Il-30, S.V.Ilyushin

72k b/w photo, courtesy of Alexandre

Assembly of experimental jet bomber Il-28 was still under way in 1948, when S.V.Ilyushin team came forward with all-new swept-wing bomber project. Goal was to add 1000kg of bombload, increase operation range by 500km and speed by 100km/h. NewTR-3 engines were derivative of TR-1, tried by S.V.Ilyushin on Il-22 bomber.

The tail and nose section were similar to those of the Il-28, while 35° swept wing and bicycle undercarriage could link Il-30 to Boeing B-47 (or rather to 'common ancestors' at hidden German aeronautics laboratory'). Small twin-wheel balancer units occupied little room in engine nacells.

Il-30 was the first in the USSR heavy aircraft with bicycle landing gear (bicycle fighter Yak-50 was flown few month earlier than Il-30, experimental single-wheelers were built prior WWII: BICh-11, SAM-6, Stal-6/8). On Il-20 rear leg was loaded right behind the bomb bay and carried major load. It was substantially thicker and carried powerful brakes. Nose leg was used to steer aircraft during taxi.

All crew work stations were armored. Pilot had ejection seat, while navigator and gunners used hatches on underfuselage. Hatches served as a protectors while leaving the plane. Aircraft was equipped by top-notch navigation and radar equipment, allowing to operate in any weather and day/night conditions. Panoramic radar was installed in semi-spherical fairing on tail section.

Il-30 was armed with three paired NR-23 cannons. Two were installed in the nose (fixed), two - in Il-V12 dorsal remotely controlled turret and two in extreme tail Il-K6 turret. Up to 4,000kg of bombs could be carried in the internal bomb bay.

In September 1949 V.K.Kokkinaki performed series of high-speed taxi runs to evaluate landing gear. But... first flight never took place. Doubt arose in sufficient rigidity of thin swept wing at high speed, TR-3 engine performance was still far from reliable. Most of (than small) design bureau personal was very busy with launching production of the Il-28. When the front-line Il-28 manufacturing was on straight rails, S.V.Ilyushin was in charge for its mid-range Il-46 derivative...

Only in 1952 experience of Il-30 creation was used in the Il-54 - the first Soviet supersonic jet bomber.