Reactive plane. A Brief History of Civil Jet Aviation

An aircraft that has been produced since 1967 to this day! Every 5 seconds, one of the Boeing 737 family aircraft takes off and lands around the world. It is the most massively produced jet passenger aircraft in the entire history of the passenger aircraft industry (as of September 2012, 7,320 aircraft were delivered and 2,845 orders were not closed). In fact, Boeing 737 is the general name for more than ten types of aircraft.

I am starting a series of reports about different types of civil aviation aircraft and helicopters that I was able to visit and photograph in detail. I really love aviation and today, while preparing the material, I myself learn a lot of new facts and nuances, it’s incredibly interesting! I invite you to plunge a little into the world of aviation, one that we often use as a consumer during our travels, without thinking about it and not being interested in its technical and internal side.

The Boeing 737 was designed for the relatively low-capacity, short-range passenger aircraft market, where the BAC 1-11 and DC-9 played a major role. In this fight, Boeing was initially far behind its competitors: in 1964, when the development of the aircraft began, its competitors were already undergoing flight certification. The seats in the cabin were arranged 6 in a row, which provided greater capacity than competitors, who had five seats in each row. Already in February 1965, it was announced that the stage of forming the design of the new airliner had been completed. During the development process, the Boeing 737 “grew” from the originally planned 60-seat airliner to an aircraft with a passenger capacity of up to 103 seats. In 1965, Lufthansa signed an order for 22 Boeing 737-100s.

The ceremony marking the completion of the assembly of the first aircraft took place on January 17, 1967. The Boeing 737-100 entered service with Lufthansa in February 1968.

Initially, final assembly of the Boeing 737 was carried out at a new plant at Boeing Field, near Seattle. In 1970, after a major reorganization of the company due to financial problems, all aircraft final assembly activities were moved a little further south to the Boeing plant in Renton. By this time, 271 Boeing 737s had already been built.

Main modifications of the Boeing 737:

737 Original (-100,-200),
- 737 Classic (-300,-400,-500),
- 737 Next Generation (-600,-700,-800,-900),
- 737-MAX

Original Family:

The -100 and -200 versions are recognizable by their cigar-shaped engine nacelle, which is almost completely integrated into the wing from its leading to trailing edge. The first Boeing 737 models used Pratt and Whitney JT8D engines with a low bypass ratio. These models are also easy to recognize by the smooth bend of the upper edge of the keel.
Boeing 737-200. This board is currently 30 years old! And he is still in service with StarParu!

Diagram of distribution of Boeing and Airbus aircraft by flight range and passenger capacity:

Classic Family:

In the early 1980s, the Boeing 737 underwent its first major overhaul. The biggest change was the use of CFM International CFM56 engines instead of JT8D. The CFM56 is a high bypass ratio turbofan engine. It is much larger in diameter, so it was suspended under the wing on pylons, and the principle of an integrated engine was abandoned. But the low ground clearance of the aircraft (a feature borrowed from the Boeing 707) in this case created a problem, so it was decided to place the units, usually located at the bottom of the engine, on the sides of the compressor section. This is associated with the unusual “flattening” of the gondola. At the same time, the 737 cabin was improved to match the level of the Boeing 757 and 767. The first model of the new Classic series aircraft, the 737-300, entered service in 1984. Subsequently, this generation was replenished with 737-400 and 737-500 aircraft.

I will show you the interiors and details of two Boeing 737-500 UTair airlines at Surgut airport.

The Boeing 737-500 is a variant of the 737-300 shortened by 2 meters, to 29.79 meters, with an increased range. With a passenger capacity similar to the 737-200, the Boeing 737-500 was an adequate replacement. I suggest you take a walk through two UTair Boeing 737-500 aircraft.

Fuel system

There are three fuel tanks in the wing and center section: wing and central. The central one is developed first, then the wing ones. Each tank has two fuel pumps. The total maximum tank capacity of the 737 Original family aircraft is from 12,700 to 15,600 kg, depending on the modification.
On the 737 Classic family of aircraft, tank capacity has been increased to 16,200 kg, and it is also possible to install an additional fuel tank in the rear trunk.
In general, it is similar to the 737 NG, the tank capacity has been increased to 20,800 kg, the fuel tanks have been changed: the central tank occupies not only the center section, but also part of the wing from the root to the engine pylon. The location of the pumps has also changed and a system for removing water from the tanks has been added.

These are winglets, the aircraft was originally produced without them, a modernization was recently carried out, due to which it is possible to reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% due to changes in aerodynamics through the use of winglets - winglets at the end of the wings:

Power supply system

The primary power supply system is the system alternating current with voltage 115 V and frequency 400 Hz. On 737 Original and 737 Classic aircraft, the power sources are two engine synchronous alternating current generators with a constant speed drive and an APU generator. Generator power 40 KVA. Synchronous operation is not provided. On NG aircraft, the power supply system has been slightly changed compared to the 737 Classic: the power distribution system has been changed, a battery has been added to start the APU, and new generators have been installed, combined with a constant speed drive.

Air conditioning system

Air is taken from the engines and auxiliary power unit (APU). The air is used for cabin conditioning, equipment cooling, engine and wing de-icing and engine starting. The air conditioning system (ACS) has two channels and can also use air from the cabin for recirculation.
On the 737-300, -500, -600 and -700 aircraft, the SCR is the same as the 737 Original. On aircraft 737-400, -800 and -900, the SCR is very different from the others, which is caused by the increased cabin volume. “Long” aircraft have two cabin temperature zones and a more developed temperature control system.

The Boeing 737 aircraft uses the classic three-wheel landing gear design with a front steering column. Each landing gear has two wheels. The main struts are retracted into the landing gear niches, located in the center section and without doors, so the wheels become aerodynamic surfaces. This minimizes the number of hydraulic components in the chassis system, but reduces aerodynamics.
Due to the use of large radius engines on the 737 Classic, the struts are made higher than on the 737 Original, and are also reinforced to varying degrees, depending on the take-off weight various types(-300, -400 or -500).
On the 737 NG aircraft, the landing gear is redesigned, higher than on the 737 Classic and also strengthened depending on the take-off weight. Since 2008, it has become possible to install new carbon brakes on 737 NG aircraft, which are lighter in weight and have a longer service life.

