Soviet Shows Diagrams Of Atomic Planes

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 18

Soviet Shows Diagrams Of Atomic Planes

. MOSCOW, December 1. Soviet military scientists today published diagrams of atomic aircraft. A paper-backed book of 165 pages, entitled “Application of Atomic Motors in Aviation,” issued by the publishing house of the Soviet Defence Ministry, gave diagrams of two atomic aircraft. One is a "convertiplane” which “would be able to take an expedition from Moscow to the Antarctic in a day.” A diagram of this giant atomic aircraft shows markings “U.S.S.R.A (for Atomic) 1.”

It has two propeller-units on its swept-back wing and a third is attached to the tail unit.

The propellers can be moved from the horizontal to the vertical plane to act as “lifters” or “drivers.” thus making for easier landing in limited space. The caption reads: “Atomic Convertiplane of the Future in the Antarctic.” The second is an atomic carrier aircraft which lifts a 20-ton twostage rocket to a height of about 12 miles. At this height the rocket is released from beneath one of the wings and proceeds under its own nropulsion to a height of 175 miles, attaining a final speed of nearly five miles a second, and then launches a sputnik into its orbit. “Near Future” The book, the most authoritative document on Soviet atomic aviation thinking yet made public. is edited by Colonel V. A. Mikhailov, an expert on physical mathematical sciences. Dealing with atomic fuel prob-* lems, the book says: “It is possible to say with certainty that in the near future there will be sufficient fuel for a large number of aircraft reactors. “The majority of foreign scientists consider that the first flights of atomic aircraft are to be expected in the years 1959-60. Time will show how correct these forecasts are.” The book does not claim that Russia already possesses an atomic aircraft. On the contrary, it says: “There is at present no atomic aircraft ready.” The Soviet scientists added: “No doubt about the possibility of creating a carrier type atomic plane exists. Designers also consider that designing and building atomic planes with a lifting capacity of up to 180 tons and more is at the present moment a theoretically solvable question.” A senior Western air force officer in Moscow commented on the book: “In view of this, it seems possible that the Russians will be able to show an atomic aircraft fairly soon.” Only a few dozen copies of today’s book appeared on Soviet bookstalls. They were sold out rapidly. The Soviet aircraft industry, if given priority to develop atomic aircraft, is clearly capable of solving the task as soon or sooner than any rival air industry. In the last year it has produced five new types of aircraft, including the T.U.-114 with a range of 6000 miles and a maximum passenger capacity of 200. Sputnik Launching Elaborating on details of launching a sputnik from the atomic carrier plane, the book said: “The carrier plane lifts a two-stage rocket weighing 20 tons to a height of about 12 miles and accelerates with it to a speed of nearly 2000 feet a second along the course of the earth’s revolution. from west to east.

“The density and resistance of the atmosphere at 12 miles is almost 14 times less than that on the ground. . Therefore the danger of the rocket overheating when it accelerates further is decreased.” The account continued: “When the carrier plane reaches the point at which the sputnik is to be launched, the operator switches on the motor of the first stage of the rocket. “For this stage, to protect the aircraft crew from the radiation of an atomic liquid-jet motor, an

ordinary liquid jet motor is chosen, working on liquid oxygen and hydrogen.” The book added: "Having expended 4500 kilogrammes (about four and a half tons) of fuel in 43-44 seconds, the first stage of the rocket thrusts the whole assembly up to a speed of about 560 miles a second before disengaging at a height of about 21 miles before returning to earth on a parachute. “Then the main motor —of the atomic liquid jet type—takes over The final acceleration from the atomic motor gives the second stage of the rocket a “circling” speed of 25,695 feet —about 4.8 miles a second at a height of about 155 miles.”