Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-2

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Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-2
f2
Type: Fighter plane
Design country:

Soviet Union 1923Soviet Union Soviet Union

Manufacturer:
First flight:

Early 1941

Number of pieces:

1

The Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-2 ( Russian: Никитин-Шевченко ИС-2 ) was a fighter aircraft that was constructed in the Soviet Union in 1941 . A special feature of this aircraft was the possibility of converting it from a biplane to a monoplane by means of a pneumatic mechanism during flight . This basic concept, called Istrebitel Skladnoi , goes back to Vladimir Vasilyevich Shevchenko .

The type IS-2 was later developed into the Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-4 .

history

The guy goes back to the construction Nikitin Shevchenko IS-1 from 1940, in which the basic idea of the variable wing configuration had already been successfully implemented, and differed from this mainly by installing a more powerful 14- cylinder - radial engine Shvetsov M-88 with 1100 hp. Since this was slightly longer, the front part of the bow was given a new shape that was more aerodynamic overall. In addition, the vertical stabilizer was made a little smaller and stabilizing elements that were no longer needed were removed. Another important difference to the IS-1 was that the landing gear and the lower wings could now be retracted at the same time, which was not the case with the previous model. This shows that the lower additional wing was actually only intended to influence the flight characteristics during take-off and landing. Further still, were two of the four in the IS-1 built SchKAS - MG by large-caliber Berezin UBS replaced.

The new, now as IS-2 designated prototype flew only at the beginning of 1941. Until the invasion of the German Wehrmacht in the Soviet Union were only four test flights carried out. It was again shown that the pneumatic mechanism for changing the wings worked. Like its predecessor, the IS-1, the aircraft remained below expectations in terms of performance. This particularly affected the top speed, which at 507 km / h was well below that of modern monoplane such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 . The IS-2 therefore did not go into series production. Instead, further revisions were decided.

Further development

Nothing is known about the existence of an IS-3 type . It was probably just a drawing board project.

Some publications claim that another IS-4 prototype was built in late 1941 or early 1942 . To date, however, no photograph has emerged that would confirm this. The IS-4 is said to have been powered by a 1400 hp Mikulin AM-37 V-engine . It is said to have only been a temporary solution, because originally an even stronger Klimow M-120 should have been planned for installation, which was not yet available at the time. For the latter version, a top speed of 720 km / h was supposedly expected in the monoplane configuration. Not much is specifically mentioned about the performance of the IS-4 with the Mikulin engine. In the double-decker configuration, the type is said to have achieved a top speed of 436 km / h, with the minimum landing speed being said to have been 107 km / h (even below that of the previous model).

Although it was apparently possible with the IS-4, despite the unconventional wing architecture, to achieve performances that corresponded to those of modern low- wing fighter planes , further development work on the Istrebitel 'Skladnoi was finally abandoned in the course of 1942 and the design team commissioned with it was dissolved. The reasons for this are the relatively high production and maintenance costs of the complicated pneumatic mechanism and the fact that the shortening of take-off and landing on monoplane can now also be achieved in other ways (e.g. using special flaps).

Technical specifications

Parameter Data
crew 1
Passengers
length 7.37 m or 7.10 m (depending on the source)
span 8.60 m (upper wing)
7.62 (lower wing)
height
Wing area 20.8 m² (both wings) or
13.0 m² (lower wing folded in)
Wing extension
Empty mass
Takeoff mass 2810 kg
Top speed 507 km / h in monoplane configuration
468 km / h at ground level in monoplane configuration
Service ceiling 11,000 m
Range 1.2 flight hours, approx. 600 km
Engines a 14-cylinder radial engine Schwezow M-88 ; 1100 hp
Armament two 7.62 mm MG SchKAS and two heavy 12.7 mm MG Beresin UBS

See also

literature

  • William Green, Gordon Swanborough: The Great Book of Fighters. (Hardcover), Motorbooks International, 2001, ISBN 0-7603-1194-3 (English).

Web links