The Il-76MDK aircraft-laboratory, created by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), is the only aircraft in Russia that creates real weightlessness before a real space flight. This was reported by the Rostec press service.
Usually, this aircraft, created specifically for the needs of the space industry, is used as an aircraft laboratory for training future astronauts. Only three such aircraft exist in the world, and they all belong to Roscosmos.
The plane flies along the so-called "Kepler's parabola." During training, the Il-76 MDK rises to a height of 6000 meters, then raises its nose by 45 degrees and reaches a height of 9000 meters in about 15 seconds.
Passengers on board experience an overload of 2G. Then the plane levels out, and the "fall" begins, creating weightlessness in the cabin for about 25 seconds. During a 2-hour flight, the Il-76 MDK can create weightlessness 15 times, helping astronauts hone their skills.
Earlier www1.ru reported that the MC-21-300 aircraft consumes half as much kerosene as the Tu-154M.
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