Biesnovat 5 Aircraft

Bisnovat was assigned the project to develop an all-Soviet equivalent to the 346 supersonic rocketplane being developed by the German Roessing team in OKB-2. Like the 346, the 5 was a swept-wing aircraft, but about 2/3 the size. First glide flight by A K Pakhomov, dropped from a Pe-8, came on 14 July 1948. The first 5-1 aircraft was destroyed on its third flight 5 September 1948. The 5-2 second aircraft, with rocket engine installed, made its first flight on 26 January 1949. After five unpowered flights, the program was cancelled in June 1949. By that time better-funded turbojet-powered fighter prototypes were already achieving the 1200 km/hr top speed of the 5. Biesnovat and Isayev would elaborate the design in unmanned form into the supersonic R-1 air-to-surface missile.

Crew Size: 1. Length: 9.92 m (32.54 ft). Span: 6.60 m (21.60 ft). Mass: 3,400 kg (7,400 lb). Main Engine: RD-2M3BF. Main Engine Thrust: 19.600 kN (4,406 lbf). Main Engine Propellants: Nitric Acid/Kerosene. Main Engine Propellants: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb).

• 1948 July 14 - Samolyot 5 rocketplane first flight. - Crew: Pakhomov.

  The first 5-1 aircraft, controlled on its first glide flight by A K Pakhomov, was dropped from a Pe-8 bomber.

• 1948 September 5 - Samolyot 5 rocketplane crashes. - Crew: Pakhomov.

  The first 5-1 aircraft was destroyed on its third glide flight.

• 1949 January 26 - Samolyot 5 supersonic rocketplane glide flight. -

  The 5-2 second aircraft, with rocket engine installed, made its first glide flight.

• 1949 June 1 - Samolyot 5 supersonic rocketplane cancelled. -

  After five unpowered flights, the program was cancelled. By that time better-funded turbojet-powered fighter prototypes were already achieving the 1200 km/hr top speed of the 5. Biesnovat and Isayev would elaborate the design in unmanned form into the supersonic R-1 air-to-surface missile.