Myasishchev M-55
The Mjassischtschew M -17 Stratosfera (Russian Мясищев М -17 Стратосфера, NATO reporting name "Mystic" ) is a Soviet high-altitude aircraft, which first flew in 1982. It was designed as a high altitude reconnaissance and is considered in terms of performance as a counterpart to the American Lockheed U -2. After the end of the Cold War M -17 have been established under the name M -55 " Geofisika " (M- 55 Геофизика ) for scientific purposes.
Development
From the mid- 1950s, more than 4,000 balloons foreign origin on the territory of the USSR were registered. Therefore, the Soviet Air Force in 1970 called for a pattern to intercept Western espionage balloons can, as well as a replacement for the obsolescent pattern altitude reconnaissance Jak - 25RW. The design office Mjassischtschew was awarded the contract to develop the M -17.
The M -17 is a high-wing monoplane and has a double - T- tailplane, the two tail booms are attached to the wings. The trunk cable is fixed under the blade and transmits the engine, a jet engine of the type RD -36- 51W by RKBM Rybinsk, the two air inlets are positioned adjacent the cockpit.
To test for the engine and aerodynamics, an M -17 hull was hung under a Tupolev Tu -16 in the design phase. Another Tu -16 carrying the nose of the M -17 to test the sensors.
The first flight took place on 16 November 1982 Vladimir Archipenko place at the wheel. In the same year was first reported in the West about the new Soviet high altitude reconnaissance, which corresponded in size to the American Lockheed U-2/TR-1. On the Soviet flight test center in Zhukovsky near Moscow, then still named Ramenskoje, a new aircraft was identified, which received the provisional designation Ramenskoje Ram -M Department of Defense. It has been suggested that it was a design from the Yakovlev OKB in the new pattern. Also, the OKB Mjassischtschew was called as a design office, which turned out to be correct.
In early 1990, a photo of the Ram -M was first published, which showed a machine with the civil code СССР - 17401. End of 1989, the Ram -M NATO reporting name "Mystic" was assigned. A short time later, a M -17 ( СССР - 17103 ) was issued in Monino Aviation Museum in Moscow, and presented another M -17 at a Moscow airport to the public. The presented as a flying laboratory " monitoring Aero " machine should serve as a research aircraft including the exploration of the ozone hole.
Originally a production of 17 machines was planned, but were only a small series of the M -17 and M -55 four built in Smolensk aircraft plant.
Originally provided for the balloon defense M-17/M-55 was never used. By change of tasks scientific tasks in use worldwide are now possible.
Versions
M- 17RM and M- 55 " Geofisika "
As exclusively for civil tasks imaginary version of the M- 17RM ( Raswedtschik Modifizirowanni - modified reconnaissance ) was under the direction of chief designer L. Sokolow from the M -17 developed denoted by other application also known as M -55 " Geophysica ". It has an extended front of the air inlet hull with a modified bow. In contrast to the single-beam M- 17, M -55 has two 49 kN powerful turbofan engines D -30- W12 (later referred to as PS-30 - W12 ) from the OKB. Solovyov ( production in Rybinsk and Permian). Also, the wing was redesigned.
With the M -55 it is possible to have a up to 2000 kg scientific equipment at heights 19000-21000 m working for several hours.
The first flight of the M -55 was on 16 August 1988, she received the NATO code name " Mystic -B" and was presented in flight on the Mosaeroshow'92 with RF - ID. The first performance and flight demonstration in the West took place in Berlin during the International Air and Space Exhibition 1994. On this occasion, scientific altitude flights were made, achieving the highest ever flown over Germany height.
On 28 and 30 March 1990, the test pilot of the experimental factory of Mechanical Engineering W. M. Mjassischtschew ( Eksperimentalny maschinostroitelny zavod imeni W. M. Mjassischtschewa, Russian Экспериментальный машиностроительный завод им. В. М. Мясищева, EMS ) Vladimir Archipenko, a number of records on. A total of 16 world records for height and rise time were flown.
The M -55 is now used by the Gromov Flight Test Institute as a test vehicle for various experiments.
M- 55RTR
Another military development is the high-flying ELINT version M- 55RTR that should arise as a military-technical cooperation with India. The development costs of about 150 million U.S. dollars should be proportionately shared by India.
M- 55X
On the MAKS 2001 by the design bureau ( OKB ) Mjassischtschew and presented the company Space Adventures, the combination of projects M- 55X and the Space Adventures Explorer ( S- XXI). The M- 55X is a converted M -55 and designed as a support aircraft for the small spaceplane S- XXI: Equipped with boosters M- 55X brings the S -XXI to a height 17000-19000 meters. Here the booster is ignited, which accelerates the space vehicle to orbit.