Every country that produces military aircraft wants to possess stealth technology that helps planes evade enemy radar detection. However, few people know that as early as 1936, the Soviet Union created an aircraft capable of stealth in the skies.
The “Miracle Machine”
Today, any new technology in the field of military aviation is immediately classified as “Top Secret.” But this was completely different in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1930s. When the “miracle machine” was first tested in 1936, the magazine “Invention and Innovation” quickly reported on the event. Reporter I. Vishnyakov detailed the first flight of the “miracle machine” in an article published in a prominent newspaper. According to him, it resembled the U-2 twin-wing aircraft, shining brightly under the sun, and was moved from a special hangar to the airfield. Behind it were two I-16 aircraft that emerged from adjacent hangars.
It was planned that fighter jets would escort the stealth aircraft in the sky, while those on board could film this unique event. The moment of takeoff arrived, and the single-wing aircraft gently lifted off and quickly soared into the air. The first few minutes of the flight were uneventful. The aircraft was clearly visible against the blue sky, but then it released a stream of gas and slowly disappeared into the atmosphere. The only way to recognize that the “miracle machine” was still operational in the sky at that moment was by the distinctive sound of its engine. The fighter planes were immediately ordered to return to the airfield to avoid accidentally shooting down the stealth aircraft.
The stealth aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1936. (Source: Russian7.ru).
Extremely Simple Technology
At first glance, the described experiment seems like a fable. However, the tests of this special aircraft did indeed take place. The authors of this special project included Robert Bartini, a famous Soviet aeronautical engineer, and Sergey Kozlov, a professor at the N.E. Zhukovsky Academy.
The issue was that in the 1930s, many European countries were engaged in an arms race before the outbreak of World War II. In this context, the emergence of the stealth aircraft was very advantageous for the Soviet Air Force. The technology to create it was remarkably simple. The aircraft’s surface was coated with a special glass that reflected sunlight. During flight, the aircraft’s shell created an optical effect that made it completely disappear in the air. To enhance this effect, engineer Robert Bartini equipped the aircraft with a device that sprayed blue gas, which also helped it vanish optically against the sky.
A question arises: why were stealth aircraft not mass-produced before and after World War II? The answer is quite simple. This aircraft was only invisible to observers on the ground, while enemy radar continuously tracked its activities.
