Smartfish
Smartfish is an experimental aircraft that represents a new concept in lifting body construction. The project was developed by the Swiss Konrad Schafroth.
The Smartfish is not based on the principle of bird flight , but takes the tuna as a model. The advantage of this construction is that complicated computer technology is no longer required to keep the aircraft stable in the air, but that this is ensured solely by the construction itself. In addition, the device can do without landing flaps , slats and spoilers , which makes it less susceptible to interference.
Despite these simplifications, the maximum range of the planned two-seater is around 8,000 kilometers, the cruising speed around Mach 0.9 and kerosene consumption around 4.1 liters per person and 100 kilometers.
There are currently only a few airworthy models of the Smartfish. In spring 2007 the first flight of the fuel cell powered HyFish model, developed in cooperation with DLR , took place .
Similar aircraft types
Boris Cheranovsky designed and built a number of tailless aircraft in Russia between 1923 and 1948 . One of his concepts, the BITsch-26 , was very similar to the Smartfish in terms of its external features. However, the BICh-26 managed as a flying wing without a separate horizontal stabilizer .
See also
Web links
- Official website (English)
- DLR model
- Press release on the first flight (An interesting detail is the changed air intake.)