Hydraulic system:

Boeing 737 aircraft have three hydraulic systems: A, B (main) and Standby (backup). On the 737-100 and -200, System A is powered by two motor pumps and System B is powered by two electric pumps. The backup system runs on battery power and supplies only the slats, rudder and reverse. Most of the hydraulic components are located in the chassis well.
The hydraulic system of the 737 Classic and 737NG aircraft is very different from the 737 Original. It redistributes energy consumers and operates one motor and one electric hydraulic pump for each of the main systems. During normal flight, electric pumps are not used.

Bow to represent the scale:

Engines in the Classic modification:

The CFM56-3 series dual-circuit turbofan engines manufactured by CFM International were chosen as the power plant.

Shall we come on board?
UTair has a standard cabin layout - business class 3 rows and economy class. Let me remind you, this is the interior of the Boeing Classic cabin:

Most modern interior that Boeing offers its customers is Sky Interior. It uses dynamic interior lighting with different colors Depending on the phase of the flight, the luggage racks open downwards and retract upwards, rather than reclining:

The instrument panels of the 737 Classic generation aircraft equipped with EFIS include both electronic and dial indicators.

Additional windows above the windshield are borrowed from the Boeing 707. Their main task is to expand the viewing angle. With the advancement of avionics, windows have become redundant and are no longer installed. In this cabin there is space for additional windows above my head on the top and left (there are no windows themselves):

And the onion on the outside :) Thanks for the photo olga_fink :

For comparison, this is the interior of the cockpit on a Boeing 737-800 (belongs to the 737 Next Generation family).
The main difference is the use of the Common Display System (CDS) display complex developed by Honeywell, similar to the Boeing 777 aircraft. The CDS includes two Display Electronic Unit computers, six LCD Display Unit indicators, two control panels and switching equipment. The indication can be transferred from one display to another.

Boeing 737-500 UTair. Serious Oleg Barmin freedom on right:

Boeing 737-800NG FlyDubai:

Above, I showed photographs of two UTair aircraft, one of them is 15 years old, the second is 19. The age in this case indicates that this type of aircraft requires more frequent and more expensive service cycles, which will certainly affect the cost of the flight. But age has no effect on flight safety! And the interior, by the way, is also periodically updated on old sides.

737 Next Generation Family

The Next Generation family was Boeing's response to competition from the more high-tech Airbus A320. NG aircraft are equipped with digital cockpits, completely new wings (extended by 5.5 meters) and tail, as well as improved engines. The passenger cabin of aircraft of this series is designed on the basis of the 757 and 767 cabins. Even the Boeing 777 was designed using the 737NG cabin style. In general, the 737 Next Generation family aircraft are a restyled version of the 737 Classic family aircraft. Most of the systems have remained virtually unchanged schematically and functionally, but there are a third fewer units, and most of them have been redesigned. Since the entire family was designed simultaneously, the numbers in the aircraft names are ordered in increasing order of fuselage length (-600/-700/-800/-900).

737 MAX Family

The Boeing 737 MAX is a new family of aircraft being developed by Boeing to replace the Boeing 737 Next Generation family.

Options
- 737 MAX 7 - replacement for 737-700
- 737 MAX 8 - replacement for 737-800
- 737 MAX 9 - replacement for 737-900

Boeing VS Airbus:

In general, both aircraft are very popular among customers. However, as of mid-2012, Boeing had received 2,227 orders for the 737 plus 649 for the 737 MAX, while Airbus had received 3,352 orders for the A320 series and 1,534 orders for the updated A320neo. Both companies abandoned plans to create new narrow-body aircraft due to the huge costs of launching new models. Airbus incurred enormous costs to launch the A380 and is currently finishing the almost equally expensive A350 project. However, Boeing incurred even more significant costs to create and launch the 787 Dreamliner model - according to some estimates, the cost of the program increased almost fivefold. Moreover, both models continue to experience problems associated with novelty and divert significant funds.

Enjoy your flights! :)

I would like to express my gratitude to the airline

Exactly 60 years ago, in the fall of 1957 in New York international airport LaGuardia landed a Soviet passenger airliner. By this time, regular passenger flights were already operating on the route Moscow - Prague, Moscow - Berlin and Moscow - Helsinki. New international lines were served by the first Soviet jet passenger aircraft Tu 104. The arrival of a Soviet passenger airliner in the USA certainly played into the hands of the image Soviet Union as a country capable of building large and modern aircraft. The USSR's entry into the international passenger air transportation market was a real breakthrough for the Soviet aircraft industry, even despite the fact that the Tupolev aircraft in reality turned out to be an extremely unsuccessful development.

The Tu 104 aircraft, built at Andrei Tupolev's design bureau, became the first jet machine in the domestic civil aircraft industry. With the beginning cold war The Soviet Union was again forced to take part in the arms race, which was imposed on it by Western countries. In these difficult conditions, the Soviet leadership is taking a number of steps aimed at developing civil aviation. Design bureaus receive assignments to create passenger aircraft capable of regularly operating on domestic and international routes. At this moment there is an intense and persistent struggle between supporters of two concepts:

• the first concept involved the construction of passenger ships equipped with piston engines;
• the second concept involved the creation of a jet passenger airliner.

Proponents of the first option relied on greater capacity, efficiency and reliability. Indeed, building a passenger airliner with piston engines capable of carrying 35-100 passengers over long distances was a real challenge. Subsequently, the Soviet Il 14 and Il 18 only confirmed the correctness of the supporters of the first concept. For supporters of the second concept, the task was extremely difficult. It was necessary to create an aircraft with jet engines capable of lifting the car to great heights and accelerating it to supersonic speed. In this case, it was necessary to take into account the fairly high passenger capacity of the aircraft, a certain level of comfort and flight safety. Andrei Tupolev and his team of designers took it upon themselves to create the first passenger aircraft in the USSR to fly on jet propulsion.

It should be noted that Tupolev’s idea of ​​​​building a high-speed passenger car was not alone. In the West, the De Havilland DH.106 Comet passenger airliner has already taken to the skies. The aircraft, which could accommodate 30-40 passengers, served commercial flights between London and Johannesburg (South Africa) from May 1952. The Soviet Union watched with particular interest the operation of the British car and looked with envy at the successes of the Americans in this field. Their first jet passenger aircraft, the Boeing 707, had already taken shape in sketches and drawings in the early 50s. The Soviet Union urgently needed to create its own design, a machine capable of competing with Western analogues, so Tupolev’s idea had significant and serious support at the very top.

How was the problem with the first jet passenger airliner solved?

