Cryogenetic aircraft?

[ATI_7500]

Those russians are cleverer than I thought - respect!

http://www.tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=82

[ChuckMajik]

OOooo, that's pretty interesting.

[Tequila Sunrise]

aye  8)

[Chris_F]

I would think that the energy density and energy per pound ratio of LNG would be inferrior to avgas.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Plus the storage of LNG requires a heavier, possibly less wieldy container then avgas (it must be kept pressurized).  I'd think the packaging challenge alone would be enough to kill LNG as a serious competitor to good ol' gas.  Good luck getting as much LNG in a wing as you can good ol' gas.

LNG makes an exellent fuel source for turbines, so functionally I'm sure it works quite well.  Many power generating plants use LNG as a fuel source.  But then again a ground based power generating plant can keep a big tank on its grounds whereas this is a challenge for an aircraft.  I think LNG makes more sense in marine applications than in airborne ones.

[Blackbird971]

Cool. Scary Ruskies.



I wonder how many projects we have like this that could have been, hiding out in the deserts of the southwest...

[Felix/FFDS]

Impressive consideration.

In general turbine applications, the indicated engines are still "small" compared to the latest industrial turbines using LNG, etc.   I think that there would still be a PR effort to be made to convince the flying public that an LNG/Hydrogen powered airplane is safe (what with all the hoopla about being careful about your bar-b-que gas tanks, etc)

However, consider what would have been the probabilities of the Tupolev (or any soviet era) design bureau promoting its projects publicly only 10-20 years ago?

[Ivan]

Tupolev isn't as dead as many of you believe... There are lots of their aircraft flying around needing parts (Major overhaul = complete stripdown/rebuild in russia) and they have so many Tu-204/214 orders that they had to recall some leased planes (Air Cairo's PAX 204's) to get their customers (huge iranian order) happy

[ATI_7500]

By the way, is the Tu-204 just a "slight" copy of a 757 or a completely own development?

[Felix/FFDS]

By the way, is the Tu-204 just a "slight" copy of a 757 or a completely own development?

My take is that it is a different development.  THere have been Boeing/Tupolev design/research ventures, but you have to consider, that when doing a twin engine passenger jet of that size...  there are going to be similarities (not to say that Tupolev hasn't been forced to copyother designs - notably the B-29/Tu-4 "Bull", and the Tu-144 benefited from certain industrial intelligence.)  But it is difficult to say when is it "copying" or "development of design information".


Conisder that the Airbus family can be considered design extensions of the Dassault Mercure, which could be considered a "development/copy" of the 727-100/200 design?

[ozzy72]

Interesting stuff, and what with oil disappearing at an alarming rate this may be a viable alternative...