The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world. Russian hypersonic aircraft

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

An ordinary passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km/h. A jet fighter jet can reach about 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 respective concepts?

Criteria for a hypersonic aircraft

What is a hypersonic aircraft? By such it is customary to understand an apparatus capable of flying at a speed many times higher than that for sound. Researchers' approaches to determining its specific indicator vary. There is a widespread methodology according to which 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 follow this methodology, should reach speeds of 6,000 km/h.

Unmanned andcontrolled 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 considered 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, since unmanned vehicles can 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 does not matter whether a person is sitting at the helm of the device or a machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the plane is fast enough.

Takeoff - solo or assisted?

A classification of hypersonic aircraft is common, which is based on classifying them as those that can take off independently, 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 legitimate to refer to the devices of the type under consideration mainly those that are capable of taking off independently or with minimal involvement of other types of equipment. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft is speed shouldbe paramount in any classification. Whether it is classifying the device 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 vehicles, world engineers have been solving a number of significant problems that objectively prevent the production of "hypersound" from being put on stream - similar to organizing the production of turboprop aircraft.

The main difficulty in the design of hypersonic aircraft is the creation of an engine that can be sufficiently energy efficient. Another problem is the alignment of the necessary thermal protection of the apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in the values that we considered above implies a strong heating of the hull due to friction against the atmosphere.

Today we will look at several samples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the corresponding type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in successfully solving the problems noted. Let us now study the most famous world developments in terms of creating hypersonic aircraft of the type in question.

Boeing's fastest plane

The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, according to some experts, is the American Boeing X-43A. So, during the testing of this device, it was recorded that it reached the speedexceeding 11 thousand km / h. That is about 9.6 times the speed of sound.

What is special about the X-43A hypersonic aircraft? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

- the maximum speed recorded in the tests - 11,230 km / h;

- wingspan - 1.5 m;

- case 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 involve the release of harmful combustion products.

The X-43A hypersonic aircraft was developed by the joint efforts of NASA engineers, as well as Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. The aircraft was created for about 10 years. About 250 million dollars were invested in its development. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft in question is that it was conceived in order to test the latest technology for ensuring the operation of motive thrust.

Developed by Orbital Science

Orbital Science, which, as we noted above, took part in the creation of the X-43A device, also managed to create its own hypersonic aircraft - X-34.

Its top speed is over 12,000 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. Considered aircraftthe device accelerates 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 device from Boeing - its length is 17.78 m, the wingspan is 8.85 m. The maximum flight altitude of the hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 kilometers.

Aircraft from North American

Another well-known hypersonic aircraft is the X-15, produced by North American. Analysts refer to this apparatus as experimental.

It is equipped with rocket engines, which gives some experts reason not to classify it as an aircraft. However, the presence of rocket engines allows the device, in particular, to make suborbital flights. So, during one of the tests in this mode, it was tested by pilots. The purpose of the X-15 apparatus 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 the concept of the project was approved in 1954. X-15 flies at a speed of more than 7 thousand km / h. 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 serial samples of aircraft that are close in characteristics to hypersonic or are (according to one method or another) hypersonic.

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 takeoff weight, which exceeds 77 tons. The length of the apparatus is more than 23 m, the wingspan is more than 13 m.

One of the fastest military aircraft is the Russian MiG-25. The device can reach speeds of more than 3, 3 thousand km / h. The maximum takeoff weight of the Russian aircraft is 41 tons.

Thus, in the market of serial solutions, close in characteristics to hypersonic ones, the Russian Federation is among the leaders. But what can be said about Russian developments in terms of "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 she is quite active. We are talking about the Yu-71 aircraft. Its first tests, judging by media reports, were carried out in February 2015 near Orenburg.

The aircraft is expected to be used for military purposes. Thus, a hypersonic vehicle will be able, if necessary, to deliver striking weapons over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element of attack aviation. Some researchers believe that in 2020-2025. the Strategic Missile Forces will receive about 20 aircraftappropriate type.

