Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Founder | Artem Mikoyan, Mikhail Gurevich |
| Headquarters | Soviet Union |
Template:Infobox aircraft The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350 (also known as the Samolet M) was an experimental fighter aircraft developed during the Cold War period by the Soviet Union. It holds the distinction of being the first Soviet plane capable of sustaining speeds beyond the sound barrier.
Design and development
Beginning in 1947, OKB-165, under the leadership of Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka, initiated development of a new axial-flow turbojet engine. The Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau then engineered the I-350 to incorporate this powerplant, specifically the 46.107 kilonewtons (10,365 lbf) thrust Lyul'ka TR-3A, later renamed as the Lyulka AL-5. The aircraft's design resembled an enlarged version of the MiG-17, featuring a slender, elongated fuselage, mid-mounted wings swept at 57°, and a broad-chord vertical stabilizer with a tailplane positioned midway along its span.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Identified internally as Izdeliye M, this fighter was the first Soviet model capable of stable supersonic flight.[1] Renamed I-350, its initial prototype, designated I-350M-1, was equipped with an airborne interception radar system called RP-1 Izumrud. The second prototype, I-350M-2, carried a different radar system known as Korshun.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Operational history
The maiden flight of the I-350M-1 took place on 16 June 1951 with pilot Grigoriy A. Sedov at the controls. Shortly after takeoff, an engine malfunction occurred which led to a failure in the hydraulic system. Despite encountering extremely heavy control resistance, the pilot managed to safely land by deploying the landing gear through an emergency extension mechanism. Following this initial flight, four additional test sorties were conducted; however, persistent engine reliability issues plagued the program. Consequently, the I-350 project was discontinued in August 1951.[2]
Specifications (I-350)
See also
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedBely p163-4 - ↑ Gordon, Yefim; Komissarov, Dmitry (2009). OKB Mikoyan. Hinkley: Midland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-85780-307-5.