Bartini
A-57
strategic bomber
A-57 was proposed in 1957 by R L Bartini. There were several versions of this and the considerably smaller Ye-57. The A-57 shown would have been powered by five Kuznetsov NK-10 engines, each of 25,000 kg (55,115 Ib) thrust. This 320 tonne (705,467 Ib) vehicle, with a length of 69.5m (228ft) and wing area of 755m2 (8,127ft2), was to have been water-based for operational flexibility and to avoid having to use vulnerable airfields (though it also had skids for airfield landings if necessary). It would have carried a 244N thermonuclear bomb internally, as well as a 2RS (later RSR) carried pick-a-back to the target at 2,500km/h (l,553mph, Mach 2.35) to serve as an accompanying reconnaissance aircraft. Together they could cover targets within a radius of 5,000km (3,107 miles), the Tsybin 2RS reconnaissance vehicle using its fuel only on the return flight.
| Description | ||
|---|---|---|
| Design | R.L.Bartini, OKB P.V.Tsybin | |
| Type | A-57 | |
| Function | strategic bomber | |
| Crew | 3 | |
| Dimensions & Weight | ||
| Length, m | 69,5-72,5 | |
| Wing Span, m | 36,5-37,1 | |
| Overall height, m | 7,5 | |
| Wing area, m2 | 755,0 | |
| Take-off weight, kg | 250000 (320000) | |
| Power-plant | ||
| Engines | 5 Turbojet NK-10B | 5 Turbojet NK-6 |
| Trust (форсаж), kgf | 5 х 26000 | 5 х 22500 |
| Performance (project) | ||
| Max. speed, km/h | 2500 | |
| Max range, km | 12000 (14000) | |
| Practical ceiling, m | 18000-23000 | |
References and Credits:
- Lost projects
- «Bombers» / V.Il'in, M.Levin, 1997 /
- «Red planes» / I.Chutko, 1982 /
- Les dérivés du Tsybin RSR / Prototypes.com /
- Soviet X-planes / Ye.Gordon, B.Gunston, 2000 /