Wow

[Head in the clouds.]

I am not one to use teenage parlance, but ; how cool would this be if it flew? http://forces.tv/74093164

[woody37]

If I'm understanding it correctly, it has one engine, that's a big aeroplane to rely on one. Yes it's got electric fans, but these run off the turbine

Be great if they pulled it off....well unless they're planning to invade with them!

[Paul Bradley]

"The futuristic-looking blueprints would allow the country to fly a strategic unit of 400 Armata tanks or 900 light armoured vehicles, with ammunition, anywhere in the world, and airdrop them and accompanying personnel on any terrain."

Ummmm...... 200 ton payload, 400 tanks - are they Dinky models? Sounds like Sun or Daily Mirror reporting, rather than something purporting to be a serious website....

[Head in the clouds.]

I can't imagine for one minute that one plane will carry all that and they know it, just lazy journalism.

[colin]

wow 400 Tanks, 200ton payload, well my works Transit's over 2ton and the metal in that seems as thin as paper so I wouldn't fancy being in one of those tanks unless your facing just bows and arrows

[Head in the clouds.]

That's all we have left isn't it ? , bows and arrows.

[Alan P]

Another triumph for the journalistic "profession"

[Nigel Foster60]

And it is not even April the first!

Nigel.

[Martin @ RAM Models]

You all mock but.........................we all know that many readers will not question the numbers claimed and believe the story completely.

[Stu_davros]

Reading between the lines I get the impression they mean that the fleet of aircraft could carry 400 tanks. Possibly over zealous editing is to blame.

[noelh]

Looks like something from a video game. In any case if anyone seriously believes any country, let alone the Russians, can develop a supersonic, single engine hybrid transport aircraft that size in less than ten years. Then I want some of what they're drinking, probably straight vodka.

It's pure fantasy.

Edited July 18, 2015 by noelh

[vtecjack]

Russian ? I thought Antonov were a Ukrainian company ! I smell something fishy

[Albeback52]

Reading between the lines I get the impression they mean that the fleet of aircraft could carry 400 tanks. Possibly over zealous editing is to blame.

Think you're right. The article goes on to mention a fleet of 80 aircraft. With a payload of 200 tons each, that certainly makes it feasible to carry a large number of armoured vehicles. Of course, they still have to get to where they are going. Large transports, even escorted & no matter how fast will be VERY juicy targets for fighters and SAMs. Flying wing design makes perfect sense because of the large internal volume. Surprised nobody else has thus far considered an all wing configuration for large transports.

Allan

[Giorgio N]

Think you're right. The article goes on to mention a fleet of 80 aircraft. With a payload of 200 tons each, that certainly makes it feasible to carry a large number of armoured vehicles. Of course, they still have to get to where they are going. Large transports, even escorted & no matter how fast will be VERY juicy targets for fighters and SAMs. Flying wing design makes perfect sense because of the large internal volume. Surprised nobody else has thus far considered an all wing configuration for large transports.

Allan

There have been in reality a large number of similar proposals over the years, with the first transports designed following this concept dating from the '30s, for example the various proposals coming from Burnelli. Speaking of more modern designs, NASA has proposed similar concepts for many years and the X-48 demonstrator is aimed at analysing such an aircraft.

There are a number of reasons however why similar concepts have not found much favour with their potential customers, civil or military

Civil customers (i.e. airlines) need whatever innovation to improve the profit. No point in introducing something new if this does not result in higher profits. Flying wings may offer more internal volume but really the area where they can be interesting is the decrease in drag resulting from these designs. However the operation of such aircrafts may be more expensive as accessibility of the various components is usually much easier in a conventional aircraft, think for example of the engines. Today's nacelles allow very fast inspections and replacement if necessary, blended wing designs tend to have engines hardly accessible.

Military customers; here sure more internal volume would be a bless, however military transport types must also be capable of some sort of "tactical" operation from less than ideal runway. The classic high wing configuration is better suited to such operations than the flying wing designs. The ease of accessibility to the various components remains an issue.

There are other "engineering" aspects that are important: transport types have always been able to grow in both volume and power in a relatively easy way: lengthen the fuselage and hang larger engines under the wings. A flying wing does not lend itself well to this type of development, whatever the design would be frozen and any development would require extensive and expensive redesigns of the whole airframe. Not ideal for a manufacturer that is trying to propose products to a market that is always asking for more.

Regarding the Russian aircraft shown in the link, really to me this looks like propaganda rather than a real project.

For a starter, a single engine for such a large aircraft ? Makes no sense, something like that could likely not even be certified for commercial operations.

Then there's the matter of what would the role of such an aircraft be. It's not a tactical transport, it will require proper runways that are well prepared. It would therefore only be used to transport vehicles/tanks to an arranged location. Now what's the point of a supersonic aircraft for this kind of mission ? Even by reducing the flight time to destination by 50% compared to a traditional type, this would make very little difference on the time needed for a full unit to enter action after disembarking, unless an enemy airport is invaded intact... but then there's the matter that a M2 transport type flying at high level would be an easy target for most air defence systems.

Last but not least, as Noel already pointed out, 10 years to develop something like this ? For a country with limited financial means that until now has only managed to introduce in production updated variants of 1970's designs? I don't doubt here the skills of Russian designers, but something like this needs time and most of all a load of money to be developed... the latter in particular does not seem to be easily available at the moment

[Truro Model Builder]

The important question is, do the palm trees swing back when it takes off? If they don't, I ain't interested.

Seriously, very interesting, but I really think somebody dreamed it up after watching an episode of Thunderbirds before going to bed one evening, as it will get no further in the reality stakes.