Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Mikoyan Gurevich I 350

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Top speed
  
1,260 km/h

Length
  
17 m

Wingspan
  
9.73 m

Manufacturer
  
OKB Mikoyan-Gurevich

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350 wwwairwarruimageidopfighteri350i3502jpg

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

  • 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 (54,500 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 (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

    • References

    Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA