IN modern world There are more and more aircraft with any characteristics and power. Engineers everywhere are trying to solve the main problems associated with this type of transport: reduce fuel consumption, increase range, simplify takeoff and landing, but without sacrificing space and interior area.
Perhaps everyone is accustomed to seeing an airplane accelerating along the runway - this is a difficult task, and the pilots themselves say that the success of the flight as a whole largely depends on takeoff and landing. But wouldn’t it be more logical to imagine how this procedure would be simplified if the plane simply rose up, vertically? However, in the wider discussion, such options are not particularly visible anywhere. Is a vertical take-off aircraft a myth, a reality, or perhaps far-reaching plans behind which lies the future of aviation? It's worth looking into it in more detail.
STOVL F-35B short take-off and vertical landing fighter
First of all, you need to know that a vertical take-off and landing aircraft really exists. The first models began to appear simultaneously with the development of jet aviation, and since then they have been haunting engineers all over the world. In time, this coincides with the second half of the last century. They had a very telling name - “ turboflights" Since there was a boom in military technology development at that time, engineers were required to develop a device that would lift air with minimal effort or even from a vertical position. Such aircraft do not require a runway, which means they can take off from anywhere and in any conditions, even from the mast of a ship.
All these projects coincided with others, no less important, related to space exploration. The overall symbiosis allowed us to double our efforts and draw ideas from space design. As a result, the first vertical device was released in 1955. We can say that it was one of the strangest buildings in the history of technology. The plane had no wings or tail - only an engine (turbojet), a bulb-shaped cabin, and fuel baths. The engine was made at the bottom. The following features of the first turboflight can be highlighted:
- Lifting due to the jet stream from the engine.
- Control via gas rudders.
- The weight of the first device is a little more than 2000 kilograms.
- Traction – 2800 kilograms.
Since such an aircraft could not be called either stable or controllable, the first tests were fraught with great risk to life. Despite this, a demonstration of the device took place in Tushino, and it was successful. This all provided the basis for further research in this area, although the aircraft itself was far from ideal. But the information served to create a new project. It was the first Russian vertical take-off aircraft called the Yak-38.
History of the creation of vertical aircraft in Russia and other countries
Many engineers and designers still argue that turbojet engines, which began to be actively used and improved in the 50s, made it possible to make many discoveries that are still used today. One of them is active testing. vertical devices. A special contribution was made by the development of this area, or rather, reactive devices, in countries that were considered advanced at the time. Since jet aircraft had enormous speeds during landing and takeoff, very long, large and high-quality runways were accordingly used for them. And this means additional expenses, equipment of new airfields, inconvenience in war time. A vertical aircraft could solve all these problems.
It was in the 50s that various samples were created. But they were designed in one or two versions, no more, because it was still not possible to create them completely suitable options. After all, rising into the air, they crashed. Despite the failures, the NATO commission in the 60s gave this direction priority as extremely promising. There were attempts to create competitions, but each country focused on its own developments. So, the following devices from all over the world saw the light:
- "Mirage" III V;
- Germany VJ-101C;
- XFV-12A.
In the USSR, the Yak-36 became such a turboflight, and then 38. Its development began in the same years, and a special pavilion was created for testing. After 6 years the first flight took place. That is, the plane took off vertically, assumed a horizontal position, and then landed vertically. Since the tests were successful, the 38th model was created, and then Russia introduced the Yak-141 and 201 vertical take-off aircraft in the nineties.
"Mirage" III V
Airplane Germany VJ-101C
XFV-12A aircraft
Design Features
The fuselage in such devices can be located vertically or horizontally. But in both cases there are jet models and with propellers. Quite powerful aircraft with a vertical fuselage that use thrust from the main engine. Another option is ring wings, which also gives good results during ascent and flight.
If we talk in more detail about the horizontal fuselage, then they often make rotary wings. Another variation is when the propellers are located at the end of the wings. There may also be a rotary type motor. In England they were also actively working on similar devices. They were actively developing a project called innovative, implemented using two engines with a thrust of 1800 kilograms. In the end, even this did not save the plane from an accident.
