the already existing two, internal and external. In the field of creating economical subsonic engines, designers have already achieved amazing results, and ongoing new developments promise significant savings. You can read more about promising research in our material.

But, despite all these developments, it is still difficult to call supersonic flight economical. For example, a promising supersonic passenger aircraft from the startup Boom Technologies will receive three turbofan engines of the JT8D family from Pratt & Whitney or the J79 from GE Aviation. In cruising flight, the specific fuel consumption of these engines is about 740 grams per kilogram-force per hour. In this case, the J79 engine can be equipped with an afterburner, which increases fuel consumption to two kilograms per kilogram-force per hour. This consumption is comparable to the fuel consumption of engines, for example, of the Su-27 fighter, whose tasks are significantly different from transporting passengers.

For comparison, the specific fuel consumption of the world's only serial turbofan engines D-27, installed on the Ukrainian An-70 transport aircraft, is only 140 grams per kilogram-force per hour. The American CFM56 engine, a “classic” of Boeing and Airbus airliners, has a specific fuel consumption of 545 grams per kilogram-force per hour. This means that without a major redesign of jet aircraft engines, supersonic flights will not become cheap enough to become widespread, and will only be in demand in business aviation - high fuel consumption leads to higher ticket prices. It will also not be possible to reduce the high cost of supersonic air transportation by volume - the aircraft being designed today are designed to carry from 8 to 45 passengers. Ordinary planes can accommodate more than a hundred Human.

However, in early October of this year, GE Aviation projected a new Affinity turbofan jet engine. These power plants are planned to be installed on Aerion's promising AS2 supersonic passenger aircraft. The new power plant structurally combines the features of jet engines with a low bypass ratio for combat aircraft and power plants with a high bypass ratio for passenger aircraft. At the same time, there are no new or breakthrough technologies in Affinity. GE Aviation classifies the new engine as a power plant with a medium bypass ratio.

The engine is based on a modified gas generator from the CFM56 turbofan engine, which in turn is structurally based on the gas generator from the F101, the power plant for the B-1B Lancer supersonic bomber. The power plant will receive an upgraded electronic digital engine control system with full responsibility. The developers did not disclose any details about the design of the promising engine. However, GE Aviation expects that the specific fuel consumption of the Affinity engines will not be much higher than or even comparable to the fuel consumption of modern turbofan engines of conventional subsonic passenger aircraft. How this can be achieved for supersonic flight is not clear.

Boom / Boom Technologies

Projects

Despite the many projects of supersonic passenger aircraft in the world (including even the unrealized project of converting the Tu-160 strategic bomber into a supersonic passenger airliner proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin), the AS2 of the American startup Aerion, S-512, can be considered the closest to flight testing and small-scale production Spanish Spike Aerospace and Boom American Boom Technologies. The first is planned to fly at Mach 1.5, the second at Mach 1.6, and the third at Mach 2.2. The X-59 aircraft, created by Lockheed Martin for NASA, will be a technology demonstrator and a flying laboratory; there are no plans to launch it into production.

Boom Technologies has already announced that they will try to make flights on supersonic aircraft very cheap. For example, the cost of a flight on the route New York - London was estimated by Boom Technologies at five thousand dollars. This is how much it costs today to fly on this route in business class on a regular subsonic airliner. The Boom airliner will fly at subsonic speed over populated land and switch to supersonic speed over the ocean. The aircraft, with a length of 52 meters and a wingspan of 18 meters, will be able to carry up to 45 passengers. By the end of 2018, Boom Technologies plans to select one of several new aircraft projects for implementation in metal. The first flight of the airliner is planned for 2025. The company postponed these deadlines; Boom was originally scheduled to fly in 2023.

According to preliminary calculations, the length of the AS2 aircraft, designed for 8-12 passengers, will be 51.8 meters, and the wingspan will be 18.6 meters. The maximum take-off weight of the supersonic aircraft will be 54.8 tons. AS2 will fly over water at a cruising speed of Mach 1.4-1.6, slowing to Mach 1.2 over land. The somewhat lower flight speed over land, coupled with the special aerodynamic shape of the airframe, will, as the developers expect, almost completely avoid the formation of shock waves. The aircraft's flight range at a speed of Mach 1.4 will be 7.8 thousand kilometers and 10 thousand kilometers at a speed of Mach 0.95. The first flight of the aircraft is planned for the summer of 2023, and the first transatlantic flight will take place in October of the same year. Its developers will mark the 20th anniversary of the last flight of Concorde.

Finally, Spike Aerospace plans to begin flight testing a full prototype of the S-512 no later than 2021. Deliveries of the first production aircraft to customers are scheduled for 2023. According to the project, the S-512 will be able to carry up to 22 passengers at speeds up to Mach 1.6. The flight range of this aircraft will be 11.5 thousand kilometers. Since October last year, Spike Aerospace has launched several scaled-down models of supersonic aircraft. Their purpose is to test the design solutions and effectiveness of flight control elements. All three promising passenger aircraft are being created with an emphasis on a special aerodynamic shape that will reduce the intensity of shock waves generated during supersonic flight.

