Keldysh bomber
Encyclopedia
The Keldysh bomber was a Soviet design for a rocket
-powered sub-orbital bomber aircraft which drew heavily upon work carried out by Eugen Sänger
and Irene Bredt
for the German Silbervogel project.
, the German work at Peenemünde
was investigated by Soviet intelligence, amongst whom was rocket motor constructor Alexey Isayev, who found a copy of Sänger and Bredt's report. A translation was soon circulating among Soviet rocket designers, and a condensed version made its way to Stalin himself.
In November 1946 the NII-1 NKAP research institute was formed with mathematician Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh as its head to investigate and develop the German Sänger-Bredt design. In 1947, studies indicated that the high fuel consumption of Sänger's rocket-based design rendered the concept impracticable in the short term. Using engines which were considered to be available in a reasonable timespan, 95% of the vehicle's initial mass would have to be propellant. However, use of ramjets during the acceleration phase would give the craft a more reasonable 22% dead weight and still achieve the 5 km/s velocity required for a 12,000 km intercontinental range.
It was estimated that it would take until the mid-1950s before a draft project of a feasible design could be prepared, and by that time the design had been made obsolete by more advanced designs. However, the work carried out would lead to the EKR
, MKR, Buran
, and Burya
ramjet cruise missiles.
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
-powered sub-orbital bomber aircraft which drew heavily upon work carried out by Eugen Sänger
Eugen Sänger
Eugen Sänger was an Austrian-German aerospace engineer best known for his contributions to lifting body and ramjet technology.-Early career:...
and Irene Bredt
Irene Bredt
Irene Bredt was a German engineer, mathematician and physicist. She is co-credited with the design of a proposed intercontinental spaceplane/bomber prior to and during World War II....
for the German Silbervogel project.
Development
During the closing weeks of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the German work at Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
was investigated by Soviet intelligence, amongst whom was rocket motor constructor Alexey Isayev, who found a copy of Sänger and Bredt's report. A translation was soon circulating among Soviet rocket designers, and a condensed version made its way to Stalin himself.
In November 1946 the NII-1 NKAP research institute was formed with mathematician Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh as its head to investigate and develop the German Sänger-Bredt design. In 1947, studies indicated that the high fuel consumption of Sänger's rocket-based design rendered the concept impracticable in the short term. Using engines which were considered to be available in a reasonable timespan, 95% of the vehicle's initial mass would have to be propellant. However, use of ramjets during the acceleration phase would give the craft a more reasonable 22% dead weight and still achieve the 5 km/s velocity required for a 12,000 km intercontinental range.
It was estimated that it would take until the mid-1950s before a draft project of a feasible design could be prepared, and by that time the design had been made obsolete by more advanced designs. However, the work carried out would lead to the EKR
EKR (missile)
The EKR was a Soviet intermediate range cruise missile designed by the Korolev design bureau based on B. Chertok's elaboration of the German R-13 cruise missile design....
, MKR, Buran
Buran cruise missile
The Buran cruise missile, designation RSS-40, was a Soviet intercontinental cruise missile capable of carrying a 3,500 kg nuclear warhead. The project was canceled before flight tests began.-Development:...
, and Burya
Burya
The Burya was a trisonic, intercontinental cruise missile developed by the Lavochkin design bureau , based on a request for proposal issued by the Soviet government in 1954. The purpose of the design competition was to develop a cruise missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload to the United...
ramjet cruise missiles.
Proposed mission profile
- The 100 tonne craft would be accelerated to 500 m/s using a sled running along a 3 km track and powered by five or six RKDS-100 rocket engines of 600 tonnes total thrust. Separation velocity would be reached 11 seconds after ignition.
- After separation from the sled, the craft would climb using its main RKDS-100 rocket engine and two wingtip-mounted ramjets which would accelerate it to an altitude of 20 km and a speed of over Mach 3.
- The rocket would continue working after the ramjets had flamed out at high altitude; it had a specific impulse of 285 seconds, a thrust of 100 tonnes, and used Liquid oxygenLiquid oxygenLiquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
/KeroseneKeroseneKerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
propellants.
General characteristics
- Function: Sub-orbital bomber
- Launch mass: 100,000 kg
- Total length: 28 m
- Launch platform: Rocket sled
- Status: Canceled
Launch sled (stage 0)
- Engine: 5/6 × RKDS-100 rocket engines
- Length: 14 m (45 ft)
- Diameter: 3.6 m (11.8 ft)
- Thrust: 5,880 kN (1,321,870 lbf)
- Oxidizer: LOx
- Combustible: KeroseneKeroseneKerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
Keldysh bomber (stage 1)
- Engine: 1 × RKDS-100 rocket, 2 x ramjets
- Speed : Mach 3
- Range: 12,000 km
- Flight altitude:
- Warhead:
- Length: 28.0 m
- Diameter: 3.6 m
- Wing span: 15 m
- Wing area: 126 m²