Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350
| I-350 | |
|---|---|
| Role | All-weather Interceptor |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | OKB Mikoyan-Gurevich |
| First flight | 16 June 1951 |
| Number built | 2 |
|
| |
The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350, Izdeliye M, was a Soviet Union Cold War experimental fighter. It was the first Soviet fighter able to maintain supersonic speed.
Design and development
From 1947, work began on a new axial-flow turbojet by OKB-165, led by Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka. OKB Mikoyan-Guryevich designed the I-350 around this engine, the 46.107 kN (10,365 lbf) Lyul'ka TR-3A (re-designated as the Lyulka AL-5). Resembling a scaled-up MiG-17, the I-350 had a long slim fuselage, mid set 57° swept wings and a wide chord fin mounting a tailplane at half-span.
Given the OKB designation Izdeliye M, it was the first Soviet fighter able to fly stably at supersonic speeds.[1] Re-designated as the I-350, the I-350M-1 first prototype was fitted with a RP-1 Izumrud airborne interception radar and the second prototype, I-350M-2, was fitted with a Korshun airborne interception radar.
Operational history
The I-350M-1 first flew on 16 June 1951, piloted by Grigoriy A. Sedov, but the engine failed shortly after take-off, precipitating a hydraulic system failure. Despite battling very heavy control forces, the pilot made a successful landing after blowing the landing gear down using the emergency undercarriage extension system. Four more test flights were made, with very poor engine reliability, before the I-350 programme was terminated in August 1951.[2]
Specifications (I-350)
Data from MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design[1][3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 16.652 m (54 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 9.73 m (31 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 36 m2 (390 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root:TsAGI SR-12s ; tip:TsAGI SR-7s
- Empty weight: 6,124 kg (13,501 lb)
- Gross weight: 8,000 kg (17,637 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,710 kg (19,202 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lyulka TR-3A (Lyulka AL-5) turbojet, 46.09 kN (10,361 lbf) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,260 km/h (783 mph; 680 kn) at sea level
- Range: 1,120 km (696 mi; 605 nmi)
- Ferry range: 1,620 km (1,007 mi; 875 nmi) with 800 l (211.34 US gal; 175.98 imp gal)
- Service ceiling: 16,600 m (54,462 ft)
- Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 1.1 minutes; 10,000 m (33,000 ft) in 2.6 minutes
- Thrust/weight: 0.57
Armament
- Guns:
- 1× 37 mm (1.46 in) Nudelman N-37 cannon
- 2× 23 mm (0.91 in) Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannon
- Hardpoints: 1 with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Other: 1x 800 l (211.34 US gal; 175.98 imp gal) drop tank
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
- 1 2 Belyakov,, R.A.; Marmain, J. (1994). MIG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. pp. 163–164. ISBN 978-1557505668.
- ↑ Gordon, Yefim; Komissarov, Dmitry (2009). OKB Mikoyan. Hinkley: Midland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-85780-307-5.
- ↑ Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995 (1st ed.). London: Osprey Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-85532-405-3.
External links
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