In 2017, the volume of air passenger traffic worldwide amounted to four billion people, of which 650 million made long-haul flights ranging from 3.7 to 13 thousand kilometers. 72 million long-haul passengers flew first and business class. It is these 72 million people that developers of supersonic passenger planes are targeting first, believing that they will gladly pay a little more money for the opportunity to spend about half as much time in the air as usual. However, supersonic passenger aviation, most likely, will begin to actively develop after 2025. The fact is that research flights of the X-59 laboratory will begin only in 2021 and will last several years.

Research results obtained during X-59 flights, including over settlements- volunteers (their residents agreed to have supersonic planes fly over them on weekdays; after the flights, observers will tell researchers about their perception of noise), it is planned to submit it to the US Federal Aviation Administration. It is expected that on their basis it may revise the ban on supersonic flights over populated land, but this will not happen before 2025.

Vasily Sychev

The Cold War, which took place between the USA and the USSR in 1946-1991, is long over. At least that's what many experts think. However, the arms race did not stop for a minute, and even today it is in the stage of active development. Despite the fact that today the main threats to the country are terrorist groups, relations between world powers are also tense. All this creates conditions for the development of military technologies, one of which is a hypersonic aircraft.

Necessity

Relations between the United States and Russia are greatly strained. And although at the official level the United States in Russia is called a partner country, many political and military experts argue that there is an unspoken war between the countries not only on the political front, but also on the military one in the form of an arms race. In addition, the United States is actively using NATO to encircle Russia with its missile defense systems.

This cannot but worry the leadership of Russia, which has long ago begun developing unmanned aerial vehicles that exceed hypersonic speed. These drones can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, and they can easily deliver a bomb to anywhere in the world, and quite quickly. A similar hypersonic aircraft has already been created - this is the Yu-71 airliner, which is currently being tested in strict secrecy.

Development of hypersonic weapons

For the first time, testing aircraft that could fly at the speed of sound began in the 50s of the 20th century. Then it was still associated with the so-called Cold War, when two developed powers (USSR and the USA) sought to overtake each other in the arms race. The first project was the Spiral system, which was a compact orbital aircraft. It was supposed to compete with and even surpass the US hypersonic aircraft X-20 Dyna Soar. Also, the Soviet aircraft had to be able to reach speeds of up to 7000 km/h and not fall apart in the atmosphere under overloads.

And although Soviet scientists and designers tried to bring such an idea to life, they failed to even come close to the cherished characteristics. The prototype did not even take off, but the USSR government breathed a sigh of relief when the American plane also failed during testing. The technologies of that time, including in the aviation industry, were infinitely far from the current ones, so the creation of an aircraft that could exceed the speed of sound several times was doomed to failure.

However, in 1991, a test was carried out of an aircraft that could reach speeds exceeding the speed of sound. It was a flying laboratory "Cold", created on the basis of the 5V28 rocket. The test was successful, and then the plane was able to reach a speed of 1900 km/h. Despite progress, development was stopped after 1998 due to the economic crisis.

Technologies of the 21st century

There is no accurate and official information about the development of hypersonic aircraft. However, if we collect materials from open sources, we can conclude that such developments were carried out in several directions at once:

1. Creation of warheads for intercontinental ballistic missiles. Their mass exceeded the mass of standard missiles, but due to the ability to maneuver in the atmosphere, it is impossible or, at least, extremely difficult to intercept them with missile defense systems.
2. The development of the Zircon complex is another direction in the development of technology, which is based on the use of the Yakhont supersonic missile defense system.
3. Creation of a complex whose rockets can exceed the speed of sound 13 times.

If all these projects are united in one holding company, then by joint efforts an air-, ground- or ship-based missile can be created. If the Prompt Global Strike project, created in the United States, is successful, then the Americans will have the opportunity to hit anywhere in the world within one hour. Russia will be able to defend itself only with technologies of its own development.

American and British experts have recorded tests of supersonic missiles that can reach speeds of up to 11,200 km/h. Given such a high speed, it is almost impossible to shoot them down (not a single missile defense system in the world is capable of this). Moreover, they are even extremely difficult to spy on. There is very little information about the project, which sometimes appears under the name "Yu-71".

What is known about the Russian hypersonic aircraft "Yu-71"?

Considering that the project is classified, there is very little information about it. It is known that this glider is part of a supersonic rocket program, and in theory it is capable of flying to New York in 40 minutes. Of course, this information has no official confirmation and exists at the level of guesswork and rumors. But given that Russian supersonic missiles can reach speeds of 11,200 km/h, such conclusions seem quite logical.

According to various sources, the hypersonic aircraft "Yu-71":

1. Has high maneuverability.
2. Can plan.
3. Capable of reaching speeds of over 11,000 km/h.
4. Can go into space during a flight.

Statements

On this moment Tests of the Russian hypersonic aircraft Yu-71 have not yet been completed. However, some experts argue that by 2025 Russia may receive this supersonic glider, and it could be equipped with nuclear weapons. Such an aircraft will be put into service, and in theory it will be capable of delivering a targeted nuclear strike anywhere on the planet within just one hour.

Russia's representative to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said the USSR's once most developed and advanced industry had fallen behind the arms race in recent decades. However, more recently the army has begun to revive. Outdated Soviet technology is being replaced by new models of Russian developments. In addition, fifth-generation weapons, stuck in the 90s in the form of projects on papers, are taking on visible shape. According to the politician, new models of Russian weapons may surprise the world with their unpredictability. It is likely that Rogozin is referring to the new hypersonic aircraft Yu-71, which can carry a nuclear warhead.

