Sukhoi P-1

P-1

Role: Interceptor
Manufacturer: Sukhoi OKB
First flight: 12 July 1957
Status: Prototype only
Number built: 1

The Sukhoi P-1 was a prototype Soviet interceptor.

Development

Sukhoi began design studies for what was to become Izdeliye P in 1954 to meet an urgent request from the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP - Ministerstvo Aviatsionnoy Promyshlennosti - ministry of aviation industry). The early studies considered crew size, armament (missiles, cannon or both), and powerplant (with a choice of Lyul'ka AL-9 or AL-11, Klimov VK-9F, Kuznetsov P-2 or Kuznetsov P-4 engines).

The P-1 was designed for the Uragan-1 (Hurricane-1) collision-course intercept radar, which was quite complex and bulky, requiring a crew of two and air intakes either side of the fuselage rather than at the nose, retaining the delta wing of the Sukhoi T-3 with 57-degree leading edge sweep. Although the production aircraft was intended to use the Lyul'ka AL-9 engine, then in development, the prototype was fitted with a Lyulka AL-7F of lower power.

The P-1 first flew in July 1957 but underwent only limited flight testing due to unavailability of the intended powerplant and ongoing problems with the radar and missile systems as well as lukewarm enthusiasm from the VVS (Voyenno-Vozdooshnyye Seely - Soviet air force).OKB-51 persisted for some time trying to raise enthusiasm for the P-1 by proposing an even bigger engine, theTumansky R-15-300 afterburning turbojet, with singular lack of success. The sole P-1 prototype was relegated to experimental work and later scrapped.

A second prototype, the P-2 was studied, powered by twin Klimov VK-11 engines in the rear fuselage, but this version was cancelled at the mock-up review stage.

Specifications (P-1 as designed)

Data from Green

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 21.3 m (69 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Height: ()
Wing area: 44.0 m² (474 ft²)
Loaded weight: 10750 kg (23,700 lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Tumansky R-15 turbojet

Performance

Maximum speed: 2050 km/h (1,105 knots, 1,275 mph, Mach 1.93)
Range: 2000 km (1,080 nm, 1,240 mi)
Service ceiling: 19500 m (63,975 ft)

Armament

1 x— 37 mm Nudelman N-37 cannon
2 x— K-7 radar-guided missiles
50 x— spin-stabilized unguided rockets

Gordon, Yefim. Sukhoi Interceptorsā€¯. Hinkley, Midland. 2004. ISBN 1 85780 180 6
Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875 - 1995ā€¯. London, Osprey. 1995. ISBN 1 85532 405 9

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Source: WikiPedia