Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have been repeatedly observed by eyewitnesses in different parts of the planet and in the sky above it. Ufologists who study this phenomenon disagree about its nature and origin. Some believe that these are alien ships from outer space, while others mistake them for vehicles of guests from parallel worlds. Still others are sure that the mysterious saucers and balls in the sky are the consequences of secret military developments hidden by the government from the population. But all ufologists do not doubt whether UFOs really exist. But is it really so? Let's take a closer look at this phenomenon and consider some.

First you need to figure out what a UFO looks like . The photographs, hastily taken by eyewitnesses, capture the blurry outlines of "plates", "triangles" and other objects of strange shapes that moved purposefully across the sky. At night, a UFO looks like a different number of luminous balls that move rapidly or smoothly among the clouds. These are always indistinct silhouettes in the sky. Visions of such objects are called in Ufology contacts of the first kind. The next stage involves a closer encounter with the unknown: paralysis, feeling warm or cold, interference on the radio. Contacts of the third type involve a collision with living beings, that is, aliens or inhabitants of parallel worlds. The fourth type of contact is also known, when a person is abducted by mysterious aliens.

Evidence for the existence of UFOs

Eyewitness accounts are the most unreliable justification for believing in mysterious alien ships visiting Earth. People can be overly impressionable and mistake for UFOs that in fact they are not: from plastic bags to balloons for studying the atmosphere. However, scientists still cannot explain some phenomena. Here are some examples of what the witnesses say.

1. The family of Vasily Puchkov was driving home along the highway from Moscow. It was a hot summer. It was evening. Suddenly the car stalled and Vasily got out of the car to see what was the matter. No problems were found, but a strange lingering squeak was heard. The daughter of the Puchkovs drew attention to a suspicious glowing ball in the sky . It was not possible to see the details, except for the steel color of the object. For ten seconds it hovered in the air, and then quickly flew away.
2. In 1990, passengers on the Kuibyshev-Surgut flight witnessed a mysterious phenomenon. A “solid beam” separated from the luminous ball and felt the plane. Doubt whether UFOs really exist , no passengers left.

Photos and videos taken by witnesses of the appearance of UFOs are full of articles in newspapers and magazines, television and ufological YouTube channels. The nature of some objects is not determined. Among those that have been identified are photos of lightning, mock-ups of flying saucers, games with the scale and perspective of objects, and graphics editor techniques.

Artifacts of aliens that ended up on Earth or created using their technology. Such evidence for the existence of UFOs seems to be the most reliable.

3. Retired Bob White from Missouri (USA) once put up for sale fragment of an alien ship . The man discovered the shard twenty years earlier, after observing the mysterious object.

4. The giant SETI telescope, created by NASA to search for extraterrestrial intelligence, recorded strange signals .

5. The Betz family from Australia, while inspecting the conflagration, discovered strange silver ball . The object reacted to the music and moved on its own. Perhaps with his help, the aliens started a fire?

6. Of interest to ufologists painting "Madonna with Saint Giovannino" written in the 15th century. Far from the Virgin Mary is a man looking at an object in the sky that looks like a UFO according to modern eyewitnesses.

7.Nazca drawings in Peru , which are schematic representations of huge sizes, which can only be seen from a bird's eye view. Did the ancient Peruvians leave messages for aliens?

Is there really a UFO

The question of the existence of unidentified flying objects belonging to worries many people. Possibility of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence or parallel worlds intriguing and frightening at the same time. Does a UFO really exist? This problem remains open. Ufologists can only systematize the information received from eyewitnesses, study artifacts and photographs for falsification. And if aliens really visit the Earth, then they will remind humanity of their existence more than once. And with the current level of technology, not a single flying saucer will hide from the eyes of eyewitnesses.

A comprehensive study of the properties of the "behavior" and size of UFOs, regardless of their shape, allows us to conditionally divide them into four main types.

First: Very small objects, which are balls or disks with a diameter of 20-100 cm, which fly at low altitudes, sometimes fly out of objects bigger size and return to them. There is a well-known case that took place in October 1948 in the Fargo airbase area (North Dakota), when the pilot Gormon unsuccessfully pursued a round luminous object with a diameter of 30 cm, which very skillfully maneuvered, evading the chase, and sometimes he himself rapidly moved towards the plane, forcing Hormone to dodge the collision.

Second: Small UFOs that are egg-shaped and disc-shaped and 2-3 m in diameter. They usually fly at low altitude and most often make landings. Small UFOs have also been repeatedly seen separating from and returning to the main objects.

Third: The main UFOs, most often disks with a diameter of 9-40 m, the height of which in the central part is 1/5-1/10 of their diameter. The main UFOs make independent flights in any layers of the atmosphere and sometimes land. Smaller objects can be separated from them.

