TsAGI continues testing the heavy transport aircraft

23 October 2018

Specialists of the the Zhukovsky Central AeroHydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI ) continue testing the heavy transport aircraft, the integrated circuit model.

The scientists ran ground-effect tests and proved the dependence of aerodynamic characteristics on the flight altitude above the screen, simulating ground surface. The Institute specialists also identified flying quality parameters changing in comparison with off-screen testing results.

“The ground effect occurs when the wing approaches the surface,” said Alexander Krutov, junior researcher in the TsAGI Department of transport aircraft aerodynamics. “The usual aircraft is flying at altitudes of 9-12 km., this phenomenon appears at takeoff and landing, negatively effecting the flying quality. Our development is in fact an aerodynamic ground-effect craft. It uses the positive aspects of this phenomenon, making cruising flight at low altitude over water or land. Lifting capacity is growing and drag inductive component decreasing. As a result the aerodynamic quality almost doubles.”

The test results will be used in the formulation of solutions to improve the aerodynamic layout. The next scheduled phase of experimentation will be visualization of the airfoil flow on the airplane model.

The advanced heavy transport aircraft of integrating circuit is designed for intercontinental transportation (up to 6 thousand km) of a large volume of cargo (up to 500 tons), including standard containers. They will be placed in a wing cell and loaded via flap doors in the front sections of the aircraft’s central part.

The aircraft is planned to be used on existing runways. Such an aircraft flies primarily at an altitude of 3-12 m above water, ice or land. These surfaces create a screen effect, which increases the aerodynamic quality. It results in an increase in range and fuel (natural compressed gas) economy.

Such an aircraft could be used for heavy transport, both domestic and international.

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