Alekseyev I-215 experimental fighter
The Alekseyev I-215 was a prototype twin-engine jet fighter aircraft that competed in the Soviet Air Force's 1946 requirement for a new fighter capable of flying at high-speeds using the new concept of the jet engine. Alekseyev I-215 came from the Alekseyev I-211, the same design but with different engines and armament. Unfortunately, because this plane was abandoned fairly quickly for political reasons.
To offset the TR-1's limitations, Lyulka moved on their TR-1A turbojet which promised 3,318 pounds of thrust but before these could be used, Alekseyev had secured a pair of British Rolls-Royce "Derwent V" turbojets to begat the I-215 designation. Other variants of the line included the I-211S which featured swept wing and tail surfaces for improved aerodynamics. The I-215D was an I-215 offshoot ordered by OKB-1 and featured a "bicycle" undercarriage. The I-216 was a proposed heavy fighter offshoot based on the I-215 and armed appropriately with 2 x 75mm autocannons, these fitted to slightly modified wings.
The layout and aerodynamics of the I-211 aircraft made it possible to modify the fighter for more powerful engines without significant structural alterations. A fighter-interceptor variant using two RD-500 jet engines with a thrust of 1590 kg each, which gave an increase in speed and range, was designated I-215.
A radar sight was installed in the nose of the I-215 fuselage, the cockpit was airtight, the seat was ejected. The machine was equipped with an airborne radar, the weapons provided for two options - three 37 mm N-37 guns, or two N-57 guns with a caliber of 57 mm. The I-215 interceptor was intended for operations against bombers. The plane was released at the end of 1947. The first flight was carried out by test pilot Alexander Andreevich Popov. Test pilots Alexander Alexandrovich Efimov, Sergey Nikolaevich Anokhin and Mark Lazarevich Gallay also flew. The flight characteristics of the I-215 interceptor fighter improved slightly - the maximum speed increased to 970 km / h near the ground and 947 km / h at an altitude of 6,000 meters, the flight range reached 1,700 km, with outboard fuel tanks 2,300 km.
The front and rear fuselage racks of this chassis with twin wheels of increased diameter were retracted into niches located at the ends of the group of fuel tanks, and two side auxiliary bearings in the fairings under the engine nacelles. Takeoff and landing were somewhat different on this plane due to the design features of the landing gear.
| I-215 experimental fighter | |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 11.54 m (37.861 ft) |
| Wingspan | 12.25 m (40.19 ft) |
| Wing area | 25 m² (269 ft²) |
| Height | 3.68 m (12.073 ft) |
| Empty weight | 4,010 kg (8,840.5 lbs) |
| Loaded weight | 6,890 kg (15,189.85 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 7,020 kg (15,476 lbs) |
| Powerplant | 2 x Rolls-Royce Derwent V developing 1,590 kgf of thrust (15.6 kN, 3,500 lbf) each |
| Maximum speed | 970 km/h (602 mph, 523.758 knots) at sea level |
| Cruise speed | 720 km/h (447 mph, 388.769 knots) |
| Rate of climb | 29.76 m/s (97.64 ft/s) |
| Service ceiling | 13,600 m (44,619.423 ft) |
| Wing loading | |
| Empty weight | 160.4 kg/m² (32.85 lb. ft²) |
| Loaded weight | 275.6 kg/m² (56.45 lb. ft²) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 280.8 kg/m² (57.51 lb. ft²) |
| Thrust/weight | |
| Empty weight | 0.79 |
| Loaded weight | 0.46 |
| Max. takeoff weight | 0.45 |
| Range | 1,700 km (1,506 mi, 917.9 nmi) |
| Ferry range | 2,300 km (1,429 mi, 1,241.9 nmi) |
| Guns |
|
I-216 experimental interceptor
Also, an I-216 modification was developed on the basis of the I-215 interceptor, armed with two H-76 automatic aircraft guns designed by Alexander Emanuelovich Nudelman of 76 mm caliber with an ammunition of 15 shells per barrel. The weight of the car increased to 7,500 kg, the maximum speed was 930 km / h.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
