The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world. Russian hypersonic aircraft

An ordinary passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km / h. A jet fighter can develop about three times the speed. However, modern engineers from Russia and other countries of the world are actively developing even faster cars - hypersonic aircraft. What is the specificity of the relevant concepts?

Criteria for hypersonic aircraft

What is a hypersonic aircraft? By such a device is understood to be capable of flying at a speed many times greater than that for sound. The approaches of researchers to the definition of its specific indicator vary. The methodology is widely used, according to which the aircraft should be considered hypersonic, if it is multiple of the speed indicators of the fastest modern supersonic vehicles. Which are about 3-4 thousand km / h. That is, hypersonic aircraft, if you adhere to this methodology, should develop a speed of 6 thousand km / h.

Unmanned and controlled vehicles

The approaches of researchers can also differ in the aspect of determining the criteria for classifying an aircraft as an apparatus. There is a version that only those cars that are managed by a person are legitimate. There is a point of view according to which an unmanned vehicle can also be considered an airplane. Therefore, some analysts classify machines of this type into those that are subject to human control, and those that operate 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 the person at the helm of the vehicle is sitting or the machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the aircraft is sufficiently fast.

Is take-off independent or with help from outside?

The classification of hypersonic aircraft is widespread, based on the classification of those that are capable of taking off independently, or those that suggest placing on a more powerful carrier - a rocket or a cargo plane. There is a point of view according to which it is lawful to attribute to the apparatus of the type in question principally those that are capable of taking off independently or with the minimum use of other types of equipment. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft - speed, should be paramount in any classification. Whether the device is classified as unmanned, controlled, capable of taking off alone or with the help of other machines - if the corresponding indicator reaches the above values, then it means that it is a hypersonic airplane.

The main problems of hypersonic solutions

The concepts of hypersonic solutions are many decades old. Throughout the years of developing the appropriate type of apparatus, world engineers have solved a number of significant problems objectively preventing the production of "hypersonic" on the flow - similar to the organization of 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 apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in those values that we have considered above implies a strong heating of the hull due to friction about the atmosphere.

Today we will consider several examples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the appropriate type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in the successful resolution of these problems. We now study the most famous world developments in the development of hypersonic aircraft of this type.

The fastest plane from Boeing

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 a speed exceeding 11 thousand km / h. That is about 9.6 times faster than the speed of sound.

What is especially notable for the hypersonic aircraft X-43A? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

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

- the wingspan is 1.5 m;

- length of the body - 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 hypersonic aircraft X-43A was developed jointly by NASA engineers, as well as companies Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. The aircraft was created for about 10 years. In its development was invested about 250 million dollars. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft under consideration is that it was conceived with the aim of testing the newest technology for providing propulsion traction.

Developed by Orbital Science

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

Its maximum speed is more than 12 thousand km / h. However, in the course of practical tests it was not achieved - moreover, it was not possible to reach the index, which is shown by the aircraft X43-A. The aircraft under consideration is accelerated by the use of the Pegasus rocket, which operates on solid fuel. The X-34 was first tested in 2001. The aircraft in question is significantly larger than Boeing's - its length is 17.78 m, the wingspan is 8.85 m. The maximum altitude of the hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 km.

Aircraft from North American

Another famous hypersonic aircraft - X-15, released by North American. This device analysts refer to the experimental.

It is equipped with rocket engines, which gives rise to some experts not to attribute it, in fact, to the class of 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 is to study the specifics of hypersonic flights, to evaluate some or other design decisions, new materials, the features of controlling similar machines in different layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that the concept of the project was approved in 1954. The X-15 is flying at a speed of more than 7 thousand km / h. The range of its flight is more than 500 km, the height exceeds 100 km.

Fastest production aircraft

The hypersonic devices studied by us actually belong to the research category. It will be useful to consider some serial models of aircraft that are approximate in characteristics to hypersonic or are (by one or another methodology) them.

Among such machines is the American development SR-71. This aircraft some researchers are not inclined to attribute to hypersonic, because its maximum speed is about 3.7 thousand km / h. Among the most notable of its characteristics is the take-off mass, 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 develop a speed of more than 3,3 thousand km / h. The maximum take-off weight of the Russian aircraft is 41 tons.

Thus, in the market of serial solutions, approximated by characteristics to hypersonic, RF - among the leaders. But what about the Russian developments in the part of the "classic" hypersonic aircraft? Are engineers from the Russian Federation able to create a solution competitive with cars from Boeing and Orbital Scence?

Russian hypersonic devices

At the moment, the Russian hypersonic aircraft is under development. But it goes quite actively. We are talking about the U-71 aircraft. According to media reports, his first tests were conducted in February 2015 near Orenburg.

