The ‘Urals Civil Aviation Enterprise’ (ОАО «Уральский завод гражданской авиации») successfully flight tested the first of its locally assembled ‘IAI Searcher 2’ (Russian name ‘Forepost’) UAVs last month.
Apparently the temperature was -30degC!!
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/428625.html
The УЗГА UAV assembly line @ Yekaterinburg:
Pics c/o Djoker.
The facets are a function of the (shaped) APU inlets slanting outwards, differing from the 2 preceding prototypes where they were slanting inwards. Facets are also discernable on the starboard (L) inlet, which is in shadow (note shadow of aircraft on the tarmac) and not as sharply focused as the port (R which is in direct daylight. Also, notwithstanding the fact the starboard APU is a different shape to the port.
Given a dull, overcast day I would highly doubt such shadow effects could result in such sharp, structured shapes on the port if it was a smooth, uniform surface a la ’51’ & ’52’. In fact, the lighting/shadow conditions probably highlight the shapes. Besides, the visible reflections have blurry edges.
I think it’s great they’re paying such attention to the ‘small fish’, having fried the “bigger fish” probably around a decade ago.
Interesting shape(s)…
Original:
…now that’s what I call attention to detail :diablo:
Mr Asakura posted some info on integrated blocker in the first stage of the engine as well as another touch of the dynamic airduct. What they finally decide on will be interesting, what we know is that they have many options on the table.
Actually, those were my nearly 2 year-old speculations based on a somewhat ingenious solution the Japanese intend to employ to screen the compressors of the ATD-X:
http://gb.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416156224&o=int&prev=sub&p=35
Blockers become problematic due to flow distortion, which degrades engine performance, and the need to heat the blocker to prevent ice accretion, which can result in FOD.
Agreed, for precisely these reasons a blocker can be ruled out on the T-50 (imho). The Russkies simply ‘don’t do’ blockers, we would have at least seen a fore-runner on the 117S/Su-35S, instead they chose to treat the ducts and compressor with RAM (with considerable success)*.
Since then much more evidence has come to light (including the patent in Sintra’s post), which has led me to conclude there will be no blocker, instead they’ve come up with an uber-ingenious solution of a very-low reflective (stealth) compressor by means of the structure and material composition of the fan blade itself.
The engines are canted in order to reflect any incident waves off the compressor into the intake duct which itself is made of modified polymer (carbon fibre) matrix composite materials- a de factoRAS.
Here the duct (or as it’s called an ‘air channel’) is given by the #5 from the official patent drawings:
I recently came across a Russian patent published in 2008, detailing a Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) RAM, which after modification with CNTs exhibited -28.6dB absorption over the frequency range 8-26GHz.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but -28.6dB absorption would amount to ~95% absorption in the said (broad) X-band.
Note the patent was not from one of the more established aerospace concerns with considerable RAM/RAS experience, such as FGUP VIAM, FGUP TsIAM and even TsAGI:
Фуллерены, углеродные трубки и алмазы используют как добавки для модификации и получения новых свойств других материалов… Особые надежды возлагают на них в авиационной отрасли. Ожидается, что созданные с использованием нанотехнологий высокопрочные материалы и покрытия позволят снизить массу летательных аппаратов, а наноструктурные радиопоглощающие покрытия помогут создавать «невидимые» военные самолеты.
Fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and diamonds are used as additives to modify and synthesise new properties of other materials…Special hopes are placed upon them [for applications] in the aviation industry. It is expected to use nanotechnology [in the creation of] high strength materials and coatings which will reduce the weight of aircraft, and nanostructured radar absorbent coatings will help create “invisible” (stealth) warplanes.
Clearly, you can expect the definitive materials destined for the T-50 to be pretty kick-ass, especially those for the duct and the compressor.
Me thinks it worthy of reposting this here, to finally lay an old fallacy (and favourite whipping boy) to rest.
IGV (inlet guide vane), simply follow the inner circumference round to give you precise location & alignment (also note stationary vanes :rolleyes:, diameter of it’s surround and same intake wall colour before & aft):
Original pic:
Compare:
http://russianplanes.net/id93740
Mods, feel free to delete the original post from the locked thread. Thanks.
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showpost.php?p=1966501&postcount=13
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