Rather than an aircraft, you could deploy a blimp. I don't know any polymer film that could withstand that much heat, but a metalized fibreglass cloth could. Pure aluminum would melt, but aluminum bronze alloy melts between 600-655°C, depending on exact alloy. The reason for a blimp is so it can "drive" over to your aerostat.
Speaking of Russian technology, their spy agency developed a "bug" that could be incorporated into molten steel. They use it to embed listening devices in the steel beams of the American embassy in Russia. When American officials found the bugs, they found some embedded in drywall, some in ceilings, some in the beams. There were so many devices that they couldn't effectively remove them. So they poured a heavy concrete floor on top of the building, and built another story on that. Any sensitive conversations were to be held on that secure floor. The media had a hay-day when they found out about this. But the point is Russians know how to embed electronics in a steel beam, America didn't know how to do that at the time. Have American military/spy contractors figured out how to do it since? Could this help develop high temperature electronics for Venus?
]]>A sample return mission would be even more challenging. Basically two mother ships would be required, one floating by areostat high in the atmosphere and the other waiting it orbit to return to Earth. Something about the size of a Pegasus Launcher might suffice for returning small amounts of Venusian soil to the orbital mothership. Some high temperature balloon would be required to life off the Venusian surface once again, and some means of rendezvous with the floating return ship would be required, maybe an airplane of helicopter of some kind.
]]>The same web page says silicon carbide (SiC) electronics have been operated in the laborator up to 600°C. Why not just make all electronics for a Venus probe from this stuff?
]]>Temperatures are high, approximately 500 degrees Celsius, on the surface of Venus, which means "the spacecraft will have to withstand the planetary surface conditions for about 24 hours," he said.
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