It is believed that the development of this aircraft began in 2010, but the United States learned about it only in 2015. If the information about its technical characteristics is true, then the Pentagon will have to solve a difficult problem, since the missile defense systems used in Europe and on their territory will not be able to counter such an aircraft. In addition, the United States and many other countries will simply be defenseless against such weapons.

Other functions

In addition to the ability to launch nuclear strikes on the enemy, the glider, thanks to powerful modern electronic warfare equipment, will be able to conduct reconnaissance and also disable devices equipped with electronic equipment.

If you believe NATO reports, then from approximately 2020 to 2025, up to 24 such aircraft may appear in the Russian army, which will be able to cross the border unnoticed and destroy an entire city with just a few shots.

Development plans

Of course, there is no data regarding adoption promising aircraft"Yu-71", however, it is known that it has been in development since 2009. In this case, the device will be able not only to fly in a straight path, but also to maneuver.

It is maneuverability at hypersonic speeds that will become a feature of the aircraft. Doctor of Military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov argues that intercontinental missiles can reach supersonic speeds, but at the same time they act like conventional ballistic warheads. Consequently, their flight path is easily calculated, which makes it possible for the missile defense system to shoot them down. But the managed ones aircrafts pose a serious threat to the enemy because their trajectory is unpredictable. Consequently, it is impossible to determine at what point the bomb will be released, and since the release point cannot be determined, the trajectory of the warhead’s fall is not calculated.

In Tula on September 19, 2012, at a meeting of the military-industrial commission, Dmitry Rogozin said that a new holding should soon be created, the task of which would be to develop hypersonic technologies. The enterprises that will be part of the holding were immediately named:

1. "Tactical missile weapons."
2. "NPO Mashinostroyenia" At the moment, the company is developing supersonic technologies, but at the moment the company is part of the Roscosmos structure.
3. The next member of the holding should be the Almaz-Antey concern, which is currently developing technologies for the aerospace and missile defense industries.

Rogozin believes that such a merger is necessary, but legal aspects do not allow it to take place. It is also noted that the creation of a holding does not imply the absorption of one company by another. This is precisely the merger and joint work of all enterprises, which will speed up the development of hypersonic technologies.

Chairman of the Council under the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Korotchenko also supports the idea of ​​creating a holding company that would develop hypersonic technologies. According to him, the new holding is really necessary, because it will allow all efforts to be directed to the creation of a promising type of weapon. Both companies have great opportunities, however, individually they will not be able to achieve the results that are possible by combining efforts. It is together that they will be able to contribute to the development of the Russian defense complex and create the fastest aircraft in the world, the speed of which will exceed expectations.

Weapons as a tool of political struggle

If by 2025 not only hypersonic missiles with nuclear warheads are in service, but also Yu-71 gliders, this will seriously strengthen Russia’s political position in negotiations with the United States. And this is completely logical, because all countries during negotiations act from a position of strength, dictating favorable conditions to the opposite side. Equal negotiations between the two countries are possible only if both sides have powerful weapons.

Vladimir Putin, during a speech at the Army 2015 conference, said that nuclear forces are receiving 40 new intercontinental missiles. These turned out to be hypersonic missiles, and they can currently overcome existing missile defense systems. Viktor Murakhovsky, a member of the expert council of the military-industrial commission, confirms that ICBMs are being improved every year.

Russia is also testing and developing new cruise missiles that can fly at hypersonic speeds. They can approach targets at ultra-low altitudes, making them virtually invisible to radar. Moreover, modern missile defense systems in service with NATO cannot hit such missiles due to their low flight altitude. In addition, in theory, they are capable of intercepting targets moving at speeds of up to 800 meters per second, and the speed of the Yu-71 aircraft and cruise missiles is much higher. This makes NATO missile defense systems almost useless.

Projects from other countries

It is known that China and the United States are also developing an analogue of the Russian hypersonic aircraft. The characteristics of the enemy models are still unclear, but we can already assume that the Chinese development is capable of competing with the Russian aircraft.

Known as the Wu-14, the Chinese aircraft was tested in 2012, and even then it was able to reach speeds of over 11,000 km/h. However, there is no mention anywhere about the weapons that this device is capable of carrying.

As for the American Falcon HTV-2 drone, it was tested several years ago, but 10 minutes into the flight it crashed. However, before it, the X-43A hypersonic aircraft was tested, which was carried out by NASA engineers. During tests, it showed a fantastic speed of 11,200 km/h, which is 9.6 times the speed of sound. The prototype was tested in 2001, but then during the tests it was destroyed due to the fact that it got out of control. But in 2004 the device was successfully tested.

Similar tests by Russia, China and the United States cast doubt on the effectiveness of modern missile defense systems. The introduction of hypersonic technologies in the military-industrial sector is already producing a real revolution in the military world.

Conclusion

Of course, the military-technical development of Russia cannot but rejoice, and the presence of such an aircraft in service with the army is a big step in improving the country’s defense capability, but it is foolish to believe that other world powers are not making attempts to develop similar technologies.

