News of science and technology of Russia

[Soldier35]

At the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant of Transmashholding, the first Russian hybrid electric locomotive EMKA2 was manufactured for customers. The EMKA2 electric locomotive is capable of operating from a contact network or from an on-board energy storage device. The EMKA2 electric locomotive is designed for operation in depots and passenger terminals of large stations, where for environmental reasons the use of diesel engines is undesirable. The EMKA2 electric locomotive can be recharged in two ways - from the contact network through a standard 3 kW pantograph, or from an external charger. The energy in the electric locomotive's storage unit is sufficient to propel a train weighing up to 2 thousand tons over a distance of up to 14 km. Without a train, an electric locomotive can travel up to 100 km. Using an electric locomotive instead of a shunting diesel locomotive allows you to save up to 70-80% of fuel and lubricants and reduce current operating costs by 40-60%. The operating speed of the electric locomotive is 90 km/h, weight is 92 tons.

 

[Soldier35]

Russia has resumed its flight testing program for the new Il-114-300 passenger aircraft, which is expected to replace the An-24 on local airlines. The second experimental aircraft is a new version of the Il-114-300, assembled at the facilities of the Lukhovitsky Aviation Plant; the first aircraft was created on the basis of the Il-114-100 produced in Tashkent. The aircraft is designed for operation in normal and difficult climatic conditions. It can operate autonomously from relatively small airfields, both concrete and unpaved. Its maximum capacity is 68 passengers. The aircraft consists entirely of Russian components and is equipped with a TV7-117ST-01 engine, which has undergone a series of modifications. The engine has increased power during takeoff and is superior in technical characteristics to foreign analogues. The new AB112-114 propeller also has an increased thrust of 4 tons. Also, the new Il-114-300 has improved flight performance, increased the use of composite materials, installed a new digital flight navigation system, improved almost all the main systems, and special attention was paid to improving the ergonomics of the cockpit. The first flight of the Il-114-300 lasted 40 minutes, took place at altitudes of up to 900 meters and at speeds of up to 230 km/h.

 

[Soldier35]

Laser deforestation was shown in Russia. Specialists from the Troitsk Institute of Innovation and Thermonuclear Research tested a mobile laser complex produced by Rosatom. The laser was used to cut down forests, mainly the tops of trees, to speed up the laying of power lines. Using a laser complex, it was possible to cut a tree trunk 200 mm thick in six minutes; by simulating a laser beam, this time can be halved. The laser installation has no analogues in Russia and is capable of cutting even metal structures whose thickness reaches 260 mm, at a distance of no more than 300 meters. Previously, a sunken ship located 50 meters from the shore was cut with a laser on Sakhalin. There are no technical details; the laser complex can be installed on an all-terrain vehicle or other vehicle.

 

[Soldier35]

On April 11, the first Russian heavy launch vehicle Angara-A5 launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region. The rocket is equipped with an Orion upper stage and carries a test payload. The Angara family of rockets should replace the Proton-M launch vehicles. The Proton rocket has been in operation since the mid-1960s. The Angara-A5 rocket is the first heavy rocket of this type, developed in Russia after the collapse of the USSR. "Angara-A5" is an environmentally friendly rocket, its fuel does not contain toxic elements, unlike the "Proton" rocket, it uses kerosene and an oxidizer - liquid oxygen. Now there are three modifications of the Angara rocket, details are on the screen. The Angara-A5V rocket will be capable of launching a payload weighing up to 37.5 tons into orbit. With the help of Angara-A5 rockets, it is planned to launch automatic spacecraft and modules of the promising Russian orbital station into low-Earth orbit.

 

[Soldier35]

The Dagestan plant Concern KEMZ officially presented the new Russian twin-engine multi-purpose aircraft Alfa-KM. The aircraft is a significantly improved version of the MAI-411 aircraft; for example, due to the use of composites, the Alfa-KM aircraft turned out to be 250 kg lighter than its predecessor. The Russian aircraft - Alfa-KM, is an analogue of the European CS-23 and American FAR-23 aircraft, the demand for small aircraft is growing and its production is now especially relevant. The aircraft is intended for air transportation, air tourism, patrol and other uses in small aviation.
The aircraft is made from Russian components; it was previously reported that the Austrian Rotax 912S engine is used, but there is no data on what it is now. In case of engine failure, the aircraft has a parachute rescue system. Companies from Malaysia, India and Turkey already intend to purchase Dagestani aircraft. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 1250 kg, but it is capable of carrying 4 people over a distance of up to 1500 km, with a cruising speed of up to 250 km/h, at a flight altitude of up to 3000 meters.

 

[Soldier35]

In the Russian village of Bogoslovka, Omsk region, a curious incident occurred: an unknown man flew to a village store to do some shopping in a Robinson R44 helicopter manufactured by the American company Robinson Helicopter. It is worth noting that an hour of helicopter flight costs hundreds of times more than purchased products. The Robinson R44 helicopter is considered one of the safest, thanks to its simple but reliable design. It first took to the air in March 1990; in total, about 6,000 helicopters of this brand were produced and sold.

 

[Soldier35]

The first hovering flight was performed by the Russian modernized Mi-34M1 helicopter, equipped with a VK-650V turboshaft engine manufactured by UEC-Klimov. The Mi-34M1 helicopter is a modernized version of the light helicopter of the Mi-34S family, equipped with piston engines. Serial production of the VK-650V engine, designed for Russian multi-purpose and special helicopters with a takeoff weight of up to 4 tons, is planned to be launched in 2025. A new gearbox was also tested on the helicopter. It is believed that the helicopter will compete with the most popular family of GA helicopters in the world, Robinson.

 

[Soldier35]

The prototype of the Russian unmanned mainline truck L5 was presented by Navio in Moscow. Navio is the former SberAutoTech, since 2020 it has been developing autonomous driving technologies and other products with artificial intelligence. The prototype of the L5 truck was initially designed by Navio to be fully autonomous. In terms of autonomy, the truck corresponds to the L5 level, which is full automation. The truck has a machine vision system, which includes several cameras, radars and LiDAR sensors. Instead of a windshield, the L5 unmanned vehicle has a huge screen. It is needed to display various information: duplicating turn signals, indicating the speed of movement, etc. The unmanned truck is capable of saving up to 15% of fuel and reducing the cost of transporting goods by up to 30%. Cargo with the L5 truck will be delivered faster, since the unmanned vehicle does not need to stop for rest and can work around the clock. In September, Navio, together with KamAZ, for the first time released Russian trucks without a person in the driver's seat on the M-11 Neva highway.