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ISSUE 42 - November 2008
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INVISIBLE AIRCRAFT

By Sergei N. Stepanenko, Contributing Editor
St. Petersburg, Russia

In the mind of 21st century man, the expression “invisible aircraft” conjures up “Stealth” technology, i.e. an aircraft invisible to radar. But in the 1930’s it meant just what it said - invisible to the human eye. As far fetched as it may seem, was there ever an attempt to build an invisible aircraft? Indeed there was.

It was in Russia, in the mid 1930’s that such a project was actually undertaken. A serious program to develop an invisible aircraft was launched. They would begin with an aircraft design already proven and in the inventory. As the intended mission was to be reconnaissance, they deemed that a basic airplane would suffice for their needs and selected the Yakovlev AIR-3.



In the straight forward thinking of the time, to build an invisible aircraft simply meant ‘build it from invisible materials.’ The materials, they reasoned, would be invisible if they were transparent, or if they reflected light. It was decided they would build the skins of transparent Plexiglas, and if the wing spars and other inner structures would be covered with mirroring amalgam, they too would appear invisible. If the engine cowling, cockpit panels and undercarriage were painted with white paint impregnated with aluminum powder and lacquered, they too would reflect light and appear invisible. Trusses, struts, ribs and even each revert would be aluminum, polished to a mirror-image, reflect light and become 'invisible'.


But did they succeed? Was the aircraft ever built? Did it ever fly?

The miracle happened on the 22nd of November, 1935 when the aircraft made his maiden flight at a secret airbase near the town of Vologda, to the North-West of Moscow Just after the engine was started, the aircraft became virtually invisible to the spectators. They were left to guess that the plane ran, took off and flew away only by the noise from the engine. The escort aircraft, tasked to follow and make a photographic history of the ‘invisible’ flight, immediately lost sight of it’s target. It was only after a successful flight and landing, after taxing to a spot in front of the spectators and cutting the engine, that the aircraft “condensed” and became fully visible again.

Alas! In spite of its initial triumph, the story of the “invisible aircraft” was short. The project never progressed beyond the flight test stage. As it happened, the Plexiglas grew dull over time and thus ‘visible’, and radar came into wide use.

Unfortunately, as with many top secret projects, there are no original pictures available.

The specifications are :
Weight max 805 kg
Max speed 160 km/h
Ceiling 4000 m
Wing span 11.00 m
Length 7.05 m
Height 2.30 m

A number of articles regarding the project are available in the Russian language. One is represented here http://www.soverkon.ru/2007/48/21.php with a very rough translation of it. If you wish to pursue a more detailed translation of this interesting article you might try working with: http://translate.google.com/translate_t# (have fun with it)

By Sergei N. Stepanenko
Contributing Editor

ssn@mail.wplus.net

Contributing web sites:
http://mkmagazin.almanacwhf.ru/avia/air_3.htm
http://www.airwar.ru/image/idop/law1/air4/air4-1.gif
http://www.spaceavia.com/ru/item.aspx?ItemID=1724
http://www.soverkon.ru/2007/48/21.php

(TRANSLATION) Russian»English

The aircraft, invisible

History about the invisible plane, told in the television series «Diversant. The end of the war », has very real roots. The invisible plane, which was established by Soviet engineers for the working-peasant Red Army, really existed! According to eyewitness accounts, it demonstrated quite dramatic results! Unlike many military secrets Council countries, it has not yet been disclosed. It has been 70 years, and information about it is something absolutely none - only 25 lines of a monograph in the history of Russian aviation.

It was the autumn of 1937 at the secret Soviet air base Vykatili. The aircraft design according to its scheme was quite normal: with one wing raised above the fuselage, with a small engine, with two cabins - a pilot and a passenger - and neubiraemym chassis.

The planes were extraneous carefully hidden from eyes, and it is understandable why: the appearance of this plane was clearly unnatural. She is extremely bright sparkled in the sun. With a small group of military and civilian aircraft it went flying. Soon the team was told to listen «from screws!» And «There are of the Screw!», An engine exhaust pipe emerged first, and then started something really quite incredible.

Flying gained steam engine, and at the same time, th e plane began to slowly melt. The fact that he got off and climbed away, observers dogadyvalis (could tell) only by the moving sound of engine.

Two fighter I-16 raised in the air to accompany it, then sat down to avoid flying accidents - the pilots did not see the object airplane they were tracking. Shortly landed himself the invisible aircraft. It was only heard, as he katilsya on vzletke, (landed on the grass) was seen as grass prigibaet( movement) air stream from an unseen propeller.

When turnover fell (engine stopped), the plane vynyrnul (retuned) from the netherworld. Flying (the pilot stopped) choked the engine, get out of the machine and went along with the expected completion of the test team of specialists. Mechanics carefully zachehlili Secret model and vkatili it back into a hangar. Hangar doors are closed, sealed, waking hour zastupil at protecting vital state secrets.

In the early 30-ies in the Air Force Academy of Zhukovsky, under the leadership of Professor Kozlov began research to create a visually invisible aircraft. By 1935, theoretical calculations were generally willing, and it is time to put them in kind.

The Panel was transferred to light aircraft design Yakovlev AIR-3 (on other data - AIR-4). The plane was not an ordinary - with the engine in the 60 hp He made a non-stop flight from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody length of 1700 kilometers in 10 hours 23 minutes with an average speed of 166.8 km / h. It was the international record-range and high speed flight for aircraft of this class.

Polotnyany sheeting aircraft replaced a transparent organic glass of French production. Rodoid inside the covered mirror amalgam. In another edition of this story rodoid was clear and amalgam were covered walls longeron and other internal surfaces of aircraft.

Bonnet, cab, wheels, rack painted white painted aluminum powder and otlakirovany. Farm and bracing, ribs and other parts were painted silverfish. Even the rivets and the cap is attached rodoidovye panel plating, polished to a mirror shine.

«... The result of these activities was significant. In the air the plane quickly disappeared from the eyes of ground observers. Experiments were carried out flights «invisible aircraft» near the U-2 (light biplane) at a distance. On the third aircraft were both filmed at kinoplenku. In the picture did not get the picture plane, and at long distances do not see it even stains. However, rodoid soon luster, choppy, and the effect of invisibility fell. After the tests the aircraft was dismantled and work on it has been terminated. Designed, but was not built special «invisible» aircraft frame of chrome-plated pipes »- announced in« Stories of aircraft structures in the USSR »famous aircraft Shavrov. And it is - everything. Another little material on the subject was published in the late 70-ies of the twentieth century in one of the Soviet journals.

The film Diversant. End of War

The flight of design ideas

Test flight was clearly more than one, otherwise how would luster and cracked rodoid? Nevidimka flew in the face of low temperatures: the test of the late autumn 1937, and continued - as early as winter 1938 th.

Tests in various weather conditions - rain, snow, flying over various landscapes: coniferous forests and zasnezhennymi spaces - should have to identify all kamufliruyuschie of the aircraft. Apparently, the results have been received. And unprecedented. So why draft shield?

And only whether engineering solutions to achieve the effect invisibility? And in general, could it all really happens when the then-level of technology and materials?

Absolutely. Soviet aircraft 30-ies to develop and maintain sometimes so bold and unusual in terms of engineering projects, that it become an obstacle to their practical application. Machinery, ahead of his time or stayed in the drawings, or their construction was limited to advanced copy.

For example, was flying submarine developed until the drawings of individual elements in the years 1934-1938 designer NIVKa (Research Military Committee) Ushakovym.

Sketchy draft pilot aircraft with a triangular, elliptical in the wing sverhmalogo lengthening «Strela» was established designer AS Moskaleva for three days! Yet the plane was built for 70 days in the winter of 1937 the closest analogue abroad - German R-13 design Egera - appeared only about a dozen years later.

In 1940, should have to pass the state test-fighter RC-I with a unique scheme sliding telescopic wings, initially by GI Bakshaevym. His speed is more than 200 km / h higher than the rate of any modern fighter, and he reached 800 km / h.

Nedovedennost engine M-106 has become a major obstacle to the machine. A professor Sergey Kozlov in 1939, created together with a team aviaakademii single fighter with variable angle of the wing installation. Experienced copy was destroyed during the evacuation in 1941, short, a fairy tale bylyu did not limiting its flight derznovennoy thought.

In the area of guesswork

So from a technical standpoint, the establishment of an aircraft invisible problems are not represented. The use of reflecting and scattering light waves materials will create a certain precisely calculated aberration, optical errors, distortions.

Before the new technology and materials from abroad, our country never stops. For the benefits of invisible combat aircraft, production of the French rodoida can learn at the Soviet plant for a year and a half. And then the Army Air invisible could erase any ground to powder enemy.

But whether the technical solutions have been used?

Can be used paranormal or psihotronnye resources?

In favor of the theory of the use of such solutions developed by the sample said behavior aircraft takeoff and landing. Optical distortion can be quite plausibly explain his disappearance if you are going to heaven, but how to be with the eyewitness testimony that lost sight of the plane started yet vyrulivaya to vzletku? And what is this vynyrivaniya from the netherworld after rulezhki parking?

Today psihotronnoe weapons perceived to be realistic, but maybe it was already 70 years ago?

Promising project could be closed for various reasons. It was in those years in the Soviet Union, the first radar station. They saw the aircraft invisible fine.

Another actively developing science then Soviet military technology - the use of infrared systems. They used to put managed ammunition, and to detect objects in the night vision devices. The infrared ray is also able to detect invisible airplane.

And most importantly, invisible could not escape the most common time of detection air defense - zvukoulavlivayuschih plants. Heading to the site of noise they were given quite accurately.

In addition, «reflecting» technology was good only at very low speed: as material for the shell of the wing and fuselage of high-speed aircraft plexiglass clearly not godilsya because of their strength.

***

No documents of the mysterious project is preserved, we can only guess about the real events and watch movies about fascist saboteurs who are looking for it in the Crimea secret lab ...

Russian»English


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