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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1042.PDF
Antonov prototype. Mi-4. Yak-24. 188 FLIGHT, 3 August 1956 RED ROUND-UP . . . - ^ and angular, Fairey Gannet. The engine was of approximately 4,000 h.p.* Other Types. New transport designs are being reported almost monthly. The large twin-jet Tu-104 (Flight, July 6, page 69) is nowcoming into service with Aeroflot and examples will no doubt be supplied to the military services. It is possible that this good-looking aircraftmight make a useful tanker. Newer gas-turbine-powered transports include: a commercial and military-transport version of Bear, no doubtwith a fatter fuselage, or a double-bubble; a four-turboprop machine resembling a slightly scaled-down Bear and furnished for 70 passengerson Aeroflot routes (this aircraft is reported to carry the designation 11-18, which in 1948 was applied to a transport design using fourASH-90 piston engines); and the mighty Tu-114 four-jet intercontinental liner which has been billed as providing accommodation for 180 pas-sengers on two decks, and to cruise at 570 m.p.h. Actually flown—no doubt in orototype form—at this year's Tushinodisplay was a new design of military assault transport ascribed to Oleg Antonov (who was the chief designer of the AN-2 "outback" biplanetransport described in our issue of July 13). Although its beauty is entirely functional, his new creation looks eminently sensible, resemblingthe configuration of the latest U.S.A.F. machines in the same class (C-130 and 133) on a rather smaller scale. Power is provided by two trimly cowled turboprops which probablylie in the 4,000 h.p. class, driving four-blade single-rotation airscrews of about 16ft diameter. The wing is similar in form (on a similarscale) to that of the B-29, and the high aspect ratio (almost worthy of M Hurel) and high-lift flaps no doubt allow it to achieve an excellentmaximum lift coefficient. The fuselage is an ungainly, but capacious, box, with provision for heavy loading and dropping through a rear doorsystem believed to be similar to that of the C-130. It is probable that the interior is pressurized. The front-end is typically Russian with abroad flight deck, a glazed nose for the navigator and a radar in the "chin" position. Extraordinarily enough the Antonov also has a reargun turret, very similar to the pattern used on the big bombers. At a guess the capacity payload should exceed 25,000 lb, and thereis certainly room for upwards of 60 seated passengers. It is reported that a commercial version is under development for Aeroflot, and—asusually seems to be the case with this operator—it will carry only about half as many passengers as one might expect, in this case the reportedfigure being 24. Aeroflot are, however, expected to use the Antonov mainly on freight runs. One of its many advantages is likely to begood short-field performance. Production of the familiar 11-12 and 11-14 transports clearly runs wellinto four figures: in fart Aeroflot are reported to have about 900 on charge at the present time and both designs are also widely used by themilitary services. Production is continuing on late-model -14s (Western delegates recently saw these aircraft being built in the old Plant 30,near Moscow) in both Russia and Czechoslovakia (Flight, June 1, page 689), and examples have been supplied to all Communist countries, Egyptand India. Present production is about four per day in the Soviet Union alone. Helicopter development in Russia is no less vigorous than that offixed-wing machines. Apart from numerous light, experimental creations the first really productive helicopter in Russia was—as far as is known—•the Mi-1, by Mikhail Milla. This Sycamore-like machine, powered by a 540 h.p. ASz-21 radial, is widely used in all parts of the Soviet Union.It was described, and illustrated by a cut-away drawing, in our issue of April 20. A substantially larger machine is the Mi-4, which bears superficialsimilarity to the Sikorsky S-55. Known in the West as "Hound" the Mi-4 is powered by a 1,000 h.p. ASH-62 radial mounted in the noseand driving the large four-bladed rotor via an inclined shaft. A particu- larly good feature of this helicopter is that—in certain versions at least—large clamshell doors are fitted at the rear of the capacious interior, which can seat 10 fully equipped troops. The Mi-4 was first seen in1953 and is now fully operational in all parts of the Communist world including Arctic and Antarctic exploratory areas. It is the holder ofseveral world records, typical of which are an ascent to 19,472ft with 4,400 lb payload and an average of 116.3 m.p.h. over a 310.7-miles circuit. Largest of the Russian helicopters—in fact the largest rotary-wingaircraft in squadron service anywhere—is the Yak-24, previously known only as "Horse." This box-like, but effective, creation by the famousYakovlev has a pair of ASH-62 radials driving tandem, interlinked, counter-rotating rotors of a design almost identical to that of the Mi-4. The hull is built up as a metal framework, with unstressed metalskinning at the front and rear and fabric covering over the middle portion. The two pilots and radio operator are seated in the glazed nose, withaccess to the forward power compartment immediately behind, around which is a narrow passage leading to the unobstructed main cabin.The latter can accommodate as many as 40 persons, or three small M-20 Army utility cars, access for bulky cargo or vehicles being provided bya loading ramp at the rear end. The undercarriage and tail geometry is well shown in the three-view drawing, and it is instructive to comparethe design with those of Hafner at Bristol and Piasecki at what is now the Vertol Corporation. Design of the Yak-24 started early in 1954 and the first examples wereseen at Tushino in July last year. Development must have been sur- prisingly trouble-free, since the type is already widely employed by theSoviet Air Force. At Tushino this year four Yak-24s and 36 Mi-4s demonstrated mass landing under difficult weather conditions; betweenthem they disgorged 22 trucks which towed away 12 field guns and four multi-barrel anti-aircraft guns, together with no fewer than 175 soldiers.World records already ratified for the Yak-24 included ascents to 5,082 m (about 16,500ft) with two metric tons (4,400 lb) payload, and to ovfr2,000 m (6,560ft) with four metric tons. These figures cannot be approached by any helicopter at present in operational service in theWestern world. Designation or code-name Mig-15 Mig-17 Mig-19 Mig-21Yak-25 "S. Flsh't" "Sukhoi-1" Badger Bison Bear II-28 Antonov 11-1411-18 Tu-104 Tu-114Mi-4 Yak-24 Powerplant N umber, type and total thrust or e.h.p. One VK-1, 6,000 Ib One VK-1 devt., 7,500 Ib ... Two axial, 16,000 Ib One jet, 19,000 IbTwo axial, 16,000 Ib Two axial, 20,000 Ib One turbojet, 10,000 Ib ... Two turbojets, 36,000 Ib ... Four turbojets, 72,000 Ib ... Four turboprops, 30,000 h.p. Two VK-1, 12,000 Ib Two turboprops, 8,000 h.p. Two ASh-82, 3,800 h.p. ...Four turboprops, 16,000 h.p. Two turbojets, 29,800 Ib ... Four turbojets, 76,000 Ib ...One ASh-62, 1,000 h.p. ... Two ASh-62. 2,000 h.p. ... Dimensions (ft or sq c1 33 36 34 34 36 36 22 113 168 173 68 141 104 115 7 58 58 X Olc a 36 38 45 51 51 55 45 119 163 151 62 95 69 121 l 46 67 ft) •-Z 190 240 249 255265 265 166 1,850 3,170 2.760 542 1,750 1,000 1,900 2,642 5,284 Max. weight (Ib) 14,300 16,000 20,000 22,000 24,000 26,000 13,000 160,000 352,000 290,000 38,000 92,000 40,000 130,000 j 12,000 23,000 Max. speed2 a. 670 700 850 1,100 675 800 1,000 620 610 480 580 330 270 570 7 125 130 Notes: Figures in italics are estimated; wing areas are net; "span" for the heli- copters (the last two aircraft) is main-rotor diameter.
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