Now all over the world work is underway to develop not a military, but a civil vertical aircraft. In theory, these are excellent prospects, because then planes will be able to easily fly even to small cities where there are no large and expensive aircraft, and takeoff and landing will be much easier. But in reality, there are many disadvantages to this technology and idea.
Why have vertical aircraft not yet found widespread use?
Unfortunately, all developments, even if they had good results, cannot boast of reliability. The propeller blades, which help make vertical take-off, are striking in their size. Together with powerful engines, they create unimaginable noise. Also, from a design point of view, it is necessary to avoid any possible obstacles in their path and to prevent the ingress of various objects.
No matter how you look at it, it is impossible to remove the speed limit. It’s just that, according to the laws of physics, such an aircraft will not be able to move as fast as modern ones. And if military vehicles can reach a fantastic speed of 1000 kilometers per hour in their case, then with an increase in mass and size for civil aviation, the figure drops to 700 and below kilometers per hour.
In contact with
According to the layout diagram
According to the position of the fuselage during takeoff and landing.
- Vertical position (so-called tailsitter):
- with propellers (example: Convair XFY Pogo, Lockheed XFV);
- reactive;
- with direct use of thrust from the main gun jet engine(example - X-13 Vertijet);
- with a ringed wing (coleopterus);
- Horizontal position:
- with screws;
- with a rotating wing and propellers (XC-142);
- with rotating wingtip propellers/fans (V-22 Osprey, Bell X-22);
- with jet deflection from the propellers;
- reactive;
- with rotary motors (Bell D-188);
- with deflection of the gas jet of a sustainer jet engine (Hawker Siddeley Harrier);
- with lifting engines (Dassault Mirage IIIV);
- with screws;
History of the creation and development of VTOL aircraft
The development of GDP aircraft first began in the 1950s, when the appropriate technical level of turbojet and turboprop engine construction was achieved, which aroused widespread interest in aircraft of this type both among potential military users and in design bureaus. A significant impetus for the development of VTOL aircraft was the widespread use in the Air Force various countries high-speed jet fighters with high takeoff and landing speeds. Such combat aircraft required long runways with a hard surface: it was obvious that in the event of large-scale military operations, a significant part of these airfields, especially front-line ones, would be quickly disabled by the enemy. Thus, military customers were interested in aircraft that could take off and land vertically on any small platform, that is, virtually independent of airfields. Largely thanks to such interest of representatives of the army and navy of the leading world powers, dozens of experimental aircraft were created. different systems. Most of the structures were manufactured in 1-2 copies, which, as a rule, suffered accidents already during the first tests, and no further research was carried out on them. The NATO technical commission, which announced the requirements for a vertical take-off and landing fighter-bomber in June 1961, thereby gave impetus to the development of supersonic aircraft in Western countries. It was assumed that in the 1960s - 70s, NATO countries would need about 5 thousand of these aircraft, the first of which would enter service in 1967. The forecast of such a large number of products caused the emergence of six GDP aircraft projects:
- P.1150 the English company "Hawker-Siddley" and the West German "Focke-Wulf";
- VJ-101 West German Southern Association “EWR-Süd” (“Belkow”, “Heinkel”, “Messerschmitt”);
- D-24 the Dutch company Fokker and the American Republic;
- G-95 Italian company"Fiat";
- Mirage III V French company "Dassault";
- F-104G in the version of the GDP of the American company Lockheed together with the English companies Short and Rolls-Royce.
After all the projects were approved, a competition was to take place, in which, from all those proposed, they had to choose best project to launch into mass production, however, even before the projects were submitted to the competition, it became clear that it would not take place. It turned out that each state has its own concept of the future aircraft, different from others, and will not agree to the monopoly of one company or group of companies. For example, the British military did not support their companies, but French project, Germany supported the Lockheed project and so on. However, the final straw was France, which declared that, regardless of the results of the competition, they would work on their Mirage III V aircraft project.
