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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 2036.PDF
102 FLIGHT, 25 July 1952 Mtfr-15 A First Detailed Examination of a Modern Russian Fighter BRITISH and American fighter pilots are usually better mounted than their opponents. This has been true for so long that it is now accepted as the natural order of things, without reflecting greatly upon what is required to bring such a condition about. But sometimes an enemy country succeeds in collecting a design team as gifted as our own and, within a year, our pilots begin to meet a new shape in the sky which gives them a real run for their money. To some extent, this occurred in the Far East in late 1941 when inferior Allied fighters found themselves pitted against the elusive Mitsubishi Navy fighter later to be known as the Zeke or Zero; it certainly happened over Northern France a few weeks later, when the Fw 190 began to be met; and now, although Russia is not an enemy country, the Mig-15 is certainly appearing in large numbers high over North Korea to "mix it" with the finest fighters that the Western world can produce—and prove a worthy foe, when well flown. Many months ago an early Mig-15 was recovered from the sea off N.E. Korea by the Royal Navy; this aircraft, not irreparably damaged, was shipped to the U.S.A., where it has since been closely examined by engineers of the U.S.A.F. at the great Wright-Patterson A.F.B., Dayton, Ohio; by the Cornell Aero nautical Laboratory at Buffalo; and by Pratt and Whitney Aircraft at East Hartford. We present here a summary of the information which has been gathered. This particular Mig-15 is one of the earlier sub-types, having been built at Zabod 1, Kuybyshev, in 1948. Structurally and aerodynamically it differs little from the majority of the Mig-i5s at present in service, although the newer aircraft carry a rather greater weight of fixed equipment, including gun-sight radar and blind-landing aids. There is also a two-seat variant, believed to be designated Mig-i5F, which carries full A.I. radar, and can be used as a true night and all-weather fighter. The original design of the Mig-15 was initiated in 1946. The design staff—led by Mikhail I. Gurevitch and including a number of German workers—considered sweeping the wings both forward and backward before the present configuration was chosen. The whole undertaking was, of course, quite unlike anything ever previously attempted in Russia, and, in spite of considerable assistance from previous German work, much fundamental research had to be carried out. The design underwent many great changes before appearing in its present form, but the first prototype was nevertheless flying by July 2nd, 1947. Early in 1947 the first Rolls-Royce Nene arrived from England. Not unnaturally, it was at once decided that the engine should be used in the Mig-15, the 5,000 lb thrust offered being much greater than that of any other engine then available with the same degree of reliability. This decision caused further changes in the Mig fuselage, which had the effect of reducing the maximum internal fuel load. But there is no doubt that the Nenes were instrumental in enabling the Mig project to bear fruit at so early a date. The Nene was at once prepared for production within the U.S.S.R. and the first production RD-45 (as it became known) was delivered early in 1948. By the time the Mig-15 was ready for operational service the engine had been modified considerably; but the engine will be dealt with later in the story. The Mig airframe is an "obvious" layout, affording, as it does, reasonable stowage space, straight-through gas-flow, short tail pipe, and cheap and easy production. On the example inspected the quality of manufacture was very high throughout; materials were in no way inferior to the standard U.S. specifications and skinning, in particular, is reported to have been good. The fuselage is a conventional semi-monocoque, with a stressed skin (unusually thin for a modern fighter) used throughout. The structure is divided into a nose and mid section, which join to make the forward assembly, and an aft section; the break is made at the rear wing spar at about 70 per cent chord, the two sections being attached by bolts located at the wing root attachment forgings. All fuselage sections are built up from pressed aluminium-alloy formers of channel or L-section and extruded stringers. The nose section begins with a bifurcated air intake of large diameter. This carries the engine air past the cockpit, immediately aft of which the two air ducts are again split into four quadrant-section passages to carry the air over and under the front wing spar. Between the wing spars these four ducts pass through the engine firewall and deliver into the plenum chamber. The strong underside of the nose structure carries the nose- wheel attachment and the mountings for the guns, and ammuni tion is carried in the bottom of the front fuselage adjacent to the guns; behind and above the ammunition tanks are the main fuel tanks, between the engine air ducts. One of the frames of the front fuselage carries attachment points for the front wing spar; although this frame is reinforced it does not carry the main wing loads, which are taken to the fuselage by the rear spar. The rear spar attaches to a steel carry-through structure around the forward plenum chamber; this structure is a heavy ring of "I" section, the extruded steel cappings being joined by aluminium plate webs, which are riveted and bolted on each side. The rear spar, rear fuselage and engine are all attached to this structure, the wings by a two-pin fastening arrangement and the rear fuselage by quick-release bolts, which permit the entire tail-end of the aircraft to be removed for engine overhaul. The wings are simple stressed-skin structures assembled as single units attaching directly to the fuselage. The skin is of heavier gauge than that on the fuselage, and a skin-break on both upper and lower surfaces at the outer ends of the flaps permits
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