Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-150 family - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-150 family was a series of prototype single-seat fighter/interceptor

Interceptor aircraft

An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...

aircraft designed and built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

from 1955.

Design and development

To fulfil the needs of the PVO (Protivovozdushnaya Oborona – air defence forces) for a heavy interceptor to carry out automatic interceptions, the MiG bureau had developed a range of large fighter aircraft starting with the swept wing I-3

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-3

|- Source criticism :The sources generally agree on which airframes from the I-3 program that was rebuilt . But one of the external links says it was I-3P that was rebuilt into I-3U. The sources all agree on that the I-3 is the same as the I-380 , but they all disagree on the designations for the...

series (a.k.a. I-380, I-410 and I-420), followed by the I-7 and the I-75

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-75

|-Notes and references:* Gunston, Bill, The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1 85532 405 9.* Belyakov, R.A and J. Marmain. MiG:Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 1994. ISBN 1 85310 488 4.* Gordon, Yefim. Sukhoi Interceptor....

. The requirement for supersonic interception speed and the ability to carry the heavy avionic systems dictated the size; in comparison the contemporary MiG-21F

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...

(similar in layout), weighed 4,819 kg (10,624 lb) and was 15.76m (51 ft 8-1/2in) long, compared with 12,345 kg (27,215 lb) and 18.14m (59 ft 6in) respectively, for the Ye-150.

The MAP

Map

A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....

(Ministerstvo Aviatsionnoy Promyshlennosti - ministry of aviation industry) ordered the Mikoyan OKB to build prototypes of the new interceptor, to be armed with either K-6, K-7, K-8, K-9, unguided rockets, or an aimable twin cannon installation. Automatic guidance to the interception point was to be provided by Urugan-5 (hurricane-5) integrated weapons systems.

Variants

Ye-150

The initial missile armed version, designated Ye-150, flew for the first time on 8 July 1960, after extensive ground checks of systems and a delay in delivery of a flightworthy engine. Flight tests progressed slowly, hampered by the very short life of the R-15 engine, (barely sufficient for pre-flight ground checks and a single flight), as well as problems with aileron buffeting, brake parachute failure and the engine accessory gearbox disintegrating. Manufacturers flight tests, over 42 flights, revealed very high rates of climb, impressive maximum speed (M2.65 @ 19,100m (68,664 ft) using less than full throttle), and a phenomenal service ceiling of at least 21,000m (68,900 ft).

Installation of weapons systems was not carried out on the Ye-150 and it was not authorised for production, but development continued with the Ye-151, and Ye-152.

Ye-151

The Ye-151 cannon armed version was designed in parallel with the Ye-150 but did not proceed to the hardware stage. The weapon system was to have consisted of twin TKB-495 or Makarov TKB-539 cannon, with a rate of fire of 2,000 rds/min, mounted on a rotating ring in tilting mounts. The mounts could tilt ±30° and the mounting ring could rotate 360°, which gave the installation a 60° cone of fire around the centreline of the mounting ring. To accommodate the ring turret the inlet duct was lengthened with the rotating ring forming the inlet lip, wind tunnel testing confirming that the extended inlet duct would actually improve aerodynamic and inlet performance; the lengthened inlet was retained for all later Ye-150 series aircraft (sans cannon installation). Further tunnel testing with an inlet mounting fitted with cannon revealed de-stabilising forces when the cannon were deflected, making accurate weapon aiming impossible and precluding further development. Studies were carried out with the cannon mount aft of the cockpit to reduce de-stabilising moment, as the Ye-151-2, but no hardware resulted.

Ye-152

The two single engined Ye-152's were completed with improved R-15-300 engines, as the Ye-152-1 and Ye-152-2, but reliability remained an issue, with only limited development flying, weapons system testing and world record flights carried out. The poor reliability of the engine and the cancellation of the intended K-9 / Urugan-5B weapon system brought the Ye-152 program to a close. Cropped delta wings with greater area allowed the large K-80 or K-9 missiles to be carried on wingtip launchers.

World record flights were carried out by the first prototype Ye-152-1 in 1961 and 1962, registered with the FAI

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...

as the Ye-166.

The second aircraft, Ye-152-2, was returned to Mikoyan for conversion to the Ye-152M, featuring an axi-symmetric convergent divergent nozzle and canards on either side of the forward fuselage, which were soon removed. The Ye-152M was retired to the Central Air Force Museum

Central Air Force Museum

The Central Air Force Museum in Monino at the site of Monino Airfield 40km east of Moscow, Russia, is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Russian aircraft...

at Monino

Monino

Monino is an urban locality in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated east of Moscow. Population:...

misleadingly marked as the Ye-166 which was, in fact, the unmodified Ye-152-1.

