Mass-media avidly comment on the message about the desire of the RF Airborne Forces to get convertible planes for the delivery of the landing force to the place of the military operations. And often this information is presented as something new, progressive.
Launched this wave of love RIA "News". Journalists from this particular agency, citing an unnamed source in the defense industry complex, posted information that the Airborne Forces unexpectedly became interested in a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter.
"The Airborne Forces are working on the possibility of using convertoplanes for delivering paratroopers on the battlefield. By the end of September, it is planned to receive a technical assignment and open experimental development work (R & D) on this machine.
Immediately it should be said that this hype looks more than strange. For similar to the next PAK FA. Recall that the OCD for the 5 fighter generation was launched back in the 80s of the last century in the USSR, in 2001, a new program for the development of this aircraft was launched in Russia, the aircraft took off in 2010, did not need it in 2018 refused.
The situation is very similar, for the Airborne Forces only thinks about whether it is possible to use non-existent while units for their own purposes, and someone is already writing technical specifications, happily rubbing the little hands. And what, this sweet word “budget” inspires no worse than “Redbulla.”
But let's look at the situation calmly.
In fact, paratroopers, not only the Airborne Forces, but also other units using airborne vehicles to the battle sites, have long known the danger of this operation.
A beautiful picture of landing troops from BTA aircraft is rarely accompanied by a story about enemy fighters who hunt for heavy transport workers. Or about ground defense, which have great potential in the fight against low-flying and low-speed vehicles.
Exactly the same picture when landing assault landing method from helicopters. The advantages of low altitude are offset by the low speed of the helicopters. In fact, the successful landing of an airborne force depends in many respects not even on the training of flight personnel and airborne troops, but on the ability to hide the very possibility of disembarking as long as possible.
Conversations and even development decisions specifically for the Airborne Forces of convertiplanes were conducted during the Soviet era. The aircraft, which combines the advantages of the aircraft (speed, range) and the helicopter (flight altitude, the possibility of landing in unequal places, the possibility of freezing) really looks attractive.
Convertoplane - aircraft with turning screws. The car rises into the air like a helicopter (that is, vertically), and after the climb of the nacelle with the engines lowered, and the aircraft continues to fly like a screw aircraft. Convertoplane can take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, a small airfield and a flat land surface and land there.
If you recall the Soviet developments of 50-60-year-old, then you will find, in particular, in the Kamov Design Bureau, prototypes of modern convertible maps. In 1960, the OKB was created and presented to the test apparatus according to the tilt map - Ka-22. Moreover, this device quite successfully made test flights. Even set two world records.
Ka-22
Other Soviet designs are widely known. In particular, the convertible planes of the Mil Design Bureau (Mi-30 family). True, they were then called vintplan.
Mi-30
Yes, the characteristics at that time were impressive. Speed - 500-600 km / h. Flight range - 800 km. Take-off weight - 10,6 tons. Load capacity - 2 tons (in the modified versions to 5 tons). But most importantly, the rotorcraft could be a real replacement for the old Mi-8. And the ability to install a more powerful power plant allows you to upgrade the car.
Applications for this machine were many. And in the military field, and in civilian use. Suffice it to recall that the Mi-30 is a whole line of convertible plans (by the middle of 80-s) with different take-off weight, 11, 22 and 30 tons (depending on the engines).
We killed our own convertiplane, killing the USSR. If the state armaments program was implemented for the period of 1986-1995, the USSR would have had such an aircraft by the middle of 90's. And the army would get it first. In this program, the Mi-30 was.
So the idea of convertiplanes is not new. Practices in our OKB is. Comparing the Soviet devices with the only existing tweeter, V-22 Osprey of the American company Bell Helicopter, one can say that even today the Mi-30 and V-22 are competitors.
V-22 has a maximum speed (in airplane mode) 565 km / h, range - 690 km (combat), 722 km (landing), practical ceiling - 7620 m (2 engine), 3139 m (one engine), maximum takeoff weight - 27 443 kg, passenger capacity - 24 paratrooper.
But with all the advantages of a convertoplane (by the way, the V-22 in the USA is called a high-level aircraft), this undoubted miracle of modern technology has become a talk of the United States Marine Corps since its adoption.
Add to the absolutely no protection of the convertoplane add the complexity of the service, the complexity of management, numerous accidents due to design flaws.
But back to the conversation about promising developments konvertoplanov, which allegedly require the Airborne Forces and the SSO RF. Perhaps such devices are necessary. Perhaps the command of the Airborne Forces and the Special Operations Forces will support this idea. And maybe not. At least it's too early to talk about it now.
Moreover, most likely, the Ministry of Defense will find funds for the development of promising samples of such devices or will start work, starting from old Soviet projects. But rely on the rapid implementation of existing developments is not worth it.
It’s foolish to create a Russian vintoplan only because the Americans have a plane. The machine must be safe, fairly easy to operate and manage, unpretentious and sufficiently protected from the fire impact of the enemy.
A sudden injection of "information bomb" is due to very different reasons. Think financial. The practice has been studied, the track has been rolled up. To drive into the development and construction of a new “vundervafli” a certain number of billions of rubles, “master the budget”, build a bright future for yourself, and then?
And then, as with “Armata”, Su-57, PAK YES and others “who did not come to the court”. Try to realize the "huge export potential" and make money again, or just forget, as we are sure, through the 3-5 years we will forget about all of the above.
At the same time, for some reason in the armies of the world, even where the aircraft industry is developed, there is no hysteria about convertoplanes. Everyone calmly watches with the popcorn for the torment of Americans with Osprey, and everyone is happy with everything.
Moreover, it is safe to say that the interests of the military are more where the UAVs are developed and mastered.
So, can you imagine the prospects of unmanned convertible planes? Can.
An aircraft that installs a landmine on the road behind enemy lines, for example. Or UAV delivering to the rear of the enemy, in the mountains or other places not adapted for dumping cargo, ammunition for the DRG.
But such UAVs were shown last year at MAKS-2017 (the VRT30 UAV with a take-off weight of 1,5 t). True, in the form of prototypes, but ...
But in any case, whatever goals were pursued by the authors of the "information boom," it is great that we remembered the developments that we once could ... Maybe we can today?
Of course, maybe, we can. Questions of necessity and cost come first. And when these questions are answered, then it will be possible to understand what is behind the hype: a cover operation for the next cut of the budget or something more serious.