Even today, with free access to information via the Internet, we know very little about promising developments of domestic weapons, and the description of the Yu-71 is known only by rumors. Consequently, we have no way of knowing what technologies are being developed right now in other countries, including China and the United States. The active development of technology in the 21st century makes it possible to quickly invent new types of fuel and apply previously unfamiliar technical and technological techniques, so the development of aircraft, including military ones, is proceeding very quickly.

It is worth noting that the development of technologies that make it possible to achieve aircraft speeds exceeding 10 times the speed of sound will be reflected not only in the military, but also in the civilian sphere. In particular, such well-known aircraft manufacturers as Airbus or Boeing have already announced the possibility of creating hypersonic aircraft to carry out passenger air transportation. Of course, such projects are still only in plans, but the likelihood of developing such aircraft today is quite high.

Tu-144 is a Soviet supersonic aircraft developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. Along with Concorde, it is one of only two supersonic airliners ever used by airlines for commercial travel.

In the 60s, projects to create a passenger supersonic aircraft with a maximum speed of 2500-3000 km/h and a flight range of at least 6-8 thousand km were actively discussed in aviation circles in the USA, Great Britain, France and the USSR. In November 1962, France and Great Britain signed an agreement on the joint development and construction of Concorde (Concord).

Creators of a supersonic aircraft

In the Soviet Union, the design bureau of academician Andrei Tupolev was involved in the creation of a supersonic aircraft. At a preliminary meeting of the Design Bureau in January 1963, Tupolev stated:

“Reflecting on the future of air transportation of people from one continent to another, you come to a clear conclusion: supersonic airliners are undoubtedly needed, and I have no doubt that they will come into use…”

The academician's son, Alexey Tupolev, was appointed as the lead designer of the project. More than a thousand specialists from other organizations worked closely with his design bureau. The creation was preceded by extensive theoretical and experimental work, which included numerous tests in wind tunnels and natural conditions during analogue flights.

Concorde and Tu-144

The developers had to rack their brains to find the optimal design for the machine. The speed of the designed airliner is fundamentally important - 2500 or 3000 km/h. The Americans, having learned that the Concorde is designed for 2500 km/h, announced that just six months later they would release their passenger Boeing 2707, made of steel and titanium. Only these materials could withstand the heating of the structure when in contact with air flow at speeds of 3000 km/h and above without destructive consequences. However, solid steel and titanium structures still have to undergo serious technological and operational testing. This will take a lot of time, and Tupolev decides to build a supersonic aircraft from duralumin, designed for a speed of 2500 km/h. The American Boeing project was subsequently completely closed.

In June 1965, the model was shown at the annual Paris Air Show. Concorde and Tu-144 turned out to be strikingly similar to each other. Soviet designers said - nothing surprising: the general shape is determined by the laws of aerodynamics and the requirements for a certain type of machine.

Supersonic aircraft wing shape

But what should the wing shape be? We settled on a thin delta wing with the front edge shaped like the letter “8”. The tailless design - inevitable with such a design of the load-bearing plane - made the supersonic airliner stable and well controllable in all flight modes. Four engines were located under the fuselage, closer to the axis. The fuel is placed in coffered wing tanks. The trim tanks, located in the rear fuselage and wing swells, are designed to change the position of the center of gravity during the transition from subsonic to supersonic flight speeds. The nose was made sharp and smooth. But how can pilots have forward visibility in this case? They found a solution - the “bowing nose.” The fuselage had a circular cross-section and had a cockpit nose cone that tilted downward at an angle of 12 degrees during takeoff and 17 degrees during landing.

A supersonic plane takes to the skies

The first supersonic aircraft took to the skies on the last day of 1968. The car was flown by test pilot E. Elyan. As a passenger aircraft, it was the first in the world to overcome the speed of sound in early June 1969, at an altitude of 11 kilometers. The supersonic aircraft reached the second speed of sound (2M) in mid-1970, at an altitude of 16.3 kilometers. The supersonic aircraft incorporates many design and technical innovations. Here I would like to note such a solution as the front horizontal tail. When using PGO, flight maneuverability was improved and speed was reduced during landing. The domestic supersonic aircraft could be operated from two dozen airports, while the French-English Concorde, having a high landing speed, could land only at a certified airport. The designers of the Tupolev Design Bureau did a colossal job. Take, for example, full-scale tests of a wing. They took place on a flying laboratory - the MiG-21I, modified specifically for testing the design and equipment of the wing of the future supersonic aircraft.

Development and modification

Work on the development of the basic design of “044” went in two directions: the creation of a new economical afterburning turbojet engine of the RD-36-51 type and a significant improvement in the aerodynamics and design of the supersonic aircraft. The result of this was to meet the requirements for supersonic flight range. The decision of the commission of the USSR Council of Ministers on the version of the supersonic aircraft with the RD-36-51 was made in 1969. At the same time, at the proposal of the MAP - MGA, a decision is made, before the creation of the RD-36-51 and their installation on a supersonic aircraft, on the construction of six supersonic aircraft with NK-144A with reduced specific fuel consumption. The design of serial supersonic aircraft with the NK-144A was supposed to be significantly modernized, significant changes in aerodynamics would be made, obtaining a Kmax of more than 8 in supersonic cruising mode. This modernization was supposed to ensure the fulfillment of the requirements of the first stage in terms of range (4000-4500 km), and in the future it was planned to transition to series on RD-36-51.

