Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350

I-350
Role	Experimental fighter aircraft
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Mikoyan-Gurevich
First flight	16 June 1951
Number built	2

The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350 (Samolet M), was a Soviet Cold War-era experimental fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet aircraft 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 (redesignated 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.^{[citation needed]}

Given the OKB designation Izdeliye M, it was the first Soviet fighter able to fly stably at supersonic speeds.^[1] Redesignated 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.^{[citation needed]}

Operational history

The I-350M-1 first flew on 16 June 1951, piloted by Grigoriy A. Sedov, but the engine failed shortly after takeoff, precipitating a hydraulic system failure. Despite battling very heavy control forces, the pilot made a successful landing after lowering the landing gear 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] Gunston^[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)
Fuel capacity: 800 L (180 imp gal; 210 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Lyulka AL-5A turbojet engine, 46.09 kN (10,360 lbf) thrust

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,260 km/h (780 mph, 680 kn)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.02
Range: 1,120 km (700 mi, 600 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,620 km (1,010 mi, 870 nmi)
Service ceiling: 16,600 m (54,500 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 Nudelman N-37 autocannon
2 × 23 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 autocannon

Hardpoints: 1 centre-line hardpoint

References

^ ^a ^b 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

[Bely_p163-4-1] 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-2] Gordon, Yefim; Komissarov, Dmitry (2009). OKB Mikoyan. Hinkley: Midland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-85780-307-5.

[Gunston-3] Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995 (1st ed.). London: Osprey Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-85532-405-3.

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