Tupolev ANT-8
| ANT-8 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Maritime patrol aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Tupolev |
| First flight | 30 January 1931 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | Tupolev Factory |
| Number built | 1 |
The ANT-8 was an experimental flying boat designed by Tupolev. It was designated the "MDR-2" (MDR meaning Morskoi Dalnii Razvedchik, or Naval Long-Range Reconnaissance) by the military.
Design and development
Tupolev and the
TsAGI were asked to build the ANT-8 in 1925, but other projects were deemed more important. Thus, little was completed on the ANT-8. Finally, in 1930, with Ivan Pogosski leading, actual work was started on the aircraft. Its first flight was on January 30, 1931, piloted by S. Riballschuk. Shortly after the ANT-8 flew for the first time, the ANT-14
lifted off the ground.
Construction
The ANT-8 was chosen to be made entirely from metal, with a
DA-2 machine guns. Up to 500 kg (1,102 lb) of bombs could be carried under the wing roots.[1]
Although the aircraft demonstrated excellent seaworthiness, and Tupolev learned much about flying boat hulls from it, continuation of the ANT-8 project was deemed unnecessary by the
Chetverikov MDR-3
. Only one was built, although its hull was modified several times.
Operators
- Tupolev factory.
Specifications (MDR-2)
Data from The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995 [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4-5
- Length: 17.03 m (55 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
- Height: 5.67 m (18 ft 7 in) [3]
- Wing area: 84 m2 (900 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root:Tupolev A0 (20%) ; tip: Tupolev A0 (14%)[4]
- Empty weight: 4,560 kg (10,053 lb)
- Gross weight: 6,920 kg (15,256 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,160 kg (17,990 lb) [3]
- Powerplant: 2 × BMW VI V-12 water-cooled piston engines, 507 kW (680 hp) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 203 km/h (126 mph, 110 kn)
- Cruise speed: 166 km/h (103 mph, 90 kn)
- Range: 1,062 km (660 mi, 573 nmi)
- Endurance: 5 hours
- Service ceiling: 3,350 m (11,000 ft)
- Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 7 minutes
- Power/mass: 0.066 kW/kg (0.040 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × DA-2 machine guns in nose and dorsal turrets
- Bombs: Up to 500 kg (1,102 lb) bombs
References
Bibliography
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tupolev ANT-8.
- Duffy, Paul and Andrei Kandalov. (1996) Tupolev, The Man and His Aircraft. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers.
- Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1975–1995. London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.