Construction of a modernized supersonic aircraft

Construction of the pre-production modernized Tu-144 (“004”) began at MMZ “Experience” in 1968. According to calculated data with NK-144 engines (Cp = 2.01), the estimated supersonic range should have been 3275 km, and with NK-144A (Cp = 1.91) it should have exceeded 3500 km. In order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics in cruising mode M = 2.2, the wing planform was changed (the sweep of the floating part along the leading edge was reduced to 76°, and the base part was increased to 57°), the shape of the wing became closer to “Gothic”. Compared to "044", the wing area has increased, and a more intense conical twist of the wing ends has been introduced. However, the most important innovation in wing aerodynamics was the change in the middle part of the wing, which ensured self-balancing in cruising mode with minimal loss of quality, taking into account optimization of flight deformations of the wing in this mode. The length of the fuselage was increased to accommodate 150 passengers, and the shape of the nose was improved, which also had a positive effect on aerodynamics.

Unlike “044”, each pair of engines in paired engine nacelles with air intakes was moved apart, freeing the lower part of the fuselage from them, unloading it from increased temperature and vibration loads, while changing the lower surface of the wing in the place of the calculated area of ​​flow compression, increasing the gap between the lower surface wing and the upper surface of the air intake - all this made it possible to more intensively use the effect of compressing the flow at the entrance to the air intakes on the Kmax than was possible to achieve on the “044”. The new layout of the engine nacelles required changes to the chassis: the main landing gear was placed under the engine nacelles, with them retracted inside between the air ducts of the engines, they switched to an eight-wheeled trolley, and the scheme for retracting the nose landing gear also changed. An important difference between the “004” and the “044” was the introduction of a front multi-section destabilizer wing retractable in flight, which extended from the fuselage during takeoff and landing modes, and made it possible to provide the required balancing when the elevons-flaps were deflected. Improvements to the design, an increase in payload and fuel reserves led to an increase in take-off weight, which exceeded 190 tons (for “044” - 150 tons).

Pre-production Tu-144

Construction of pre-production supersonic aircraft No. 01-1 (tail No. 77101) was completed at the beginning of 1971, and made its first flight on June 1, 1971. According to the factory test program, the vehicle completed 231 flights, lasting 338 hours, of which 55 hours flew at supersonic speed. This machine was used to work out complex issues regarding the interaction of the power plant in various flight modes. On September 20, 1972, the car flew along the Moscow-Tashkent highway, while the route was covered in 1 hour 50 minutes, the cruising speed during the flight reached 2500 km/h. The pre-production vehicle became the basis for the deployment of serial production at the Voronezh Aviation Plant (VAZ), which, by decision of the government, was entrusted with the development of a supersonic aircraft in a series.

First flight of the production Tu-144

The first flight of serial supersonic aircraft No. 01-2 (tail No. 77102) with NK-144A engines took place on March 20, 1972. In the series, based on the results of tests of the pre-production vehicle, the aerodynamics of the wing were adjusted and its area was once again slightly increased. The take-off weight in the series reached 195 tons. By the time of operational testing of production vehicles, the specific fuel consumption of the NK-144A was intended to be increased to 1.65-1.67 kg/kgf/hour by optimizing the engine nozzle, and subsequently to 1.57 kg/kgf/hour, while the flight range should was increased to 3855-4250 km and 4550 km, respectively. In reality, they were able to achieve by 1977, during testing and development of the Tu-144 and NK-144A series, Average = 1.81 kg/kgf hour in cruising supersonic thrust mode 5000 kgf, Average = 1.65 kg/kgf hour in takeoff afterburner thrust mode 20,000 kgf, Av = 0.92 kg/kgf per hour in the cruising subsonic mode of thrust 3000 kgf and in the maximum afterburning mode in the transonic mode we received 11,800 kgf. A fragment of a supersonic aircraft.

Flights and tests of a supersonic aircraft

First stage of testing

In a short period of time, in strict accordance with the program, 395 flights were completed with a total flight time of 739 hours, including more than 430 hours in supersonic modes.

Second stage of testing

At the second stage of operational testing, in accordance with the joint order of the ministers of aviation industry and civil aviation dated September 13, 1977 No. 149-223, a more active connection of civil aviation facilities and services took place. A new testing commission was formed, headed by Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation B.D. Rude. By decision of the commission, then confirmed by a joint order dated September 30 - October 5, 1977, crews were appointed to conduct operational tests:

1. First crew: pilots B.F. Kuznetsov (Moscow State Transport Administration), S.T. Agapov (ZhLIiDB), navigator S.P. Khramov (MTU GA), flight engineers Yu.N. Avaev (MTU GA), Yu.T. Seliverstov (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer S.P. Avakimov (ZhLIiDB).
2. Second crew: pilots V.P. Voronin (MSU GA), I.K. Vedernikov (ZhLIiDB), navigator A.A. Senyuk (MTU GA), flight engineers E.A. Trebuntsov (MTU GA) and V.V. Solomatin (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer V.V. Isaev (GosNIIGA).
3. Third crew: pilots M.S. Kuznetsov (GosNIIGA), G.V. Voronchenko (ZhLIiDB), navigator V.V. Vyazigin (GosNIIGA), flight engineers M.P. Isaev (MTU GA), V.V. Solomatin (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer V.N. Poklad (ZhLIiDB).
4. Fourth crew: pilots N.I. Yurskov (GosNIIGA), V.A. Sevankaev (ZhLIiDB), navigator Yu.A. Vasiliev (GosNIIGA), flight engineer V.L. Venediktov (GosNIIGA), leading engineer I.S. Mayboroda (GosNIIGA).