Tupolev did not have to work from scratch. When creating the first aircraft carrier for an atomic bomb, the Tu-16 long-range jet bomber, the designer’s mind was filled with the idea of ​​creating a long-range passenger aircraft using the resulting technological base. After the situation with the bomber became clear, the Tupolev Design Bureau began work on a passenger version of the aircraft. The first sketches and sketches of the new aircraft were already ready at the beginning of 1950. The aircraft received the designation T2-2AM-3-200. In this aspect, Soviet aircraft designers were ahead of their overseas counterparts. The Americans were just working on their concept of a passenger jet airliner.

At the turn of 1952-53, Soviet aircraft designers already began to draw up the first working drawings of a new aircraft. Having a positive test result of the Tu-16 strategic bomber, Andrei Tupolev proposed to begin creating a passenger version on the basis of a military vehicle. In this situation, the basic principle of Soviet engineering and design thought of that time was clearly visible - first we build military equipment, and then, if possible, adapt it for civilian needs. This was the case with the helicopters of the Mil family, this was the case with the launch vehicles of Sergei Korolev, and this was also the case with the first Soviet jet passenger aircraft.

Although the attitude towards the creation of the first passenger aircraft was serious and competent. The chief designer of the aircraft was D.S. Markov, who insisted on abandoning stupid and blind copying of the Tu-16 bomber with an eye to the passenger version. The emphasis was placed on the reliability of the car. This has become especially relevant in light of the latest plane crashes that occurred with the English jet airliner Comet.

This pragmatic approach to the creation of a passenger aircraft made it possible to kill two birds with one stone - to obtain a ready-made production base for the construction of serial aircraft and the ability to train flight technical personnel for the new aircraft. In addition, using the high performance characteristics of the bomber, Tupolev made compelling arguments in favor of his brainchild. The passenger aircraft will be able to fly at high altitudes, overcoming altitude horizons with difficult climatic conditions. High speed ensured rapid coverage of large distances, reducing the time spent in flight. There were real savings in the preparation of repair and technical services and the subsequent operation of the machine. However, behind all these advantages there were also serious shortcomings in the design of the machine, which became known much later.

Creation of the Tu 104 aircraft. Design features

After Tupolev and the company presented the finished drawings to high management, in June 1954, a Council of Ministers resolution was adopted on the creation of a passenger jet aircraft in the USSR based on the Tu-16 military bomber. During the creation of the machine, it was planned to develop a new, more spacious and capacious fuselage, which was supposed to house a hermetic passenger compartment. The main components, including the sweep and mechanics of the wing, landing gear and tail, were taken from the military version. The cockpit, which retains the layout of a military aircraft, has not changed either.

Provided that flights were carried out at altitudes above 10 thousand meters, the aircraft had to have a sealed fuselage all the way from the navigator's cabin to the tail compartment. In addition, the diameter of the fuselage increased significantly - from 2.9 meters to 3.5 meters. All this led to a significant change in the design of the aircraft. Previously, the Tu-16 bomber was a mid-wing aircraft. The passenger car became a low-wing aircraft, i.e. the wing of the plane was lowered down along with the jet engines. Initially, the fuselage of the aircraft was designed for a passenger cabin with a capacity of 50 people. Later, it was decided to increase the capacity of the passenger compartment by half.

In addition to the technical side of the issue, work was going on in parallel on the design of the car, both external and internal. The passenger car should not even from a distance resemble a military bomber, although for experienced experts This could not be hidden later. If externally the changes were minor, then inside the plane should have become exemplary. Comfort on board was one of the conditions of the project. It should be noted that in this aspect, Soviet designers managed to achieve a lot. The first prototype turned out to be pompous and luxurious inside. Further interior decoration has become more democratic, if not ascetic.

The developers of the new passenger airliner had to solve new problems along the way. This especially affected the creation of an autonomous air conditioning system and on-board power supply used for household services. Full coverage assumed interior spaces cabin and full radio installation of the aircraft. The finished layout was presented to the State Commission in December 1954. The first flight of the prototype under the designation T-16P (design name for the Tu 104 aircraft) was carried out the following year, in June 1955. As in other cases, when flight tests were still underway, the Kharkov Aviation Enterprise began preparing a production base. The production of the first large units of subsequent production vehicles began here. The new passenger aircraft had the following design characteristics:

• take-off weight 75.5 tons;
• fuselage length 38.85 meters;
• the wingspan was 35 meters;
• two AM-3 turbojet engines with a total thrust of 17,500 kg;
• the payload in normal mode was 5200 kgf.

The car could fly at a speed of 850-900 km/h at an altitude of up to 11,500 meters. The maximum flight range was 2750 km. Not every passenger aircraft could boast such characteristics. Propeller-powered aircraft were more economical, but had a lower speed and flew at low altitude. The Tupolev Design Bureau aircraft was produced at once at three aircraft factories of the Soviet Union, in Kharkov, Omsk and Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan).

Beginning in 1956, the new aircraft began to be supplied to Aeroflot, the only civilian airline in the USSR. In the same year, a Soviet airliner delivered the Soviet leader, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev, to London. Despite the rapid start and bright future of the first Soviet jet aircraft, the following years became a black page in the history of Tupolev’s brainchild. In 1958, two Tu 104 plane crashes occurred, costing the lives of 169 people. As a result of a thorough analysis of what happened, it became clear that the cause of the air accident in both the first and second cases was the disturbed proportions in the rear alignment of the airliner. Design improvements were quickly made to include anti-spin protection. Emergency escape systems began to be installed on liners.

The difficult fate of the first passenger jet airliner

Despite serious accidents, the Tu 104 aircraft continued to be produced. Officially, production of the machines was discontinued in 1960, due to the high accident rate of flying machines of this type. Over 5 years, Soviet aircraft factories produced 201 aircraft in various modifications. The Tu 104A with a capacity of 70 people and the Tu 104B with a cabin designed to carry 100 passengers flew on passenger routes.

In terms of the number of accidents, the Soviet passenger airliner Tu 104 was second only to the British Comet aircraft. Over all the years of operation, 37 serious accidents and disasters occurred, resulting in the death of 1,140 people.

The Soviet aircraft was a first in many respects. For the first time in the Soviet Union, a car came on line that could offer passengers a high level of comfort. Following the appearance of the Tu 104 in Aeroflot's aircraft fleet, the airfield infrastructure began to change dramatically. To service aircraft of this class, special maintenance equipment, powerful tractors, tankers and self-propelled ladders were required. To maintain the aircraft, new personnel were required, including highly qualified pilots and on-board maintenance personnel.

