Russian scientists have prepared a technical proposal for the demonstrator of the promising supersonic civil aircraft (GHS) "Strizh". About this in an interview with RIA Novosti told the Director General of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) Cyril Sypalo.
“The creation of a new generation of supersonic civilian aircraft is one of the main challenges for modern aviation science worldwide and one of the promising high-tech areas in which Russia has a real chance to become a world leader,” Sypalo said.
Currently, TsAGI experts have determined the parameters and appearance of the engine for a supersonic aircraft. According to Sypalo, in the new power plant the necessary level of traction will be provided at a relatively low specific fuel consumption.
By 2024, Russian engineers plan to develop a gas generator for the GHS - the main element of a new aircraft engine capable of cruising over-the-air. About such plans in September last year, said General Designer of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) Yuri Shmotin.
“Of course, UEC was considering the possibility of creating such an engine. For this class of engines, we form solutions that we can offer the customer. We understand that at the turn of the years 2023–2024 we will have to offer a new base gas generator, which in its characteristics can be certified according to modern standards. Today we are at the stage of exploratory research, ”said Shmotin.
“Quench a sound wave”
TsAGI demonstrated the layout of its GHS at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019 in Zhukovsky. In full size, the length of the Swift will be 38 m. The aircraft should have a speed of Mach 1.8 (approximately 1.9–2.2 thousand km / h) and have a flight range of 6–8 thousand km. The machine can accommodate two pilots and six passengers.
In an interview with RT on the sidelines of the aerospace salon, TsAGI's leading engineer at the Durability complex, Danil Fomin, said that the GHS project would be implemented as a business jet. First of all, such an aircraft is suitable for flights across the Atlantic or to another continent. He will be able to fly twice as fast as modern subsonic cars.
The Swift will receive an original aerodynamic design with an elongated nose compartment, a V-shaped wing and spread out keels. Two engines and air intakes are located in the tail end of the aircraft. This design is designed to reduce noise during takeoff and landing modes and level the effect of sound impact, which is perceived by the human ear as cotton.
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- © Ilya Naimushin
“The unusual shape allows you to dampen the sound wave due to the effect of interference, when one wave is superimposed on another. True, such a layout worsens track stability. But modern control systems are becoming more sensitive, and this drawback will not play a serious role, ”Fomin explained.
According to the engineer, TsAGI worked on the design of the nose of the Swift. It is a multiply connected power frame, consisting of elements intersecting each other. It was decided to make the nose of the business jet hollow, which would make it easier for the plane.
“We have already carried out a series of strength experiments: we took a compartment (bow part. - RT ) and interrupted one of the elements. As a result, the flow of effort went through neighboring cells. Compared to the aluminum counterpart, our design is one and a half times tougher and lighter by 5-7%, ”Fomin emphasized.
New generation liner
The idea of creating a supersonic civilian airliner was expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in January 2018 during a visit to the Kazan Aviation Plant, which produces modernized Tu-160 strategic bombers capable of flying at maximum speed above Mach 2.
To date, work is underway in Russia on several types of GHS. PJSC Tupolev together with other leading domestic enterprises, including TsAGI, creates an aircraft with a capacity of about 30 passengers. The take-off mass of the liner will be 70 tons, speed - 1.4-1.8 Mach.
In September 2018, Valery Solozobov, Deputy General Director for Design of PJSC Tupolev, said that in their scientific research on the GHS topic, the company's designers rely on the experience of developing military vehicles with a fixed and variable geometry wing - Tu-160 and Tu-22 long-range bomber.
At the same time, according to Solozobov, the price of the GHS will be slightly higher than the subsonic narrow-body twin-engine Tu-214. This is evidenced by the preliminary results of the cost design, which was carried out in PJSC Tupolev.
In September last year, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov in an interview with the Vedomosti newspaper said that the agency intends to support the project of a compact supersonic jet with 16-19 seats. He said that 1.4 billion rubles were allocated for research on the creation of the GHS in 2017-2019.
“The UAC engineering centers and enterprises, together with TsAGI and other industry institutes, are creating the concept of a new generation of civil supersonic airliner, in particular for business aviation,” Manturov explained.
In mid-April 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced a tender for the formation of the concept of a supersonic civilian vehicle under the SGS-T1 code. Work should be completed by December 15, 2021. The developer will receive 213 million in 2020 and almost 505 million in 2021. It is expected that this money will help to alleviate the lack of knowledge and technology in the field of civilian supersonic sound.
“The existing scientific and technical backlog in the interests of creating a GHS is not enough, which does not allow us to begin development work on creating a new generation of GHS. Significant technical risk, as well as the lack of standards for the acceptable level of sound shock and noise in the airport area, require development, numerical and experimental testing of new technical solutions and technologies, ”the tender documentation says.
Afterburner mode
According to experts interviewed by RT, the creation of a supersonic civilian aircraft is an extremely difficult task. The new aircraft should significantly surpass first-generation cars in terms of comfort and efficiency.
We are talking about the Anglo-French Concorde and the Soviet Tu-144, which were decommissioned in 2003 and 1999. The reasons for the refusal of air carriers from these aircraft were accidents and the high cost of tickets.
- Tu-144
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“Today it’s too early to talk about the appearance of even the first model of a new generation of civilian supersonic aircraft. For this it is necessary to carry out large-scale research work, which, in fact, is currently being done by the Russian aircraft industry, ”said Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of Aviaport, in a conversation with RT.
As the expert explained, it is necessary for the second generation GHS to be lightweight, relatively inexpensive to produce and operate by aircraft. In addition, it must meet the noise requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and high environmental performance.
“The engine plays a key role. The power plants with which military supersonic aircraft are equipped, and those that were on the Concorde and Tu-144, objectively do not meet the modern requirements of commercial aviation in terms of fuel consumption, operating costs and the environment, ”Panteleev stated.
In a RT commentary, Vladimir Popov, Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Aviano Panorama magazine, emphasized that the GHS engines should run for several hours on after-hours operation. In his opinion, Russia is capable of manufacturing such a power unit.
“The creation of the Russian GHS is a solvable task, although it is long-term and will require significant resources. In my opinion, civilian supersonic will not be widespread for a long time due to the high cost. Therefore, it now makes sense to focus on the project of a business jet intended for the premium category of passengers, ”summed up Popov.