WI: Soviet response to early USA Helicopters is Ionic Aircraft?

omnimercurial

Hows this for a Scenario?

Soviet Ionic Airforce....

From what I have read Ionic craft share similar mobility and lift too that of choppers but without the ceiling limit that rotor lift aircraft suffer but with potential downside of lessened speed without an additional thrust system separate from the Ionic lifting systems.

Also I gather that Ionic Lift gets better the more you scale it up?

This could mean boons to Cargo and Troop transport.

But I am curious on whether this scaling effect could eventually be used in conjunction with Fission power generation for an Airborne Aircraft Carrier?

Any thoughts?

page5.jpeg
 

MattII

I don't think the Buran got much use, though I suspect the Soviets could have saved a heap of money by not bothering to build the thing in the first place.
 

Delta Force

Banned
Ion engines are probably useless for applications outside of a vacuum. They have terrible thrust to weight ratios (the space ones produce only a few pounds of force) and also require very heavy powerplants. I also seem to recall reading something about the principle ion engines operate on (the Lorentz force) not being applicable or being terribly inefficient outside of a vacuum. Even if ion engines worked just as well in the atmosphere as in space and they had great power to weight ratios, I would just go with a nuclear jet engine. You are probably already lugging around a nuclear reactor or something else quite heavy to provide the ionization electricity, and nuclear jet engines require no fuel or other propellent, they just use the air around them as the reaction mass to produce thrust.

Since you are specifically looking at helicopters, you could make the aircraft lenticular lifting bodies (which are very efficient at using their internal volume) and carry massive payloads. A lenticular lifting body looks a lot like a UFO, but its volume efficiency and low drag would be useful for high speed transport and would allow the nuclear reactor to be laid out in a more conventional way. If it carries some hydrogen you could even have the lenticular aircraft capable of going into orbit to enable nuclear bombardment missions or rapid troop deployment.
 

omnimercurial

Dathi THorfinnsson said:
Why would the Russians use an american design, especially one that doesnt work?

Oh, right. Buran. OK
Click to expand...



I did'nt mean that specific design. I was more using the pic to reference the Physics, Theories and Concepts involved.

I was thinking more along the lines of a homegrown design. Sure other nations scientific research papers and designs would be looked at, but more as reference material.
 

omnimercurial

MattII said:
I don't think the Buran got much use, though I suspect the Soviets could have saved a heap of money by not bothering to build the thing in the first place.
Click to expand...

As far as I know Buran only flew once.

Interestingly though it did so unmanned and was flown by remote guidance by mission control.
 

omnimercurial

Delta Force said:
Ion engines are probably useless for applications outside of a vacuum. They have terrible thrust to weight ratios (the space ones produce only a few pounds of force) and also require very heavy powerplants. I also seem to recall reading something about the principle ion engines operate on (the Lorentz force) not being applicable or being terribly inefficient outside of a vacuum. Even if ion engines worked just as well in the atmosphere as in space and they had great power to weight ratios, I would just go with a nuclear jet engine. You are probably already lugging around a nuclear reactor or something else quite heavy to provide the ionization electricity, and nuclear jet engines require no fuel or other propellent, they just use the air around them as the reaction mass to produce thrust.

Since you are specifically looking at helicopters, you could make the aircraft lenticular lifting bodies (which are very efficient at using their internal volume) and carry massive payloads. A lenticuolar lifting body looks a lot like a UFO, but its volume efficiency and low drag would be useful for high speed transport and would allow the nuclear reactor to be laid out in a more conventional way. If it carries some hydrogen you could even have the lenticular aircraft capable of going into orbit to enable nuclear bombardment missions or rapid troop deployment.
Click to expand...

I was more thinking of Ionic levitation/lift than Ionic thrusters.

Im aware of inefficiencies of the thruster designs, but they are optimised more for precision manouvers/guidance work on Satellites or slow and steady travel for more distant work.

I have to say though a lenticular fission Ion thruster craft does have its charms. :)

I stumbled onto Ionic lift by accident while researching MHD technologies and the role the USSR had in advancing it at a time the West dropped research due to commercial interests choosing to avoid R&D on it unless Govt Subsidies&Backing could be acquired.

Here is a link to the article that switched me on to Ionic lift:

http://www.me.memphis.edu/faculty/mo/plasma research/sasi/page5.htm
 
Last edited:

MattII

omnimercurial said:
I hav'nt been to that site before I'll check it out. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Glad you like it, it's like the whole Futurism section of the Dark Roasted Blend site put on LSD. And with fun (if slightly sarcastic) comments added.;)

omnimercurial said:
As far as I know Buran only flew once.
Click to expand...
After that they figured that it just wouldn't do what they wanted it to, so they stopped the project and poured more money into the Ekranoplans, which, while also not doing what they really wanted them to do at least had the advantage of being home-grown designs.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top