Political, technical and tactical problems influenced the change in the concept of the NATO commission, which developed new requirements. The creation of multi-purpose aircraft began. In this situation, only two of the presented projects reached the preliminary design: Mirage III V aircraft, financed by the French government, and VJ-101C aircraft, financed by West German industry. These aircraft were manufactured in 3 and 2 copies, respectively, and were tested (4 of them died in accidents) until 1966 and 1971. In 1971, by order of the US Navy Aviation Command, work began on the third supersonic aircraft in Western countries - the American XFV-12A.
As a result, only the Sea-Harrier VTOL aircraft created and produced was actively and successfully used, incl. during the Falklands War. The modern development of VTOL aircraft is the American F-35, a fifth-generation fighter. In the development of the F-35 as a VTOL aircraft, Lockhead Martin applied a number of technological solutions implemented in the Yak-141.
VTOL program in the USSR and Russia
However, the disadvantages of VTOL aircraft also turned out to be significant. Piloting this type of aircraft is very difficult for the pilot and requires him to have the highest qualifications in piloting techniques. This especially affects flight in hovering and transition modes - at the moments of transition from hovering to horizontal flight and back. In fact, the pilot of a VTOL jet must transfer the lift force, and, accordingly, the weight of the machine - from the wing to the vertical gas jets of thrust or vice versa.
This feature of piloting technology puts complex tasks in front of the VTOL pilot. In addition, in hovering and transitional modes, VTOL aircraft are generally unstable and subject to lateral slip; the greatest danger at these moments is the possible failure of the lifting engines. Such a failure often caused accidents in serial and experimental VTOL aircraft. Disadvantages also include the significantly lower payload capacity and flight range of VTOL aircraft compared to conventional aircraft, high fuel consumption in vertical flight modes, the overall complexity and high cost of VTOL aircraft design, and destruction of runway surfaces by hot gas engine exhaust.
These factors, as well as a sharp increase in oil prices (and, accordingly, aviation fuel) on the world market in the 70s of the 20th century led to the practical cessation of developments in the field of passenger and transport jet VTOL aircraft.
Of the many proposed VTOL jet transport projects, only one was practically completed and tested [ ] Dornier Do 31 aircraft, however, this aircraft was not mass-produced. Based on all of the above, the prospects for widespread development and mass use of jet VTOL aircraft are very doubtful. At the same time, there is a modern design tendency to move away from the traditional reactive circuit in favor of VTOL aircraft with a propeller-driven group (usually tiltrotors): in particular, such machines include the currently mass-produced Bell V-22 Osprey and being developed on its basis
The “Achilles heel” of modern military aviation is airfields. Not even so much them as runways. The most sophisticated combat aircraft of the latest generation will become useless if the enemy destroys it. Any modern army has a dozen means to carry out such an operation. The above is especially relevant for front-line aviation.
But there is a very simple solution to this problem: make sure that the plane does not need a runway at all. It's about about vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which are capable of flying into the sky literally from a tiny spot.
Designers have been thinking about creating such an aircraft for a long time; the development of VTOL aircraft projects began shortly after the beginning of the aviation era. But technical capabilities did not allow engineers to make their dreams come true.
The first Soviet vertical take-off and landing aircraft was the Yak-36, which took off in 1966. The continuation of this project was the serial Yak-38.
VTOL developments were more successful in the UK. Already in 1960, the Hawker company created a prototype aircraft that could make a vertical takeoff. One of the main components of the success of this project was the creation by Rolls-Royce of a unique engine capable of developing 3600 kilograms of thrust into four rotary nozzles, which ensured the takeoff of the car. In 1969, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1 VTOL aircraft was adopted by the Royal Air Force. Today, the Harrier is already several generations of combat aircraft that are in service with a number of countries (including England and the USA), which have participated in combat operations and have high performance characteristics.
In the USSR, the fate of vertical take-off and landing aircraft is closely connected with the development of the program (projects 1143) for the construction of aircraft-carrying cruisers - ships that had both missile and aviation weapons.
