Sukhoi Su-5

Su-5 (I-107)
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Sukhoi
Designer	Pavel Sukhoi
First flight	6 April 1945
Status	Cancelled
Number built	1

The Sukhoi Su-5 or I-107 was a Soviet mixed-power (propeller and motorjet) prototype fighter aircraft built toward the end of World War II.

Development

The appearance of the German turbojet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262 near the end of WWII prompted the Soviet Union to develop faster fighter aircraft. Since the USSR lacked a production-ready turbojet engine, development efforts were directed toward mixed-power aircraft utilizing a conventional piston engine-driven propeller for the majority of propulsion with a small rocket or jet engine for bursts of speed.^[1]

The Su-5 (initially I-107) and the conceptually similar Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 were designed in 1944. The aircraft first flew on 6 April 1945 and underwent limited flight testing. It was subsequently fitted with a laminar flow wing and attained 793 km/h (428 kn, 493 mph) at 4,350 m (14,270 ft) with the motorjet functioning.^[2] On 15 June 1945, the Klimov VK-107A piston engine was damaged beyond repair in flight. Following acquisition of another VK-107A, flight testing continued until 18 October when the engine reached the end of its service life. No further VK-107As could be procured and the project was canceled.^[3]

The Su-5 was a conventional monoplane of all-metal construction. The VRDK (Russian: Воздушно-Реактивный Двигатель Компрессорный) motorjet in the rear of the fuselage was powered by a driveshaft from the VK-107 piston engine and could provide an additional 100 km/h (54 kn, 62 mph) of speed for three minutes.^[1]

Specifications (Su-5)

Data from ^[1][2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.51 m (27 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 10.56 m (34 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.53 m (11 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 17 m² (183 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,954 kg (6,510 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,804 kg (8,390 lb)
• Powerplant:
  • 1 × VDRK motorjet, 2.9 kN (660 lbf)
  • 1 × Klimov VK-107A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,230 kW (1,650 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 810 km/h (437 kn, 503 mph) projected at 7,800 m (25,590 ft)
• Range: 600 km (325 nmi, 375 mi)
• Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
• Rate of climb: 5.7 min to 5,000 m (16,405 ft)

Armament

• 1 × 23 mm (0.91 in) Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannon
• 2 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Berezin UB machine guns

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250

References

1. Shavrov V.B. (1994). Istoriia konstruktskii samoletov v SSSR, 1938–1950 gg. (3 izd.). Mashinostroenie. ISBN 5-217-00477-0.
2. Green, W; Swanborough, G (2001). The Great Book of Fighters. MBI Publishing. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.
3. "Sukhoi Su-5". Sukhoi Company Museum. Retrieved 2007-01-14.