| Technical data | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | I-350 M-1 | I-350 M-2 | I-350 MT |
| Function | Interceptor | Trainer | |
| Year | 1951 | ||
| Crew | 1 | 2 | |
| Engines | 1*4700kg Lyulka TR-3 | ||
| Length | 16.65m | 16.27m | ?m |
| Wingspan | 9.73m | ||
| Wing area | 36m2 | ||
| Empty weight | 6124kg | ?kg | |
| Loaded weight | 8170kg | ?kg | |
| Wing Load (kg/m2) | 227 | ? | |
| Thrust to Weight |
0.57 | ? | |
| Speed at 0m | 1240km/h | -km/h | |
| Speed at 1000m | 1260km/h | -km/h | |
| Range (with aux. tank) | 1260km | -km | |
| Climb | |||
| 5000m | 1min6sec | ? | |
| Armament | |||
| Guns |
2*23mm NR-23 1*37mm N-37 |
||
| Bombs | some external? | ||
I-350 (M-1, M-2, MT) by A.I.Mikoyan and M.I.Gurevich
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Single-seat fighter, built with goal to reach sustained supersonic speed in horizontal flight.Built around Lyulka TR-3A (AL-5) engine, which 'began to reach stage of maturity' in the middle of 1950. I-350 was similar in general outline to the MiG-17, but was refined rather for high steed performance than for a dogfight.
Specific features were 55° wing sweep, with very thin airfoil section. Four wing fences were installed to prevent span-wise flow phenomenon. Long high fineness fuselage allowed to minimize drag and together with mid-fin raised tailplane provided better high-speed stability. Airframe construction was quite conventional, similar to that of the MiG-17.
Two I-350 were built, equipped with different nose-mounted radars. M-1 carried the 'Izumrud' on the upper intake lip, while the M-2 had a 'Korshun' unit installed in the intake splitter assembly. Two-seat trainer MT (or M-T) was designed but it is unclear if it ever was built.
Flight tests were carried out by test pilot Grigory Sedov. As usual, trials started with slow and high speed taxi, followed by 'hops' to altitude up to 1m. On June 16, 1951 the first flight was performed. Due to engine failure it was cut short, and only pilot's skills saved the plane. Grigory Sedov had not only operate aircraft with partially disabled controls, but manually lower the landing gear because aircraft hydraulics failed together with the engine.
A.I.Mikoyan was at the doctor's order at the time, and chose not to be present at the airport during tests. He received only a brief note : Sedov landed, everything is in order. Only some time later designer learned from the pilot how he really landed...
Engine failure was traced to unstable fuel combustion in the burner section. The TR-3A (production designation AL-5) was in need for considerable development. Unreliability of the powerplant eventually ended the I-350 program after the fifth flight in August 1951.
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28k b/w Drawing Soviet Supersonic Fighters Prototypes |
| Predecessors | Modifications |
|---|---|
 MiG-17 |
None |
| References | Links |
|---|---|
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