Sukhoi P-1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| P-1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Interceptor |
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi OKB |
| Status | Prototype only |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 12 July 1957[1] |
The Sukhoi P-1 was a prototype Soviet interceptor.
Sukhoi began design studies for what was to become Izdeliye P in 1954 to meet an urgent request from the Ministry of Aviation Industry (MAP – Ministerstvo Aviatsionnoy Promyshlennosti – ministry of aviation industry). The early studies considered crew size, armament (missiles, cannon or both), and powerplant (with a choice of Lyulka AL-9 or AL-11, Klimov VK-9F, Kuznetsov P-2 or Kuznetsov P-4 engines).[1]
The P-1 was designed for the Uragan-1 (Hurricane-1) collision-course intercept radar, which was quite complex and bulky, requiring a crew of two and air intakes on either side of the fuselage rather than at the nose, retaining the delta wing of the Sukhoi T-3 with 57-degree leading edge sweep. Although the production aircraft was intended to use the Lyulka AL-9 engine, then in development, the prototype was fitted with a Lyulka AL-7F of lower power.[2]
The P-1 first flew in July 1957, but underwent only limited flight testing due to unavailability of the intended powerplant and ongoing problems with the radar and missile systems as well as a lack of enthusiasm from the VVS (Voyenno-Vozdooshnyye Seely – Soviet air forces). OKB-51 persisted for some time trying to raise enthusiasm for the P-1 by proposing a larger engine, the Tumansky R-15-300 afterburning turbojet, with a similar lack of success. The sole P-1 prototype was relegated to experimental work and later scrapped.[1]
A second prototype, the P-2 was studied, powered by twin Klimov VK-11 engines in the rear fuselage, but this version was cancelled at the mock-up review stage.[1]
