"K.V Shuleikov's VTOL" - Soviet late 1940s VTOL

[Blitzer9856]

This is a remarkable private VTOL design and study conducted by K.V Shuleikov, a professor at Zhukovsky Military Academy, around the late 40s (or early 50s, the exact date is unknown).

It looks like a "pod and boom" design like the early Lavochkin La-150, La-152 and La-156 as well as other early Yakovlev designs such as the Yak-15, but it is distinguished by the unique nose design and of course, the new engines with the vectoring nozzles which were to be either Klimov RD-45s or the improved VK-1s.

For stability in the hover there is a vertical 'nozzle' or 'fan' in the centre of each wing fed by exhaust gas bled from its respective jet-pipe.

A cannon was to be fitted on the right starboard, which seems like a 37mm N-37D cannon in the artist's impression, perhaps by looking at the configuration a good guess would be 40 rpg.

There is no official designation for this aircraft. It's simply referred to as "Shuleikov's (VTOL) project".

For its time, it's a fascinating design which predates Michael Wilbaut's 1956 "Gyroptere" proposal which also featured vectored-thrust nozzles, and was also a "flat-riser" like Shuleikov's design but with four nozzles instead.

Not exactly attractive for military purposes, Wilbaut's proposal still proved to be useful since it influenced the future Hawker Harrier. However, unfortunately for Shuleikov, his idea was stillborn. He worked for Mikoyan-Gurevich after resigning from the military academy and rejected his VTOL project as a possible future design.

Performance estimates measure it would have achieved a maximum flight speed of around 900 km/h at low altitude.

 

[Silencer1]

Interesting project, thanks for sharing!
What's the source of images?
I wonder why top drawing (with tailwheel) and 3-view (with nose wheel undercarriage) differs?

 

[klem]

Very interesting,Shuleikov unknown to me,VTOL study in 1940,I doubt it.The design,is that of the 50's.No Soviet engine was ready between 1940 and 1945 but after the acquisition of the German engines,yes it's a conceivable prospect.What is sure,it's after 1945.Thanks for sharing

 

[hesham]

We have it already here;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/k-shulikov-pelenberg-jet-vtol-fighter-project-1947-49.19466/

 

[Blitzer9856]

Interesting project, thanks for sharing!
What's the source of images?
I wonder why top drawing (with tailwheel) and 3-view (with nose wheel undercarriage) differs?

Welcome! They're from "Soviet Secret Projects - Fighters Since 1945 Vol.2"

And I assume the artist who made the impression made a mistake while drawing it, or perhaps it had two different gear configurations in the mind of Shuleikov.

We have it already here;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/k-shulikov-pelenberg-jet-vtol-fighter-project-1947-49.19466/

Had no idea thank you basha