Top speed 1,260 km/h Length 17 m | Wingspan 9.73 m | |
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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.
Contents
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. 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.
Specifications (I-350)
Data from MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design
General characteristics
Performance
Armament