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Cистемы дозаправки самолётов топливом в полёте

"RD&PE; Zvezda" JSC designs and develops unified aerial-refueling pods (УПАЗ) mounted on tankers, and fuel reception devices, namely, the nozzle assemblies mounted on the probes of fuel-receiving aircraft. The nozzle assemblies are adapted to the refueling pods of foreign aircraft.

Unified aerial-refueling pod

"ГПТ-2Э (-1,-1И,-1М)"

The unified aerial-refueling pod is a self-contained pod suspended to the tanker via the adapter beam with the help of the Combined Services Connector (CSC).
The main feature of the aerial-refueling pod is its self-containment. A two-stage centrifugal pump driven with a ram-air turbine is arranged in the pod. Its maximum fuel-transfer rate is 2900 l/min.

The air turbine serves as a driver for the hose drum unit. The air turbine shaft is rigidly mated with the drum via the reducer. A folding drogue cone attached to the hose end serves for hose tension in flight. The air turbine maintains the hose tension, when the receiver is in the refueling formation. The air turbine counteracts possible hose slacking at any change in the relative distance and velocity between the tanker and receivers. The unified refueling pod has an electric control system with actuators, which use fuel as a working medium.

At present, the following refueling pods are in operation:
unified aerial-refueling pod (hose length in the airflow is ~ 28 m, hose inner diameter is 40 mm, the fuel transfer rate is up to 1600 l/min) is installed on the Su-24M tanker. The pod handles flight refueling of "light" aircraft..

Su-24M

Su-24M is refueling from Su-24M

Su-27 is refueling from Su-24M

- УПАЗ-1refueling pod (hose length in the airflow is ~ 26 m, the hose inner diameter is 52 mm, the fuel transfer rate is up to 2300 l/min); two pods are mounted under the tanker wings for aerial refueling of "light" aircraft, and one pod is mounted to the left side of the IL-78 (78M) tanker fuselage tail for refueling of "heavy" aircraft (Tu-160, Tu-95MC, A-40, A-50 and IL-80).

IL-78 tanker

- ПАЗ-1М refueling pod (hose length in the airflow is ~ 26 m, hose inner diameter is 52 mm, the fuel transfer rate is up to 2900 l/min).
The ПАЗ-1М pod is the УПАЗ-1 pod modification. It is designed for mounting on the IL-78 tanker tail in order to reduce the aerial refueling time for "heavy" aircraft.
- УПАЗ-1K refueling pod (hose length in the airflow is ~ 26 m, hose inner diameter is 52 mm, the fuel transfer rate is up to 2300 l/min).
The УПАЗ-1K refueling pod is the УПАЗ-1 pod modification. It is adapted for mounting on the Su-27UB deck-launched aircraft.

Su-27UB tanker

In comparison with foreign refueling pods, the УПАЗ-type pods facilitate successful aerial refueling by a pilot of average proficiency owing to:
- longer hose in the airflow prior to the hookup (up to 26-28m);
- more efficient hose take-up at the moment of the hookup at the closing speed of 1.5 m/s;
- longer fuel transfer zone in the refueling formation (14 m) with more efficient fuel transfer rate
- shorter time period of being in the refueling formation owing to higher fuel transfer capacity;
- developed and proven effective response system, which handles aircraft relative movements with the speed of ± 2.5 m/s in the refueling formation.

At present, the ПАЗ-МК pod is being developed. It is designed for the MiG-29K deck-launched tanker Mig-29K/KUB (the fuel transfer rate is up to 750 l/min). The specific features of the new refueling pod are the fuel transfer directly by the tanker fuel system and application of the УПАЗ-type hose drum unit.
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