2015-11-02

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Flying Submarine

Flying Submarine is a vehicle that combines in a single structure the basic functions of a seaplane and submarine. The machine must carry out landing and taking off from the water surface and be able to move under water.

Since the requirements for the machine is almost the opposite, development can be considered truly revolutionary as the aircraft industry and shipbuilding.

Developments in the USSR flying boat

The first draft of a flying submarine was designed and presented to the management before the start of the Second World War, but it was not used. This involved the development of designer Boris Ushakov, who proposed the creation of floatplane, which was equipped with three engines and a periscope.

The project designer worked over 10 years since college. For the first time the competent committee considered the draft in 1936 year, it was noted that the car is quite interesting and promising. The field of this project was considered by the Commission of the Red Army and handed over to check the technical possibilities.

Since 1937 year project started division "B". After repeated calculations revealed a number of inaccuracies that have suspended development. After completions project designer LPL-metal was presented, which was to develop 100 components in the air and 3 node in the underwater mode.

All motors apparatus were closed boards of metal. The overall design should have six completely sealed compartments in the wings and fuselage. The three of them were located in the engine power 1000 horsepower each, with the turbocharger, they could issue 1200 horsepower. Also it was separated sealed compartment for equipment, batteries and an electric motor. Leaking compartments were used as ballast and filled with water when submerged.

Prepare to dive should take only a few minutes. The body in the form of an all-metal cylinder made of duralumin in 6 millimeters thick. control of the aircraft cabin is flooded during the dive, and the pilots themselves passed into the sealed compartment, where the submarine controls were located.

All were in flexible fuel tanks are housed inside the fuselage. Corrosion protection were paints and varnishes that are applied to the body and parts of the aircraft. The machine should have a combat load, which is equal to 44% of the total weight. Most of the weight assigned to the two torpedoes, located under the fuselage. Filling the tanks with ballast tanks carried an electric motor.

In 1938, this project has been fully closed by order of the Red Army Committee, the main reason was the lack of flexibility in the underwater mode.

Developments in the US flying boat

Beginning of development dates back to the times of the Cold War. In 1956, the idea of creating a mini-submarine was published, which could fly. The project was based on the idea of movement under water by electric motors, and in flight, we used two types of jet engine. Designation of the machine was "Cormorant". He was carrying a torpedo and could be launched from aboard the submarine underwater.

It should be noted the success of the American designer D. Reid, who made a working model of radio control in 1964 year. The model had a length and a width of one meter. This achievement was published designer. After that they are interested in the military.

The project in the metal was carried out by the General Dynamics division, in 1964 the Navy manufactured a scale model of a flying submarine with the designation Commander-1. The tests of the device were successful enough in all modes. The car could sink underwater at 2 meters and develop speed in the 4 node. It was assumed that in flight the speed will be equal to 300 km / h, but in the real test it was possible to reach only 100 km / hour. The first flight was carried out in the summer of 1954 year, after the dive the car took off and flew at an altitude of 10 meters. When immersed, all engines were closed with rubber seals, and the propeller had to be removed. In this case, the pilot was in a flooded cabin and used breathing apparatus. As a power plant, a piston engine with an output of 65 horsepower was used.

On the basis of this machine manufactured unit Aeroship, which had a retractable landing gear float type. The machine can fly at a speed of 130 km / hour about 300 kilometers and under water speed reached 8 nodes. The general public in 1968 unit presented at the exhibition in New York, there were demonstrated capabilities of the aircraft.

Further development of flying boats

It should be noted that almost all the achievements on the basis of a seaplane ended in failure. Also on machines manufactured by type ekroplana and flying car, have not yielded positive results. None of these works did not fall into the large-scale production.

On the other hand, underwater aircraft, which are able to fly in the aquatic environment, have become the most faithful branch of development. Installed wings on such a machine allow for additional lifting and sinking power only when moving. But these models also have drawbacks due to the slow and shallow immersion.