Evolution civil aviation in the last few years has received a major boost both technologically and economically. The number of people traveling by air is growing rapidly every year, and therefore designers regularly publish very interesting concepts for the flying transport of the future, from autopilot aircraft to personal air taxis. Currently, most of these projects are still going through the stages of research, testing and development of a strategy for economic implementation. This is not surprising: the slightest mistake during design can cause the death of many people, and therefore excessive haste is highly undesirable. The Wendover Productions channel has collected in one video the most interesting and promising projects aircraft of the future and tried to answer the question of whether airlines will be able to realize this or that idea in the foreseeable future:
When it comes to innovation, the main criterion for a successful project is its practicality and efficiency. The ideal passenger aircraft of our time has medium dimensions and at the same time is able to serve the maximum number of passengers. Its scope is transatlantic flights for short and medium distances, since the Boeing 787 is now doing an excellent job with long-haul flights. For a long time, "universal" passenger liner was the twin-engine subcompact Boeing 757, which peaked in popularity during the period when such aircraft were officially allowed to make transatlantic flights. Despite the fact that he is still very good at his job, the 1983 design of the year has a number of shortcomings that more modern aircraft are deprived of, in particular the presence of a composite frame and wing design features. Production of the 757 model was stopped in 2004.
Electric planes as a way to make flights cheaper
As a result of this decision, the airlines have a window between the small 737 and the oversized 787, which can carry 230-280 passengers on board and fly up to 7400 km. The company is currently working on a new model, the Boeing 797, which will incorporate state-of-the-art engines and a sectional hull design that will allow it to perform at its best. After the completion of the test trials, it is he who can take on the role vehicle for an ever-increasing number of passengers around the world.
In the field of regional flights, there are much more ambitious projects that, over time, may completely change the pricing system for air travel: electric planes. To date, there are many restrictions for their implementation as a full-fledged transatlantic transport, from power limitations for electric motors to low battery capacity. But for local flights, they are the best fit. The main obstacle for them is not even technical, but economic restrictions: traveling by train or car will cost many times less (especially for Europe, where often suburban train in a few hours can cross the whole country from edge to edge). In order for electric aircraft to seriously compete with other modes of transport, aircraft designers have to look for innovative ways to reduce the cost of flying. For example, the Zunum Aero project is notable for significant cost and jet fuel savings due to the hybrid design of their aircraft. Its testing should begin by 2020 and, according to the official website, the price of flights will not exceed $100 at the current rate. The company says it has found a way to cut fuel costs for small aircraft by 40% to 80%, a big savings.
Near future
Of course, these aircraft will not solve all problems. The appearance of new products will inevitably provoke new difficulties, for the solution of which the aircraft of the next generation will be created - and so on, until finally the industry either turns into something more perfect and devoid of the shortcomings of modernity, or gives way to new technologies (we all, of course , we can’t wait until scientists finally invent working teleports). But the fact remains: sooner or later, new medium-haul aircraft and electric small cars will go into production, and maybe this is what will make air travel cheaper and much more affordable.
Low cost air travel will increase its market share. According to ICAO, in 2016, low-cost carriers accounted for approximately 28% of the world's total scheduled passenger traffic, whereas in 2003, according to the consulting A.T. Kearney, it was about 10%.
Low-cost airlines are most popular in Europe: they account for 32% of all passenger traffic there. Similar indicators in the Asia-Pacific region amounted to 31%, in North America - 25%.
At the same time, the boundary between low-cost airlines and airlines with a traditional economic model is blurred. Currently, it makes sense to talk about hybrid air carriers that offer a wide fare range, including low-cost fares with a minimum baggage allowance, and familiar economy class tickets with free meals on board, as well as premium and business fares.
Thus, most Russian airlines, including S7, UTair, Ural Airlines”, launched tariffs that involve the carriage of a minimum baggage allowance of 10 kg (in hand luggage or luggage compartment) instead of the previously customary 20 kg. Thus, according to the Russian Pobeda, in 2016, about 12% of the airline's passengers used air transport for the first time in their lives. That is
the presence of a wide tariff range with the possibility of using cheap air transportation allows attracting new consumers.