Fourth: Large UFOs, usually in the form of cigars or cylinders 100-800 meters or more long. They appear.mainly.in the upper atmosphere, do not perform complex maneuvers, and sometimes hang on high altitude. There were no cases of their landing on the ground, but it was repeatedly observed how small objects separated from them. There is an assumption that large UFOs can fly in space. There are also isolated cases of observation of giant disks with a diameter of 100-200 m.

Such an object was observed during a test flight of the French Concorde aircraft at an altitude of 17,000 m above the Republic of Chad during the solar eclipse of June 30, 1973. The crew and a group of scientists who were on the plane filmed a movie and took a number of color photographs of a luminous object in the shape of a mushroom cap 200 m in diameter and 80 m high, which followed an intersecting course. At the same time, the contours of the object were fuzzy, since it was apparently surrounded by an ionized plasma cloud. On February 2, 1974, the film was shown on French television. The results of this study have not been published.

Common forms of UFOs have varieties. Thus, for example, disks with one or two convex sides, balls with or without rings encircling them, as well as oblate and prolate spheres were observed. Rectangular and triangular objects are much less common. According to the French group for the study of aerospace phenomena, approximately 80% of all observed UFOs were round in the shape of discs, balls or spheres, and only 20% were elongated in the shape of cigars or cylinders. UFOs in the form of discs, spheres and cigars have been observed in most countries on all continents. Examples of rare UFO sightings are given below. So, for example, UFOs with rings surrounding them, similar to the planet Saturn, were recorded in 1954 over Essex County (England) and over the city of Cincinnati (Ohio), in 1955 in Venezuela and in 1976 - over the Canary Islands .

A parallelepiped-shaped UFO was observed in July 1977 in the Tatar Strait by members of the crew of the Nikolai Ostrovsky ship. This object flew for 30 minutes next to the ship at an altitude of 300-400 m, and then disappeared.

Triangular-shaped UFOs from the end of 1989 began to systematically appear over Belgium. According to the description of many eyewitnesses, their dimensions were approximately 30 by 40 m, and on their lower part there were three or four luminous circles. Objects moved completely silently, hovering and taking off at great speeds. On March 31, 1990, southeast of Brussels, three credible eyewitnesses observed how such a triangular object six times the size of the visible disk of the moon flew silently over their heads at an altitude of 300-400 m. Four luminous circles were clearly visible on the underside of the object.

On the same day, engineer Alferlan filmed such an object flying over Brussels for two minutes with a video camera. In front of Alferlan's eyes, the object made a turn and three luminous circles and a red light between them became visible on its lower part. On the top of the object, Alferlan noticed a luminous lattice dome. This video was shown on April 15, 1990 on central television.

Along with the main forms of UFOs, there are many more various varieties. In a table shown at a meeting of the US Congress Committee on Science and Astronautics in 1968, 52 UFOs of various shapes were depicted.

According to the international ufological organization "Contact international", the following forms of UFOs are observed:

1) round: disc-shaped (with and without domes); in the form of an inverted plate, bowl, saucer or rugby ball (with and without a dome); in the form of two plates folded together (with and without two bulges); hat-shaped (with and without domes); similar to a bell; in the form of a sphere or a ball (with and without a dome); similar to the planet Saturn; ovoid or pear-shaped; barrel-shaped; similar to an onion or top;

2) oblong: rocket-like (with and without stabilizers); torpedo-shaped; cigar-shaped (without domes, with one or two domes); cylindrical; rod-shaped; spindle-shaped;

3) pointed: pyramidal; in the form of a regular or truncated cone; funnel-like; swept; in the form of a flat triangle (with and without a dome); diamond-shaped;

4) rectangular: bar-like; in the form of a cube or parallelepiped; in the form of a flat square and rectangle;

5) unusual: mushroom-shaped, toroidal with a hole in the center, wheel-shaped (with and without spokes), cruciform, deltoid, in the shape of the letter V.

Generalized NIKAP data on UFO sightings of various shapes in the USA for 1942-1963. are shown in the following table:

Form of objects, Number of cases / Percentage of the total case

1. Disc-shaped 149 / 26
2. Spheres, ovals, ellipses 173 / 30
3. Type of rockets or cigars 46 / 8
4. Triangular 11/2
5. Luminous dots 140 / 25
6. Others 33 / 6
7. Radar (non-visual) observations 19 / 3

Total 571 / 100

Notes:

1. Objects classified by their nature as spheres, ovals, and ellipses in this list may actually be disks inclined at an angle to the horizon.

2. Luminous dots in this list include small brightly luminous objects, the shape of which could not be determined due to the large distance.

It should be borne in mind that in many cases the readings of observers may not reflect the true shape of objects, since a disc-shaped object may look like a ball from below, like an ellipse from below, and like a spindle or a mushroom cap from the side; an object shaped like a cigar or an elongated sphere may look like a ball from the front and back; a cylindrical object can look like a parallelepiped from below and from the side, and like a ball from the front and back. In turn, the object in the form of a box in front and behind can look like a cube.