Back in the mid-70s, the development of a carrier-based VTOL fighter began, capable of protecting the ship from enemy air raids. The experience of creating “vertical systems” in the USSR was only in the Yakovlev Design Bureau, and this experience cannot be called too positive.
The Yak-38, adopted by the USSR Navy, had a very low thrust-to-weight ratio and was equipped with three engines at once. The designers had to make the car as light as possible; they even removed the on-board radar. The engines did not want to work synchronously; in southern latitudes they simply did not start. The aircraft could only carry small-caliber bombs and unguided missiles, which reduced its combat value to almost zero. Disasters constantly occurred with these planes.
In addition, to reduce take-off weight, the Yak-38 was forced to take a limited supply of fuel, which significantly reduced its range.
The project to create a new VTOL aircraft, the Yak-141, for the needs of the fleet began in 1975. State tests were scheduled for 1982. The new aircraft was conceived as a supersonic fighter; initially it was planned to be equipped with a single engine, but later preference was given to an aircraft with a combined power plant.
The Yak-141 aircraft was supposed to enter service with the aircraft-carrying cruisers (TAKR) Baku, Ulyanovsk, Riga and Tbilisi. It was also planned to equip the Minsk and Kyiv aircraft carriers with a new fighter after the modernization of these ships. The Yak-141 was supposed to replace the outdated and unsuccessful Yak-38.
The power plant consisted of three engines: two lifting RD-41 and one lifting and sustaining R-79. The operation of the power plant was controlled electronically; it could provide the Yak-141 with a vertical or short take-off from the ship's deck.
In 1980, the military slightly changed their requirements for the future aircraft: it should be multi-purpose - capable of not only destroying air targets, but also striking at enemy ships and ground targets. That is, to perform the functions of an attack aircraft.
Due to problems with the engines, tests of the Yak-141 were constantly postponed. They began only in 1987, and by 1990 four fighter prototypes had been built. Full tests of takeoff and landing on the ship's deck took place in September 1991. During the testing period, 12 world records for speed and load capacity were set. During testing, one of the aircraft crashed. The pilot ejected, but the aircraft could not be restored. The cause of the accident was pilot error.
This aircraft became not only an important stage in the development of the domestic aircraft industry, but also a landmark machine in the history of world aviation - the first vertical take-off and landing aircraft to break the sound barrier. It should be noted that the Yak-141 is capable of taking off vertically with a full combat load.
This plane was very unlucky; it appeared precisely at the moment when the huge country was already living out its last months, and the economy was falling into the abyss. Having bitter experience in operating the Yak-38, the military was very distrustful of vertical aircraft. Not the least role in the inglorious end of this promising project was played by the accident of the Yak-141 during testing. In 1992, there was no money to continue work on this very promising aircraft.
The Yakovlev Design Bureau created projects for two more VTOL aircraft: the Yak-43 and the Yak-201, but they remained on paper. The developers tried to offer new car foreign buyers, but there were no orders. There was a short collaboration with the Americans (Lockheed Martin), but it also ended in vain.
In 2003, the Yak-141 fighter project was officially closed.
Description
The Yak-141 is a high-wing aircraft, it is made according to a normal aerodynamic design and is equipped with a combined power plant. 26% of the aircraft fuselage is made of composite materials, some of the elements are made of heat-resistant titanium-based alloys. The body actively uses aluminum-lithium alloys, which are lighter in weight.
The aircraft fuselage is a semi-monocoque type with rectangular cross-section. The lifting and propulsion engine is located in its rear section, and two more lifting engines are located in the bow, directly behind the pilot’s cabin. The forward part of the fuselage has a pointed shape.
The wings are trapezoidal in shape, highly positioned with straight sweep and root sagging. The wing is designed in such a way that the aircraft can reach supersonic speeds, conduct maneuverable air combat and carry out long cruising flights.
The tail unit is double-finned and consists of rudders and all-moving stabilizers. It is attached to two remote beams, between which there is a nozzle of the lifting propulsion engine.
The air intakes are rectangular in shape and located immediately behind the cockpit. Air flow is controlled using a horizontal wedge.
