Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 (N)

I-250
275px
Type	Fighter plane
Manufacturer	Mikoyan-Gurevich
Maiden flight	March 3 1945
Status	Cancelled
Primary user	Soviet Naval Aviation
Produced	1945-1947
Number built	50

The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 (N) (sometimes called MiG-13) was part of a Soviet crash program in 1944 to develop a high-performance fighter, to counter German turbojet-powered aircraft such as the Me-262.

Although the aircraft was largely conventional in layout, it featured a novel propulsion system — a motorjet. This rudimentary type of jet engine consisted of a Klimov VK-107R V-12 piston engine mounted conventionally and driving a tractor propeller, in turn connected via extension shaft to a compressor with seven fuel burners. This design produced a propulsive jet which was directed and accelerated through a variable rear nozzle. This mixed powerplant configuration enabled the I-250 to reach a maximum speed of 513 mph (825 km/h), but for no more than 10 minutes. Without the jet engine working, maximum speed was 421 mph (677 km/h). The plane was named I-250 (for istrebitel {fighter}, literally "destroyer"); it also bore the factory code designation "aircraft N".

The first prototype was flown on 3 March 1945. On 5 July 1945, it crashed due to tail damage, killing its test pilot, Alexander Deyev. Tests continued on the second prototype. At the same time, the first batch of 50 aircraft were ordered. However, the aircraft's development met with numerous problems, and it was not ready to pass state evaluation. In the meantime, Soviet designers constructed their first real jet fighters, the MiG-9 and Yak-15, which made the I-250 obsolete. Therefore, in early 1947, VVS cancelled further development. It was decided to pass the completed planes to Naval Aviation, but the aircraft still did not pass state evaluation, which ended in April 1948.

According to older sources, 50 aircraft were built from late 1945, and served with the Baltic Fleet and some Northern fighter units until 1950 under the designation MiG-13. However, recent Russian sources claim the number completed was lower — possibly only 10-20 — and there is no evidence of their having entered operational service, nor of their having officially been assigned the MiG-13 designation, which might have been reserved for the serial-production aircraft had the I-250 passed its state trials.

Operators

• Template:USSR: Soviet Naval Aviation

Specifications (I-250)

Data from Template:Citation

File:I-250 back.jpg

Picture showing motorjet exhaust

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.2 m (26.9 feet)
• Wingspan: 9.5 m (31.1 feet)
• Height: 3.7 m (12.1 feet)
• Wing area: 15 square m (161.4 square feet)
• Empty weight: 2935 kg (6,470 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3680 kg (8,113 lb)
• Powerplant:
  • 1× VDRK booster motorjet, 600 kgf (1,322 lbf)
  • 1× Klimov VK-107R liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1650 hp (1,230 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 825 km/h (512.6 mph)
• Range: 1380 km (857 miles)
• Service ceiling: 11900 m (39,041 feet)
• Rate of climb: 1086 m/min (3,562 feet/min)

Armament

3 × 20 mm B-20 cannons (100 rounds each)

References

Bibliography

• Gordon, Yefim. Mikoyan's Piston-Engined Fighters (Red Star Volume 13). Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing Ltd., 20038. ISBN 1-85780-160-1.
• Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1961. ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
• Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: Soviet Air Force Fighters, Part 1. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1977. ISBN 0-354-01026-3.

See also

Comparable aircraft
Sukhoi Su-5 Designation sequence
MiG-8 - MiG-9 (I-210)/MiG-9 (I-301) - MiG-13 (I-250) - MiG-15 - MiG-17 - MiG-19 Related lists
List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS - List of fighter aircraft Template:Mikoyan aircraft