TsAGI engineers have proposed an unusual solution for passenger aircraft, which outwardly looks like a characteristic "break" in the tail section of the fuselage. However, it is this detail that can significantly reduce air resistance and cut fuel consumption.
Typically, the tail of an airliner is slightly raised upwards to avoid touching the runway during landing and takeoff. But the traditional design creates additional aerodynamic drag — unnecessary vortices arise, reducing flight efficiency.
TsAGI decided to change the geometry of the tail section itself. The lower surface was made with a characteristic break in the center, which helps to redistribute air flows differently.
At first glance, the change looks unusual, but it is precisely this shape that reduces turbulence and inductive drag at cruising speeds. Simply put, the aircraft requires less energy to fly at high speed.
The technology has already been tested in a wind tunnel on a model of the TVRS-44 regional aircraft. Tests showed an increase in aerodynamic quality by 0.4–0.5 points — for aviation, this is a very serious result, directly affecting flight range and efficiency.
The solution can be useful not only for conventional airliners but also for promising supersonic aircraft, where the struggle is literally for every percentage of air resistance. Such an innovation was not even present on the famous Soviet Tu-144.