Polikarpov I-185
Polikarpov I-185 | |
---|---|
Side view of the I-185 with a M-71 engine | |
Role | Fighter |
National origin | Soviet Union |
Manufacturer | Polikarpov |
First flight | 11 January 1941 |
Status | Cancelled |
Number built | 4 |
Developed from | Polikarpov I-180 |
The Polikarpov I-185 was a Soviet fighter aircraft designed in 1940. It was flown with three engines but all of them were either insufficiently developed for service use or their full production was reserved for other fighters already in production. The I-185 program was cancelled on 27 January 1943. Engines used with the I-185 included the Shevstov M-71, which was more prominent and the Shevstov M-82, which was also used on Lavochkin La-5 fighters. Only a few M-82 variants were produced.
Design and development
The I-185, designed in early
A second prototype was completed at the end of 1940 with a 14-cylinder, 1,268 kW (1,700 hp)
Flight testing resumed in early 1942 and the M-71-powered versions, which now included the re-engined first prototype, proved to be faster than the Messerschmitt Bf 109F by 47 km/h (29 mph) at sea level and 20 km/h (12 mph) at 6,000 metres (19,685 ft) with a top speed of 630 km/h (390 mph) at that altitude.[5] It was recommended for immediate production, even before it began combat trials in November 1942. All three aircraft were assigned to the 728th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 3rd Air Army of the Kalinin Front and were tightly controlled to prevent the loss of the prototypes. For example, all sorties had to be flown over Soviet-controlled territory and required the express permission of the 3rd Air Army staff to fly.[6] Pilots' reports were quite enthusiastic; the 728th's commander, Captain Vasilyaka wrote: "The I-185 outclasses both Soviet and foreign aircraft in level speed. It performs aerobatic maneuvers easily, rapidly and vigorously. The I-185 is the best current fighter from the point of control simplicity, speed, maneuverability (especially in climb), armament and survivability."[7]
Based on the glowing report by the NII VVS (Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Institut Voyenno-Vozdushnykh Sil—Air Force Scientific Test Institute) in early 1942 preparations began to put the I-185 (M-71) into production. A 'production standard setter (etalon)' aircraft was built in April 1942 with a redesigned engine cowling. Its gross weight increased by 144 kg (317 lb) over the earlier prototypes, but the reduction in drag from the new cowling was significant and the top speed increased to 650 km/h (400 mph) at 5000 meters. It underwent manufacturer's tests between June and October and was submitted for the State acceptance tests on 18 November. However, flight testing was interrupted by the need to replace the engine between 17 December 1942 and 26 January 1943. The new engine failed the next day and the aircraft crashed on 27 January. Flight tests were ordered to be continued with the original prototypes to validate the range figures, but the first prototype crashed on 5 April, killing the pilot as he attempted a dead-stick landing.[8]
Following a conversation between Yakovlev and Stalin where Yakovlev refuted the performance data, all work to put the I-185 into production was cancelled, even with the M-82 engine, as they were all required for the La-5 fighter. Another reason cited was that the La-5 used the fuselage of the
Variants
Polikarpov began preliminary design of two updated versions of the I-185 design in February 1943. The I-187 had a M-71F engine of 1,640 kW (2,200 hp), a
Specifications (I-185 (M-71 etalon))
Data from [citation needed]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 7.77 m (25 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
- Height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 15.53 m2 (167.2 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23014; tip: NACA 23008[11]
- Empty weight: 2,654 kg (5,851 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Shvetsov M-71 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,492 kW (2,001 hp)
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 680 km/h (420 mph, 370 kn)
- Range: 835 km (519 mi, 451 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 18.5 m/s (3,640 ft/min)
- Power/mass: 0.430 kW/kg (0.262 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 3 × 20 mm ShVAKcannon
- Rockets: 8 × RS-82 rockets
- Bombs: Up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs (2 × 250 kg (551 lb) or 4 × 100 kg (220 lb))
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Yakovlev Yak-7
- Mikoyan-Gurevich I-210
- Bloch MB.155
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190
- Kawasaki Ki-60
- Macchi C.202 Folgore
- Nakajima Ki-44
- Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete
- Vultee P-66 Vanguard
- North American P-51 Mustang
- Grumman F6F Hellcat
- Hawker Typhoon
References
Notes
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, pp. 94–95
- ^ Gunston, p. 308
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, p. 95
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, pp. 95–96
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, pp. 96, 100
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, p. 100
- ^ Gordon, p. 275
- ^ Gordon, pp. 275–76
- ^ Gordon and Dexter, p. 101
- ^ Gordon, p. 277
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
- Abanshin, Michael E. and Gut, Nina. Fighting Polikarpov, Eagles of the East No. 2. Lynnwood, WA: Aviation International, 1994. ISBN 1-884909-01-9.
- Gordon, Yefim and Dexter, Keith. Polikarpov's Biplane Fighters (Red Star, vol. 6). Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-85780-141-5
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Gordon, Yefim. Soviet Airpower in World War 2. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing, 2008 ISBN 978-1-85780-304-4
- Guglya, Yu. A. and Ivanov, V.P. (Гугля, Ю.А., Иванов, В.П.) "Rokovoi I-180" ("Роковой И-180") ("The Fatal I-180") (in Russian). Aerohobbi nr.1/94, 1994.
- ISBN 1-85532-405-9
- Kopenhagen, W. (ed.) Das große Flugzeug-Typenbuch. Transpress, 1987. ISBN 3-344-00162-0.
- Léonard, Herbert. Les avions de chasse Polikarpov. Rennes, France: Éditions Ouest-France, 1981. ISBN 2-85882-322-7. (French)
- Léonard, Herbert. Les chasseurs Polikarpov. Clichy, France: Éditions Larivière, 2004. ISBN 2-914205-07-4. (French)
- Maslov, Mikhail (Маслов, Михаил). И-180 / И-185 (I-180/I-185) (in Russian). Moscow: Tekhnika-molodezhi; Vostochnyi gorizont, 2003.