The landing gear is three-legged and can withstand a plane falling from a height of five meters.
The Yak-141 power plant includes two lifting motor(PD) RD-41 and one sustainer-lift (PMD) R-79. Also, during vertical take-off maneuvers, jet rudders are used, which are powered by the lift-propulsion engine. In its design, the Yak-141 is close to the modern American VTOL aircraft F-35B, which is also equipped with a combined power plant.
The RD-41 lift engines are located at the front of the aircraft, in a special compartment, immediately behind the pilot’s cabin. During horizontal flight or when parked, the engines are closed with special flaps at the top and bottom. During takeoff or landing, they open, providing air to the engines and opening the nozzles. The engines are installed at an angle of 10° to the vertical, the nozzles can deviate ±12.5° vertically from the engine axis. The RD-41 is a single-circuit, single-shaft turbojet engine; it can operate at speeds not exceeding 550 km/h.
The R79V-300 lift-propulsion engine is a bypass turbojet engine with an afterburner and variable thrust vectoring. It is located at the rear of the aircraft body. The rotors of this engine rotate in different sides, the compressors are characterized by increased gas-dynamic stability; the combustion chamber contains unique vortex burners. The engine nozzle is rotatable, with an adjustable cross-sectional area; it can deflect the thrust vector by 95°. The maximum thrust of the R79V-300 in afterburner is 15,500 kgf.
The Yak-141 can take off in three different ways: vertical, with a short run-up and with slipping (ultra-short take-off). During vertical takeoff, the nozzle of the main engine deflects to a maximum angle; during takeoff with a short takeoff run and slipping, it is 65°. When taking off with a slip, the takeoff length is six meters.
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The experimental vertical take-off and landing jet aircraft X-13 "Vertijet" was created for the US Air Force by Ryan Aeronautical in the mid-1950s. Two aircraft were built.
The first vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the X-13 "Vertijet", was built in 1955 and began ground testing at a US Air Force base, where it made a number of flights using auxiliary landing gear to allow conventional take-off and landing. Ground testing included 15 hours of bench testing in a vertical position and 10 hours in a horizontal position.
The first hovering flight of the VTOL X-13 "Vertijet" was made in early 1956, and the first flight with the transition from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight and then to vertical landing in November 1956.
In 1956, Ryan built the second experimental vertical take-off aircraft, the X-13, with a conventional three-wheel landing gear that took off with a running start, went into hover flight, and then made a rolling landing. In the process of testing the X-13 Vertijet aircraft, Ryan encountered a number of new problems, one of which was the need to overcome the gyroscopic effect of the rotating masses of the engine and gyroscopic precession affecting the directional and longitudinal control, which required the development of a system for the X-13 automatic stabilization. Another problem was flow stall on the delta wing at angles of attack of more than 30° during transient conditions, which caused instability in the aircraft's movement.
The X-13 "Vertijet" aircraft is tailless with a delta wing and one turbojet engine and does not have a conventional landing gear.
The fuselage is slightly elongated; the cockpit is located in the nose. When transitioning from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight and back, the pilot's seat can tilt forward by 70°. To improve visibility, especially during vertical takeoff and landing, the canopy had large area glazing, and a rearview mirror was installed in the cabin, like on a car.
The wing is triangular, high-mounted, of low aspect ratio, with a span of 6.4 m with a sweep along the leading edge of about 60°. Wing area - 17 m2, wing load 215 kg/m2. The wing has ailerons, and small vertical washers are installed at the ends of the wing.
A design feature of the X-13 "Vertijet" aircraft is the absence of landing gear. To take off and land an aircraft, a trolley with a ramp installed on it is used, the latter can be lifted by hydraulic power cylinders and assume a vertical position. When preparing an aircraft for takeoff, the ramp is lowered, the aircraft is placed on it, and then it is raised. The aircraft has a hook in the nose of the fuselage that hooks onto the tow cable on the ramp. In addition, on the experimental aircraft, auxiliary truss struts are installed on the central part of the fuselage, resting on the ramp. When the ramp rises to a vertical position, the plane hangs on the hook “like a bat.”
