American airline United Airlines has signed a contract to purchase up to 200 JetZero Z4 aircraft with an unconventional "flying wing" configuration. The aircraft is strikingly reminiscent of the Soviet M-60 aircraft, which was developed by the Vladimir Myasishchev Experimental Design Bureau (OKB) in the late 1970s.
The JetZero Z4 is designed to carry 250 passengers and flies on conventional jet fuel, while the power plants will allow the use of other environmentally friendly aviation fuel mixtures.
The Soviet M-60 project, like the JetZero, was an aircraft with high-aspect-ratio wings, a load-bearing ellipsoidal fuselage, and a V-shaped vertical tail. The engines were to be installed on top in the tail of the aircraft.
The aerodynamic configuration of the M-60 was chosen for the military purposes of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Everything was subordinated to the task of reaching a height of 25,000 meters with special equipment and a large supply of fuel.
By 1960, at a meeting on the prospects for the development of strategic weapons systems, it was decided to close the project, since the delivery of nuclear weapons by such a bomber was too expensive compared to other opportunities that appeared at that time: intercontinental missiles turned out to be much more profitable.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that features of the Russian Su-34 and Su-24 were noticed in the first image of the unique 6th generation J-36 fighter.
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