TsAGI Studies Baykal Light Aircraft at Spin Mode
16 May 2023
Achieving national sovereignty in technology is impossible without territorial coherence of the country. This major challenge can be addressed by developing regional aviation providing transport availability to remote regions.
Local airfreights can be carried out by LMS-901 Baykal Light Multi-Purpose Aircraft, which is developed by Ural Works of Civil Aviation. Scientists from TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”) studied the aircraft’s behavior at supercritical operation.
Previously, TsAGI had done a series of tests of the LMS-901 in the T-102 and T-103 low-speed wind tunnels. They studied the aircraft’s performance and its streamline features. Apart from that, a shielding wind tunnel test was performed which allowed assessing ground impact on takeoff-and-landing aerodynamics. TsAGI also checked control performance of the LMS-901 within the entire flight envelope.
This time, TsAGI focused on calculations and tests of aircraft behavior at shift to high angles of attack. In the T-103 wind tunnel, non-stationary aerodynamics of Baykal at supercritical operation was studied, at the angles of attack up to 30 degrees and sideslip angles up to 25 degrees. In the T-105 wind tunnel, the model was tested at spinning mode, with the angles of attack up to 90 degrees.
‘The aircraft is to be certified in 2023. To do that, it is necessary to confirm the maximum angle of attack that would be safe for flight. First, shift to critical operation modes is simulated on-ground in a wind tunnel; afterwards, it could be tested in a flight. Should the aircraft behave in a non-typical way in certain conditions, the pilot would be ready for that and would be able to reach safe angles of attack, due to recommendations prepared by TsAGI,’ said Aleksandr Kornushenko, Head of Division, Department for Aircraft Aerodynamics, TsAGI.
Apart from that, TsAGI did tests aimed to improve the aircraft’s local aerodynamics, to eliminate local separations at wing/fuselage/struts integration areas, and to enhance the flap. After completion of all tests, TsAGI will prepare and deliver piloting recommendations related to stalling prevention and involuntary spin recovery, for final certification tests of the LMS-901 Baykal.