The frigate Ecojet was a proposed Russian commercial aircraft project
It was a wide-body passenger jet with an elliptical fuselage cross-section that was intended for medium-haul routes
The frigate Ecojet's narrative began more than 30 years ago. In 1991, Russian aircraft designer Valentin Tukonovich Klemov initiated the development of the T.U.304, a mid-range, wide-body aircraft
The aircraft was initially intended to be powered by two engines with a thrust of about 20 tons each
as the aviation industry was already transitioning to this configuration. Various power plants were being considered, including Russian engines such as the PD-18R and PS90A-20
as well as foreign engines like the Rolls-Royce Trent 500. Nevertheless, the project leaders adopted a four-engine design, which they dubbed FreeJet
in defiance of this trend. The Permade P-D-14 engine, which was also under consideration for the Urquit MC21 project
was expected to power the aircraft. Waiting for the development of a new engine
would not be necessary if this course of action is pursued. Additionally, the aircraft systems
are designed to be entirely powered by a new configuration, which would have converted the excess energy from the engines
It was anticipated that the four engines would collect produce approximately thousand kilowatts. Here I want to add that this is a comparatively low power
output for an aircraft. It is more akin to a turboprop or small private plane than a commercial
airliner. Tens of thousands of kilowatts and several tons of thrust are the typical
outputs of modern commercial aircraft engines For example a single engine on a Boeing 737 generates approximately 20 pounds of propulsion which is equivalent to approximately 89 kiloons or approximately 9 metric tons of thrust Valentine Klimov provided an
explanation for the increase in the number of engines in a 2017 interview with Russian aviation
insider. He said that while twin-engine aircraft had recently matched the performance of four-engine
aircraft, the four-engine configuration would more effectively achieve the aircraft's objectives. He acknowledged that four engines are inherently inferior to two unless they provide substantial
advantages. This was the case with the four-engined A-340, which was discontinued due to its
failure to provide benefits, whereas the A-330 and A-330 Neo continued to be successful
Klemov further stated that his team intended to electrify all of the aircraft's processes. This would mean the installation of an electric taxying system
an electric anti-icing system, and air conditioning, in addition to electromechanical and
electro-hydraulic actuators. The bleed air system would be rendered obsolete by these innovations
Please note that the bleed air system is responsible for supplying pneumatic power to various aircraft
systems by extracting air from the turbines. This air is used for de-icing surfaces
pressurizing the cabin and providing air conditioning. Klymov's team predicted that the electrification of all onboard processes
would result in a 12% reduction in fuel consumption, a 5 to 10% reduction in operational costs
and a weight reduction of up to 10% for the aircraft. The aircraft, equipped with fuel containers only in its wings
could transport 2 50-3-350 passengers and travel a maximum distance of 4 kilometers Nevertheless a variant with a central tank was also taken into account which would have extended the range to 8 kilometers
The oval-shaped fuselage, which is intended to accommodate three aisles in the interior
was identified as one of the main innovations by TSAGI, the Central Aerohydromatic Institute
The designers anticipated that this would improve the convenience of passengers. It is anticipated that the aircraft will maintain a cruising speed of 8.50 kilometers per hour
Klemoff emphasized three critical components of the project. The aircraft should be digital, eco-friendly, and low noise
Furthermore, he underscored the necessity of maintaining low flight costs to realize the objective of global mobility
The frigate Ecojet was the subject of much discussion, as it was intended to bridge the divide between narrow-body and wide-body aircraft
Presentations were made at exhibitions and a series of theoretical calculations were completed
Tests were planned using scale models. The TSAGI released a press statement indicating that a model has been tested in a wind tunnel
S7 Airlines and U-Tair representatives were brought in as consultants. The frigate Ecojet was a niche product in terms of the modern passenger airline market
It is focused on the segment of routes with distances of 3,000 to 4,000 collins
where wide-body aircraft could be effectively used, placing it in the market niche of the IL-86
Today, more than 56% of all wide-body long-haul aircraft flights globally cover distances of less than 3,000 kilometers
with this share being significantly higher in some regions. Now, will the frigate Ecojet project be revived in Russia
The question doesn have a simple answer as Russia has not officially announced the closing of this project there is hope As of May 2024 TSAGI shared the findings of a study that looked at how well non aerodynamic
configurations of long-haul airplanes work when using new technologies and fuels other than jet fuel
The Institute tried different aerodynamic configurations of long-haul planes that could carry
22 to 50 people over 8,000 to 9,000 kilometers. Scientists at the Institute are looking into different choices for future mainline aircraft
including both classical and integral designs in three possible layouts. The MS1 has a classical layout and a body in the shape of a circle
The MS2 and MS3, on the other hand, have oval fuselages and different arrangements of the wings
To keep things clear, MS stands for long-haul airplanes. during the study. The MS3 layout has an overlap between the wing consoles and the body
that makes the plane more aerodynamic and better at carrying weight at low speeds
which means that the runway doesn't have to be as long. The oval shape of the MS2 and
MS3's body also saves fuel and makes more room for passengers, giving them more comfort and space
The bottom deck of the plane will also be bigger so that more cargo can be put on it
A comparison test showed that the MS3 variant had better load-bearing and moment parameters than the classic scheme
even though there were no major changes in aerodynamics at low speeds
To move on to the next step, TSAGI experts will test the combined model in a transonic wind tunnel while it is in cruising flight
Now, do you think Russia will bring back a frigate-ecojet-type aircraft in the future
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