The car, of course, became a breakthrough in the field of civil passenger air transportation. However, the most important principles for passenger transportation - reliability and safety - were unusual for this aircraft. The reason for the poor reliability of the airliner design lies in technical miscalculations made during the design process of the aircraft. The work was carried out in emergency mode, so there was no need to talk about all the calculated options.

The main defect that the machine suffered from and which the designers were unable to eliminate was the instability of the aircraft during flight. The high speed, which Soviet aircraft designers were initially proud of, became the main obstacle to improving safety. At low speeds the plane easily went into a tailspin. During landing, great pilot skill was required to land the vehicle at high speeds. Flight safety was affected by the imperfection of radio navigation equipment. With so many serious shortcomings that Tupolev’s machine had, there was no need to talk about successful and long-term operation. The Tu 104 aircraft was the first Soviet passenger aircraft in its class, but far from the best.

Airplanes capture the imagination of many people, and it's no wonder. After all, some 100 years ago, no one could have imagined that multi-ton vehicles would plow the skies at speeds far exceeding the speed of sound. Today we will talk about the worst jet aircraft in the history of mankind.

1. Vought F7U Cutlass

Before its acquisition of Northrop Grumman, Vought produced some of the most famous and most successful aircraft in the history of the United States Navy. During World War II, Vought developed the F4U Corsair, which was used in combat in the Pacific. In Vietnam, the famous carrier-based fighter F-8 Crusader was used. During this period, Vought developed unusual aircraft such as the F7U Cutlass. The F7U project was originally intended to modernize the US Navy, but during testing it turned out that it was an extremely dangerous and unreliable aircraft. Several pilots died as a result of crashes and accidents. The Cutlass had a design that was unique for its time, including a twin-fin tail with a tailless aerodynamic design. However, during testing, obvious problems emerged. Despite the fact that the Cutlass reached speeds in excess of 1000 km/h, it had huge problems with the engines, which simply did not have enough thrust.

2. PZL M-15

The Polish PZL M-15 is one of the strangest-looking aircraft that has ever gone into mass production. It was the only production jet biplane in history, as well as the only jet aircraft used to pollinate crops with chemicals. Soviet authorities in the 1970s felt an urgent need to replace the agricultural air fleet, which used outdated aircraft. Considering that state farms had been using Polish agricultural aircraft for many years, it was the Polish company PZL that began to develop a new aircraft. One of the requirements was that the new aircraft had to use a jet engine, which had never been done before. When PZL built a test jet, it was found to have a cruising speed of only 161 kilometers per hour (and a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour). As a result, the M-15 did not live up to expectations because it was too uneconomical and its speed left much to be desired. Only 175 examples were built before the project was cancelled.

3. Yak-38

When the Harrier Jump Jet, a vertical take-off and landing fighter, was adopted by the British Navy in 1969, the Soviet Union began developing its own light carrier-based attack aircraft. Unfortunately, the Yak-38 ended up being one of the most useless naval aircraft ever put into service. Despite cosmetic similarities to the Harrier, the Yak-38 used a different lift engine system. Because of these differences in design, the Yak-38 used much more fuel during takeoff than the Harrier. This significantly limited the aircraft's combat radius. With a full combat load, the Yak-38's flight range was only 680 km (or 500 km with vertical take-off). Also, in order to reduce the weight of the aircraft as much as possible, it was equipped with only four external weapons pylons.

4.Bristol 188

In 1947, Charles Yeager was the first to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, ushering in a new era in aviation. After this, different countries began to actively develop their own jet planes, most of whose projects were unsuccessful. This turned out to be the Bristol 188 - a futuristic aircraft from of stainless steel, which according to the project was supposed to reach a speed of Mach 2.6. At these speeds the hull was expected to heat up to 300 degrees Celsius, giving the Bristol 188 the nickname "Burning Pencil". During the first test flight, a problem was discovered - the takeoff speed of the 188 was 480 kilometers per hour, which is too much for any aircraft. To take off, the Flaming Pencil needed an overly long runway. The final nail in the Bristol 188's coffin was that it failed to even reach Mach 2.

5. McDonnell XF-85 Goblin

6. Baade 152

Although Germany played a leading role in the development of jet aircraft during World War II, the destruction of the German aircraft industry and its slow post-war recovery meant that Germany initially lagged behind other world powers in the development of post-war jet aviation. The first jet aircraft was built in 1949, but it was not until 1956 that German aircraft designers began work on developing their own jet passenger airliner. Engineers from the GDR, who had previously worked for Junkers, developed the Baade 152, which became Germany's first turbojet passenger aircraft. The aircraft featured an unusual powerplant, swept wings, and landing gear similar to that found on the American B-47. Unfortunately, during the second test flight, the 152 prototype crashed, killing the entire crew. Engineers made significant changes to the second prototype, completely redesigning the chassis configuration and changing the engine fairings. But this idea also turned out to be unsuccessful, and by 1961 the project was closed.

7. Tu-144

Supersonic aircraft became fashionable in the 1960s and 1970s. The British and French developed the Concorde, and the USSR developed the almost identical Tu-144. Although the supersonic passenger aircraft was advanced for its time, the Tu-144 turned out to be one of the worst aircraft ever put into service. The first flight of the Tupolev airliner took place two months before the Concorde flight. From the very beginning, there were many problems with the Tu-144. The first passenger prototype crashed in front of the public during a demonstration flight at Le Bourget in 1973. However, it began commercial exploitation airplane. After several flights, engineers discovered that the hulls of two Tu-144s were on the verge of complete structural failure, while other aircraft had some systems that failed during flight. Although there were no further accidents, after only 55 flights the plane was no longer used for passenger transportation. And after another 50 flights (where the Tu-144 acted as a cargo aircraft), its operation was completely abandoned.

8. Dassault Balzac V and Mirage III V

Basically, vertical take-off and landing fighter projects were unsuccessful. When the British developed the Harrier in the late 1960s, the French also began work on their own VTOL fighter. The idea was good on paper, but completely failed in practice. Dassault equipped one of the first Mirage III prototypes with eight lift jet engines. The plane, called Balzac V, suffered a disaster after several months of test flights - it turned over during landing. The test pilot died in the process. Dassault recovered the prototype and continued testing. In 1965, an American pilot died during testing. The aircraft was significantly redesigned and named Mirage III V. Just like its predecessor, it had a promising start. But disaster struck again and the project was finally closed.

