Sci-Fi in Reality: Russian Supersonic Aircraft Held on Carrier by Vacuum

A patent has been registered in Russia for a device for attaching a supersonic passenger aircraft to a carrier aircraft. The development is intended for the joint high-speed flight of two aircraft, followed by the separation of the supersonic aircraft in the air.

According to the authors' idea, the device will be made in the form of a launch platform on the upper surface of the carrier aircraft.

The platform houses a section with a corrugated and perforated surface that contacts the lower surface of the supersonic passenger aircraft.

A seal is installed along the closed contour of the section, ensuring the tightness of the mounting area.

The holes in the perforated surface are connected by pipelines to a vacuum system and a gas supply system from a tank located on board the carrier aircraft.

To hold the passenger aircraft on the platform, the principle of pressure difference is used in the process of creating a vacuum. Before the aircraft separates, the vacuum is closed, and gas is supplied under its lower part. This creates an air cushion that prevents mechanical friction.

The patent emphasizes that the proposed mounting scheme does not require the installation of vacuum chambers on the passenger aircraft itself and does not use external struts or mechanical locks.

This reduces the aerodynamic drag of the structure and increases aerodynamic stability during joint flight at high speeds.

Andrey Kozlov, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motor Engineering named after P. I. Baranov (CIAM), predicted that the first supersonic aircraft in Russia may appear no earlier than the 2040s. He also stated that Russia is three years ahead of the United States in the development of an engine for supersonic civil aviation.

Read more on the topic:

• "Dark cabin", cameras and AI: details of a supersonic aircraft in Russia revealed

• The Russian supersonic aircraft to be: the main requirements for an innovative liner are named

• From drawings to reality: Ministry of Industry and Trade invests 13.44 billion rubles in the development of promising aircraft