Russian aviation-its present problems and development trends-was the subject of discussion at a conference of eminent scientists and designers who met at the Department of the Energetics of Machine Engineering, Mechanics and Management Processes of the Russian Academy of Sciences late in 2006, with Acad. Vladimir Fortov in the chair. The agenda was substantive to the conferees most of whom are involved with the aerospace industry. The meeting brought together the flower of the industry: Acads. Nikolai Anfimov (Central Research Institute of Machine Engineering), Georgi Biushgens (N.E. Zhukovsky TSAGI Aerodynamics Research Center), Anatoly Koroteyev (M.V. Keldysh Research Center), Viktor Legostayev (S.R Korolev "Energiya" Aerospace Corporation), Alexander Matveyenko (Moscow Aviation Institute), Heinrich Novozhilov (S.V. Ilyushin Aviation Company), Gai Severin ("Zvezda" R&D Enterprise), Marat Tishchenko (M.L. Mill Moscow Helicopter Company), Yevgeni Fedosov (State Research Center of Aviation Systems), Arkady Shipunov (Design Office of Instrument-Making, Tula), and many other worthy people. The main speaker was Mikhail Pogosyan, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director General of the Sukhoi Design Office Company. The keynote of his report dealt with the cooperative effort in tackling certain outstanding problems in the aerospace industry. As he pointed out, the research collective he is heading and research centers of the Russian Academy of Sciences were all set to go ahead with their cooperation up until 2010 under the terms of a new agreement. This joint endeavor would promote the development of a new generation of military and civil aircraft* and stimulate aerospace hardware exports. RAS research centers could cooperate in designing up-to-date onboard equipment as well as new technologies in the field of composites with the aim of reducing the weight and cost of structural elements and increasing the service life of aircraft. Cutting ... Read more