Before testing began, it was carried out big job to review all received materials with a view to using them “for credit” for meeting specific requirements. However, despite this, some civil aviation specialists insisted on implementing the “Operational Test Program for Supersonic Aircraft,” developed at GosNIIGA back in 1975 under the leadership of leading engineer A.M. Teteryukov. This program essentially required the repetition of previously completed flights in the amount of 750 flights (1200 flight hours) on MGA routes.

The total volume of operational flights and tests for both stages will be 445 flights with 835 flight hours, of which 475 hours are in supersonic modes. 128 paired flights were performed on the Moscow-Alma-Ata route.

The final stage

The final stage of testing was not stressful from a technical point of view. Rhythmic work according to schedule was ensured without serious failures or major defects. The engineering and technical crews “had fun” by assessing household equipment in preparation for passenger transportation. Flight attendants and relevant specialists from GosNIIGA, who were involved in the tests, began to conduct ground training to develop the technology for servicing passengers in flight. The so-called “pranks” and two technical flights with passengers. The “raffle” was held on October 16, 1977 with a complete simulation of the cycle of ticket check-in, baggage check-in, passenger boarding, flight of actual duration, passenger disembarkation, baggage check-in at the destination airport. There was no end to the “passengers” (the best workers of OKB, ZhLIiDB, GosNIIGA and other organizations). The diet during the “flight” was top level, since it was confirmed according to the first class menu, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The “raffle” made it possible to clarify many important elements and details of passenger service. On October 20 and 21, 1977, two technical flights were carried out along the Moscow-Alma-Ata highway with passengers. The first passengers were employees of many organizations that were directly involved in the creation and testing of the supersonic aircraft. Today it is even difficult to imagine the atmosphere on board: there was a feeling of joy and pride, great hope for development against the backdrop of first-class service, to which technical people are absolutely not accustomed. On the first flights, all the heads of the parent institutes and organizations were on board.

The road is open for passenger traffic

The technical flights took place without serious comments and showed the full readiness of the supersonic aircraft and all ground services for regular transportation. On October 25, 1977, the Minister of Civil Aviation of the USSR B.P. Bugaev and the Minister of Aviation Industry of the USSR V.A. Kazakov approved the main document: “Act on the results of operational tests of a supersonic aircraft with NK-144 engines” with a positive conclusion and conclusions.

Based on the presented tables of compliance of the Tu-144 with the requirements of the Temporary Airworthiness Standards for Civilian Tu-144 of the USSR, the full volume of submitted evidentiary documentation, including acts on state and operational tests, on October 29, 1977, Chairman of the State Aviation Register of the USSR I.K. Mulkijanov approved the conclusion and signed the first airworthiness certificate in the USSR, type No. 03-144, for a supersonic aircraft with NK-144A engines.

The road was open for passenger traffic.

The supersonic aircraft could land and take off at 18 airports in the USSR, while Concorde, whose takeoff and landing speed was 15% higher, required a separate landing certificate for each airport. According to some experts, if the Concorde engines had been placed in the same way as the Tu-144, the accident on July 25, 2000 would not have occurred.

According to experts, the design of the Tu-144 airframe was ideal, but the shortcomings concerned the engines and various systems.

The second production copy of a supersonic aircraft

In June 1973, the 30th International Paris Air Show took place in France. The interest generated by the Soviet Tu-144 airliner, the world's first supersonic aircraft, was enormous. On June 2, thousands of visitors to the air show in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget watched the exit to runway the second production copy of a supersonic aircraft. The roar of four engines, a powerful take-off - and now the car is in the air. The sharp nose of the airliner straightened and aimed at the sky. The supersonic Tu, led by Captain Kozlov, made its first demonstration flight over Paris: having gained the required altitude, the car went beyond the horizon, then returned and circled over the airfield. The flight proceeded normally, no technical problems were noted.

The next day, the Soviet crew decided to show everything that the new one was capable of.

Disaster during demonstration

The sunny morning of June 3 did not seem to foretell trouble. At first everything went according to plan - the audience raised their heads and applauded in unison. The supersonic aircraft, showing the “top class”, began to descend. At that moment, a French Mirage fighter appeared in the air (as it later turned out, it was filming an air show). A collision seemed inevitable. In order not to crash into the airfield and spectators, the crew commander decided to rise higher and pulled the steering wheel towards himself. However, the height had already been lost, creating large loads on the structure; As a result, the right wing cracked and fell off. A fire started there, and a few seconds later the flaming supersonic plane rushed to the ground. A terrible landing occurred on one of the streets of the Parisian suburb of Goussainville. The giant machine, destroying everything in its path, crashed to the ground and exploded. The entire crew - six people - and eight Frenchmen on the ground were killed. Goosenville also suffered - several buildings were destroyed. What led to the tragedy? According to most experts, the cause of the disaster was the attempt of the crew of a supersonic aircraft to avoid a collision with the Mirage. During landing, the Tu was caught in a wake from the French Mirage fighter.

