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MiG I-7U

Anticipating possible problems with the new VK-3 engine in OKB-155, the same Uragan-1 system began to design a new interceptor fighter, which was called the I-7U (the corresponding decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued on March 28, 1956, and the MAP order was released on June 6 of the same year). For him, a powerful turbojet engine, designed by AM Lyulka AL-7F, was already created in the prototype. Flight tests of the latter were already conducted on the new experienced front-line fighter S-1, created in OKB-51 chief designer P.0.Sukhoi.

According to the above-mentioned regulations, a new interceptor fighter was to be built in two versions - I-7U and I-7K. The first was required for state testing in the fourth quarter of 1956, the second in the first quarter of the following year. The first prototype (I-7U) was supposed to use cannon and unguided missile weapons, while the second (I-7K) - only missile: two guided missiles -b or instead, two blocks with eight APC-57 projectiles in each, in addition to the wing could additionally be installed four assault rifles with four APC-57 projectiles in each.

The outline design of the I-7U was completed on July 23, 1956 and approved by AI Mikoyan on August 21. The aircraft was a mid-wing with a swept wing 55¦ and a nose cylindrical air intake with a central body in the form of a cone in which the radar antenna was located. Armament consisted of two guns HP-30 (with ammunition of 80 rounds per each), located in the root of the wing, but more "pressed" to the fuselage. The aircraft could additionally carry 16 unguided APC-57 projectiles in four blocks under the wing. Under the fuselage, an additional fuel tank could be suspended.

The preliminary design of the I-7K was completed on August 23 and approved by Mikoyan on August 28. Unexpectedly, fate intervened in the I-7U interceptor. The first flight was made on 22 April 1957 by GK Mosolov. On June 21 in the 13th flight during landing, the wing was damaged, and the aircraft was under repair until the middle of January 1958. In the next six flights, flight characteristics simply puzzled the designers. The estimated speed of 2300 km / h at an altitude of 11,000 m could not be obtained. Moreover, the real maximum speed was almost 900 km/h lower and amounted to 1,420 km/h. The reason was simple: the engine AL-7F missed the declared power (these engines, produced by a small series, had a real thrust at the maximum mode of 6,850 kg, and in the afterburner 8800 kg), in addition, it had a large fuel consumption and low reliability. Nevertheless, even with such an engine, the test results can be regarded as a complete failure.

On February 12, at the direction of the General Designer, the flight tests were stopped and the machine was sent to the plant for a "surgical" operation - alterations to another type. The second prototype of the interceptor I-7K was not built. Interceptors I-ZU and I-7U laid the foundation for a family of "heavy" MiGs. Heavy compared with the lighter frontal fighters of the type E-2, E-4 and E-5, whose weight did not exceed 6300 kg. It remains to be surprised at NATO intelligence services, who managed not to notice these interesting products of the A.I.Mikoyan Design Bureau and, accordingly, not to assign their traditional code symbols to them.