Experimental aircraft of the world. Technologies classified as "Top Secret". Experimental samples of aircraft of the US Armed Forces, which have now been declassified. But as they say: the new is the well forgotten old

For a long time, the American aviation industry has studied the problems of vertical / short takeoff aircraft. With the help of a large number of projects and prototypes, it was possible to establish the advantages and disadvantages of various schemes of such equipment, as well as to determine ways for the further development of a promising direction. In addition, over time, it was decided to abandon exclusively experimental projects and start creating equipment suitable for practical use. One of the most interesting projects of this kind led to the emergence of Rockwell XFV-12 aircraft.

Work on the new project started in the early 70s and was directly related to the current plans for the rearmament of the naval forces. At that time, the US Navy, together with scientific and design organizations, was working on the concept of the Sea Control Ship. She proposed the construction of a number of relatively small aircraft carriers with a displacement of no more than 13-15 thousand tons. Such ships could strengthen existing formations and be present in different regions of the oceans, exerting the required impact on the military-political situation or participating in various operations.

Experienced Rockwell XFV-12 at the airfield.

With the proposed displacement, a promising aircraft carrier could have a length of no more than 180-200 m, which is why it needed aircraft with high takeoff and landing characteristics. Some of the combat missions could be solved using helicopters, while other missions required aircraft with missile and cannon armament. A fighter with the required characteristics and capabilities was absent at that time. As a result, in the early seventies, an order appeared for the development of a similar machine.

The command of the naval forces announced a competition for the development of a carrier-based supersonic fighter / attack aircraft capable of taking off vertically or with a short range. It is curious that this version of the carrier-based aircraft was criticized: some experts in the fleet and industry considered it too risky and recommended continuing the development of existing concepts. It should be noted that in the end they turned out to be right, and their negative predictions turned out to be correct.

Six projects of aviation technology of American and foreign design were submitted for the competition. Some projects proposed the development of existing aircraft, while others were developed from scratch based on original ideas. In 1972, the naval forces analyzed the submitted projects and made an unexpected decision. None of the six developments suited them - the contract for further work was not signed.

Future XFV-12 on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

One of the participants in the competition was Rokwell international, which had extensive experience in creating aircraft of various classes. Despite certain positive features and advantages, the project proposed by her did not suit the customer. Nevertheless, the designers were not taken aback and soon proposed a substantially revised version of the aircraft. The innovations introduced into the project, at least in theory, made it possible to significantly increase the main characteristics. The improved project was able to interest the military, which led to the emergence of a contract for further work.

Military specialists got acquainted with the new project at the very end of 1972. In January 1973, a continuation agreement appeared. design work followed by the construction of two prototypes. It took 18 months to complete the project and build prototypes. In the middle of the autumn of the following 1974, it was planned to begin flight tests, and at the beginning of 1975, to begin vertical flights, transitions from regime to regime, etc. After the order appeared, the Rockwell project received the official designation XFV-12. No other names were used. Unofficial nicknames were also absent.

In accordance with the initial requirements of the Navy, the promising aircraft was supposed to take off vertically or with a short takeoff, but in terms of its combat power it should correspond to the existing McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighters, which at that time were the basis of carrier-based aviation. Thus, the new aircraft was supposed to reach speeds of up to M = 2 and carry guided missile weapons, as well as an automatic cannon. To solve the set tasks, it was proposed to use not the most well-known and studied ideas.

Airplane projections.

To obtain the required take-off and landing characteristics, it was proposed to use the original scheme, called the Thrust augmented wing - "Wing with an improvement due to thrust." This concept involved the use of carrier planes with end-to-end channels suitable for redirecting airflow to obtain specific results. In addition, it was proposed to use an ejector system for creating vertical thrust. Such a system was supposed to have a set of nozzles and nozzles and means for mixing atmospheric air. Due to the latter, it was possible to increase traction in a noticeable way.

In order to somewhat simplify the design and subsequent construction, it was decided to use the existing units of serial equipment. So, the nose section of the fuselage and air intakes were borrowed from the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and F-4 aircraft, respectively. All other structural elements, however, had to be developed from scratch and in accordance with existing requirements. It is for this reason that the similarity with existing patterns was limited only to the borrowed nose.

The original method of vertical take-off led to the choice of the appropriate aerodynamic design and general layout. The Rockwell XFV-12 was to be built according to the "canard" layout with a large horizontal tail surface... It was necessary to use planes with a large sweep of the leading edge, equipped with ejector systems. Only one engine could be used as part of the power plant. At the same time, it should have been equipped with the means of redistribution of reactive gases necessary to "improve the wing."

Machine diagram.

The fuselage of the new aircraft received a borrowed nose with a pointed fairing and vertical sides of the cockpit. There were unregulated air intakes behind the cockpit. For most of its length, the new fuselage had a nearly rectangular cross-section with rounded corners. The upper surface was slightly curved outward. In the central part, the height of the fuselage increased slightly, while the width decreased in accordance with the so-called. the rule of squares. In the tail, the fuselage narrowed, ending with a circular cut for the installation of the engine nozzle.

The bow section, taken from the existing technology, retained the instrument compartment, radar station, cockpit and nose landing gear niche. Two air intakes behind the cockpit were connected to a common duct leading to the engine. On the upper surface of the fuselage, an additional intake device was provided, covered with controlled shutters. It was intended to supply air in hover modes. In the center of the fuselage, with a shift towards the tail, was the main turbojet engine... Next to it, as well as in the tail, were placed various devices necessary for vertical flight.

The Thrust augmented wing concept involved the use of non-standard bearing planes. So, directly behind the air intakes, at the level of the bottom of the fuselage, a trapezoidal horizontal tail was placed. It received "traditional" elevators on the trailing edge. At the same time, the use of non-standard mechanisms was proposed. The basis of the stabilizer power set were two longitudinal tubular spars, between which ribs were not installed. Above the formed opening, one deflectable flap was placed. Two more similar shields of a different shape were located on the lower surface of the plane. According to the automatics commands, formed in accordance with the pilot's commands, three shields could occupy one or another position.

Aircraft model used in preliminary tests.

The XFV-12 received a larger wing and a different shape. The leading and trailing edge of the wing had a positive sweep. Ailerons of a large area were located on the trailing edge. The central section of the wing was given under a relatively large opening, covered with upper and lower flaps. As in the case of the stabilizer, inside the wing there were pipes and nozzles for the release of reactive gases. The wing was distinguished by a significant negative transverse V angle.

For a number of reasons, it was decided to abandon the vertical tail of the traditional design. Instead of a single keel on the fuselage, side washers were used on the wingtips. They consisted of two trapezoidal elements installed with an outward inclination. The upper part of such a washer, placed above the wing, had a rudder.

The glider received a specific chassis. The nose support was located under the cockpit and could be retracted into the fuselage niche by turning forward. The two main struts, equipped with larger diameter wheels, were located at the wingtips. After takeoff, the strut turned back, and the wheel partially went into a small niche. This chassis design was one of the reasons that the lower vertical tail elements had to be installed at a significant angle to the vertical.

The principle of operation of the ejector system and wing flaps. From left to right: vertical takeoff, acceleration, level flight. Drawing by Tsikhosh E. "Supersonic aircraft"

In the central part of the fuselage, a Pratt & Whitney F401-PW-40 bypass turbojet engine with an afterburner thrust of 13,620 kgf was to be installed. It was proposed to use this engine in all flight modes, however, it could work independently only in horizontal flight. Vertical take-off required the use of special devices.

A special device for redistributing reactive gases was placed directly behind the standard engine nozzle. For flight "like an airplane" it was proposed to remove gases through the tail nozzle of the fuselage. There was also a valve, completely looking for partially blocking this flow and directing it into the corresponding pipes. At the command of the pilot, gases could be transferred into pipes connected to the wing and tail ejectors. In the first case, gases were supplied through short curved pipes, while they were supplied to the stabilizer through long pipes laid along the bottom of the fuselage.

The incandescent gases were to escape from the pipes through a set of nozzles located inside the wing and stabilizer openings. The nozzles were directed downward and were intended to create vertical thrust. The XFV-12 project implied the use of an ejection principle to improve thrust. This means that, leaving the nozzle, the reactive gases had to pull the cold atmospheric air above the wing. According to calculations, mixing of outboard air made it possible to increase the thrust of the wing nozzles by 55%. The deflected flaps of the planes were planned to be used to control the direction of thrust. In addition, they covered openings during horizontal flight.

The first XFV-12 prototype in the assembly shop.

The car was to be driven by one pilot in the bow cockpit. He had a set of necessary devices for monitoring parameters and issuing commands. Hovering and level flight control was to be carried out using the same handles, with the active assistance of special automation. Hover maneuvering was proposed to be carried out due to the deflection of the wing flaps, and horizontal flight was carried out due to the aerodynamic rudders of the traditional design.

The new project was developed with the aim of the future rearmament of carrier-based aircraft. As a result, the new vertical takeoff aircraft could receive weapons. In the future, Rockwell XFV-12 could receive a built-in 20-mm M61 Vulcan automatic cannon with 639 rounds of ammunition. Under the bottom of the fuselage it was possible to place four suspension assemblies of guided air-to-air missiles of the AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-9 Sidewinder type. Provided for the possibility of the simultaneous carrying and use of missiles of different types.

The prototype aircraft was supposed to have a length of 13.4 m with a wingspan of 8.7 m. Its own weight was 6.26 tons. Normal takeoff - 8.85 tons. According to calculations, the prototype was supposed to show the highest thrust-to-weight ratio: the engine thrust could be one and a half times the take-off weight. This made it possible to perform vertical take-off and landing, and in horizontal flight to develop a speed of 2.2-2.4 times the speed of sound.

The car at the airport.

In accordance with the 1973 contract, the first prototype of the new aircraft was to go out for testing in October 1974. However, the project turned out to be too complex, which led to a breakdown deadlines... By the specified date, only a full-size model was built. Since 1975, the date of the first flight has been postponed twice; this event was now attributed to 1977. But even these plans were not fully implemented. The assembly of the first experimental XFV-12 was completed only by the middle of the summer of 1977., and soon the car was sent for preliminary ground tests. They were planned to be carried out using various special stands.

The checks in the parking lot continued for several months, which is why tethered flights were not started until 1978. For about six months, the plane was regularly tested on a stand with safety cables and showed its real capabilities. As it turned out during these checks, the calculations of the authors of the project were erroneous. The main characteristics of the machine in practice turned out to be much lower than desired.

During operation, the ejectors, receiving jet gases from the engine at speeds of more than 600 m / s, threw them down. Mixing hot gases with air in a ratio of 1: 7.5 led to a decrease in the flow rate to 120 m / s and a simultaneous increase in thrust. According to calculations and according to bench tests on the wing sections, the ejector system made it possible to increase the thrust of the nozzles by 55%. During the tests of a full-fledged prototype, much more modest results were obtained. The thrust of the wing system due to the ejection increased by only 19%, and the increase in thrust of the front empennage was only 6%.

The aircraft is configured for vertical take-off.

The main reason for this reduction in performance was the presence of relatively long and curved pipes through which the engine gases entered the nozzles of the planes. Moving towards the nozzles, the flow was disrupted, as a result of which some other negative phenomena appeared. In addition, the design of the ejector itself, which does not show the required efficiency of the intake of atmospheric air, might need to be revised.

According to calculations, the promising XFV-12 aircraft was supposed to show the highest thrust-to-weight ratio. In practice, this parameter did not exceed 0.75. Thus, the car could only take off horizontally and with a significant takeoff run. The possibility of a shortened take-off, not to mention vertical ascent into the air, was simply absent. Flying exclusively "like an airplane", the new machine, by definition, could not fulfill the original requirements of the customer. In addition, in this case, she would have to constantly carry dead weight in the form of fenders, ejectors, pipelines, etc.

Already during the tests of the first prototype, it was decided to stop assembling the second prototype. Its construction was stopped in 1978, and soon the unfinished prototype was dismantled directly at the manufacturing plant. All further checks and tests were planned to be carried out using only one prototype.

Leash tests.

Attempts to solve the existing problems at a theoretical and technical level continued over the next several years. The specialists of the developer company and the customer carried out more and more tests, finalized the existing project and again checked the applied solutions. In addition, in parallel, research was carried out in terms of the behavior of the machine in different modes, the operation of its individual units, etc. However, no modifications made it possible to bring the characteristics of the ejector system to the desired level. At the same time, during the tests, it was possible to collect a lot of different information, revealing different aspects of the "thrust-improved wing".

Work on the Rockwell XFV-12 project continued until 1981. The only prototype aircraft was tested only on a stand with harness systems and never took off on its own. Vertical take-off was impossible for technical reasons, and horizontal flights were considered unnecessary. In the early eighties, similar conclusions were drawn for the entire program.

The development and construction of the prototype aircraft did not meet the schedule, then problems arose during testing. Long-term refinement also did not give the desired results. Even a few years after the start of testing, the experienced XFV-12 did not show the desired characteristics, and numerous studies directly indicated the impossibility of obtaining them. Thus, the only real results of the project, which was implemented over eight years, were a flightless prototype and excessive spending on apparently unpromising technology. In 1981, the US Naval Command reviewed the current results of the project and decided to close it.

Simulate vertical take-off using tethered ropes.

After the project was closed, the only prototype built was sent to storage. Subsequently, it was dismantled, and then dismantled. Until recently, a large nose section of the prototype XFV-12 was stored at one of the NASA sites. Several years ago it was reported that a group of enthusiasts intended to restore this unit and make it a museum piece. The restoration of the entire machine is probably out of the question.

The Rockwell XFV-12 vertical takeoff aircraft project was created with the aim of re-equipping carrier-based aircraft and supplementing existing machines. Serial fighters and attack aircraft of a new type were supposed to work from promising light aircraft carriers and solve a variety of combat missions. Nevertheless, the project ran into serious difficulties that did not allow obtaining desired results... Due to the imperfection of the applied technologies, the new aircraft simply could not take off vertically and, as a result, did not meet the basic requirements of the customer.

It should be noted that the XFV-12 project was indeed given the most difficult tasks, some of which have not been solved until now. So, to date, not a single country in the world has managed to bring supersonic vertical takeoff aircraft to serial production and operation. Even the most successful models, which have sufficient flight speed, have so far "mastered" only a short takeoff and vertical landing.

2018-09-24T14: 25: 22 + 00: 00

Experimental aircraft "4302".

Developer: Florov
Country: USSR
First flight: 1947

The heart of any aircraft is the engine. It was difficult to copy the powerful and advanced German liquid-propellant engine "Walter": it worked on specific fuel components, for the production of which there was no industrial base in the country. In addition, there were similar domestic developments.

By this time, three design teams under the leadership of L.S. Dushkin, V.P. Glushko and A.M. Isaev specialized in the development of liquid-propellant engines. Dushkin created the most powerful engines: D-1A-1100 with 1100 kg thrust for the BI aircraft (1942) and RD-2M with 1400 kg thrust for the 302 aircraft (1944). However, their reliability left much to be desired. Isaev modernized the D-1 A-1100, increasing its reliability and bringing the resource up to one hour. Under the designation RD-1M, the engine successfully passed state tests in 1945. Glushko created the RD-1 accelerator with a thrust of 300 kg for installation on piston aircraft Yak-3 and La-7, and also developed on its basis three- and four-chamber rocket engines with a thrust of 900 and 1200 kg, which were not continued.

Meanwhile, Dushkin, who worked at NII-1 NKAP, created the RD-2M3V LPRE. The engine had a pumping fuel supply and ran on kerosene and nitric acid. Its main feature was the presence of two chambers - a large one (thrust 1100 kg) and a small one (300 kg). This made it possible to take off and climb at maximum thrust when both cameras worked together, and then turn off the large camera and carry out further horizontal flight, searching for a target and attacking it when only the small camera was operating. Fuel economy and flight times were significantly increased. The solution is progressive, since it was problematic to throttle the rocket engine thrust in a different way at high altitudes, where the maximum thrust was no longer needed.

Initially, it was planned to install this liquid-propellant rocket engine on the Malyutka missile interceptor, which had been assigned back in 1944 to NN Polikarpov. But the sudden death of the aircraft designer did not allow the work to be completed.

At the state tests of the RD-2MZV in May 1945, a total take-off thrust of 1500 kg was obtained, the nominal thrust was 1250 kg and the minimum thrust was 500 kg. When only one small chamber was operating, the maximum thrust was 300 kg, the minimum - 100 kg. The specific thrust per 1 kg of fuel when the large and small chambers worked together, or when only the small chamber was operating at the maximum thrust mode, was 200 kg. The mass of the rocket engine with all units is 224 kg. The engine was planned to be produced in the amount of 30 sets, with the delivery date of the first copy on March 10, and the last one on August 10, 1946.

The manufacture of the engine was entrusted to plant No. 165 in cooperation with other plants, and assembly and control tests were to be carried out at NII-1.

The formation of a new plan for experimental aircraft construction for the NKAP was facilitated by the fact that in February 1946, instead of AI Shakhurin, it was already headed by MV Khrunichev. And the change in the leadership of the Air Force (K.A. Vershinin instead of A.A. Novikov) took place only in March, so at this time the disgraced command of the Air Force was practically excluded from the decision-making process.

The seemingly successful approval of a new plan for the MAP was unexpectedly overshadowed by an internal scandal. At this time, NII-1 was already building an experimental aircraft with a liquid-propellant engine designed by engineer I.F. Florov (in some documents, V.F.Bolkhovitinov was called the aircraft designer).

This work began two years before the events described, when by the decree of the GKOK No. 5201 dated February 18, 1944. The Institute jet technology NII-1 (former GIRT A.G. Kostikova), transferred to the NKAP, was instructed to deal with jet engines. NII-1 was headed by the former chief of the Air Force Research Institute, PI Fedorov, and VF Bolkhovitinov, the creator of the BI aircraft, became his deputy.

The new leaders of NII-1 were not indifferent to aircraft construction. In addition to the main work on the Isaev and Dushkin rocket engines, as well as the turbojet engine A.M. Lyulki, they decided to build an experimental aircraft according to the project of Bolkhovitinov and Florov. The assignment was approved by the 18th Main Directorate of the NKAP, which was responsible for jet technology.

It was supposed to build two versions: one with the Isaev engine ("4302"), the other with the Dushkin engine ("4303"). The aircraft according to the project were supposed to have a flight mass of 2320 kg and 2350 kg, respectively: the maximum speed at the ground is 1010 (M = 0.82) and 1040 km / h (M = 0.85), at an altitude of 5000 meters - 1015 (M = 0.88) and 1050 km / h (M = 0.91), at an altitude of 15000 meters - 1050 (M = 0.99) and 1090 km / h (M = 1.03), the time to climb 15000 meters - 2 minutes 22 seconds and 1 minute 42.4 seconds, service ceiling - 18850 and 19750 meters, duration of stay in the air up to 46 minutes.

Both were intended to study both the liquid-propellant engine itself and the aerodynamics of high flight speeds. And also for the formulation of the law of distribution of pressure along the profile and the magnitude of the loads received in flight in the zone of occurrence of the wave crisis. In total, it was planned to build six copies: the first two - for training flight personnel, and the rest - for experimental work. The institute did not have its own production capacities, so the airframes of the aircraft were built at the Gorky aircraft plant № 21 named after. Sergo Ordzhonikidze (type 47). By January 1, 1946, working drawings were made, and the planes were put into production. The first two vehicles were scheduled to leave the assembly shop in March.

However, the new leaders of the aviation industry reacted negatively to this aircraft, believing that NII-1 was engaged in an unusual business. Therefore, after the release of the aforementioned February 1946 resolution of the Council of People's Commissars, funding for the construction of an experimental Florov aircraft was terminated.

The developers did not agree with this decision. New boss NII-1 Ya.L. Bibikov and Bolkhovitinov wrote directly to Stalin that by April 1, 1946, the first flight copy was already about 70% ready, and if we continue to work, then by July 1 the plane will go to flight tests. Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N.A. Voznesensky, who, after Malenkov fell into disgrace, was in charge of aviation, gave the command to Khrunichev and Vershinin to sort out and report on the proposals. Khrunichev immediately "grew a grudge" against the complainants, but first he had to respond to the assignment.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal K.A. Vershinin had a weakness for a scientific approach and analysis, especially in the field of promising military aircraft construction. He was offended that the experimental aircraft construction plan was approved without the approval of the Air Force. Therefore, together with the new chief engineer of the Air Force, Colonel General of the NAS I.V. Markov, he supported the developers: “… An experimental aircraft in the version of a fighter-interceptor designed by c. Florov, being built at NII-1 MAP, is of undoubted interest, since according to its design data it is an aircraft that significantly exceeds the speed and climb rate of fighter-type combat aircraft in the construction.

The construction and testing of this aircraft ensure the development of measures to further increase the speed of combat aircraft ... I consider it necessary to provide the NII-1 MAP with the opportunity to complete work on the construction of an experimental aircraft designed by Comrade Florov and conduct flight tests in 1946. "

Khrunichev did not give up: “In accordance with your instructions on the letter of Comrades Bibikov and Bolkhovitinov, I report that the declared data of the experimental aircraft NII-1 with a liquid-propellant jet engine raise doubts. To check the reality of these data, a highly qualified commission of specialists from the ministry has been appointed ... "

The commission chaired by Professor I.V. Ostoslavsky included: the chief designer of OKB-155 A.I. Mikoyan, the head of the department of TsAGI V.N. Matveev, the head of the group of the 7th GU MAP I.V. GU MAP V.V. Yakovlevsky. By early June 1946, she had submitted a conclusion: “… The maximum speed of the aircraft will be 900-950 km / h instead of 1000-1100 km / h, and the ceiling of the aircraft will be limited to a height of 12000-13000 m instead of 20,000 m, due to the absence of a pressurized cabin on the plane. The length of stay of the aircraft in the air, stated in the letter, is 46 minutes, the commission has established that the maximum duration of the flight will be about 5 minutes. "

They were based, in particular, on the fact that the aerodynamic layout of the aircraft with a straight wing, developed back in 1944, did not allow reaching the speeds stated in the project. However, Florov insisted that the aircraft was made in full compliance with the latest strength requirements and using the high-speed wing profiles recommended at that time by TsAGI. The designer argued that there were no more recent recommendations. Despite the commission's conclusions, MAP was instructed to complete the construction of a prototype of the 4302 aircraft and conduct its tests.

The complaint of Bibikov and Bolkhovitinov came back to haunt them quickly. Khrunichev, at the MAP collegium in September 1946, attacked the management of NII-1 and demanded that the institute's activities be reorganized in the direction of scientific, and not practical work... The minister ordered the withdrawal of design groups from its structure and transfer them to an independent production and experimental base.

MV Keldysh was appointed the head of NII-1, and three teams remained in its composition: OKB-1 of L.S. Dushkin, OKB-2 of A.M. Isaev and OKB-3 of M.M. Bondaryuk, and even the department of powder accelerators. By order of Khrunichev, the design bureau of I.F. Florov was disbanded, the staff, together with production base handed over to the designer M.R. Bisnovat.

In this form, NII-1 existed for another year, and in 1948 it was poured into TsIAM, where the design bureaus of Dushkin and Bondaryuk were transferred. With Isaev's consent, his design bureau became part of NII-88 of the Ministry of Armaments, where it began developing liquid-propellant rocket engines for anti-aircraft missiles.

By the fall of 1946, the flight copy of the airframe of the I.F. Florov machine (a copy of the first copy of the aircraft without an engine) was ready for testing and transported to the LII, and the flight copy of the aircraft with the Isaev engine ended in assembly. Under pressure from the military, the MAP was forced to continue preparing the aircraft for testing at the LII. Of course, because of all of the above, the work on the 4302 aircraft did not unfold to the extent planned.

The flights were carried out in 1947, a total of 20 flights were performed, of which 19 were in the glider version. This topic did not receive further development, since the achievement of high speeds was already possible on aircraft with turbojet engines.

Aircraft "4302" was a single experimental all-metal monoplane. The wing is straight, of constant cross-section along the span, without transverse V. To improve lateral stability and to reduce damping heel, the end parts of the wing (fins) are bent downward by 45 °. TsAGI 13145 wing profile, laminar, 13% thick. The fuselage is cigar-shaped, round cross section, with a maximum diameter of 1150 mm. A towing lock is installed at the bottom of the bow for non-motorized takeoff in tow. The horizontal tail is cantilever; round washers are installed on it, complementing the vertical tail. The keel is structurally integral with the fuselage. All rudders and ailerons are covered with metal. The landing gear "4302" is the most complex device of the aircraft. For the first flights, a temporary non-retractable landing gear (three-rod pyramid) with wheels from the La-5 aircraft was used. Later, the "4302" was equipped with a landing ski, a tail heel and a drop cart.

The boarding ski is made of duralumin, riveted, with an outer casing made of stainless steel. In the middle profile of the ski, two sockets for the pins of the cart are riveted. The three-wheeled take-off bogie is welded from two mutually perpendicular steel pipes. The main wheels are 650 × 200 mm, equipped with two-chamber disc brakes. Front twin wheels 400 × 150 mm equipped with Shimmy hydraulic damper. The grip of the cart with the ski was carried out using locking hooks. To reduce the run of the bogie on the ground after dropping, a braking system was mounted on it, which was activated after the hooks were opened. The cart was dropped simultaneously with the retraction movement of the landing ski (by pressing it against the fuselage). The ski is equipped with a hydraulic shock absorber.

Modification: "4302"
Wingspan, m: 6.932
Length, m: 7,152
Height, m: 3.06
Wing area, m2: -
Weight, kg
- empty aircraft: -
-maximum takeoff: 2398
Engine type: 1 х LRE A.M. Isaev
Thrust, kgf: 1 x 1100
Maximum speed, km / h: 520
Flight range, km: -
Practical ceiling, m: -
Crew, people: 1.

Airplane "4302".

All of us have long been accustomed to airplanes. To their appearance... Regardless of whether it is a civilian plane or a military one. And we know that any aircraft has two wings, a fuselage, a keel (tail), and one or more engines.