The data on the linear dimensions of the UFO, reported by eyewitnesses, are in some cases very relative, since with visual observation it is possible to determine with sufficient accuracy only the angular dimensions of the object.

Linear dimensions can only be determined if the distance from the observer to the object is known. But determining the distance in itself presents great difficulties, because the human eye, due to stereoscopic vision, can correctly determine the distance only within the range of up to 100 m. Therefore, the linear dimensions of a UFO can only be determined very approximately.

Usually UFOs have the form of metallic bodies of silver-aluminum or light pearl color. Sometimes they are shrouded in a cloud, as a result of which their contours seem to be blurred.

The surface of the UFO is usually shiny, as if polished, and no seams or rivets are visible on it. The top side of an object is usually light, while the bottom side is dark. Some UFOs have domes that are sometimes transparent.

UFOs with domes were observed, in particular, in 1957 over New York, in 1963 in the state of Victoria (Australia), and in our country in 1975 near Borisoglebsk and in 1978 - in Beskudnikovo.

In the middle of the objects, in some cases, one or two rows of rectangular "windows" or round "portholes" were visible. An elongated object with such "portholes" was observed in 1965 by the crew members of the Norwegian ship "Javesta" over the Atlantic.

In our country, UFOs with "portholes" were observed in 1976 in the village of Sosenki near Moscow, in 1981 near Michurinsk, in 1985 near Geok-Tepe in the Ashgabat region. On some UFOs, rods similar to antennas or periscopes were clearly visible.

In February 1963, in the state of Victoria (Australia), at a height of 300 m above a tree, a disk 8 m in diameter hung with a rod resembling an antenna.

In July 1978, members of the crew of the ship "Yargora", following the Mediterranean Sea, observed a spherical object flying over North Africa, in the lower part of which three structures similar to antennas were visible.

Cases have also been recorded when these rods moved or rotated. Below are two such examples. In August 1976, Muscovite A.M. Troitsky and six other witnesses saw a silvery metal object over the Pirogov reservoir, eight times the size of the lunar disk, slowly moving at a height of several tens of meters. Two rotating stripes were visible on its side surface. When the object was above the witnesses, a black hatch opened in its lower part, from which a thin cylinder protruded. The lower part of this cylinder began to describe circles, while the upper part remained attached to the object. In July 1978, passengers on the Sevastopol-Leningrad train near Kharkov watched for several minutes how some kind of rod with three brightly luminous dots emerged from the upper part of a motionless elliptical UFO. This rod was deflected to the right three times and returned to its previous position. Then a rod with one luminous dot extended from the bottom of the UFO.

UFO info. Types of UFOs and their appearance

Inside the lower part of the UFO, there are sometimes three or four landing legs, which extend during landing and retract inward during takeoff. Here are three examples of such observations.

In November 1957, Senior Lieutenant N., returning from Stead Air Force Base (Las Vegas), saw four disk-shaped UFOs with a diameter of 15 m on the field, each of which stood on three landing legs. As they took off, those props retracted inward before his eyes.

In July 1970, a young Frenchman, Erien J., near the village of Jabrel-le-Bord, clearly saw how four metal supports, ending in rectangles, gradually retracted into a round UFO with a diameter of six meters that had taken off.

In the USSR in June 1979 in the city of Zolochev, Kharkov region, the witness Starchenko observed how a UFO landed 50 meters from him in the form of an overturned saucer with a number of portholes and a dome. When the object descended to a height of 5-6 m, three landing legs about 1 m long telescopically extended from its bottom, ending in a kind of blades. After standing on the ground for about 20 minutes, the object took off, and it was clear how the supports were drawn into its body. At night, UFOs usually glow, sometimes their color and glow intensity change with speed. When flying rapidly, they have a color similar to that arising in the process of arc welding; at slower - bluish color.

When dropped or braked, they turn red or orange. But it happens that even objects hovering motionless glow with a bright light, although it is possible that it is not the objects themselves that glow, but the air around them under the influence of some kind of radiation emanating from these objects. Sometimes some kind of lights are visible on UFOs: on objects of an elongated shape - on the bow and stern, and on the disks - on the periphery and on the bottom. There are also reports of rotating objects with red, white or green lights.

In October 1989, in Cheboksary, six UFOs in the form of two saucers folded together hovered over the territory of the Industrial Tractor Plant production association. Then a seventh object joined them. Each of them showed yellow, green and red lights. Objects rotated and moved up and down. Half an hour later, six objects soared up with great speed and disappeared, and one remained for a while. Sometimes such lights are lit and go out in a certain sequence.

In September 1965, two police officers in Exeter, New York, observed a UFO flying about 27 m in diameter, on which there were five red lights that came on and went out in the sequence: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st. The duration of each cycle was 2 seconds.

A similar incident occurred in July 1967 in Newton, New Hampshire, where two former radar operators observed through a telescope a luminous object with a series of lights flashing on and off in the same sequence as on the object in Exeter.