Ye-152A

The Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-152A was an twin-engined version of the Ye-152, sharing its general layout but utilising two Tumansky R-11

Tumansky R-11

-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links: - R-11...

afterburning turbojets mounted side by side in a revised rear fuselage. The change in engine type, necessitated by the extremely poor reliability of the R-15, led to a widened rear fuselage with large ventral fins. The majority of the airframe was identical to the Ye-152, incorporating the extended inlet and fuselage found to be advantageous during testing for the proposed Ye-151 cannon armed variant of the Ye-150. Due to the use of fully developed and reliable R-11 engines the Ye-152A was ready for flight in July 1959 and continued to fly on test duties at the Mikoyan-Gurevich test centre until it crashed in 1965.

Armament was to have been two K-9 air to air missiles, as part of the Ye-152-9-V weapon system, featuring the TsKB Almaz TsP-1 fire control radar.

The Ye-152A was assigned the NATO reporting name

NATO reporting name

NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

Flipper after a flypast during the 1961 Aviation Day display at Tushino

Tushino

Tushino is a former village and town to the north of Moscow, which has been part of the city's area since 1960. Between 1939 and 1960, Tushino was classed as a separate town. The Skhodnya River flows across the southern part of Tushino....

and also erroneously labelled as the MiG-23.

Ye-152P

A proposed development powered by the more reliable R-15-300 engine and using the Urugan-5B weapon control system and carrying the large K-80 long-range AAM.

Ye-152M

The Ye-152-2 was returned to the Mikoyan factory for conversion to the Ye-152M, fitted with small canard surfaces either side of the forward fuselage and an R-15-300 engine fitted with axi-symmetric convergent-divergent nozzle, allowing the ejector ring around the rear fuselage to be dispensed with. After initial flight testing the canards were removed leaving the mounting structures behind. Used for further testing of the R-15 engine and Urugan weapon systems, the Ye-152M was retired to the Central Air Force Museum

Central Air Force Museum

The Central Air Force Museum in Monino at the site of Monino Airfield 40km east of Moscow, Russia, is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Russian aircraft...

at Monino

Monino

Monino is an urban locality in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated east of Moscow. Population:...

bearing the erroneous identity Ye-166 and three red stars to signify the world records set by its sister ship, the Ye-152-1.

Ye-166

Fictitious designation of the Ye-152-1 used when registering the world records with the Federation Aeronautique Internationale

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

(FAI). Also applied to the Ye-152M displayed at Monino

Monino

Monino is an urban locality in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated east of Moscow. Population:...

as an intelligence ruse.

MiG-23

An erroneous designation applied by western intelligence observers to the Ye-152A after the display at Tushino in 1961.

Urugan-5

Development of the Urugan-5 automatic weapon system was initiated by the Council of Ministers in 1955 to intercept supersonic bombers flying at 10-25,000m ( ft) altitude at 1600–2000 km/hour up to 100–120 km range from the interceptor base, (with sufficient warning). The system relied on ground based radar to guide the interceptor to an intercept with the target and aircraft based radar and weapon aiming systems to complete the mission using the following components:
A high resolution ground based radar system, to provide accurate position and height data at a range of 345 km.

Active interrogation system (SAZO)

Automatic guidance facility

Digital control computer

Command data link (SPK)

Interceptor-fighter with Airborne radar (detection range of 25 km minimum), Autopilot, and Weapon-aiming computer (SRP)

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-150

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-151

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-152

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-152A

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-150P

Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-150M

Armament options included:
2 x 30mm cannon in a tilting rotatable mount.
Unguided rockets.
2x Grushin K-6 Air to Air missiles
2x Toropov K-7 Air to Air missiles
2x Kaliningrad K-8

Kaliningrad K-8

The Kaliningrad K-8 was a medium-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union for interceptor aircraft use.Developed by OKB-339/NII-339...

(R-8) Air to Air missiles
2x Raduga K-9

Raduga K-9

The Raduga K-9 was a long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. It was designed by MKB Raduga, a division of aircraft maker Mikoyan-Gurevich. The K-9 was also known as the K-155, and would apparently have had the service designation R-38...

Air to Air missiles

A combination of delays in development of the electronic components, missiles and poor reliability of the Tumansky R-15 engines for the aircraft component led to the Urugan-5 system, fitted to Ye-150 derivatives being cancelled in 1962.

Specifications (Ye-152-1)

External links

http://www.armscontrol.ru/atmtc/arms_systems/avia/russia/MiG_Aircraft.htm
http://wp.scn.ru/mig_okb/planes-exp-ur5_e152_9
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2329.0.html
http://www.testpilot.ru/russia/mikoyan/e/150/e150_e.htm
http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/ye-152.html Russian Aviation Museum
http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/s/709/1/0/3 WINGS PALETTE

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Design and development

Variants

Urugan-5

Specifications (Ye-152-1)

See also

Further reading

External links