Declassified UFO / UAP Document
The Difficult Fate of 'Article 4000'
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AI-Generated Summary
The document reports on the Soviet 'Thermoplane' program, which is developing a disk-shaped dirigible for heavy cargo transport. An experimental scale model, 'Article 4000', has been built with funding from industrial sectors.
This document, a JPRS report from November 1, 1992, details the status of the 'Thermoplane' program, a Soviet initiative to develop a disk-shaped dirigible. The project, which has been colloquially referred to as a 'flying saucer' by journalists, was approved by the government of the former USSR and involves collaboration between several prominent organizations, including the Moscow Aviation Institute, Energiya, Molniya, the Academy imeni Dzerzhinskiy of the Ministry of Defense, and the Design Office imeni Tupolev. The Thermoplane is described as a unique transportation resource designed for heavy-duty logistics. It is intended to operate without the need for traditional airfield support and is noted for its high lifting capacity, capable of carrying up to 600 tonnes of cargo to remote regions such as Siberia and the Far East. The craft is presented as an economical alternative to existing transport methods, with fuel consumption reportedly three times lower than that of a Boeing aircraft. The report highlights that the program has garnered interest from the oil, gas, and mining industries, which have provided funding for the construction of an experimental scale model known as 'Article 4000'. This model is one-fifth the size of the planned full-scale Thermoplane.
scientists of this institute have developed a dirigible with a disk-shaped hull that journalists have already christened the ''flying saucer.''
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Official Assessment
The Thermoplane program, involving multiple major Soviet enterprises, aims to develop a disk-shaped dirigible for heavy cargo transport to remote areas like Siberia and the Far East. An experimental scale model, 'Article 4000', has been constructed.