The most important characteristic feature of UFOs is the manifestation of unusual properties in them, which are not found either in natural phenomena known to us, or in technical means created by man. Moreover, it seems that the individual properties of these objects clearly contradict the laws of physics known to us.

It was 3:45 pm on Tuesday, June 23, 1966. The location was northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. The sky was clear and blue. Julian Sandoval, an aeronautical engineer involved in the Apollo project, used his binoculars, which happened to be with him, to look at an unusual object hanging in the air in a northerly direction. UFO was about 300 feet long and had a bulge in the front, a rather sharp tail, and shone brightly like a strong electric light bulb. He hovered at an altitude of about 12,000 jesters above the city of Plastas, located about 18 miles from the observer.

For an hour and a half, Sandoval studied UFO through binoculars and concluded that it "is unlike anything in the United States." His statement is authoritative enough. Sandoval is a pilot and navigator. He has 7,000 hours of flying time on his account. As an employee of North American Aviation, he is involved in electrical equipment and control of environment for the Apollo project.

Until UFO rose up in vertical flight, disappearing in a northeasterly direction, Sandoval noticed that at the end of his tail there were 4 lights that changed color from bright green to dark blue. “When he changed position, he became brighter,” he later said, “and his movement made me think that he was using some kind of driving force.”

What type of energy do UFOs use? This is one of the most important questions of our time in science. Unraveling this secret could probably lead to the unraveling of the universe itself. But first, we must remind ourselves that there are different types of UFOs: saucers, oblong eggs, cigar-shaped, inverted-cone-shaped, etc.

It is quite possible that UFO each of these forms is used different kinds energy. The key to unraveling the mystery of UFO energy lies in unraveling the way they move - how they move or stay still in the sky. Indeed, some of them are described as having some kind of propeller or jet exhaust, but most do not appear to have any form of air support. They can stand still or take off like a cannonball when fired. They can decelerate below airplane speed or spin like a squirrel in a wheel without any sign of using up energy. They can fly in formation in such a way that the pilots' eyes turn green with professional envy.

Just a few years ago, George Wilson, a Pan American Airway pilot, was flying over the Pacific Ocean when he spotted a shiny object flying through the sky at great speed, about 1,000 miles east of Honolulu. Wilson, a pilot with 20 years of experience, insisted that UFO could not be another plane, and both of them - he and his co-pilot - watched with their mouths open in surprise as the object above them dived down, and then turned sharply to the side. “He had lights,” Wilson said, “one very bright and four less bright. Suddenly, the object made a right turn at a speed unbelievable for any known craft, then the lights faded out. Smaller lights were placed at equal distances. It can be assumed that they were all located on one UFO or on several flying in precise formation.

“A modern advanced air defense system may require the creation of flying saucers. Indeed, the design of 3D trays is discussed at the spring meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Baltimore. Most witnesses confirm that flying saucers make unusual maneuvers and change course in a way that is impossible for conventional aircraft.

Among the speakers at the meeting was General Benjamin S. Kelsu, Deputy Chief of Air Force Research. He stated that the main problem of modern aviation is the time spent on gaining speed on the ground and insufficiently long flights in the air. If VTOL aircraft were created, long runways would be unnecessary.

Many scientists believe that UFOs have a series of jet engines running along the edge, which allows the UFO pilot to use combinations of these engines to rise and fall to a certain height. These actions may be similar to a pianist playing the piano, when he strikes the keys in various combinations, thus creating a melody. Indeed, several cigar-shaped UFOs showed vertical hoops in the central part. These could be coils that create powerful magnetic fields, which may be somehow related to UFO engines. In addition, there have been cases where groups of smaller UFOs have joined a large mother ship, possibly conducting recharging and refueling operations in the air.

It is known that UFO flying at 18,000 miles per hour. Is it possible that these unusual aircraft, which can, depending on the desire, freeze in place or take off from a place, are able to overcome gravity with the help of some kind of anti-gravity field? What is the secret of their resistance to the law of gravity?

Albert Einstein's unified field theory provides some clue to the mystery of flying saucer energy. An approximate answer is contained in his words that gravity and electromagnetism - magnetism created by passing electricity - are two sides of the same phenomenon. Just like steam and ice are two states of water. As we know, if ice is melted, water is formed, and if steam is cooled, water is also formed. It follows that if we could transform electromagnetic forces in a certain way, we could obtain gravitational forces that could set flying saucers in motion.

Renowned West German expert on UFO Hermann Oberth has been studying the energy of UFO movement for a long time. He believes: “UFOs probably use artificial G-forces (artificial gravity), which give them the ability to dramatically change directions and reach fantastic speeds. If our ordinary aircraft could change the direction of its flight in the same instant, then everything and everyone inside it would be pressed against the bulkheads with such force that living beings would die immediately. But in the presence of G-forces, everything flies along with the device, so there are no pushes or attraction inside it.”