It is assumed that the aircraft will be used for military purposes. So, the hypersonic apparatus can, if necessary, carry out the delivery of damaging assets over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element of assault aviation. Some researchers believe that in 2020-2025. The Strategic Missile Forces will receive about 20 aircraft of the appropriate type.

There is information in the media that the hypersonic aircraft of Russia under consideration will be located on the ballistic missile "Sarmat", which is also at the design stage. Some analysts believe that the U-71 hypersonic device under development is nothing more than a warhead, which will have to be separated from the ballistic missile in the final part of the flight, then, to overcome ABM systems, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of the aircraft.

The Ajax Project

Among the most notable projects related to the development of hypersonic airplanes is Ajax. Let's study it in more detail. Hypersonic aircraft "Ajax" is a conceptual development of Soviet engineers. In the scientific environment, talk about it began in the 80's. Among the most noteworthy characteristics is the presence of a thermal protection system, which is designed to protect the case from overheating. Thus, the developers of the apparatus "Ajax" proposed a solution to one of the "hypersonic" problems, indicated by us above.

The traditional scheme of thermal protection of aircraft requires the placement of special materials on the hull. The developers of "Ajax" proposed a different concept, according to which it was not supposed to protect the device from external heating, but to let the heat inside the machine while simultaneously increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet apparatus was the hypersonic aircraft Aurora, created in the United States. However, in connection with the fact that the designers from the USSR significantly expanded the concept's capabilities, the new development was assigned the widest range of tasks, in particular, research. We can say that Ajax is a hypersonic multipurpose aircraft.

Consider in more detail the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.

So, the Soviet developers of "Ajax" proposed to use the heat, arising as a result of friction of the hull of the aircraft about the atmosphere, to convert into useful energy. Technically, this could be realized by placing additional shells on the apparatus. As a result, something like a second body was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with a certain catalyst, for example, a mixture of combustible material and water. A thermal insulation layer made of hard material was supposed to be replaced in Ajax by a liquid one, which, on the one hand, had to protect the engine, on the other hand it would promote a catalytic reaction, which, however, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - heat transfer from the outside Parts of the body inside. Theoretically cooling of external parts of apparatus could be anything. Excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used to improve the efficiency of the engine of the aircraft. In this case, this technology would allow the generation of free hydrogen due to the reaction of fuel and species.

At the moment, information about the continuation of the development of Ajax is not available to the general public, but researchers consider it very promising to introduce Soviet concepts into practice.

Chinese hypersonic devices

The competitor of Russia and the US in the market of hypersonic solutions is China. Among the most famous developments of engineers from China - the aircraft WU-14. It is a hypersonic controlled glider placed on a ballistic missile.

ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the car sharply dives down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese device can be mounted on different ICBMs with a range of 2 to 12 thousand km. It is established that during the tests the WU-14 was able to develop a speed exceeding 12 thousand km / h, thus turning into the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.

However, many researchers believe that the Chinese development is not entirely legitimate to classify aircraft. So, the version on which the device should be classified as a warhead is common. And very effective. When flying down at a marked speed, even the most advanced missile defense systems can not guarantee the interception of the corresponding target.

It can be noted that Russia and the United States are also engaged in the development of hypersonic devices used for military purposes. At the same time, the Russian concept, according to which it is supposed to create cars of the appropriate type, differs significantly from the technological principles realized by Americans and Chinese, according to some media. So, the developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraft equipped with a straight-flow engine capable of launching from the ground. Russia plans to cooperate in this direction with India. Hypersonic devices created according to the Russian concept, as some analysts believe, are characterized by a lower cost and wider scope of application.

At the same time, Russia's hypersonic aircraft, about which we said above (Yu-71), suggests, as some analysts believe, just the same placement on the ICBM. If this thesis turns out to be correct, then it will be possible to say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working on two popular conceptual directions in the construction of hypersonic aircraft.

Summary

So, probably the fastest hypersonic airplane in the world, if we talk about aircraft irrespective of their classification, it's still a Chinese device WU-14. Although it is necessary to understand that the real information about it, including those concerning tests, can be classified. This is consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often at all costs tend to keep their military technology in secret. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is over 12,000 km / h. His "catching up" with the American development of the X-43A - many experts consider it to be the fastest one. Theoretically, the hypersonic aircraft X-43A, 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.

Characteristics of the Russian aircraft Yu-71 are not yet known to the general public. It is possible that they will be close to the parameters of the Chinese aircraft. Russian engineers are also developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of taking off not on an ICBM basis, but on its own.

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

The case for the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that allow to organize the serial 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 industry.

As the technology of production of the corresponding machines becomes cheaper, the transport business may begin to show interest in investing in similar projects. Industrial corporations, suppliers of various services can begin to consider "hypersound" as a tool to enhance the competitiveness of business in the organization of international communications.