During a vertical take-off from a ramp to which the plane is suspended on a hook, the pilot increases engine thrust, the plane moves upward, the hook disengages from the cable and the plane rises vertically, and then gradually goes into horizontal flight.
Before landing, the pilot moves the aircraft from a horizontal to a vertical position, in which the aircraft is supported by engine thrust. When the thrust decreases, the plane descends, then, controlling the engine thrust and the gas and jet rudders, the pilot brings the plane to the ramp until the hook catches the cable. After this, the ramp, together with the aircraft, is lowered to a horizontal position.
In order for the pilot to accurately determine the distance to the ramp when approaching it, a measuring rod with divisions marked on it was installed on the ramp in a horizontal position. In addition, on top of the ramp there is a platform on which there is an operator giving hand signals to the pilot.
According to Ryan, this method of take-off and landing of vertical take-off aircraft provides a number of advantages, allowing the design of the aircraft to be significantly simplified, eliminating the need for a conventional landing gear, and saving on the weight of the structure. The ramp cart can also be used to transport the aircraft to combat areas and for maintenance.
The power plant of the X-13 "Vertijet" aircraft consists of one Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.28 turbojet engine installed in the rear fuselage, air enters the engine through the side air intakes. The engine thrust is 4540 kgf, which, with the aircraft's take-off weight of 3630 kg, allows for a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.25.
In level flight, the aircraft is controlled using ailerons and rudder. In vertical modes, the aircraft is controlled using gas rudders and a jet control system: jet nozzles are located at the ends of the wing, to which compressed air, taken from the compressor of a turbojet engine.
Both VTOL aircraft successfully passed flight tests, which were completed without any flight incidents in 1958, when the development of the X-13 "Vertijet" VTOL aircraft was discontinued by the Air Force, which preferred VTOL aircraft with a horizontal fuselage position. The total cost of development, construction and testing of two experimental VTOL X-13 exceeded $7 million. Nevertheless, the US Air Force and Navy have repeatedly returned to the VTOL design with a vertical fuselage, proposing its use for carrier-based fighters of light aircraft carriers taking off from rotary ramps .
Flight characteristics of the VTOL X-13 “Vertijet”
Crew, people: 1;
Length, m: 7.14;
Wingspan, m: 6.40;
Height, m: 4.62;
Empty weight, kg: 2424;
Maximum take-off weight, kg: 3272;
Powerplant: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine, takeoff thrust 4540 kgf;
Maximum speed, km/h: 560;
Range, km: 307;
Practical ceiling, m: 6100;
"Vertical take-off and landing aircraft: past, present, future"
Khramov Maxim Anatolievich
Work plan.
Introduction.
What is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft?
The past of VTOL aircraft.
Real VTOL
The expected future of VTOL aircraft.
Conclusion.
Introduction.
We are used to thinking that planes must take off, accelerating along the runway. But history knows many designs of vertical take-off and landing aircraft (for short, they are called VTOL aircraft). But only the British Harrier and its modifications became really widespread. I set a goal - in this work to talk about the development of VTOL aircraft in the past and to determine the likely paths of development of VTOL aircraft over the next 30-40 years (sixth generation).
What is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft?To begin with, I want to clarify what a Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft is. By this term I mean an aircraft with engines located in the fuselage and equipped with a thrust vector control system, which allows it to take off or land vertically, but does not deprive it of the ability to take off like a regular aircraft from the runway. Machines of exactly this type appeared only in the 50s, although before that there were projects for vertically taking off aircraft, but they were not implemented due to the complexity of the design. Traditional VTOL aircraft include the widely used Harrier, Yak-38, and, not widely used, the Yak-141 and F-35B. These machines had their disadvantages and their advantages.
Why did he appear?