Since Isaac Newton saw the falling apple, there have been many theories regarding the nature of gravity, but in fact its underlying cause is still unknown. Einstein quite definitely admitted that he could not define it. We know, however, that gravity keeps us firmly on the Earth, keeps the Earth close to the Sun and the Sun in our Galaxy.

As far as we know, gravity may even keep the universe from falling apart. 40 years ago, the eminent scientist Charles Bush discovered quite a strange properties a substance known as Linz Basalt. He noticed that the substance emits even more heat than uranium. But, more importantly, Linz's Basalt refused to free fall under the conditions prescribed by the law of gravity. The Linz Basalt was not completely devoid of gravity, but gravity could not budge it either. Scholars have found Bush's message interesting but not startling. And only many years later - in 1957 - did research in the field of antigravity begin under government-funded programs. Inland Steel, Sperry Rand, General Electric, and others dealt with this issue. They all tried to discover the secret of gravity. It should be noted that their interest arose after UFO began to appear all over the world. Many scientists soon came to the conclusion that these unusual devices were not so much devoid of gravity, but that they simply used it.

The use of atomic energy is another equally important theory about the driving forces behind UFOs. In his book: Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, Edward Ruppelt says that in the autumn of 1949 a group of scientists used special equipment to measure normal levels of safe radiation in our atmosphere and discovered a strange phenomenon. It was reported that one day two scientists were watching the instruments and suddenly noticed a sudden sharp increase in radiation. The indicator was so high that they considered a possible nuclear test in the area. They quickly checked the health of the equipment and began a more thorough observation. At this time, a third member of this group ran into the laboratory. Ruppelt continues the story thus:

“Before the two scientists had time to tell the visitor about the inexplicable increase in radiation levels, he hastened to tell about his observations. He drove to a nearby city and on the way back, when he was already approaching the laboratory, something in the sky suddenly attracted his attention. High in the blue, cloudless sky, he saw three silvery objects flying in a "V" formation. It seemed that they had a spherical shape, but there was no complete certainty in this. The first thing that struck him was that the objects were moving too fast for conventional aircraft. He applied the brakes, stopped the car and turned off the engine. Not a sound. All he heard was the hum of the generator in the lab. After a few minutes, the objects disappeared from view.

After the two scientists informed their excited colleague about the unusual levels of radiation they had discovered, the three of them asked each other if there was a connection between these phenomena? Did UFOs cause unusual levels of radiation? Of course, it was more than obvious. UFO activity during the period of increasing radiation levels on Earth clearly indicated that unusual aircraft used atomic energy to propel themselves in space.

Indeed, the student UFO expert James Mosley says that radiation is an accurate and very important clue. Speaking in his magazine Saucer News, Mosley asserts that the US government is already building and running such atomic saucers: “Ruppelt does not know about it, but a type of saucer that the government does not want to report uses atomic energy to propel. They use the method of converting atomic radiation into electrical energy and use the resulting mixture, which, of course, represents a completely new form of energy unknown until now. The saucers are controlled from a distance, probably because a living being cannot be in these highly radioactive machines. As fantastic as it sounds, as far as we know, these saucers are actually built, launched and maintained by an organization that is isolated from the military and political circles of the government. Although several senior government officials have been made aware of this project, they have nothing to do with it.

These saucers are launched into the area of ​​a small nuclear plant. When they fly or hover in a given area, they absorb radiation from the atmosphere, converting it into what, for lack of a better technical term, can be called electrical energy. Thus, if a dangerous radioactive cloud appears over an area, one or more saucers are sent there with the special purpose of absorbing excess radiation. If a radioactive cloud appears over a populated area, then all the more reason to carry out work to neutralize it.

There are other theories about the driving forces behind UFOs. Many have observed them near power lines, cars, large street clocks, radio transmitters, etc., giving rise to the very popular reasoning that UFO"suck" the energy (such as electricity) produced by people. And how can we forget the Kansas farmer who claimed that a UFO hovered over his house for several days, and then - a few weeks later - he again claimed that he had received the biggest electricity bill of his life.

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase " Flying saucer"? Aliens, "little green men", at the worst, are secret Nazi developments. Meanwhile, at the dawn of the era of conquering the air, mankind did not yet have the usual stereotypes about what kind of apparatus should conquer space. And some of them could well be called " flying saucer". And it is about some of them that we will tell you now.

It reminds a little of the famous drawing of Leonardo da Vinci (which, by the way, could not fly), doesn't it? Meanwhile, this is a really working model, developing a lifting force of 778 kg. Its author was the Polish engineer Josef Lipkovsky, who worked, characteristically, in St. Petersburg. In 1905, the first test launch took place, which turned out to be very effective. It was only necessary to find a more powerful engine ... However, the engineer soon switched to more traditional airplanes, and the project of a vertical take-off device was abandoned.

