Mikoyan-Gurevich I-320

Mikoyan-Gurevich

Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Founded	1939
Headquarters	Moscow , Soviet Union
Products	Military aircraft, including I-320 prototype interceptor

Template:Infobox aircraft The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-320 (known by the Type 18 designation in USAF/DoD nomenclature) was a Soviet prototype all-weather interceptor developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Only two units were constructed, and it did not enter mass production.

Design and development

In January 1948, the Soviet authorities issued a requirement for a long-range, all-weather interceptor capable of engaging enemy aircraft at considerable distances from their intended targets, both during daytime and nighttime operations. This specification prompted multiple design bureaus to respond, among them Mikoyan-Gurevich, which submitted the Izdeliya R ("Article R"), also referred to as the I-320; as well as Lavochkin with the Lavochkin La-200 and Sukhoi presenting the Su-15.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich entry shared common features with its competitors: it was a twin-engine, swept-wing aircraft featuring a fuselage-mounted engine arrangement with one powerplant positioned low at the front and another located in the rear section of the fuselage. Air entered through a central nose inlet that branched into three ducts—one channel supplying the forward engine and two ducts routing around the cockpit to feed the aft engine. The cockpit accommodated two crew members—the pilot and radar operator—who sat side-by-side on separate ejector seats within an unpressurized cabin equipped with dual flight controls. The wings were swept back at a 35-degree angle, resembling those of the smaller Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter, and included prominent wing fences to enhance aerodynamic performance. Initially, air intercept radar systems such as the Toryii were installed, later upgraded to the more advanced Korshun, housed within a radome integrated into the upper lip of the air intake.

The initial prototype, designated R-1, was powered by two Klimov RD-45F engines—unlicensed Soviet copies of the British Rolls-Royce Nene—each delivering 22.25 kilonewtons (5,000 lb_f) thrust. It featured armament consisting of two Nudelman N-37 cannons mounted on either side of the air intake. This prototype conducted its first flight on 16 April 1949. Following this, a second prototype known as R-2 was introduced in November 1949; it was equipped with more powerful Klimov VK-1 engines producing 26.25 kilonewtons (5,900 lb_f) thrust each, an additional third N-37 cannon, and enhancements to the windscreen and canopy. After sustaining severe damage from an internal cannon shell explosion, the R-2 underwent reconstruction which included modifications to its wings by adding a third wing fence; it subsequently flew again under the designation R-03 on 30 March 1950.

Despite these developments, no production orders were placed as the original specification was replaced by a new requirement that led to deployment of the Yakovlev Yak-25. Both prototypes remained in service with Mikoyan-Gurevich's design bureau for avionics testing purposes.

Bibliography

• Belyakov, R.A. and J. Marmain. MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-488-4.
• Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
• Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London, Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
• "Plane Facts: The first all-weather MiG". Air Enthusiast, March 1973, Vol 4 No 3. p. 40.

Template:Mikoyan aircraft Template:USAF/DoD reporting names