The need for a VTOL aircraft of the type that I defined it appeared in the 50-60s,when the USSR was preparing for hostilities in Europe. American strategists logically assumed that if war broke out, the airfields would quickly be put out of action or, worse, captured. Air defensetook upon herselfpart of the tasks to counter Soviet aviation,helicopters also took on part of the tasks of supporting troops during retreat (the Bundeswehr would not be able to withstand superior forces Soviet army), but they were too imperfect for this, too slow, too fragile, too poorly armed. Therefore, an aircraft was required to support troops on the battlefield, and at the same time, to counter aircraft. The problem was fueled by the demands of fighter aircraft of that time on the length and quality of runways. Another way to use such aircraft could be installation on aircraft carriers laid down during the war,because Due to their small size, aircraft carriers could not accommodate contemporary carrier-based fighters. The task was set and the work began.
Past vertical takeoff landing aircraft
The first production vertical take-off and landing aircraft and the only one that actually took part in hostilities (the Falklands War) was the Harrier. It appeared thanks to the unique Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, which had not one, but four nozzles, spaced symmetrically on different sides, this minimized the “dead weight” of vertical takeoff and landing systems, but the nozzles, and, accordingly, the engine had to be installed at the center of mass , very close to the cabin. Thanks to its engine, the plane could use helicopter techniques in aerial combat, which saved it more than once, but put pressure on the pilot Additional requirements. Theoretically, with proper development of the engine and improvement of aerodynamics, it would be quite possible to achieve supersonic speed.
Domestic VTOL aircraft were initially designed simply as a response to Western ones, without a clear goal, but as a result they found application. The VTOL aircraft were intended to be used as carrier-based aircraft. Domestic VTOL aircraft Yak-38 and Yak-141 had a different system for obtaining verticality than the Harrier; they had three engines installed: two lifting and one lifting-propulsion, only their power differed. Despite the absence of fundamental differences, the aircraft turned out to be very different, both in characteristics and in appearance. The speed, range, and payload of the Yak-141 were many times greater than those of the Yak-38, which, due to its short range, even received the nickname “foremast defense aircraft.” This was caused by the low thrust-to-weight ratio of the Yak-38 and the general underdevelopment of the aircraft, which, in fact, was an experimental machine and was created as a transitional stage for testing the infrastructure and piloting techniques. Most accidents are due to lack of piloting experience. But the Yak-141 was not the pinnacle of progress in domestic VTOL aircraft; the Yak-43 project was developed on its basis. There is little information about this aircraft, but it is known that they planned to install an NK-25 bomber engine with a thrust of 25,000 kgf or a P134-300 with a thrust of 17,000 kgf. But one thing is certain - it was supposed to be an aircraft using technologies to reduce radar signature. This aircraft was supposed to be the most advanced VTOL aircraft.
The present vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
But perestroika and the subsequent collapse Soviet Union passed the banner of progress in this area to the United States, where at that time a new defense program JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) appeared. Under this program, which provided for the creation of a single fighter for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, two prototypes were presented: the X-35 from Lockheed Martin and the X-32 from Boeing. The Boeing prototype was a development of the ideas contained in the Harrier and, in my opinion, was more progressive. But due to a weaker engine, it lost to the prototype from Lockhod Martin, which received the designation F-35. The F-35, in general, is a cross between the Yak-141, F-22 Raptor and the development of the earlier F-24 project. From the Yak-141 he took the idea of a propulsion system, an engine with a nozzle rotating in a vertical plane and an additional motor. Separately, I would like to say about the rotors rotating in different directions; on the Yak this was done to compensate for the gyroscopic moment. He took the tail unit from the F-22 Raptor. From the F-24, the nose section with air intakes and cockpit. New was the trapezoidal wing. There were three different versions: the F-35B for the Marine Corps to replace the AV-8B Harrier II, the F-35A for the Air Force to replace the F-16 and F-35C, and for the Navy to replace the F/A-18. The F-35B was different from everyone else smallest sizes and weight, as well as the presence of a lifting impeller. Instead of lifting motors, as on the Yak-141, it has an impeller driven by a Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine, the most powerful of fighter jets.
