Did Russia lose a Tu-22?
Dangers of flying too old a plane. As a matter of fact, a B-52 recently crashed soon after take off.
IMO old jets need to be retired like they do so in the airline business.
Did Russia lose a Tu-22?
The United Engine Corporation, part of the Rostec State Corporation, plans to create three aircraft demonstrator engines that will test 18 advanced critical technologies. Development paths for next-generation power plants were presented at the International Forum "Advanced Engines and Power Plants 2026" in Samara.
The aviation of the future involves fundamentally new technologies, including engines that will outperform today's power plants. A large collaboration of Rostec State Corporation enterprises is working on this project, with UEC playing a key role in developing next-generation gas turbine engines. Three technology demonstrator engines are planned for development within 10 years. These will be used to test 18 critical technologies, which are cross-cutting and highly standardized across all UEC gas turbine engines. Currently, our flagship engine is the PD-35 technology demonstrator. A high-compression gas generator, composite fan blades, an advanced combustion chamber, a gearbox with increased energy generation, and an automatic control system with AI algorithms will ensure the engine's performance is competitive on the global market, and these technologies will find application in other UEC projects," noted Dmitry Karelin, Deputy General Designer for Research and Development at UEC .
Fuel efficiency is a key factor in the competitiveness of aircraft engines. Over the past 50 years, specific fuel consumption has decreased by approximately 35% thanks to new technologies. In regional aviation, hybrid power plants may be the next step in development. For small aircraft, the use of recuperators—a heat-exchange device that uses exhaust heat to preheat the air entering the combustion chamber—is also being studied. This improves engine efficiency.
Improving engine efficiency requires increasing the gas temperature in front of the turbine. Today, thanks to the use of new alloys and technologies, the temperature in front of the turbine can be increased by 600°C compared to earlier generations of engines. A promising direction is the introduction of ceramic composite materials. These materials can ensure turbine operation without the cooling system currently used.
An exhibition of cutting-edge Russian technologies is also being held at Samara University. The exhibition features digital twins, VR design technologies, AI solutions, additive manufacturing, as well as hybrid, hydrogen, and small gas turbine engines.
Putin spoke about the upcoming relocation of some large companies from Moscow to the regions
"RusHydro and PSB Bank are positive examples of such moves. A corresponding decision has been made at the United Engine Corporation. Similar decisions are in the final stages for Russian Railways Group companies, as well as other entities involved in railway construction," Putin said