EKIP

EKIP (translated from ЭКИП, the Russian acronym for "Экология и Прогресс", which means "Ecology and Progress") is the Soviet and Russian project of a multifunctional aerodrome-free aircraft, built according to the "flying wing" scheme, with an elliptically shaped fuselage. Also known by its Russian nickname of Tarielka (Тарелка, meaning "plate" or "saucer"), the EKIP can land on water or unpaved ground through the use of an air cushion instead of a wheeled undercarriage. The EKIP is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. A special feature of the design is the presence of a special system of stabilization and reduction of drag, made in the form of a vortex control system of the boundary layer flowing around the stern surface of the device, as well as an additional flat-bed reactive system for controlling the device at low speeds and in takeoff and landing modes. The need for a stabilization system and reduction of drag is due to the fact that the body of the apparatus, made in the form of a thick wing of small elongation, on the one hand, has a high aerodynamic quality and is able to create lifting force several times higher than a thin wing, on the other hand, it has low stability due to the disruption of flows and the formation of zones of turbulence. The use of the "bearing wing" scheme provides a useful internal volume several times larger than that of promising aircraft of equal payload. Such a body increases the comfort and safety of flights, significantly saves fuel and reduces operating costs.