TsAGI Department for Test Facilities Development Celebrates 60-Year Anniversary
18 October 2022
To determine aerodynamics of any aircraft, to study its spin resistance, to test the strength and to prove the lifecycle—this is not the exhaustive list of TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”) test base capabilities. The unique facilities were born by the work of several generations of top aerospace scientists. TsAGI Research Department for Wind Tunnels and Test Benches Designs has been responsible for these issues for 60 years.
A conference was held late September at TsAGI Center for Culture, Communication and Technology, timed to coincide with anniversary of the Department. It was represented by Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS, Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS, Omsk State Technical University, State Marine Technical University, Spetsmashmontazh Zhukovsky Assembly Company, etc.
‘The history of the Department is closely intertwined with the development chronicle of our Institute and its main capabilities—the experimental base which has over 60 installations today; many of them are internationally unique. This is a reliable basis for implementing the most challenging projects for domestic aerospace industry and for achieving the strategic goal of providing the national technological sovereignty,’ said Kirill Sypalo, Director General of TsAGI, Corresponding Member of the RAS, in his welcoming speech.
The participants were also addressed by Sergey Chernyshev, Chief Scientific Officer at TsAGI and Academician of the RAS. He emphasized the Department’s achievements in development, design and creation of new test facilities. Sergey Chernyshev highlighted the contribution by Heads of the Department in keeping and enhancing the accumulated experience and human resources.
Nikolai Batura, Head of TsAGI Research Department for Wind Tunnels and Test Benches Designs, reported on the Department’s contribution to the development and creation of some wind tunnels, gas-dynamic facilities, and strength test facilities stands, such as reverberation chambers and heat-strength vacuum chambers for testing objects of aerospace equipment, etc.
In the recent years, the Department has been working to greatly renovate the aerodynamic laboratories, including one of the most demanded supersonic wind tunnel. A test bench was designed for advanced aircraft composite wing strength tests; the bench is being created now. The Department was also involved in creation of a highly-efficient
Other major studies that Department was involved in relate to flight safety and passenger aircraft explosive decompression ground tests. The studies provided successful static and lifecycle tests of domestic aircraft.
Currently, the Department is working to provide the technological advance aimed at creation of new-generation wind tunnels. So the Research Department for Wind Tunnels and Test Benches Designs remains a vital department at the Institute. The Department provides continuous improvement and development of TsAGI tests facilities and technological base, reconstruction and update of the existing facilities, and the development of new test facilities for aerospace enterprises.