9. De Havilland Comet

De Havilland's medium-range passenger jet has delighted Britain. The Comet, which first flew in 1949, was predicted to have a great future as one of the world's first jet airliners. Unfortunately, the Comet had become too advanced for its time, and De Havilland's engineers lacked an understanding of how to design airliners. Their miscalculations led to the death of dozens of passengers. The first Comet accident occurred in 1952 when the plane failed to take off and ran off the end of the runway. A few months later, in 1953, an identical problem occurred in Pakistan, which this time resulted in the death of 11 people. While an investigation was being conducted into the causes of the incident, another Comet simply disintegrated in mid-air on takeoff at an Indian airport, killing all 43 people on board. Just over a year later, on January 10, 1954, another Comet suffered explosive mid-air decompression and crashed into the ocean, killing 35 people. As it turned out later, what led to the accidents was that the Comet had square windows that could collapse at high speeds.

10. Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig

Just by looking at this aircraft, you can immediately tell that flying it was incredibly dangerous. The Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (colloquially known as the "Flying Bed") was used to test the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of aircraft. It was essentially two jet engines attached to a small frame. It had no fuselage, no wings, no control surfaces - only fuel tanks, engines and... a pilot. Tragedy struck in 1957 when the Flying Bed overturned and crushed the pilot. Rolls-Royce abandoned further testing after this disaster and began exploring other forms of VTOL engines, which eventually led to the Harrier.

The jet engine for airplanes was the same breakthrough as the invention of gunpowder for weapons. Continuing the topic of aircraft manufacturing, I would like to talk about the formation of the industry.

A jet aircraft is an aircraft that flies in the air by using air-breathing engines in its design. They can be turbojet, direct-flow, pulsating type, liquid. Jet aircraft can also be equipped with a rocket-type engine. IN modern world Jet-powered aircraft account for the majority of all modern aircraft.

A Brief History of Jet Aircraft Development

The beginning of the history of jet aircraft in the world is considered to be 1910, when a Romanian designer and engineer named Henri Conada created an aircraft based on a piston engine. The difference from standard models was the use of a blade compressor, which drove the machine. The designer began to be especially active in the post-war period that his apparatus was equipped with precisely jet engine, although initially he stated categorically the opposite.

By studying the design of A. Konad's first jet aircraft, several conclusions can be drawn. First - design features the cars show that the front engine and its exhaust fumes would have killed the pilot. The second development option could only be a fire on the plane. This is exactly what the designer was talking about; during the first launch, the tail section was destroyed by fire.

As for the jet type aircraft that were manufactured in the 1940s, they had a completely different design where the engine and pilot seat were removed, and as a result this improved safety. In places where the engine flames came into contact with the fuselage, special heat-resistant steel was installed, which did not cause injury or destruction to the hull.

First prototypes and developments

Of course, aircraft with a turbojet power plant have significantly more benefits than aircraft with piston engines.

The aircraft of German origin, designated He 178, was first flown on August 27, 1939.

In 1941, a similar device from British designers called Gloster E.28/39 took to the skies.

Vehicles with rocket engines

The He 176, created in Germany, made its first takeoff from the runway on July 20, 1939.

The Soviet aircraft BI-2 took off in May 1942.

Airplanes with a multi-compressor engine (they are considered conditionally airworthy)

The Campini N.1, an Italian-made aircraft, first flew in late August 1940. a flight speed of 375 km/h was achieved, and this is even less than its piston counterpart.

The Japanese Oka, powered by the Tsu-11 engine, was intended for one-time use as it was a bomb plane with a kamikaze pilot on board. Due to defeat in the war, the combustion chamber was never completed.

By borrowing technology from France, the Americans were also able to produce their own model of jet-powered aircraft, which became the Bell P-59. The car had two jet engines. The first time a separation from the runway was recorded was in October 1942. It should be noted that this machine was quite successful, since its production was carried out in series. The device had some advantages over its piston counterparts, but still it did not take part in hostilities.

First successful jet prototypes

Germany:

The created Jumo-004 engine was used for several experimental and production aircraft. It should be noted that this is the first power plant in the world that had an axial compressor, like modern fighters. The USA and USSR received a similar type of engine much later.

The Me.262 aircraft with a Jumo-004 engine installed first took to the air on July 18, 1942, and 43 months later it carried out its first combat mission. The advantages in the air of this fighter were significant. There was a delay in the launch of the series due to the incompetence of management.

The Ar 234 type reconnaissance-bomber jet was manufactured in the summer of 1943 and was also equipped with a Jumo-004 engine. It was actively used in recent months war, since only he could work in a situation with a strong preponderance of enemy forces.

​ Great Britain:

• The first jet fighter manufactured by the British was the Gloster Meteor, which was created in March 1943 and entered service on July 27, 1944. At the end of the war, the fighter's main task was to intercept German aircraft carrying V-1 cruise missiles.

USA:

The first jet fighter in the United States was the Lockheed F-80. The first separation from the runway was recorded in January 1944. The aircraft was equipped with an Allison J33 engine, which is considered a modified version of the engine installed on the Gloster Meteor. It saw its baptism of fire in the Korean War, but was soon replaced by the F-86 Saber.

The first carrier-based jet-powered fighter was ready in 1945, designated the FH-1 Phantom.

The US jet bomber was ready in 1947, it was the B-45 Tornado. Further development made it possible to create the B-47 Stratojet with an AllisonJ35 engine. This engine was independently developed without introducing technologies from other countries. As a result, a bomber was manufactured that is still in use today, namely the B-52.

THE USSR:

The first jet aircraft in the USSR was the MiG-9. First takeoff – 05/24/1946. A total of 602 such aircraft were delivered from the factories.

The Yak-15 is a jet-powered fighter aircraft that was in service with the Air Force. This aircraft is considered a transitional model from piston to jet aircraft.

The MiG-15 was manufactured in December 1947. It was actively used in the military conflict in Korea.

The Il-22 jet bomber was manufactured in 1947 and was the first in the further development of bombers.

Supersonic jets

The only carrier-based bomber in the history of aircraft manufacturing with supersonic propulsion capabilities is the A-5 Vigilent aircraft.

Supersonic carrier-based fighters - F-35 and Yak-141.

