It is possible that the first who tried to somehow apply the phenomenon of the electrohydrodynamic effect, known since the 18th century (of course, it received such a name only in the 20th century, and even then in the second half) or "ionic wind" was Thomas Brown. In 1927, while experimenting with X-ray tubes, he noted a decrease in the weight of the device when it was turned on. On this discovery, he even patented a "gravitator"
Alexander Nikolaevich Prokofiev-Seversky.
But nevertheless, more or less seriously this effect and its possible application began to be dealt with only in the 60s of the twentieth century. It was an American of Russian origin, Alexander Prokofiev-Seversky. Since 1916, he had experience in the construction of aeronautical equipment, and later, already in emigration, he founded several aviation companies: Seversky Aero Corp, which went bankrupt during the Great Depression, and Seversky Aircraft Corp., which created Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the most massive American fighter jet in World War II.
One of the working models of the inventor.
And it was precisely in such a well-known sphere that Seversky decided to introduce the “ionic wind”. By the way, it is he who holds the title of the father of the term “ionolette”, the description of physics and the basic principles of EHD technology.
Drawing of the ion aircraft from the patent Ionocraft US 3130945 A.
The principle of operation of an ion-plane is that a negatively charged anode transfers charges to air particles - ions. Ions are attracted to the positively charged cathode, and on the way, colliding with air molecules, repel them. This is how the ionic wind turns out. The ionolet seems to be floating in the air. Alexander Nikolaevich in his laboratory built several models that were powered from an external power source, and after testing them, he came to the conclusion that this technology is quite viable.
Trials and dreams.
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The main problem was the required power at the anode and cathode. If everything was fine with small models in the laboratory, then large devices required a lot more. And in the 60s, it was technologically impossible to even simply place a power source on board the device. It was this factor that led to the fact that they gradually began to forget about ion aircraft.
The moment of testing the model.
But nevertheless, this idea was at one time so popular in the world that many countries, including the Soviet Union, developed projects for such aircraft.
Fly with Aeroflot ion aircraft!
Today, scientists from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are engaged in the development of ion-powered vehicles. Experiments have confirmed that ion thrust is actually more efficient than modern aircraft engines. The thrust of a turbojet is 2 N per kilowatt of power, and an ion engine can deliver 110 N per kilowatt!
Research and development led to the creation of the first ionic aircraft with an "internal" power source. The device has a wingspan of five meters, weighs three kg, a maximum speed of eleven km / h and a flight time of several minutes.