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Sukhoi Su-15

Su-15

Manufacturer: Sukhoi
Designed by: Pavel Sukhoi
First flight: 11 January 1949
Status: Prototype
Primary user: Soviet Air Force
Number built: 1

The Sukhoi Su-15 (Aircraft P) was a prototype Soviet all-weather interceptor. The name was later reused for an entirely different 1960s interceptor, see Sukhoi Su-15.

Development

The Su-15 was an early attempt at an all-weather jet-powered interceptor. Its development was ordered by the Soviet government in March 1947. The first prototype was completed on 25 October 1948 - only four months after production had started. It flew on 11 January 1949. In testing, Su-15 reached 1032 km/h (557 knots, 641 mph; Mach 0.888) at 4550 m (14,925 ft) and 985 km/h (532 knots, 612 mph; Mach 0.926) at 10950 m (35,925 ft), but experienced excess vibration at speeds in excess of Mach 0.87. During 39th flight on 3 June 1949, the aircraft developed severe vibration, forcing the test pilot S.N. Anokhin to eject. The program was subsequently terminated, and the second prototype was not completed.

The Su-15 was an all-metal mid-wing monoplane with a 35° swept wing. The aircraft had several very unusual design features. Its twin Klimov RD-45 engines were positioned in tandem rather than side-by-side, due to their large diameter. The front engine sat low with exhaust under the middle of the fuselage. The rear engine nozzle was at the tip of the aft fuselage. The cockpit had to be offset to the left to make room for the air intake ducting for the rear engine.

Operators

Soviet Union

Soviet Air Force

Specifications (Su-15)

Data from Shavrov and Green

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 15.44 m (50 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 12.87 m (42 ft 3 in)
Height: ()
Wing area: 36 m² (388 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,409 kg (16,334 lb)
Loaded weight: 10,437 kg (23,009 lb)
Powerplant: 2x— Klimov RD-45F turbojet, 22.2 kN (5,000 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 985 km/h (532 kn, 612 mph) (Mach 0.926) at 10,950 m (35,925 ft)
Range: 1,050 km (565 nmi, 650 mi)
Service ceiling: 15000 m (49,210 ft)
Rate of climb: 2.5 min to 5,000 m (16,405 ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.43

Armament

2 x— 37 mm (1.45 in) Nudelman N-37 cannon, 110 rounds

Avionics

Toriy radar

Comparable aircraft

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-320
Lavochkin La-200

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Source: WikiPedia