In my subjective opinion, the future of VTOL aircraft is very vague; they simply have no use. Fifth-generation VTOL aircraft have now been developed to meet the needs of the military. But since the development of the latest and most advanced VTOL aircraft, the F-35B, cost the Pentagon over $56 billion, and also due to a $500 billion reduction in the US military budget, the development of a sixth-generation VTOL aircraft in the United States remains a big question mark. Russia is another matter. We have extensive experience in developing VTOL aircraft. In addition, we are increasing the military budget and, hopefully, in the future Russia will begin developing a sixth-generation VTOL aircraft.
First of all, II think that the future belongs to twin-engine VTOL aircraft. Most classic VTOL aircraft, such as the F-35, Harrier, Yak-141, have one engine. One engine is good because it weighs less than two and consumes less fuel, but this also adds problems. To provide the necessary thrust-to-weight ratio, either the aircraft must be light, or the engine must be very powerful . And since aircraft become heavier and heavier over time, it is necessary to install two engines on a VTOL aircraft. In addition, two engines mean twice the chance that if it fails or is damaged by a rocket, projectile, or bird, the plane will eventually be able to return to the airfield.Secondly, the problem arises - what kind of engine will it be? A single lift-propulsion engine, such as the Rolls-Royce Pegasus on the Harrier and the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 on the Boeing X-32, minimizes the weight of the VTOL equipment, but since the lift nozzles must be located at the center of gravity, the engine you have to do it either with the main nozzles located beyond the contours of the fuselage, which negatively affects the aerodynamics, ESR, the speed of gas flow from the nozzles, and so on, or you have to make the engine long or the plane short in order to direct the jet stream to the nozzle located in the tail.
F119-PW-100(SE614) Rolls-Royce Pegasus
A propulsion system divided into, in fact, two different engines, such as the Pratt & Whitney F135-400 on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and the P79B-300+2xRD-41 on the Yak-141, removes some of the restrictions on the length of the aircraft. The price for this is that the plane has to carry an almost useless lifting propulsion system with it throughout the flight, which in the case of the F-35 forces the plane to be made wider, and in the case of the Yak-141 forces it to carry an additional supply of fuel.
Lifting and propulsion engine of the Yak-141 aircraft Remote control diagram of the F-35B aircraft
The choice of engine also depends on the purpose of the aircraft. For an attack aircraft, survivability, unpretentiousness, and reliability are important.
For a fighter jet, low fuel consumption. Therefore, depending on the purpose of the VTOL aircraft, the engine may be different.
Attack aircraft require an engine similar to the Rolls-Royce Pegasus, which provides high maneuverability and does not take up large volumes.For a fighter, you should choose a split propulsion system, as it will provide a lower ESR, as well as a higher thrust-to-weight ratio.
The main task of an attack aircraft with vertical takeoff there will be support for amphibious assaults. It will be based on universal landing ships. The vertical take-off fighter will be based on light aircraft carriers and perform all the same functions as a standard carrier-based fighter on supercarriers.
Conclusions.
In the course of my work, I reviewed the history and prospects of VTOL aircraft and believe that they will fly in the 21st century, because VTOL aircraft can perform tasks that neither airplanes, due to their attachment to runways, nor helicopters can perform due to their limited speed. Unfortunately, there is still an insurmountable obstacle to the development of VTOL aircraft, with technical point point of view is the colossal fuel consumption during take-off modes. But as technology develops, this drawback can be overcome. And, probably, the moment will come when VTOL aircraft will replace helicopters as too slow, and airplanes as requiring complex infrastructure, and will form a single class aircraft future.
Information sources
E.I. Ruzicki. European vertical take-off aircraft. - Moscow. Astel AST. 2000 pp. 20-44; 105-108; 144-150.
Encyclopedia for children. Technique. Publishing house "Avanta" 2005. p.566; 574; 585-586; 593
http:/ /ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8_Harrier_II
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak-141
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-32
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak-38
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak-36
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Harrier_II
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fighter/yak141.html
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fighter/x35.html
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/attack/harrgr1.html