But, believe me, it was not always so. And at the dawn of the formation of aviation, and during the world wars, and even nowadays, devices appear that amaze with their unusual appearance.

Omitting the time of the development of aircraft construction in the First World War, let us turn to the 30s of the last century.

Two countries, Germany and the USSR, were intensively preparing for war. Neither money nor resources were spared for military needs. And it is not surprising that it was in these countries that the most unusual projects in aviation appeared. Talented designers managed to bring the most unusual projects to life.

The designers of not only the USSR and Germany, but also other aviation powers, tested the most unusual aircraft schemes. Basically, these were the so-called "tailless", flying wings, devoid of a vertical keel. And if such projects in the USSR did not receive further development, then in Germany "tailless" were developed very actively. They got new ones, already jet engines and were very promising. But history, as always, put everything in its place. The machine of the German industry, weakening under the blows of the allies, could no longer provide the front with even debugged production machines, not to mention the experimental "raw" aircraft.

In general, in the USSR, as in Germany, during the intensified militarization of the regimes, a whole galaxy of talented designers, engineers and designers appeared. The two countries, like a magnet, attracted promising "techies" with their endless possibilities. It happened that even the craziest and most fantastic project got its implementation in a real machine in a very short time.

In the USSR, in the 1920s and 1930s, the designers proposed and implemented the most unusual projects. And it could be like the venerable, famous people and young, fresh from the institute, but promising designers.

Unfortunately, local military conflicts, and later the Second World War did not give the opportunity for the development of experimental aviation. The industry was transferred to mass production of serial aircraft. The country had no time for delights and experiments.

In Germany, the situation was somewhat different. The leader's crazy ideas about world leadership, and later the realization of the inevitable collapse of the 3rd Reich, made it possible to promote the most daring and extraordinary military projects.

We must pay tribute to the German designers, not all of these projects were stillborn. Many innovations first applied to Luftwaffe aircraft later became the norm in aviation.

Many projects were first developed in Germany, later used in the aircraft industry of the USSR and the USA, which received all the documentation and prototypes defeated Germany. On their basis, further research and development in the field of aircraft construction was carried out.

In 35-37, in the USSR, a unique and very unusual machine - DB-LK - was developed at OKB-16. Engineer Viktor Belyaev, professor, leading strength group at TsAGI, with a group of talented engineers created an aircraft of unusual design. About this car, the Soviet designer and the history of aircraft construction in the USSR V.B. Shavrov wrote that she was completely original, and could not be considered either a flying wing or a tailless one.

In Germany, the most unusual project, perhaps, can be called a scout company Blohm und Voss

Continuing the theme of the world's unusual aircraft, let us dwell on one more main feature of an ordinary aircraft - the fuselage. We are all accustomed to the fact that the aircraft has one fuselage, it is the body, it is the main part in which the cockpit is located and to which the wings and tail are attached. Those who are well acquainted with aviation know that there are aircraft of the "frame" type, that is, having two tail booms.

But aircraft with two fuselages are known to few.

And again, perhaps the very first, there were again German designers.

In 1939, when plans were being drawn up for an invasion of Great Britain, the design of the heavy gliders Ju.322 and Me.321 began in Germany. They planned to land troops and equipment in the British Isles.

The gliders were enormous. Suffice it to say that the Ju.322 Mammoth glider weighed 26 tons empty! And had a payload of 12 tons.

Willy Messerschmitt's more successful glider, the Me.321 Gigant, was even heavier and had a larger payload. It was a cheap, almost entirely wooden glider. And by the way, it was the first to use an opening nose to access the cargo compartment. Later, this option for loading heavy cargo aircraft was used in Russian and American designs.

But such gliders still need to be lifted into the air. The Luftwaffe had no suitable aircraft. And then, a famous pilot and a successful industrialist, Colonel-General Ernst Udet proposed to make one of two bombers, linking their wings. That gave a twofold increase in power, and most importantly, the ability to lift a heavyweight glider into the air.

He 111 heavy bombers were selected for the project. Two aircraft received a central section with another engine. This hitch was named He 111Z (Zwilling twins). Both cockpits were retained. Only in the left cockpit, the pilot could control all the engines and had full equipment and instruments. He was responsible for the release and retraction of the left landing gear, and controlled the radiator flaps of the left engine group. In the right fuselage, the co-pilot was responsible for the right strut and right engine group, respectively. Although he had no gas sectors. The crew of the Siamese twins had two more flight mechanics, two gunners and one radio operator. The second, right-hand pilot also served as a navigator. Such was the distribution of responsibilities on an unusual plane.

He 111Z (Zwilling twins)

The unusual aircraft had good characteristics, was unpretentious and took part in hostilities on the Eastern Front.

Long-range fighters were required to escort the US Air Force B-29 heavy bombers. There were no suitable escort aircraft to participate in the raids on Japan. It was here that the Americans resorted to the experience of the Luftwaffe. They took the most massive and, perhaps, the most successful P-51 Mustang aircraft and connected it with a common middle wing and a common stabilizer. This is how the unusual North American F-82 Twin Mustang appeared.

On July 6, 1945, when the first XF-82 prototype took off, the war was already over, but the Twin was nevertheless used as a night fighter. It was also used in its primary role as a long-range escort fighter.

But they managed to connect two planes not only with wings, the designer guessed to make a kind of coupling out of two planes, when one plane sits "astride" the other. And also not one, and not only on horseback, but also under the wings.

This was the development of engineer V.S. Vakhmistrov. Aircraft carrier, aircraft, aviation link, these were the names of an unusual project, which was officially called "Link-SPB" or a composite dive bomber.

On a bomber, well-tested in local conflicts, designed by Tupolev, TB-3 were attached from one to 4-5 fighters. This gave an increase in the range of fighters. And fighters could also carry heavy bombs with which they could not take off themselves. On the approach to the target, the fighters uncoupled from the aircraft, stormed the target from a dive, and returned on their own to their airfield. The aircraft were suspended under the wing and fuselage, with a couple more on the wing.

When testing such an unusual aircraft carrier, the entire staff of the testing institute gathered, the spectacle was nicknamed "Vakhmistrov's Circus".

But the "circus" had the opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness in the combat conditions of the Second World War. On July 26, 1941, a compound unit bombed an oil storage facility in Ploiesti. There were no losses. And on August 10, "Zveno-SPB" wiped its nose and the rest of the skeptics, especially from the assault and bomber regiments.

Charles 1 bridge across the Danube was heavily guarded by enemy fighters and anti-aircraft guns. In addition to the regular supply of equipment and troops, a pipeline from Ploiesti to Constanta also passed through the bridge.

The Red Army Air Force repeatedly attempted to bomb the bridge. But all were unsuccessful. And on August 10, the three "circus" teams took to the air. One Link returned to the base due to a breakdown, a couple of the remaining ones successfully released fighter-bombers. From a dive, from a height of 1800 meters, they successfully attacked the bridge, and returned home without loss. On August 13, they repeated the circus act, severely destroying the bridge.

In July 1943, an incomprehensible plane took off from a German airfield. Along the contours, it was a Ju 88 A4 bomber, on which a Bf 109F-4 fighter sat "clinging" to it. It was the takeoff of the prototype aircraft complex Mistel ("Omela"). In the army, nicknamed "Dad and Son".

The bomber was being converted into a super-heavy bomb. For this, instead of glazing the pilot's cabin, a long detonator cone was placed, behind which was an explosive (1725 kg.). The plane took off on all engines, after climb, the fighter turned off its engine. When approaching the target, the engine of the Messer was restarted and it was detached from the bomb, which flew to the target from a shallow glide.

The photo shows the educational version of "Mistel". On theJu88, the cockpit was left to practice the interaction of the pilots, and to uncouple the fighter. In this caseFW 190 A-8 (F-eight). The training "Mistel" was captured by the allies.

Other aircraft also auditioned for the "role" of the bomb and the carrier.

The Luftwaffe's plans to bombard Soviet power plants and other strategic targets were thwarted by the rapidly advancing Soviet forces.

In the UK, a similar coupling of two aircraft had already been tested in 1938. These were two flying boats. Heavy boat Maia with 4 engines carried the lighter float plane Mercury, also with 4 engines. The pilot of the Junkers company Siegfried Holzbauer took part in the tests, who subsequently proposed the option of coupling the aircraft to the German Aviation Ministry.

And this is already VM-T Atlant, developed by the Myasishchevsky Design Bureau in the mid-80s. This plane was the harbinger of Mriya for the transportation of Buran.

These are not all the unusual planes in the world. There is enough aviation in the world unusual projects, which will be of interest to all lovers of technology and aviation.

In the USSR, there was never a shortage of talented designers and inventors. The most unexpected technical solutions, the most daring and promising ideas were designed and embodied in designs.

Almost every design bureau that designs aircraft had its own initiative group of young enthusiasts who proposed unexpected designs and non-standard design solutions.

On June 22, 1966, an unprecedented apparatus was launched from the stocks of the Volga shipyard. It was not clear what it was. Either a vessel with wings, or an airplane with a boat hull. A huge, about 90 meters long, car, had an unprecedented weight of 544 tons. The vehicle had the designation "KM", a model ship. But abroad, and in our aviation circles, she was immediately christened "The Caspian Monster" for its frightening unusual appearance.

The machine was unique in its versatility. She could take off like an airplane, she could sail like a sea vessel, or, thanks to her special wings, fly over water at a speed of 500 km / h.

The tests were long and difficult. Interdepartmental confusion wreaked havoc on the design bureau. The fact is that for a long time they could not decide what type of it to attribute. According to the documentation, it passed as a military vessel, and belonged to the USSR Navy. Although it was tested by Air Force pilots.

The tests lasted 15 years, at a special base near the city of Kaspiysk. Raw, underdeveloped engines constantly disrupted test schedules. On the KM, 10 VD-7 turbojet engines were installed, with a thrust of 13,000 kgf each. They ensured a speed of up to 500 km / h with a load of over 300 tons!

The first test flight was carried out by pilots V.F. Loginov, and chief designer R.E. Alekseev.

Unfortunately, in 1980, the only copy of the KM crashed due to piloting errors. For a long time he remained afloat. But there were no attempts to save the car. Either there was no money for this, or they gave up on the project. To the delight of the military of the NATO bloc, the second copy was not built. And in the 90s, due to the chaos in the country, the storm of the seas and aircraft carriers was completely forgotten.

But as they say: the new is the well forgotten old

And lately, there have been reports in the media about the resumption of work on the KM project. A scaled-down model has already been created, and a full-size 500-ton one is being prepared. The plans of the Ministry of Defense and the Navy are to equip the internal fleets of Russia with combat ekranoplanes of the KM and Lun type by 2020.

VVA-14. Amphibious vertical takeoff.

Another unique apparatus, a unique person and designer Robert Bartini.

An Italian of noble origin, Robert Bartini, in his youth, was carried away by the Marxist movement. Having moved to Soviet Russia in the 30s, he enthusiastically took up the design of aircraft of unusual schemes.

The VVA-14 vertical takeoff aerial vehicle became the culmination of the designer's ideas.

It was planned that the aircraft would become universal. Able to take off both from water and from a solid surface. Moreover, take off both in normal mode and vertically.

In 1976, the final version of the VVA was tested near Taganrog. Due to the lack of knowledge of the vertical take-off engines, the amphibian was converted into an ekranoplane capable of flying in airplane and ekranoplan modes.

After the death of the designer, they tried to bring the car, but the military's interest in it disappeared, engines for vertical takeoff did not appear, and the project was closed.

The headline photo from the museum in Monino shows the remains of a unique design, now without wings and engines.

Hypersonic experimental apparatus Falcon 2. It is, no less, the fastest aircraft ever built by the American military. The Falcon 2 is an experimental rocket glider designed to travel at Mach 22. His idea is to create a vessel capable of reaching anywhere on the planet and delivering a bomb load within one hour, and to achieve this, DARPA has developed this durable and lightweight glider. Today the tests are not going as we would like, but the program is still in the development stage.

X-51 Waverider. The X-51 Waverider, created by Boeing in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, was designed to overcome Mach 6 speeds - far beyond the capabilities of any combat aircraft in existence today. It is launched into the atmosphere from a B-52 bomber and then uses its hydrocarbon-fueled engine to accelerate to hypersonic speeds. The final test of the Waverider will take place later this year.

RQ-3 Darkstar. Everybody knows about military drones these days, but the concept of unmanned combat aircraft is nothing new. Lockheed-Martin pioneered this industry in the 1990s with a project codenamed "DarkStar". It was a top-secret mission to create a stealth-capable unmanned reconnaissance drone, and although the project was canceled in 1998, there are rumors that it was brought back for "black operations" and was used in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

Sukhoi SU-47. One of the best combat aircraft in Russia is the Sukhoi SU-47, an experimental supersonic fighter with a forward-swept wing. The unique aerodynamics of the fuselage gives the SU-47 unprecedented maneuverability at speeds exceeding Mach 1. And although the fighter never entered mass production, Sukhoi made attempts to sell it on the open arms market.

Northrop XB-35. The art of aerodynamics is constantly evolving, and as scientists learn more about the interaction of aircraft with air currents and other factors, they improve the shape of their aircraft. One of the most important innovations in aircraft design came in the late forties with the development of the "flying wing" concept. With less drag, these vessels are more fuel efficient. The US Air Force contracted Northrop to develop a bomber based on this concept, and the result was the stunning XB-35, which made many test flights before its propellers began to fail, undermining the project's development.

Boeing X-37B. When we exhaust all the possibilities for war on Earth, the conflict will inevitably move into space. This is an obvious conclusion behind the development of the Boeing X-37B, a joint project between NASA and the Department of Defense. After being launched into space using a disposable rocket booster, the X-37B separates and can spend a month in Earth orbit before landing. All missions with the participation of X-37B are strictly classified, so no one knows exactly what he has been doing there for so long.

Vought V-173. Called the Flying Pancake, the Vought V-173 was one of the most unusual experimental aircraft of the Second World War. With its circular design and two giant propellers, it was engineered to fly at speeds far below those of the day. The V-173 had tremendous maneuverability and was incredibly durable - after one test flight, it rolled over and actually landed upside down, but did not suffer any major damage. It was an extremely remarkable concept design, but unfortunately there weren't enough practical uses for it and the project was forgotten.

Tupolev TU-95LAL. Fission of the atom opened up new horizons in the art of warfare, but the very possibilities of nuclear technology exceeded simple destructive power. atomic bombs... We all know that nuclear energy has revolutionized submarines, but Soviet Union made attempts to apply it in airplanes. In 1961, Tupolev Tu-95LAL was launched - a bomber modified to use a small nuclear reactor as a fuel source. After forty test flights, the program was mothballed due to multiple safety concerns.

Ryan X-13 Vertijet. Vertical takeoff and landing thrilled the minds of aircraft manufacturers throughout the 20th century. The fact that conventional aircraft require long take-off runs and runways severely reduces their effectiveness on the battlefield. One of the smartest and most unique attempts to solve this problem was made in 1953 when Navy The United States contracted Ryan Aeronautical to create an aircraft that could take off vertically, go level, and then land vertically. Only two X-13s were built before the project was frozen.

Aerocycle De Lackner HZ-1. Reconnaissance is one of the main tasks of air support, but using an entire aircraft for terrain reconnaissance looks like an irrational use of resources. Or at least that's what the creators of De Lackner HZ-1 thought, a single-seat flying platform controlled by tilting in different directions. The army acquired several units for testing, but as it turned out, managing them is more difficult than initially thought. In addition, the rotors located under the bottom tended to lift rocks and dirt from the surface directly into the pilot's face if the flight was carried out at too low an altitude.