Video: Tu-144 crash in 1973: how it happened

This version is given in Gene Alexander’s book “Russian Airplanes Since 1944” and in an article in Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine for June 11, 1973, written on fresh tracks. The authors believe that pilot Mikhail Kozlov landed on the wrong runway - either due to a mistake by the flight director, or due to the carelessness of the pilots. The controller noticed the error in time and warned the Soviet pilots. But instead of going around, Kozlov made a sharp turn - and found himself right in front of the French Air Force fighter. At that time, the co-pilot was filming a story about the Tu crew for French television with a movie camera and therefore was not wearing a seatbelt. During the maneuver, he fell onto the center console, and while he was returning to his place, he had already lost altitude. Kozlov sharply pulled the steering wheel towards himself - overload: the right wing could not stand it. Here is another explanation for the terrible tragedy. Kozlov received orders to get the most out of the car. Even during takeoff, at low speed, he took an almost vertical angle. For a liner with such a configuration, this is fraught with enormous overloads. As a result, one of the external nodes could not stand it and fell off.

According to the employees of the A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau, the cause of the disaster was the connection of an undebugged analog block of the control system, which led to a destructive overload.

The spy version belongs to writer James Alberg. Briefly it is like this. The Soviets tried to “furnish” the Concorde. Group N.D. Kuznetsova created good engines, but they could not operate at low temperatures, unlike the Concorde engines. Then Soviet intelligence officers got involved. Penkovsky, through his agent Greville Wine, obtained part of the Concorde drawings and sent them to Moscow through an East German trade representative. British counterintelligence thus identified the leak, but instead of arresting the spy, it decided to let disinformation into Moscow through his own channels. As a result, the Tu-144 was born, very similar to the Concorde. It is difficult to establish the truth, since the “black boxes” did not clarify anything. One was found in Bourges, at the crash site, but, judging by reports, damaged. The second one was never discovered. It is believed that the “black box” of a supersonic aircraft has become a point of contention between the KGB and the GRU.

According to the pilots, emergency situations occurred on almost every flight. On May 23, 1978, the second supersonic plane crashed. An improved experimental version of the airliner, Tu-144D (No. 77111), after a fuel fire in the engine nacelle area of ​​the 3rd power plant due to the destruction of the fuel line, smoke in the cabin and the crew turning off two engines, forced landing in a field near the village of Ilyinsky Pogost, not far from the city of Yegoryevsk.

After landing, crew commander V.D. Popov, co-pilot E.V. Elyan and navigator V.V. Vyazigin left the plane through the cockpit window. Engineers V.M. Kulesh, V.A. Isaev, V.N. Stolpovsky, who were in the cabin, left the aircraft through the front entrance door. Flight engineers O. A. Nikolaev and V. L. Venediktov found themselves trapped in their workplace by structures that were deformed during landing and died. (The deflected nose cone touched the ground first, worked like a bulldozer blade, picking up soil, and rotated under its belly, entering the fuselage.) On June 1, 1978, Aeroflot stopped supersonic passenger flights forever.

Improving supersonic aircraft

Work on improving the supersonic aircraft continued for several more years. Five production aircraft were produced; another five were under construction. A new modification has been developed - Tu-144D (long-range). However, the choice of a new engine (more economical), RD-36-51, required significant redesign of the aircraft, especially the power plant. Serious design gaps in this area led to a delay in the release of the new airliner. Only in November 1974, the serial Tu-144D (tail number 77105) took off, and nine (!) years after its first flight, on November 1, 1977, the supersonic aircraft received a certificate of airworthiness. Passenger flights opened on the same day. During their short operation, the liners carried 3,194 passengers. On May 31, 1978, flights were stopped: a fire broke out on one of the production Tu-144Ds, and the airliner suffered a disaster, crashing during an emergency landing.

The disasters in Paris and Yegoryevsk led to the fact that interest in the project on the part of the state decreased. From 1977 to 1978, 600 problems were identified. As a result, already in the 80s, it was decided to remove the supersonic aircraft, explaining this with “a bad effect on people’s health when crossing the sound barrier.” Nevertheless, four out of five Tu-144Ds in production were still completed. Subsequently, they were based in Zhukovsky and took to the air as flying laboratories. A total of 16 supersonic aircraft were built (including long-range modifications), which made a total of 2,556 sorties. By the mid-90s, ten of them had survived: four in museums (Monino, Kazan, Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk); one remained at the plant in Voronezh, where it was built; another one was in Zhukovsky along with four Tu-144Ds.

Subsequently, the Tu-144D was used only for cargo transportation between Moscow and Khabarovsk. In total, the supersonic aircraft made 102 flights under the Aeroflot flag, of which 55 were passenger flights (3,194 passengers were carried).

Later, supersonic aircraft only made test flights and a few flights to set world records.

The Tu-144LL was equipped with NK-32 engines due to the lack of serviceable NK-144 or RD-36-51, similar to those used on the Tu-160, various sensors and test monitoring and recording equipment.

A total of 16 Tu-144 airliners were built, which made a total of 2,556 sorties and flew 4,110 hours (among them, aircraft 77144 flew the most, 432 hours). The construction of four more airliners was never completed.

What happened to the planes

In total, 16 - sides 68001, 77101, 77102, 77105, 77106, 77107, 77108, 77109, 77110, 77111, 77112, 77113, 77114, 77115, 7716 and 77144.