Yes. This is an aircraft with a circular wing. Formally - almost a flying saucer, only with a propeller. This model was created in the USA, around 1911. And it was called, which is characteristic, "Umbrella Plane". Materials - wood and fabric. But unlike the previous version, the inventor could not demonstrate to the general public the ability to fly his creation. So it is still not known whether this "saucer" flew.

And again a plane with a circular wing. Only this one " Flying saucer' definitely flew. But not at once. The very principle of the circular wing was patented by some Isaac Storey and Willband Zelger. Patented, but not implemented. After some time, a certain John Kitchen tried to build a car using these patents and lift it into the air. But nothing came of it, so he sold both the patent itself and the draft model to Cedric Lee, who was later joined by engineer Tyman Richards. And only with them, after a long time bringing the model to mind and polishing it with a file, they managed to lift it into the air. But only in order to smash it to hell in 1911. Tellingly, a recent study of a full-scale model in a wind tunnel showed that it was actually quite stable. Even despite the tail roll.

Yes. A full-fledged monoplane, but only with a circular wing. The model, created by students of the University of Miami in 1930, repeatedly took to the air, demonstrated decent flight characteristics, but could not interest either the military or civil aviation. This thing was called "Roundwing" or "Nemeth Parasol", in honor of Professor Alexander Nemets (leader of talented students). Its positive feature was that the circular wing allowed the structure to glide without any fuel consumption. That is, yes, formally - this is the predecessor of all ekranoplanes.

Yeah. Real " Flying saucer» Third Reich. By the way, the only one really documented, the existence of which is beyond doubt. Simply because she, such a bastard, did not fly. Well, more precisely, she flew, but badly and not for long. Couldn't find the right balance. They started in 1939, but did not finish until 44. Moreover, the concept was constantly being finalized, "improved" and redone. And the parts were taken from other, quite working aircraft.

It is too " Flying saucer» World War II. Only American. Efficient, balanced, even adapted to takeoff and landing from aircraft carriers. But alas, screw. And the era of jet aircraft was coming, so the “Flying Pancake” (flying pancake) ceased to be relevant, because it could not adapt. But yes, I flew and flew a lot.

Yes, damn it. Absolutely full-fledged disk-shaped vertical take-off and landing apparatus. Real " Flying saucer"which is still long years excited the minds of ufologists. Reactive principle, excellent balance, good maneuverability. But… But. It was difficult to control the thrust vector without powerful on-board computers. And it was 1961 outside. So that maximum speed, which this device developed - 50 km / h. And theoretically possible - almost 450-odd. It also has a lifting force of 2.5 tons. Although it ate fuel ... In short, the project was closed.

Russian " Flying saucer". But in fact - an ekranoplan with a disc-shaped fuselage and on an air, damn it, cushion. 1994 Worker. Effective. Stable. Maneuverable. With an awesome carrying capacity and a bunch of usable space. The areas of application in both military and civil aviation are huge. In fact, it can take off and land absolutely anywhere. But... There is no money, but you hold on. We were looking for investors and even found someone in the USA. However, no significant results were achieved. An absolutely working project is still at the stage of "prospective development".

In fact, the concept itself flying saucers”- is quite interesting and possible both practically and theoretically. In some respects, they even surpass traditional aircraft. Moreover, only for them, some physical principles work, theoretically possible, but in practice - so far little feasible. Even the same “invisibility for radars” is much easier to implement on disk-shaped devices. And not only her. Therefore, who knows what is being developed in the laboratories of the Pentagon and still operating Russian regime cities.

"Russian UFO" - this is how the EKIP ekranolet was called abroad, which is based on many original design solutions. The main advantages of the new amphibious aircraft include efficiency, the ability to cover huge distances with a large commercial load on board, as well as environmental friendliness and safety. Despite the above, the EKIP project (except for several experimental models of the device) has not yet been implemented due to lack of funding.

"EKIP" does not look like any existing aircraft - its appearance is unique. This aircraft does not have wings in the traditional sense, because the EKIP itself is a wing. The disk-shaped fuselage functions as wings, while the internal volume of the ekranolet is significantly expanded due to the thickening of the central part. This allows you to increase the capacity of fuel tanks, as well as the use of special types of fuel. The authors of the project claim that EKIP will be able to fly on natural gas or kerosene, as well as on an economical mixture of water and gasoline (akvavil).

The EKIP device does not need runways: it is able to land and take off from any flat surface 500 m long, including water, soil or ice. The aircraft does not have a landing gear: its role is played by a take-off and landing device - an air cushion generated by turbojet engines with the ability to change the nozzle vector. On approach, the nozzles operate in the opposite direction of travel; during takeoff - they pump air under the wing, creating an air cushion.