In civil aviation, only two passenger aircraft with the ability to fly at supersonic speeds were created. The first one was manufactured on the territory of the USSR in 1968 and was designated as Tu-144. 16 of these aircraft were produced, but after a series of accidents the aircraft was taken out of service.

Second passenger vehicle of this type manufactured by France and Great Britain in 1969. A total of 20 aircraft were built, and operation continued from 1976 to 2003.

Jet aircraft records

The Airbus A380 can accommodate 853 people on board.

The Boeing 747 has been the world's largest passenger aircraft for 35 years, with a passenger capacity of 524 people.

Freight:

The An-225 Mriya is the only aircraft in the world that has a payload capacity of 250 tons. It was originally manufactured to transport the Buran space system.

The An-124 Ruslan is one of the largest aircraft in the world with a payload capacity of 150 tons.

It was the largest cargo aircraft before the appearance of Ruslan, with a carrying capacity of 118 tons.

Maximum flight speed

The Lockheed SR-71 aircraft reaches a speed of 3,529 km/h. 32 aircraft were manufactured, but cannot take off with full tanks.

MiG-25 – normal flight speed is 3,000 km/h, acceleration to 3,400 km/h is possible.

Future prototypes and developments

Passenger:

Large:

• High Speed ​​Civil.
• Tu-244.

Business Class:

SSBJ, Tu-444.

SAI Quiet, Aerion SBJ.

Hypersonic:

• Reaction Engines A2.

Managed Laboratories:

Quiet Spike.

Tu-144LL with engines from the Tu-160.

Unmanned:

• X-51
• X-43.

Aircraft classification:

History assigned the responsibility for preserving Russia in one of the most difficult times in the last thousand years to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin.

And he coped with this responsibility with honor, preserving the country and all the peoples living on its territory, making Russia a country of advanced science and great culture. He did this with the minimum possible loss of life and property.

The most influential world forces were unable to crush the Soviet state and exterminate the peoples of the USSR during Lenin and Stalin times. In Russia, many of the interventionists of Western countries, their mercenaries, including the White armies, enemies of Russia within the country and hordes of troops of Europe united by Hitler found their grave.

This is what the West cannot forgive either Stalin, the Russian people, or itself.

The era of the 1930s, war and post-war times, attracts us with the grandeur of its achievements, the heroism of millions of people, and the greatness of a power called the Soviet Union.

In the post-war period, the lives of the peoples of the USSR were preserved thanks to enormous achievements in the field of weapons. Throughout its previous existence, Russia has never had such powerful, victorious Armed Forces, which since the end of 1942 have surpassed the armed forces of any country in the world and remained the strongest in the world until the last day of the existence of the Soviet Union.

Our army and our military industry, destroyed since 1985 by the traitor M.S. Gorbachev, had such a margin of safety that in 1991, before the destruction of the USSR, it remained the strongest. And today we are alive thanks to the fact that under Gorbachev and Yeltsin we did not manage to destroy all nuclear weapons, all missiles, planes, guns and tanks, all weapons factories.

Unfortunately, few people understand that the security of the peoples of Russia fully corresponds to the state of its Armed Forces. But the leaders of the Soviet Union understood this well.

The USSR did not doubt for a minute that only thanks to a well-armed, strong army, our country is free, independent and calm for the life and future of its children.

Few people can imagine the power of our post-war army. It was a multimillion-strong army, working like a well-oiled machine, which was capable of defeating any enemy. But an army cannot successfully defend its country if it is not equipped with weapons whose combat qualities are equal to or superior to those of the enemy.

The Soviet leadership understood this, thought about the future of the country and, despite the colossal costs associated with the introduction of hostilities with the enemy who attacked us, allocated funds to create a new generation of weapons. And not thanks to our intelligence, but thanks to the work of Soviet scientists and engineers before the war, during and after the war, new types of weapons were created in the USSR.

Our intelligence, in my opinion, was characterized by insufficient capabilities to provide reliable information. Before the war, she “catched German ducks” and named one after another incorrect dates for the attack on the USSR and became so bogged down in disinformation that she lost the trust of the Soviet government.

Intelligence did not indicate the direction of the main attacks of the German troops in 1941, but claimed that half of the German troops were intended to attack England, looked at the transfer of Manstein’s army from Sevastopol to Leningrad, tripled the number of German troops surrounded at Stalingrad, and could not determine to which front near Kursk in 1943 the enemy would deliver the main blow.

Even in 1945, when our troops, fighting for every house, were advancing towards the Reichstag, intelligence did not know that Hitler’s headquarters bunker was located nearby in the Imperial Chancellery and therefore our troops were not sent specifically to capture the Imperial Chancellery and Hitler was neither alive nor dead didn't take it.

And it is not at all by chance that the presence of secret representatives of the USSR in the highest echelons of power Hitler's Germany, for example, Stirlitz, was written by a person more drawn to the West than to Russia.

The myth of omnipotence Soviet intelligence was inflated by the West with the aim of accusing the Soviet Union of not having designed new military equipment, atomic weapons, but of stealing the developments of Western countries and especially the developments of Germany and the USA.

These myths were and are being invented to discredit Soviet science, our scientists, designers, engineers, workers, country leaders, research teams and production enterprises. Without these myths, the United States would have to admit that Russians in science and production are much more capable than rich Western countries, and the socialist system is more effective than the capitalist system.

In fact, Soviet designers and scientists already during the war were working on creating fundamentally new military equipment. One type of such equipment was aircraft with turbojet engines, or, as they were called, jet aircraft.

The Yakovlev Design Bureau took as a basis the design of the famous, lightest and most maneuverable fighter of the Second World War - the Yak-3. On April 24, 1946, the first flight of our country's first jet fighter, the Yak-15, designed by the A. S. Yakovlev Design Bureau, took place. On the same day, April 24, 1946, the Soviet Union made its first flight. jet fighter design bureau of A. I. Mikoyan and M. I. Gurevich MiG-9. Both flights were successful.

April 24 became the birthday of Soviet jet aviation. But almost no one in the country knows about this significant day, because our media hides the achievements of our ancestors from their descendants. On August 18, 1946, on USSR Air Fleet Day, both aircraft were demonstrated at a parade in Tushino.

By November 7, 1946, about 30 aircraft were prepared for the air parade over Red Square, but due to weather conditions, the air parade was canceled and only on May 1, 1947, the country's first jet aircraft flew over Red Square for the first time. The rustling whistle of the formation of flying planes was greeted with delight by thousands of Muscovites and guests of the capital.