This is also supported by rising prosperity in developing countries such as China and India. According to IATA, the volume of passenger traffic in these two countries jumped in 2016 by 23.3 and 11.7%, respectively. By 2035, global passenger traffic will reach 7.2 billion people (in 2016 - 3.7 billion).
Low-cost air transportation is also increasing its share on long-haul routes. For example, Norwegian Air Shuttle has increased the frequency of flights from Europe to North America for 2016 by 44%, counted in the British OAG. And the Asian low-cost airline AirAsia is thinking about launching flights from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to Moscow.
According to IATA, air travel continues to get cheaper. According to the International Association air transport, the average cost of a round-trip ticket in 2017 will be reduced to $351. Compared to the 1995 level, this indicator has decreased by 63%.
Digitalization of communication with passengers
Global airlines and airports are increasing the use of digital technologies both in internal management and in communication with passengers. 6% of airlines are already testing, and 17% plan to start testing within the next five years artificial intelligence. Among airports, the share is slightly higher: 21% of airports intend to test applications using artificial intelligence in the next five years, according to a study by aviation IT solutions provider SITA.
SITA estimates that 55% of global travelers have used some form of self-service technology while flying. Interest in digital services is growing: about 76% of passengers would like to receive notifications about the start of baggage claim on their mobile devices, almost the same number (74%) would prefer to learn about changes in flight schedules via mobile applications.
By 2019, the share of airports in the world that will provide information about the status of the flight and the baggage claim process directly to the mobile devices of passengers will increase to 72%.
“Self-check-in, baggage check-in, receipt of electronic boarding pass, independent movement between different areas of the airport - this will make life easier for the airport, because it will use less staff, and it will be easier to track the movements of passengers, ”explained Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of Avia.ru.
With the help of mobile applications, it will be possible not only to find out about the boarding gate number or rescheduling the departure time, but also to rebook the ticket. Now this solution is used by about 21% of the world's airlines. For example, the Dutch KLM (part of the AIr France-KLM holding) allows you to rebook tickets via WhatsApp, and the Italian Meridiana, in the event of a schedule change, offered passengers to choose a new flight option via SMS or e-mail.
By 2019, the number of air carriers using mobile applications, SMS services and chats for rebooking will increase to 73%.
Quiet Airport
Thanks to digitalization and the use of mobile devices for information, airports will be able to do away with annoying announcements over the loudspeaker. The concept of a "quiet airport" has gained ground primarily in Europe.
The idea is to keep airport noise, which is an annoyance to many passengers, to a minimum by limiting it to safety announcements and emergency messages.
Among the pioneers, the concept of "silence" was introduced by the airports of Helsinki, Munich, London City Airport, and the air hub in Mumbai.
By doing so, airports are trying to create a calm environment in which passengers can relax in restaurants and cafes without annoying loudspeakers, said Angela Gittens, CEO of Airports Council International (Airports Council International).
Such a policy is beneficial in that it will help increase non-aeronautical revenues: according to the representative of the airport in Munich, Corinna Born, thanks to the concept of a “quiet airport”, passengers increase their time in the terminal, preferring to arrive early.
Moscow Domodedovo also took the path of reducing the frequency of voice alerts: only the most necessary messages are heard here. “Announcements in the common area are of an informational nature related to the rules for carrying items in luggage and hand luggage, safety rules, and a ban on smoking: messages sound every two hours and are generated automatically by the system,” the airport’s press service said.
Noise pollution has an economic impact: according to a study by the Dutch National Institute for Health and the Environment, proximity to an airport resulted in a 50 percent drop in residential land prices. On a Dutch scale, noise pollution from airports annually cost the country about €1 billion, the authors of the report calculated. More than half of this amount was accounted for by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
New generation aircraft will also help reduce noise pollution at the airport: for example, the Boeing 787 is 60% quieter and the Airbus A350 is 50% quieter during takeoff and landing than similar models of the previous generation.
airport as a city
Airports will not only become major transport hubs, but will also compete with shopping and entertainment centers. Those air hubs that have a large-scale transit flow will develop the concept of "airport-city". “This is a place where you can get a full range of services. And a hairdresser, and a cinema, and restaurants, and a hotel. This will allow transit passengers to find any way to spend their time,” explains Avia.ru editor-in-chief Roman Gusarov.
For example, in international airport Singapore Changi, which occupies 13 sq. km and serves more than 50 million people annually (in 2016 - 58.7 million people), passengers can pass the time not only in shops and restaurants, but also swim in the pool located in the hotel for transit passengers in terminal 1, go to the cinema or visit the flowering garden in terminal 2.
Airports will become multimodal transport centers, in the building of which both railway and bus stations. At the same time, this is partly happening now: for example, Aeroexpress passengers can check in and check in their luggage for the flight before boarding the train.
However, such a future awaits only large international hubs. Small airports will implement these innovations only partially, as needed, abandoning more expensive infrastructure and capital-intensive solutions, Gusarov stressed.
Narrow body and long haul
The main demand of airlines in the next 20 years will be for narrow-body liners (90-230 passengers). According to Airbus, the global need for such liners will be 24 thousand aircraft in the period from 2016 to 2035. According to Boeing, the demand for such aircraft will reach 28,140 units.
Analysts from both airlines unanimously state that narrow-body aircraft will account for more than 71% of projected demand.
The main buyers of such liners will be low-cost airlines, according to Boeing.
Airbus also believes in growth in demand for long-haul aircraft, as by 2035 the number of passengers on such flights will double to about 2.5 million people. The Asia-Pacific region will become the leader in the purchase of new aircraft in the next 20 years.
Air transport in Russia is due to the specifics - high and low density of ground transport network. In regions such as North European Russia, Siberia and, is the main mode of transport.
Realized volumes of passenger traffic, as confirmed by the domestic one, are mainly determined by the level of economic development, measured (GDP) of the country. In the conditions of development or recession of the economy, the pace of development of passenger traffic, as a rule, corresponds to the rate of change, so the volume of passenger traffic is directly related to the development of the economy.
The air transport of the country, which performs more than a third of the volume of passenger traffic, in the coming years requires the renewal of the fleet, with the development of a resource and technical obsolescence. shows that the volume passenger air transportation in recent years have increased by 75%, reaching the level of 1993. However, the positive is due to the increase in the volume of international air traffic, while the weight of domestic (regional) traffic is steadily declining. In Russia, with a constantly growing demand for this type of air transportation, passenger traffic on domestic airlines has decreased by 25% over 15 years (by 2006), and in 2007 by another 6% and amounted to 43% of the total passenger traffic of civil aviation in Russia . Such results are not consistent with the practice of large countries with vast territories, where domestic air transport is the basis of the entire volume of passenger air transport. Over the past 15 years, the number of regional airports operating in the Russian Federation has decreased by more than three times, from 1302 to 351. At the same time, the level of depreciation of the infrastructure of the remaining airports reaches 75-80%, and this leads to the destruction of interregional aviation communications and to a significant air transportation market. half of the aircraft included in the state civil aircraft Russia, is in a state of airworthiness. Old domestic aircraft make up 75% (2010 units) of this serviceable fleet, and almost 40% of these aircraft are regional aircraft (Tu-134, -24, -40). At the same time, the service of these vessels, with all possible extensions of resources, ends with their complete decommissioning in the next 5–7 years (until 2015). With such a level of depreciation of fixed assets, any technical and production system loses stability.
The way out of this situation is the translation civil Russia on .
From all of the above, it follows that research related to the organization and development of airlines in the field of air transportation is relevant.
The degree of knowledge of the problem. A sufficient number of works by domestic and foreign authors are devoted to the study of the problems of formation and development of innovative activity of enterprises. Currently, authoritative scientists are engaged in the problems of reforming civil aviation: Vasiliev V.A., I.F., Zherebin A.M., Isaev A.S., Kireev A.P., Koblov V.L., Kovalkov Yu.A. ., Kokoshin .A., Kotov V.G., Kuzyk .N., Kulichkov E.N., Mazulev V.A., Maevsky V.I., Malkov S. ., Popov L.G., Rogov ., Rogovsky E.A., Fedosov.A., Khrulev N.V., Khrutsky V.E., Chernavsky D.S., Pogosyan M.A., Novozhilov G.V., as well as other leaders and specialists of the aviation - industrial complex .
Through the efforts of many specialists, in particular, V.M. Anshin, A.V. Vorontsovsky, V.I. Voropaev, O.N. Dmitriev, .Yu. Egorov, V.V. Kovalev, Yu.S. Kudinov, A.B. Idrisov, N.V. Igorshin, A.V. Popov, A.G. Porshnev, A. . Karzhauv, V.K. Senchagov, S. Surov, .N. Folomiev, V.Z. Chernyak, A.D. Sheremet, V.M. Shitenkov, V.I. Tsurkov, Yu.V. Yakutin and others, solved the issues of economic and financial evaluation of investment projects, which traditionally take place at the stage of innovative design associated with the preparation of a feasibility study for projects and their implementation.
Among the most important results obtained by the author and determining the scientific novelty of the research, the following can be distinguished:
The modern features of the development of domestic civil aviation are revealed, which consist in strengthening the role of the innovative component in the activities of airlines, and the need to form an innovative infrastructure in the field of air transportation is substantiated;
Chapter 1. Theoretical and methodological foundations of innovative activities of Russian airlines in the field of air transportation
1.1. Comprehensive characteristics of the evolutionary development of civil aviation in Russia and the sphere of air transportation
1.2. Features of the organization of innovative activities of airlines in the field of air transportation
1.3 Principles for the development of a corporate culture for managing innovation activities of airlines
List of used literature.
Application.
MAIN CONTENT OF THE THEsis
1. Innovative activity in the field of air transportation is understood as the development of innovative ideas in the field of organizing the infrastructure of air transportation, the introduction of new types of aircraft that meet international requirements for operation on domestic and external lines, the implementation of projects to introduce advanced information technologies for the provision of services to passengers and business management with with the help of investments made by financial and private companies, taking into account interaction with government agencies. At present, all innovative ideas, one way or another, are connected with high science-intensive technologies. Air transportation leaders are planning a large-scale renovation of aircraft, based on the economics of their business, taking into account what kind of aircraft domestic airlines need. According to the Transport Clearing House, for five months of 2007 the volume of passengers transported Russian airlines, increased by 16% and reached 14.15 million. Market participants predict a 20% market growth by the end of the year. The intensity of flights is also growing. Over the past six months, it has increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2006 - up to 461 thousand. Aeroflot has the largest number of passengers carried in five months of 2007 (more than 22%), followed by S7 (12.3 %), Transaero (7.2%), STC Rossiya (7.1%), UTair (7%), VIM- (5%). Together they control more than 60% of Russian air transportation, and the growth rate of their production and financial indicators exceeds the growth rate of the entire market. , say industry experts, it does not follow that the leaders will remain unchanged in the near future.
2. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Theoretical foundations for the formation of service by airlines of the passenger-and-freight flow on the transport spatial structure. [Text] / D.Yu. Erzakovich// Natural and Technical science No. 6, 2007, - pp. 29-32. - (0.38 p.l.)
3. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Formation of innovative activity of airlines in the field of air transportation. [Text] / D.Yu. Erzakovich // Issues of Economic Sciences No. 4, 2008, - p. 113-117. - (0.4 p.l.)
4. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Principles of development of corporate culture of innovation management in airlines [Text] / D. Yu. Erzakovich // Sat. scientific works "Management of innovations and investment activity", 7. - M.: GASIS, 2007, - p. 86-95. - (0.6 p.l.).
5. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Leasing as a tool for investing in the innovative activities of airlines in the field of air transportation [Text] / D. Yu. Erzakovich // Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference " Modern Russia: and the state. - M .: GASIS, 2006, - . 54-58. - (0.3 p.l.).
6. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Fundamentals of the organization of innovative activities of airlines in the field of air transportation. [Text] /D.Yu. Erzakovich // Proceedings of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Actual problems of the development of economic systems: theory and practice", - M .: IE RAS, 2008, - p. 41-47. - (0.35 p.l.).
7. Erzakovich, D. Yu. Creation of an integrated innovation in the field of air transportation [Text] / D. Yu. Erzakovich // Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference "Modern Russia: and the State" - M.: GASIS, 2007, - p. 36-39. - (0.25 p.l.).
Paper format 60x90/16. Conv. oven l. 1.
Publishing house GASIS, st. Trifonovskaya, 57.
- Vadim Vyacheslavovich, what is the essence of the reform in the cluster policy of the region?
As you know, two high-tech clusters, aviation and nuclear, already operate in the Ulyanovsk region. We combine them into one, innovative, Technocampus 2.0 will become its core. It will house engineering centers, pilot production facilities and advanced educational institutions.
This will give a new impetus to the development of the economy. Such complex technological projects, designed for a long-term effect, are the basis of our innovative future.
– How will these changes affect the participants of the air cluster?
We look forward to maintaining and growing the positive dynamics of the aviation industry in the Ulyanovsk region. Recently, new hi-tech companies have come to the region, integrated into the cooperation chains of the aviation industry. The volume of shipped innovative products increased by 2.9 times, and labor productivity - by 65%. The export of the air cluster organizations in 2013-2016 exceeded 21 billion rubles.
The innovation cluster allows you to combine the possibilities of industrial production with the latest technologies. For example, a major success in the development of the aviation cluster in the Ulyanovsk region is the creation of the Aerocomposite plant, which is unique and fundamentally new for our country. It has already started production composite wing for the new generation aircraft MS-21, which allows to improve its aerodynamic qualities, reduce weight characteristics and improve resource characteristics. Russian developers were the first in the world to manufacture an aircraft wing entirely from composite materials. Nobody in the industry has done this before.
Another significant participant in the aviation cluster is Promtekh-Ulyanovsk. The company is working on reducing the weight of cable and pipeline networks of aircraft. And this is a significant factor in the competitiveness of products.
– The work of the Ulyanovsk delegation at MAKS-2017 has become very fruitful…
Yes, at the International Aviation and Space Salon, Governor Sergei Morozov signed a number of important agreements that will undoubtedly accelerate the development of the regional aviation industry. Among the key agreements is an agreement with Irkut Corporation on intentions to create a customization center for MS-21 and Sukhoi Superjet-100 aircraft in the port special economic zone. This will entail the opening of new enterprises and accelerate the development of the aviation cluster in the Ulyanovsk region.
I would also note the agreement with the United Aircraft Corporation on the formation of an industrial park on the basis of JSC Aviastar-SP. Now the plant is undergoing a serious modernization, investments in which have already exceeded 5.5 billion rubles. The production areas released in the process of optimization will be used more efficiently: they will become an industrial park that will attract investment in the creation of new high-tech industries.
Birds have them. In bats and butterflies. Daedalus and Icarus wore them to escape from Minos, king of Crete. We are talking about wings, or about aerodynamic surfaces that allow an air vehicle to rise. As a rule, the wings are in the form of an elongated teardrop with a curved upper surface and a flat lower surface. Air flowing through the wing creates a zone of higher pressure under the wing, thus lifting the aircraft off the ground.
Interestingly, some books refer to Bernoulli's principle to explain how wings work. By their logic, the air moving along the top surface takes longer, and therefore faster, to reach the trailing edge at the same time as the air that moves along the bottom. The difference in speed creates a pressure difference that results in lift. Other books reject this principle, resorting to Newton's proven law: the wing pushes the air down, so the air pushes the wing up.
The flight of heavier-than-air devices began with gliders - light aircraft that can fly for long periods of time without using an engine. Gliders were the flying squirrels of aviation, but its pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright wanted real falcons with powerful, high-quality flight. To provide traction, a propulsion system was needed. The Wright brothers designed and built the first aircraft propellers and water-cooled four-cylinder engines to turn them.
The theory and practice of creating propellers have come a long way. The propeller works like a rotating wing, providing lift but in a straight line. Propellers are different: with two blades, and with eight, but they all meet the same tasks. As the blades rotate, the propellers push air backwards, and this air, thanks to Newton's action and reaction forces, propels the vehicle forward. This force is known as traction and works against air resistance, which slows the vehicle down.
Jet engine
Aviation took a giant leap forward in 1937 when British inventor and engineer Frank Whittle tested the world's first jet engine. It did not work at all like the modern one. Whittle's engine sucked in air with a forward-facing compressor. The air passed into the combustion chamber, where it was mixed with fuel and burned. The superheated stream of gases was ejected from the exhaust pipe, pushing the engine and the aircraft forward.
Hans Pabst van Ogain of Germany took Whittle's basic design and based it on the first jet aircraft in 1939. Two years later, the British government finally got the plane - the Gloster E.28/39, or Gloster Meteor - off the ground using Whittle's innovative jet engine. By the end of the Second World War, Gloster Meteor aircraft, flown by pilots of the Royal air force, chased German V-1 rockets and fired at them from the sky.
Today, turbojets are reserved primarily for military aircraft. Passenger airliners use turbofan engines, which still swallow air with forward-facing compressors. Only instead of burning all the incoming air, in turbofan engines - as they are called in the literature - the air flows around the combustion chamber and mixes with a jet of superheated gases exiting the exhaust pipe. As a result, turbofan engines are more efficient and produce less noise.
jet fuel
The first piston-powered aircraft used the same fuels as automobiles—gasoline and diesel. However, the development of jet engines required diversity. Although a few fools have advocated the use of peanut butter or whiskey, aviation industry quickly got used to kerosene as the best fuel for powerful jets. Kerosene is a component of crude oil obtained by distillation or separation into its main components. In general, a lot of things are made from oil.
If you have ever owned a kerosene lamp or heater, you may have seen this straw colored fuel. Commercial aircraft, however, require higher grade kerosene than Grandma's kerosene. The fuel must burn cleanly, but have more high temperature flare than automotive fuel to reduce the risk of fire. Also, jet fuel must remain liquid in the cold air of the upper atmosphere. The cleaning process eliminates all the water that can turn into ice particles and block the fuel paths. The freezing point of the kerosene itself is also carefully controlled. Most jet fuels do not freeze at temperatures down to minus 50 Celsius.
flight control
It's one thing to get the plane up in the air. It is quite another thing to manage it effectively so that it does not fall back to the ground. IN simple lung In an airplane, the pilot transmits steering commands using mechanical connections to control surfaces on the wings. These surfaces are respectively the ailerons, elevators and rudder. The pilot uses the ailerons to move side to side, the elevators to move up and down, and the rudder to turn left and right. Roll, for example, requires simultaneous activation of the ailerons and rudder in order for the aircraft to land on one wing.
Today's military and commercial aircraft are controlled by the same surfaces and use the same principles, but mechanical control is gone. The first planes flew on hydraulic-mechanical systems, but they were vulnerable to damage and took up a lot of space. Today almost everything large aircraft rely on digital fly-by-wire, allowing for fine control of the elements via the on-board computer. This ingenious technology allows just two pilots to fly a commercial airliner.
Aluminum and aluminum alloys
In 1902, the Wright brothers flew the most ingenious aircraft ever—a single-seat glider made from muslin "leather" stretched over a spruce frame. Over time, wood and fabric gave way to the laminated wood monocoque, an aircraft structure where all or nearly all of the stress was placed on the skin of the aircraft. Monocoque fuselages allowed for more powerful and streamlined aircraft, leading to a number of speed records in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, the wood used in such aircraft required constant maintenance and deteriorated under the influence of atmospheric agents.
By 1930, almost all aircraft designers preferred all-metal construction on laminated wood. Steel was an excellent candidate, but too heavy. Aluminum, on the other hand, was light, strong and easily adapted to any component. The fuselages of riveted aluminum panels have become a symbol of aviation. But this material had its own problems - in particular, metal fatigue. As a result, manufacturers have developed new techniques to identify problem areas in aircraft metal parts. Today's repair crews use ultrasonic scanning to find cracks and breaks, even the smallest flaws that can't be seen.
Autopilot
In the early days of aviation, flights were short, and the main concern of the pilot was not to crash to the ground after a few thrilling moments in the air. As technology has improved, long flights across continents and oceans, even the whole world, have become possible. Pilot fatigue became a major problem during these epic journeys. How could a lone pilot or small crew be awake and vigilant for hours on end, especially during monotonous cruises at high altitude?
So it appeared. Created by Lawrence Burst Sperry, son of Elmer A. Sperry, the autopilot, or automatic flight control system, linked three gyroscopes on aircraft surfaces that controlled pitch, roll, and yaw. The device made adjustments depending on the angle of deviation from the direction of flight. Sperry's revolutionary invention made stable cruising flight possible, as well as being able to take off and land on its own.
The automatic flight control system of modern aircraft is not much different from the first gyroscopic autopilots. Motion sensors - gyroscopes and accelerometers - collect information about the spatial position of the aircraft and its movement, deliver it to the autopilot computers, and they issue signals for course correction using wings and tail.
Pitot tubes
When pilots are in the cockpit, they have to track a large number of data. One of the most important things is the speed of the aircraft - relative to the air mass in which it flies. For specific flight configurations, be it a landing or an economical cruise, the aircraft speed must remain within a certain range of values. If the aircraft flies too slowly, aerodynamics may suffer, meaning there will not be enough lift to overcome the force of gravity. If the aircraft flies too fast, structural damage may occur.
On commercial aircraft, pitot tubes measure airspeed. The device got its name from Henri Pitot, a Frenchman who needed to measure the speed of water in rivers and canals. He created a straight tube with two holes, back and side. Pitot oriented his device so that the front opening was upstream, allowing water to flow through the tube. By measuring the pressure difference between the front and side opening, he was able to calculate the speed of the moving water.
Aeronautical engineers realized they could do the same by mounting pitot tubes at the edge of a wing or atop the fuselage. The air stream flows through the tube and allows you to accurately measure the speed of the aircraft.
air traffic control
So far, we've been talking about aircraft structures, but one of the most important innovations in aviation has been air traffic control, a system that allows an aircraft to take off from one airport, fly hundreds or thousands of kilometers, and land safely at its destination. In the US, for example, there are more than 20 mission control centers that are responsible for moving aircraft around the country. Each center is responsible for a specific geographical area, so when the plane takes off, it is "transferred" to another center.
Radar surveillance plays a key role in air traffic control. Main ground stations, located at airports and control centers, emit shortwave radio waves that enter the aircraft and are reflected back. These signals allow air traffic controllers to control aircraft positions within their given volume. airspace. At the same time, most commercial aircraft carry transponders, devices that tell the aircraft's type, altitude, heading, and speed when it is interrogated by radar.
The landing of a commercial airliner represents one of the most incredible technological feats. The plane must descend from 10,000 meters to the ground and slow down from 1046 to 0 kilometers per hour. Well, yes, he needs to put all his weight - about 170 tons - on several wheels and racks, which should be strong, but completely retractable. Is it any wonder that chassis are at the top of our list?
Up until the late 1980s, most civil and military aircraft used three basic landing configurations: one wheel on a stand, two wheels side by side on a stand, or two wheels side by side and two more wheels side by side. As aircraft have become larger and heavier, landing systems have become more complex to reduce stress on the wheels and strut assemblies, as well as to reduce the impact force on runway. The landing gear of the Airbus A380, for example, consists of four undercarriages - two with four wheels and two with six wheels each. Regardless of the configuration, strength is more important than weight, which is why you will find steel and titanium, but not aluminum components in the chassis.
Aviation has reached the point where they already want to equip aircraft with . Well, let's hope that in a couple of years we will have to write already, plowing the endless expanses of the Bolshoi Theater.