In the aft part of the apparatus, the tail unit is installed, located at an angle to the fuselage. The original form of the aircraft, together with the stern plumage, endow the EKIP with excellent aerodynamic properties. The vortex flows generated during the movement of the ekranolet continuously flow around the body of the apparatus, while the resistance of the oncoming air flow is significantly less than that of traditional aircraft. This solution, called the boundary layer flow control system (BFC), is unique; the rights to the UPS belong to the developers of EKIP.

Specialists from the aviation and rocket and space industries have developed the fundamental foundations for a fundamentally new type of EKIP aircraft capable of transporting bulky cargo weighing up to 100 tons or more over distances of several thousand kilometers at a speed of 650-700 km / h and at an altitude of up to 10 kilometers. These devices are capable of moving using an air cushion both near the surface of the earth and water at speeds up to 160 km/h, as well as flying in the screen flight mode at speeds up to 650 km/h.

EKIP devices are non-aerodrome devices. They will land on airfields of any category, unpaved areas, as well as on the water surface. The length of the runway for heavy vehicles (hundreds of tons) will not exceed 500 meters. The takeoff and landing of the vehicles will be carried out along a steep glide path, which will reduce the harmful noise impact on nearby populated areas.

The EKIP devices have the form of a thick wing of small elongation. The aerodynamically supporting body of the apparatus simultaneously performs the functions of a wing and a fuselage. The plumage of the device in the form of short wings and a V-shaped stabilizer ensure the stability of the device in flight.

The aerodynamically load-bearing body has a large internal volume and a large plan area.

To reduce the aerodynamic drag of the apparatus, a fundamentally new boundary layer control system (BMS) was installed on the aft part of the hull. which is based on sequentially located vortex cells.

In the vortex cells, transverse vortices attached to the aft surface are created, which ensure an unseparated flow around the thick hull. The energy costs for the operation of this system do not exceed 6-8% of the thrust of the vehicle's propulsion system. The UPS system is patented in our country, European countries and the USA.

For takeoff and landing of EKIP devices, an air cushion device is used. Serious developments on hovercraft made in the State. TsAGI Research Center (Moscow Branch of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Prof. N.E. Zhukovsky) could not be applied to existing traditional aircraft due to the lack of a large plan area. The EKIP vehicles have such an area, and the air cushion take-off and landing device organically fits into the design of the apparatus. It is located under its entire body and allows for takeoff and landing to exert low (0.2 atm.) pressure on the device itself and the runway (land, water).

For EKIP devices with a carrying capacity of even hundreds of tons, it will not be necessary to build special airfields with concrete multi-kilometer strips as for receiving heavy Boeing-777 and A-340. EKIP vehicles will be able to transport heavy loads and a large number of passengers (up to 1000 or more) to existing airfields of continental and island states.

Of particular note is the possibility of using gas fuel (natural gas, hydrogen) on EKIP devices. Limited world oil reserves require the transfer of aircraft to gas fuel. However, the limited volumes of thin wings on existing aircraft do not allow gas fuel tanks to be placed in them. So gas fuel on the TU-156 aircraft occupies half of the passenger compartment, and on the A-310 (DASA project) it is located in the second tier above the entire passenger compartment, changing the external contours of the aircraft and worsening its aerodynamic characteristics. EKIP devices allow, due to large volumes, to place fuel tanks in the sidewalls of the device. It should be noted that the hydrogen-fuelled EKIP vehicles are able to increase the flight range by 2-3 times compared to existing aircraft of the same carrying capacity. The operation of the EKIP devices on natural gas and hydrogen makes it possible to reduce harmful emissions in combustion products, i.e. EKIP devices will be more environmentally friendly than existing aircraft.

The absence on the EKIP vehicles of such elements as wheeled chassis and load-bearing wings (the existing wings play an auxiliary role) excludes the impact on the body of the device of concentrated loads, which are among the most significant. The impact of distributed loads makes it possible to use composite materials more widely and significantly (up to 30%) reduce the weight of the structure.

The propulsion system of the EKIP vehicles is located inside the hull, in its aft part. It consists of traction high-efficiency turbojet engines and auxiliary high-efficiency twin-generator turboshaft engines. Power engines provide movement of the apparatus, and auxiliary engines ensure the operation of the take-off and landing device on an air cushion and the boundary layer control device for continuous flow around the hull and reducing its resistance to the apparatus. During takeoff and landing, the auxiliary engines operate at maximum power, while during cruise they operate at maximum economy. The internal location of the engines greatly facilitates the solution of the problem of fire safety. Devices "EKIP" provide an increased level of flight safety. When the power engines (both) are turned off, the device will make a gliding landing on unpaved areas or a water surface. To disable the auxiliary engines, it is necessary that all gas generators fail. This is an unlikely case. During the operation of at least one gas generator, switched to the maximum power mode, a non-separated flow around the body of the apparatus is ensured, and landing, even when the power engines are turned off, occurs without accident.