The USSR did not lag behind in the creation of jet bomber aircraft. In February-April 1949, it passed state tests and the Il-28 front-line bomber, designed by the S.V. Ilyushin Design Bureau, was put into mass production.

The MiG-15 jet fighter, taken into the air at the end of 1947, became the symbol of post-war Soviet aviation. Already in 1948, mass production of this remarkable aircraft, superior to all types of US fighters, began.

In response to the US threat to use atomic bombs against the USSR, Stalin, who had excellent air defense systems and a Mig-15 fighter, had reason to say that American planes would not reach the cities of the Soviet Union. The ability of our Air Force to protect the peaceful labor of the Soviet people was demonstrated by the war in Korea unleashed by the United States on June 25, 1950.

The Soviet Mig-17 fighter was publicly demonstrated at the air parade in Tushino on June 20, 1953, but it was also created under Stalin. It became the first aircraft in the USSR to reach the speed of sound in horizontal flight.

When creating the aircraft, testers again encountered the formidable phenomenon of flutter of an unprecedented variety and the reverse action of the ailerons at speeds close to sound. Only the highest flying skill of test pilot Sedov saved the plane, since within a second the plane was in flutter, no more than a third of the rudders remained. Our talented engineers identified the causes and fixed all the problems.

Thanks to its high performance characteristics, reliability and ease of operation, the MiG-17 was recognized as one of the best fighters of its time, especially after participating in battles in Egypt in 1956.

Testing of the remarkable MiG-19 fighter began in 1952 under Stalin. In flight, the plane reached almost one and a half speed of sound and a fantastic rate of climb - in 1.1 minutes it took off to 10 kilometers altitude. At that time, no aircraft in the world had such a rate of climb.

Having such a machine, equipped with guns, missiles and bombs, our children could sleep peacefully, since the plane was able to instantly intercept and destroy any enemy vehicle. The MiG-19 was noticeably superior to its foreign contemporaries: F-100, Super Saber, Starfighter.

I would especially like to note one more aircraft - the two-seat loitering interceptor of the Design Bureau of A. S. Yakovlev Yak-25, also tested during the life of I. V. Stalin on July 19, 1952 and demonstrated to the public in July 1955 at the aviation festival in Tushino and on May 1, 1956 over Red Square and in Tushino.

This aircraft, with two AM-5A engines of 2600 kgf each, designed by A. A. Mikulin, was intended for long-term patrols away from the base. It was equipped with excellent flight-navigation and radar systems, allowing it to intercept enemy targets in any weather conditions and over a wide range of altitudes.

This aircraft, together with ground-based air defense systems, blocked the possibility of the United States attacking us from the north through the North Pole. It was indispensable for workers in the Far North with a small number of airfields. A total of 480 Yak-25 aircraft were produced, mainly with the powerful Sokol radar. And despite the fact that there was no replacement for it, N.S. Khrushchev, having organized a pogrom of Soviet aviation, did not spare the irreplaceable Yak-25 and in 1963 he removed it from service.

It’s impossible not to remember another one unique car- attack aircraft of the Design Bureau of S.V. Ilyushin Il-40, which took to the air in 1953. But N.S. Khrushchev in 1956 decided to abolish attack aviation, and the country was left without a wonderful aircraft, especially needed by the infantry.

In the mid-1950s, the Sukhoi Design Bureau resumed its work. In September 1955, the first flight of the SU-7 aircraft took place, and in 1956, for the first time in the USSR, the SU-7 aircraft reached a speed twice the speed of sound. Sukhoi's aircraft were heavier than Yakovlev's and occupied a middle position between a front-line bomber and a fighter. And it was precisely this type of vehicle that the country’s Air Force needed.

In April 1959, the SU-7B aircraft (modified SU-7) took off, capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons and carrying out bombing from low altitudes. At the end of the 1980s, SU-7B of all modifications were removed from service by M. S. Gorbachev.

Such a decision can be called sabotage, because airplanes can fly and have been flying all over the world for decades. Even aircraft from the 1950s have normal flight performance and, with periodic repairs, updating equipment and weapons, can serve for a long time in protecting the country. Destroying planes, as Khrushchev destroyed out of his own stupidity and Gorbachev and Yeltsin did to please the United States, is a crime.

N. S. Khrushchev did not allow the production of bombers - flying boats designed in 1952 and subsequent years by R. L. Bartini.

Perhaps in this case Khrushchev is right, but it is necessary to talk about at least one project.

The unique seaplane A-57 designed by Bartini is flat, like a triangle cut out of a board, which has part of the fuselage under water, and on top it is flat and rises slightly above the water. Therefore, it is difficult to notice on the surface of the ocean. Its speed is 2500 km/h, flight range is 12-14 thousand kilometers, take-off weight is 320,000 kg, armament is one thermonuclear bomb “244 N” weighing 3000 kg.

It could reach the United States and return, especially with the nuclear power plant proposed in 1961. It gives the impression of a project of the future.

And jet seaplanes designed by the G. M. Beriev Design Bureau are a reality embodied in metal. For the first time, the R-1 jet gyroplane weighing 20,000 kg took off from the water at the end of May 1952, that is, also during the life of I.V. Stalin.

Even the United States recognized the P-1 as the world's first jet flying boat. On its basis, the Beriev Design Bureau in 1953 began developing a more advanced seaplane, and on June 20, 1956, the BE-10 jet seaplane weighing 48,500 kg took off from the surface of the water. It set 12 world records, including speed - 912 km/h and heights of 14,962 meters without load and 11,997 meters with load. This is truly a flying ship.

But the most expensive and difficult to design and manufacture were, of course, bombers. The Soviet aviation industry produced very beautiful aircraft. In my opinion, the most beautiful planes in the world. But each type of aircraft produced in the 1950s has its own beauty. The beauty of bombers is special, memorable forever, because behind this beauty one can see the formidable power. And the most beautiful are the planes designed in the first half of the 1950s.

In my opinion, the most powerful aircraft of the 1950s was the 3M OKB strategic bomber designed by chief designer V. M. Myasishchev. This aircraft was shown very well at the beginning of the 1974 feature film “The Sky With Me.” On January 20, 1953, during Stalin’s lifetime, the M-4 aircraft (prototype of the 3M aircraft) was flown into the air. Subsequently, all M-4 aircraft were converted into tanker aircraft for refueling aircraft in the air.

