RuAviation

The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Professor N.E. Zhukovsky (TsAGI) continues research in the field of new-generation regional aircraft. Regional aviation is important for the Russian aircraft industry as it provides operation on small airfields with unpaved runways up to 1000 metres long. This requires special design and operational features of the aircraft.

TsAGI in cooperation with the Central Institute of Aviation Motor Engineering (CIAM) named after P.I. Baranov and the Siberian Aviation Research Institute (SibNIA) named after S.A. Chaplygin within the framework of the project “Integral-RS” is conducting research to create a promising regional aircraft using the technology of energy management of streamline, realised by means of electric distributed propulsion system with impeller thrusters. Its application will make it possible to expand the basing conditions and at the same time ensure high cruising speed of flight.

To realise this project, Russia has developed and produced a demonstrator in the form of a prototype wing compartment with flaps equipped with five electric impellers. The wing compartment is intended for experimental research in the TsAGI wind tunnel, as well as for flight tests as part of the Yak-40LL flying laboratory.

TsAGI scientists conducted functional tests of the demonstrator in a low-speed wind tunnel. At this stage, the operation of the impeller control and power supply system was tested, as well as the mechanism of retracting and releasing the protective flaps that prevent the ingress of foreign objects. Using the methods of visualisation of streamline by luminescent mini-silks and thermal imager, a set of measurements was carried out under conditions close to real flights.

The primary analysis of the test results confirmed the operability of the release and retraction mechanisms of the protective flaps. The electrical distributed propulsion system and the measurement system functioned successfully at basic supply voltages. The results obtained show the validity of the design solutions and allow to proceed to the next stage of research, which will be ground and flight tests.

It is planned that the tests will be conducted with a prototype wing section with impellers as part of the Yak-40LL flying laboratory in the S.A. Chaplygin SibNIA FAU. It is expected that the results of these tests will give a more complete picture of the capabilities and prospects of the applied technology.