When creating the EKIP devices, the developers managed to combine the main concepts for the development of transport aviation of the future:

combining the functions of the wing and fuselage with the help of a thick aerodynamically supporting body;

active control of the boundary layer for non-separated flow around a thick hull and drag reduction;

use of an air cushion device for takeoff and landing;

the use of composite materials that ensure the manufacturability and durability of the structure even when operating devices on water;

the use of gas fuels to increase the flight range of vehicles, improve environmental friendliness and the possibility of flying when oil production is stopped.

To date, several modifications of EKIP have been developed; unfortunately, all of them so far exist only in the form of drawings and diagrams, supported by theoretical calculations. It should be especially noted that Western experts, who recognized the project as worthy of attention, got acquainted with the theoretical calculations.

Designers are working both on relatively small-sized vehicles and on large-capacity vehicles that can replace transport aircraft. The possibility of serial production of an unmanned series of "EKIPs" intended for the defense complex and the Ministry of Emergency Situations is also being considered.

The largest EKIP L3-2 has a takeoff weight of 360 tons, while the fuel capacity is 127.2 tons. According to design calculations, the ekranolet will be able to move 120 tons of cargo or fly with 1200 passengers on board at a speed of more than 600 km / h. The distance that this aircraft can cover is staggering - 6000 km! The gigantic EKIP will be powered by 14 engines: 8 AL-34s and 6 D18T turbojet engines already used on Ruslans. It is worth noting that the EKIP L3-2 is not much inferior to the record holder Airbus A380, and surpasses it in a number of characteristics, including carrying capacity and economy. Economy deserves special attention: if you recalculate the fuel costs for moving 1 passenger over a 100-kilometer distance, you get a meager figure - only 1.5 liters.

The main component - actually making the "saucer" flying - is the know-how of the EKIP Aviation Concern. This is precisely what the main pride of the developers is - this is the “vortex flow control system in the boundary layer on the aft surface of the vehicle (UPS). This system, with the help of a set of sequentially arranged transverse vortices, ensures a continuous flow around the body of the apparatus and a decrease in its aerodynamic drag.” That is, the nozzles located at the rear of the apparatus are designed to provide an improved, almost ideal flow around the wing aircraft.

“UPS system”, say the developers, “Patented in Russia and abroad in Europe, USA and Canada. It allows, at a low level of energy consumption (6-8% of the thrust of the main engines), to ensure an unseparated flow around the vehicle in cruising and takeoff and landing flight modes at angles of attack up to 40 ° "

Thus, the main advantages of EKIP devices are:

the uselessness of large airfields, small landing sites.

Transportation of a large number of passengers and heavy loads, due to the declared improved aerodynamic characteristics.
For example, it is said that a thousand passengers is not the limit for this aircraft.

The developers write that “Particularly noteworthy is the possibility of using gas fuel (natural gas, hydrogen) on EKIP devices. Large volumes of the apparatus allow placing inside it without changing the external contours large fuel tanks for gas fuel.

The 1990s went on, civil and military officials changed, ministries and departments merged and separated, funding was either opened or closed, and even the intervention of President Yeltsin did not help: the money allocated in the 1999 federal budget was “lost” in the bureaucratic “black hole”. In the meantime, scientific and pseudo-scientific disputes continued around the project, which EKIP evaluates as a confrontation between interest groups: the Russian civil and military aircraft industry is experiencing a shortage of ideas, developments and money ready for implementation. Funds allocated by the state or earned by commercial structures are spent on fine-tuning 10-30-year-old models, on which aircraft manufacturers can still earn money.

And then "Varangians" began to appear on the threshold of the Saratov Aviation Plant (SAZ). For three years, there were sluggish negotiations with potential Chinese customers, and in September last year, a delegation from the US Naval Aviation Research Center (NAVAIR’s Research and Engineering Sciences Department) came to SAZ and signed a protocol of intent. The Russian press claimed that the Americans were interested in fine-tuning and using the EKIPs as unmanned aerial fire-fighting vehicles. However, the director of the center, John Fisher, admits: "This technology has the potential to be used in a new type of aircraft suitable for the strategic goals of NAVAIR - the introduction of next generation technologies in the Navy." The goals, explains the bulletin of the command of the Navy, are as follows: new aircraft, communication systems and weapons.

About these plans CEO SAZ Alexander Yermishin said in an interview with PM that he warned the Americans about the need to coordinate all further steps on the project with the government and relevant departments. Since then, the interest of the American side has not been shown.

The founder of EKIP, Lev Shchukin, died in 2001, and his first brainchild embodied in metal stands in the SAZ workshop - an empty building with removed engines ...

Unfortunately, in 2004, the EKIP Aviation Concern went bankrupt, but on November 24, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law on the establishment of the state corporation Rostekhnologii. It was created to assist machine-building enterprises in assisting in the development, production and promotion of military and dual-use products on foreign markets (which is what EKIP is). This makes it possible to hope that the talented development of Lev Shchukin will be able to serve Russia as well.

The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -