Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation (MSTUCA) is a leading institution of higher education in Russia which trains Civil Aviation specialists, a center of science and culture where training of specialists and fundamental scientific research in the field of science, technology, humanities and economics are considered. Located in Moscow, founded in 1971.
A study was conducted with the anodic electrolytic-plasma nitrocarburizing of corrosion-resistant AISI304 steel, which is significantly faster than a similar process without gas discharges. A specific feature of this treatment for samples with a rough surface was identified, significantly dependent on the thickness of the nitrogen- and carbon-saturated layer and the relief area. The surface relief was created by applying M8 threads. It was determined that in valleys and on slopes, the hardening layer grows rapidly at the initial stage of processing, and then its growth slows significantly. On protrusions in areas with maximum surface curvature (8000 m–1), the cracks and “tearing out” of both the saturated layer and the treated metal are possible at the nitrocarburizing process initial stage. After this, the nitrocarburized layer thickness increases to a rate of ∼1.5 μm/min.
The article continues and develops the subject of the civil aviation engineering service in the 75th anniversary year of its existence, raised in the first article on this theme. It analyzes the activities of the aviation engineering service in the early post-Soviet period, when the main regulatory document was the fifth edition of the Manual on Technical Operation and Repair of Aviation Equipment (NTERAT GA-93). An analysis of the goals, objectives and functions of the aviation engineering service during this period, regulated by the manual, is carried out. It is shown how they changed and were supplemented in the process of accumulating experience until a coherent system of technical operation of aviation equipment was formed, including aviation personnel – the basis of the aviation engineering service until continuing airworthiness became its main task. The article analyzes the main documents of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in historical and substantive aspects, shows the structure of domestic federal aviation regulations in their development in terms of continuing airworthiness. The problems that have arisen due to the loss of the normative and legal status of the terms “technical operation” and “aviation engineering service” are identified. The tasks that arise in this regard are formulated. It is proposed to change the list of aviation personnel by adding a specialist in continuing airworthiness management to it with the issuance of a certificate with the qualification category D with the privilege to prepare an airworthiness review certificate for an aircraft instance. The need to retain the names of specialties in the technical maintenance of aircraft and their components in the new federal educational standards, to fill the content of higher education curricula with coverage of the technically competent use of aviation equipment, including in flight, as well as the management of continuing airworthiness of aircraft and the suitability of their components for safe flight is substantiated.
Ensuring the cleanliness of aviation fuel from mechanical impurities is a critical factor in flight safety. Existing laboratory methods for monitoring fuel cleanliness are discrete and do not allow for the prompt detection of contaminants during aircraft refueling, which creates significant risks. The objective of this study was to experimentally investigate and optimize the parameters of a partial-flow control filter to create a system for continuous, real-time monitoring of aviation fuel cleanliness. The key diagnostic parameter in this study was the pressure drop across the filter element, which directly correlates with the amount of accumulated mechanical impurities. A combination of experimental and analytical methods was used in the study: bench tests were conducted on corrugated polypropylene filter elements with varying surface areas, during which the dependence of the pressure drop on the mass of the introduced contaminant (kaolin mixture) was measured. This resulted in the dependence of the pressure drop on the specific contaminant capacity. It was found that this dependence has four characteristic zones: an initial linear zone, where the pressure drop increases proportionally to the contamination, and three nonlinear zones, where the rate of pressure drop increase significantly as the pores of the filter element become clogged. A parametric study was conducted using this experimental curve, which showed that for optimal filter operation, its filtration area should be 0.05–0.10 m². Based on this study, a system for operational monitoring of aviation fuel cleanliness using a check filter was proposed. This ensures not only a long service life (200–400 refuelings) but also high system sensitivity: the estimated response time to exceeding the rejection level of contamination averages 5–10 seconds, which is determined by the rate of change in the pressure drop upon the influx of impurities. The practical feasibility of using a check filter, where the pressure drop serves as a reliable and informative parameter for creating a system for promptly warning of aviation fuel contamination directly during refueling, was proved.
Currently, Russia has various documents, approved by government decrees, aimed at improving regional air transport connectivity and population mobility. One of the ways to address this issue could be the development of a new supersonic civil aircraft. Among the many challenges associated with the design, manufacture, and operation of such aircraft, an important place is occupied by the problem of ensuring flight safety, which is addressed through the development and implementation of flight safety management systems by developers, manufacturers, and operators of civil aircraft. This list should be based on an analysis of operational experience with supersonic civil aircraft, a study of the characteristics of supersonic flight, and familiarization with supersonic civil aircraft designs. Operational risks are inextricably linked to risks arising during the development and manufacture of the aircraft. Therefore, this paper attempts to create a basic list of hazards associated with the activities of a developer of a promising supersonic civil aircraft. An analysis of the design and operation of supersonic civil aircraft, based on open sources, revealed specific phenomena occurring during supersonic flight that must be considered when developing a list of hazards. Such phenomena include wave drag, rearward shift of the center of pressure and aerodynamic center (focus), reduced effectiveness of lifting surfaces, sonic boom, and others. When developing a list of hazards associated with the developer’s activities, it should be taken into account that the developer must ensure the release of documentation for the manufacture of an aircraft with airworthiness no lower than that specified in the Airworthiness Standards. However, the currently applicable Airworthiness Standards for transport category aircraft do not take into account the specifics of aircraft operation at supersonic speeds, which is one of the sources of hazards. Therefore, this paper proposes a tentative basic list of hazards, sources, and threats during the development of supersonic civil aircraft that directly impact its operation. Risk assessment should be performed directly within the operator’s organization using the procedures and tools approved in its Flight Safety Management System.
The article analyzes the structure and effectiveness of state regulation in air transport concerning the development of regional air transport systems in the Russian Federation. The definition of the system is proposed from the standpoint of the process approach, which allows considering the regional air transport system as interconnected processes of air transport enterprises that ensure the implementation of a set of strategic and tactical tasks of the region in logistics and economics. Since the strategic development of a region requires state involvement, and drawing on international experience, the article provides an overview of the tools and methods of state regulation of air transport systems. In Russia, it is essential to develop the state policy for maintaining and advancing the transport industry, which would also stimulate the mobility of the regional population. The study identifies the primary powers and instruments of state regulatory entities in aviation activities and examines the extension of the legislative framework to the segments of the air transport system. A comprehensive analysis of problematic issues in regulating aviation activities within regional air transport systems is conducted. A scheme of the mechanism for state regulation of the integrated functional territory of the air transport system is developed. Possible directions for the development of regulatory instruments, considering the dynamics of the external environment, are outlined. Given the lack of a comprehensive legislative framework and unified approaches to the formation of air transport clusters, the paper proposes a concept for establishing effective interaction between regional industry enterprises, based on legally established cooperation between airports, airlines, and aircraft repair enterprises in servicing air transportation technological processes. Finally, a formula for calculating the effectiveness of applying the mechanism for forming integrated functional zones through aviation mobility is presented to evaluate the proposed cluster system for enterprise placement.