Those remaining in flying condition do not currently exist. The sides of Tu-144LL No. 77114 and TU-144D No. 77115 are almost completely complete with parts and can be restored to flight condition.

In repairable condition, TU-144LL No. 77114, which was used for NASA tests, is stored at the airfield in Zhukovsky.

TU-144D No. 77115 is also stored at the airfield in Zhukovsky. In 2007, both airliners were repainted and exhibited for public viewing at the MAKS-2007 air show.

No. 77114 and No. 77115 will most likely be installed as monuments or displayed at the airfield in Zhukovsky. In 2004-2005, some transactions were made with them to sell them for scrap metal, but protests from the aviation community led to their preservation. The danger of selling them for scrap metal has not been completely eliminated. The questions of whose ownership they will become have not been finally resolved.

The photograph contains the signature of the first cosmonaut who landed on the moon, Neil Armstrong, pilot cosmonaut Georgiy Timofeevich Beregovoy and all the dead crew members. Supersonic aircraft No. 77102 crashed during a demonstration flight at the Le Bourget air show. All 6 crew members (Honored test pilot Hero of the Soviet Union M.V. Kozlov, test pilot V.M. Molchanov, navigator G.N. Bazhenov, deputy chief designer, engineer Major General V.N. Benderov, leading engineer B.A. Pervukhin and flight engineer A.I. Dralin) died.

From left to right. Six crew members on board supersonic aircraft No. 77102: Honored Test Pilot Hero of the Soviet Union M.V. Kozlov, Test Pilot V.M. Molchanov, Navigator G.N. Bazhenov, Deputy Chief Designer, Engineer Major General V.N. Benderov, leading engineer B.A. Pervukhin and flight engineer A.I. Dralin (unfortunately, she did not specify who is in order). Next is the pilot-cosmonaut twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Beregovoy Georgy Timofeevich, behind him on the left is Lavrov Vladimir Aleksandrovich, then the first American cosmonaut to land on the moon Neil Armstrong, then (standing behind Neil) - Stepan Gavrilovich Korneev (head of the Internal Affairs Directorate from the Department of External Relations Presidium of the Academy of Sciences), in the center Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev - Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Colonel General, three times Hero of Socialist Labor, Hero of Labor of the RSFSR, then Alexander Alexandrovich Arkhangelsky, chief designer of the plant, Soviet aircraft designer, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Scientist and technicians of the RSFSR, Hero of Socialist Labor. Far right is Tupolev Alexey Andreevich (son of A.N. Tupolev) - Russian aircraft designer, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1984, Hero of Socialist Labor. The photo was taken in 1970. Captions on the photo of G.T. Beregovoy and Neil Armstrong.

Concord

Concorde accident.

Currently, the liner is not in operation due to the disaster on July 25, 2000. On April 10, 2003, British Airways and Air France announced their decision to cease commercial operations of their Concorde fleet. Last flights took place on October 24. Concorde's final flight took place on November 26, 2003, with G-BOAF (the last aircraft built) departing Heathrow, flying over the Bay of Biscay, passing over Bristol, and landing at Filton Airport.

Why are supersonic aircraft no longer in use?

Tupolev's supersonic aircraft is often called the "lost generation." Intercontinental flights are recognized as uneconomical: per hour of flight, a supersonic plane burns eight times more fuel than a regular passenger plane. For the same reason, long-distance flights to Khabarovsk and Vladivostok were not justified. It is not advisable to use the supersonic Tu as a transport airliner due to its small carrying capacity. Is it true, Passenger Transportation it nevertheless became a prestigious and profitable business for Aeroflot, although tickets were considered very expensive at that time. Even after official closing project, in August 1984, the head of the Zhukovsky flight test base Klimov, the head of the design department Pukhov and deputy chief designer Popov, with the support of supersonic flight enthusiasts, restored and put into operation two airliners, and in 1985 they obtained permission to carry out flights to set world records. The crews of Aganov and Veremey set more than 18 world records in the class of supersonic aircraft - in speed, climb rate and flight range with cargo.

On March 16, 1996, a series of research flights of the Tu-144LL began in Zhukovsky, which marked the beginning of the development of the second generation of supersonic passenger airliners.

95-99 years. Supersonic aircraft with tail number 77114 was used by the American NASA as a flying laboratory. Received the name Tu-144LL. The main purpose is research and testing of American developments to create our own modern supersonic aircraft for passenger transportation.

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 the type in question into those that are subject to human control and those that function autonomously. Such a division can be justified because unmanned vehicles may 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 is especially remarkable 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 with the aim of testing the latest technology for providing propulsion.

Development from Orbital Science

Company 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 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

At the moment, the Russian hypersonic aircraft is under development. But it is going quite actively. We are talking 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.

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?

The Tu-160 is the largest and most powerful supersonic aircraft and variable-wing geometry aircraft in the history of military aviation. 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 airplanes 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 given up 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.

"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 in 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 a 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 has shown that 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 for 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 Civil Aviation Commission of the Public Council of 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, good wing, 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 makers say it is 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 as a business jet, will Arab sheikhs still be interested in it? 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 European part countries 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 even in this case it is difficult to imagine that flights will be carried out only to Siberia or the Far East. Problem with area noise. And if the updated plane is not allowed to fly to Sardinia, then who needs it?