Russia is the first in the world to conduct tests for a supersonic civilian aircraft

The National Research Center "Institute named after N. E. Zhukovsky" for the first time in the world conducted tests of intelligent technologies for supersonic civil aircraft.

"In Russia, for the first time in the world, the National Research Center "Zhukovsky Institute" has tested in flight a demonstrator of intelligent technologies that implements the concept of "from terminal to terminal" in a "closed cabin" (cabin without glazing). The technology can be used in the future to create a promising supersonic civil aircraft," the research center said in a statement.

They explained that the concept of "from terminal to terminal" involves controlling an aircraft in a "closed cockpit" using external vision systems based on cameras of different spectral ranges at all stages of the flight. During the flights, the aircraft was controlled using remote control and external vision systems.

"The work on technologies and solutions conducted by the N.E. Zhukovsky Institute is important and necessary for the formation of the appearance of a supersonic civil aircraft. As a result of successful tests of the "closed cockpit", Russian specialists managed to obtain valuable data for further research and confirm the fundamental possibility of take—off, landing and flight control of a supersonic civil aircraft in the absence of glazing," noted the achievement of the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov.

Experts noted that the flight demonstrator included an external vision system, innovative navigation and surveillance tools. Such a system of a promising supersonic civil aircraft, consisting of five visible-range cameras and two infrared cameras, made it possible to control the aircraft in the cockpit without glazing.

"The test flights were carried out by a flight crew consisting of the aircraft commander, co-pilot, flight mechanic, as well as an on-board test operator and a test pilot, whose chair was occupied by the Director General of S.A. Chaplygin SibNIA, 1st class test pilot V. E. Barsuk," the institute's press service said.

Experimental studies of the demonstrator as part of the Yak-40 flying laboratory were carried out in Novosibirsk by specialists of the State Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Systems and the Siberian Scientific Research Institute of Aviation named after S.A. Chaplygin (part of the Research Center "Institute named after N.E.Zhukovsky").