On March 26, 1956, flight tests of the 3M bomber began. The maximum take-off weight of the 3M aircraft was 193 tons without external tanks and 202 tons with a drop tank. The flight range with one in-flight refueling was over 15,000 km with a flight duration of 20 hours. It was truly an intercontinental aircraft, capable of taking off from airfields on the territory of the USSR and attacking targets in the United States.

The 3M aircraft and its modifications set 19 world records for altitude and speed of flight with cargo. The 3Ms were in service with long-range aviation until 1985 and were then destroyed in accordance with the Soviet-American agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons.

And this handsome man was killed by M. S. Gorbachev. The 3M aircraft was the great strategic bomber of a great continental power. It is huge, squat, with huge wings descending to the very ground, connected into a single monolith, aimed at flight, striking in its size and power. Today's cut-down Russia, unlike the USSR and the USA, does not produce any strategic bombers, and does not design new ones.

It should be noted that when, in connection with the creation of the Energia-Buran system, the question arose about transporting the system units by air to the assembly site at Baikonur, they remembered 3M. Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev redesigned the plane and named it VM-T.

In just two years, the Myasishchev Design Bureau created an aircraft similar to the Boeing B-52, which was a US national program. VM-T Atlant aircraft, 3M converted into cargo aircraft in 1980, performed more than 150 flights to transport cargo of the Energia-Buran system.

The second great aircraft of the great Soviet power of the 1950s is the Tu-95 strategic bomber. The bomber, designated "95", was intended to destroy important stationary targets with cruise missiles and bomb weapons day and night, in any weather conditions and anywhere in the world.

The first copy of the Tu-95 strategic bomber, designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau, also flew under the leadership of the country by I.V. Stalin on November 12, 1952. The aircraft was equipped with turboprop engines, characterized by lower fuel consumption, but due to the propellers, lower speed.

This aircraft met all the requirements for strategic missile-carrying bombers. Its flight range was 15,400 km, maximum flight speed - 882 km/h, maximum take-off weight - 172 tons.

And to conclude the topic about bombers of the 1950s, we need to talk about one more famous long-range bomber, the TU-16. The Tu-16 aircraft, designed by the A. N. Tupolev Design Bureau, was lifted into the air on April 27, 1952, that is, under Stalin.

Already in 1953, mass production of this complex machine began, and the first bombers began to arrive in combat units of the country's Air Force. On May 1, 1953, nine TU-16s passed over Red Square.

The Tu-16 occupied a middle position between a strategic and front-line bomber and was used very widely as a carrier of bombs, nuclear weapons, anti-ship missiles, as well as as a reconnaissance aircraft, patrol aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft and for many other military purposes.

Due to the size of the state's territory, the USSR really needed such an aircraft with a flight range of 5,800 km and a maximum take-off weight of 79 tons. In 1993, under Yeltsin's rule, the TU-16 aircraft was removed from service with the Russian Air Force and Navy. We have become even more defenseless against threats from the West and the East. But in China, the TU-16 aircraft, called N-6, is still in service today. It must be said that over the past 25 years Russia has not produced a single aircraft of the 3M class, TU-95 and TU-16.

Pay attention to the timing of testing, fine-tuning and the start of serial production of the most complex jet aircraft in Stalin's time. The quality of design and production time of the machines are amazing. We achieved perfection in aircraft production under Stalin. Not a single country in the world has achieved our results in the design and manufacture of aircraft by any indicator.

We had exactly the number of types of aviation equipment needed to ensure the security of the country. And if you remove at least one type of the named aircraft, then a gap will appear in the country’s air defense, which means the safety of the citizens of the USSR will decrease.

In addition, by creating strategic jet aviation, we made US territory vulnerable and put an end to American permissiveness in the world, as well as the possibility of implementing the plan to destroy the Soviet Union, that is, we disrupted the possibility of carrying out Western countries conspiracy against Russia.

It is impossible not to notice the fact that the production of the vast majority of aircraft was started under I.V. Stalin (Stalin died on March 5, 1953) and N.S. Khrushchev enjoyed the fruits of his labors after the aircraft were designed, tested, completed, and launched into mass production and under the reign of Khrushchev began to be supplied in large quantities to the Air Force, Navy, and Air Defense Forces.

The flight technical personnel, soldiers, sailors and officers praised Khrushchev for the new excellent jet aircraft, with the help of which you can defeat any enemy, and the true organizer of the triumph of the Soviet military aviation The 1950s, J.V. Stalin, were not named.

The majority of the country's residents, of course, did not understand that it was not the mind and will of Khrushchev, but the mind and will of I.V. Stalin and L.P. Beria that these mighty defenders of the sky of the Motherland were born. Designers, engineers, workers, managers of sites, enterprises and many other Soviet people whose intelligence and labor the country ensured its security were not glorified. The people did not know their heroes.

It must be said that liberal revisionists not only hide information about Soviet military aviation, but also present it to our youth in a clearly distorted form. And only a few people in our country know about such an outstanding aircraft as the strategic bomber of the 3M OKB of V. M. Myasishchev.

After the war, pre-war aircraft still remained in civil aviation: LI-2, R-2, PO-2 and others. But gradually funds were allocated for the production of new passenger aircraft.

Passenger aircraft An-2, Il-12, Il-14 with piston engines that meet the new requirements for civil aviation were designed and put into serial production.

The An-2 aircraft was not only a passenger aircraft for local airlines, but also the best agricultural aviation aircraft in the world. If it had been produced not by the USSR, but by the USA, then even today it would be cultivating agricultural land in most countries of the world. It is no longer produced in Russia, like other domestic civil aviation aircraft, but the remaining machines still continue to cultivate the country’s fields. Every year there are fewer and fewer of these cars left.

Passenger aircraft Il-12 and Il-14 differed from the Li-2 in their greater maximum take-off weight, comfort, nose wheel and the embodiment in their design of many achievements in the field of aircraft construction of piston aircraft.

The Soviet aviation industry also began producing piston helicopters Mi-1, Mi-4, Ka-15.

In 1955, Il-12, Li-2, An-2 aircraft and Mi-4 helicopters were even used in the Soviet Antarctic expedition. But, of course, for the development of civil aviation in the post-war period sufficient quantity no funds were allocated, since the most important issue of the post-war period was the question of preserving the state and people and protecting them from an external aggressor, and for this they needed military aviation that was not inferior to the enemy.

Leonid Petrovich Maslovsky