The Kalinin K-12 was a proof-of-concept aircraft developed by the Kalinin Design Bureau in the 1930s.
| K-12 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Tailless bomber |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | OKB Kalinin |
| First flight | July 1936 |
| Number built | 1 (10 incomplete production aircraft) |
Design and development
editThe K-12 was intended as a tailless bomber aircraft. Also called the Kalinin BS-2 or the Zhar-Ptitsa ("Firebird"), it featured welded steel-tube construction with fabric covering, as well as a dummy nose and tail turrets. The K-12 was painted in a garish colour scheme representing a bird. A subscale glider to test the K-12's features flew in 1934, piloted by V.O. Borisov. The K-12 flew in autumn 1936 and was demonstrated at Tushino in August 1937. The full-size K-12, however, was cancelled after Konstantin Kalinin was arrested and executed as an enemy of the state.[1][2][3]
Specifications
editData from Rose.[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 72.75 m2 (783.1 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 3,070 kg (6,768 lb)
- Gross weight: 4,200 kg (9,259 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Shvetsov M-22 9-cylinder air cooled radial engine, 324 kW (435 hp) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
- Service ceiling: 7,170 m (23,520 ft)
- Take-off distance: 700 m (2,300 ft)
- Landing distance: 300 m (980 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 2 x 7.62 mm (0.300 in) ShKAS machine guns in nose and tail turrets.
- Bombs: 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb load in a vertical rack
References
edit- ^ a b Rose, Bill (1 March 2010). Flying wings and tailless aircraft. Crecy Publishing. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-1857803204.
- ^ "K-12 (VS-2), Kalinin". ram-home.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ Russ, Daniel (18 December 2010). "Kalinin K-12". Civilian Military Intelligence Group. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
Further reading
edit- В. Б. Шавров: История конструкций самолетов в СССР до 1938. S. 416.