Rybinsk Motors
designs and manufactures a wide variety of aircraft engines. The RD-38 and
RD-41 lift engines used in the Yak-38 and Yak-141 VTOL fighters are a class
of engines that are currently not built anywhere else in the world. PanAero
has a permit for permanent import of the RD-38 engine -- which has a
thrust-to-weight ratio of 14 to one. PanAero plans to use the RD-38 in the
X Van, the Bantam Van booster, and, possibly, several other applications.
PanAero had earlier expected to use the more powerful RD-41 lift engines used in the Yak-141 supersonic VTOL fighter. However, in a meeting in Rybinsk, Russia in late August, the technical and management staff of Rybinsk Motors convinced PanAero that the more mature, more available RD-38 engines would be more appropriate.
The RD-38 is quite adequate for the X Van, our X PRIZE candidate. However, a single scaled-up derivative version of the X Van -- with four rotating nacelles containing four RD-38 engines each -- now appears to more appropriate for the Bantam booster. Our earlier concept called for a "troika" of three unmanned derivatives of the X Van -- each using four of the more powerful RD-41 engines. The newer Bantam booster concept has the advantage of being able to takeoff and land vertically in the horizontal attitude. This mode of takeoff and landing should be more practical for the Bantam Van, which is significantly larger than the X Van.