YEKATERINBURG. July 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Scientists in Russia's Urals are complaining about a lack of funds to build an aircraft they have designed and claim has the characteristics of an airplane, a flying balloon, helicopter and a hovercraft.
Aerodynamic balance aircraft construction is expensive, but the costs can be recovered in one day when the aircraft is used to deal with the aftermath of an emergency, Chief Constructor Alexander Filimonov told a press conference on Monday.
"Some 150,000 hectares of woods have burned out due to wildfires in the U.S., with losses amounting to two billion dollars. Our aircraft could put out such fires in one day. The design model with a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes costs 100 million dollars, and in serial production it would cost ten times less, its production costs would be covered instantly," Filimonov said.
Some foreign countries, including China, are interested in the apparatus, but the developers want to produce it in Russia, and therefore they have been seeking investment in Yekaterinburg and Moscow, but they already have begun talks with France and China.
"We want Russia's leadership to pay attention to this transportation aircraft. We have sent letters to relevant ministries, but unfortunately Russia has no mechanism making it possible to introduce innovation projects," Filimonov said.
In addition to fighting forest fires, the aircraft can be used to deal with the aftermath of earthquakes, floods, man-made disasters, as well as for the transportation of cargo to distant areas with landing sites that cannot be used by regular airplanes.