There is information in the media that the Russian hypersonic aircraft under consideration will be placed on the Sarmat ballistic missile, which is also at the design stage. Some analysts believe that the Yu-71 hypersonic vehicle under development is nothing more than a warhead that will have to separate from a ballistic missile in the final flight segment, so that, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of an aircraft, it can overcome missile defense systems.

Project Ajax

Among the most noteworthy 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, talk 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 have identified above.

The traditional scheme of thermal protection of aircraft involves the placement of 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 heating, but to let heat into the car, while increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet apparatus was considered the Aurora hypersonic aircraft, created in the United States. However, due to the fact that designers from the USSR have significantly expanded the possibilitiesconcept, the new development was entrusted with the widest range of tasks, in particular, research. We can say that Ajax is a hypersonic multipurpose aircraft.

Let's take a closer look at the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.

So, the Soviet developers of Ajax proposed to use the heat generated as a result of the friction of the aircraft body against the atmosphere, to convert it into useful energy. Technically, this could be implemented by placing additional shells on the apparatus. As a result, something like a second building was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with some kind of catalyst, for example, a mixture of combustible material and water. The heat-insulating layer made of a 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 hand, would contribute to a catalytic reaction, which, meanwhile, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - the movement of heat from the outside body parts inside. Theoretically, the cooling of the external parts of the apparatus could be anything. Excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used in order to increase the efficiency of the aircraft engine. At the same time, this technology would make it possible to generate free hydrogen species due to the reaction of fuel.

At the moment, there is no information available to the general public about the continuation of the development of Ajax, but researchers consider it very promising to put Soviet concepts into practice.

Chinese hypersonic vehicles

CompetitorRussia and the USA in the market of hypersonic solutions is China. Among the most famous developments of engineers from China is the WU-14 aircraft. It is a hypersonic glider mounted on a ballistic missile.

ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the machine dives sharply down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese apparatus can be mounted on various ICBMs with a range of 2,000 to 12,000 km. It was found that during the tests, the WU-14 was able to reach speeds in excess of 12 thousand km / h, thus turning into the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.

At the same time, many researchers believe that the Chinese development is not entirely legitimate to attribute to the class of aircraft. So, the version is widespread, according to which the device should be classified precisely as a warhead. And very effective. When flying down at a marked speed, even the most modern missile defense systems will not be able to guarantee the 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 corresponding type, differs significantly, as evidenced by data in some media, from the technological principles implemented by the Americans and the Chinese. So, developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraftvehicles equipped with a ramjet engine capable of being launched from the ground. Russia is planning cooperation in this direction with India. Hypersonic devices, created according to the Russian concept, according to some analysts, are characterized by lower cost and a wider scope.

At the same time, the Russian hypersonic aircraft, which we mentioned above (Yu-71), suggests, according to some analysts, just the same placement on ICBMs. If this thesis turns out to be true, then it will be possible to say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working simultaneously in two popular conceptual areas in the construction of hypersonic aircraft.

CV

So, probably the fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, if we talk about aircraft, regardless of their classification, this is still the Chinese WU-14. Although you need to understand that real information about him, including those related to tests, can be classified. This is consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often strive to keep their military technology secret at all costs. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is over 12,000 km/h. It is "catching up" with the American development of the X-43A - many experts consider it to be the fastest. Theoretically, the X-43A hypersonic aircraft, 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 possible that they will be close to the parametersChinese aircraft. Russian engineers are also developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of taking off not on the basis of ICBMs, but independently.

Current projects of researchers from Russia, China and the USA are somehow connected with the military sphere. Hypersonic aircraft, regardless of their possible classification, are considered primarily as carriers of weapons, most likely nuclear ones. However, in the works of researchers from around the world there are theses that "hypersound", like nuclear technology, may well be peaceful.

It's about the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that allow you to organize mass production of machines of the appropriate type. The use of such devices is possible in the widest range of branches of economic development. The greatest demand for hypersonic aircraft is likely to be found in the space and research industries.

As the cost of manufacturing technologies for the corresponding machines becomes cheaper, transport businesses may begin to show interest in investing in such projects. Industrial corporations, providers of various services may begin to consider "hypersound" as a tool to increase the competitiveness of business in terms of organizing international communications.