Buryat developer Vyacheslav Shulunov has devised an unusual aircraft model in a tandem-canard-five-plane configuration, aimed at improving efficiency without complicating the mechanics of fuselage lift. The design combines a prism-shaped air intake, flattened fuselage surfaces, and a multi-level wing arrangement.
A Revolutionary Configuration?
The proposed layout generates additional aerodynamic lift on the body itself and stabilizes flight.
The key element is a rectangular-section air intake with an inclined upper plane. The airflow goes directly into the engines and then into an expanding tail channel.
Due to the Coanda effect, the jet adheres to the duct surface, reduces pressure above, and increases lift. The lower fuselage plane under the cockpit also works as an aerodynamic surface.
The forward and aft wings are arranged on several levels. At high angles of attack, stall occurs gradually, which preserves the stability and efficiency of the middle wing.
This configuration increases payload capacity and reduces wing area requirements. As a result, the aircraft gains better efficiency and stability without complex adjustable mechanisms.
What the New Layout Provides
The engineering design redistributes the lifting load between the wings and the fuselage. This reduces aerodynamic losses, improves stability, and makes it possible to use engine thrust more efficiently. Thanks to the concept, the body shape becomes a fully functional element of aerodynamics.
Is Everything New Just Well-Forgotten Old?
At present, there is no production aircraft that combines both tandem and canard configurations at the same time. These terms describe quite different approaches to the arrangement and number of lifting surfaces, which are very rarely combined in a single aircraft.
At the same time, five-plane aircraft existed as far back as the Russian Empire. The best-known example is the project of designer Evgeny Fedorov (1903–1905), which never made a full flight due to the complexity of the design and low efficiency.