MiG K-9-155 and Sukhoi K-9-51 AAMs

[Cy-27]

Came across this photo of a derivative of the E-152 adapted to carry K-9-51 rocket missiles, designated the E-152R.

Source:
Аэрокосмическое обозрение 2006-01 (Aerospace Review issue 20)

 

[andy_d]

Are those air-to-air missiles? A Soviet Phoenix or Red Dean?

 

[Cy-27]

I think the Raduga K-9 was a late 1950's short-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviets.

I could not make out whether the photo of the K-9-51 was on a model or mock-up. I thought the K-9 was an experimental missile which never went into production (then again, I am no missile expert).

 

[Sferrin]

Came across this photo of a derivative of the E-152 adapted to carry K-9-51 rocket missiles, designated the E-152R.

Source:
Аэрокосмическое обозрение 2006-01 (Aerospace Review issue 20)

Any relation to the Molniya R-4, known in the West as AA-5 Ash? (And carried by the Tu-128 Fiddler.) Here's another carrying "AA-4 Awl":


edit: Apparently "AA-4 Awl" is associated with the Raduga K-9 seen in this picture:

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The caption appears to be wrong, K-9 AAM was by Raduga (Mikoyan branch) and a rival to the Bisnovat K-80 or R-4 (known as the AA-5 Ash). The missile in the picture is clearly a K-80 not a K-9. K-9 didn't enter production, as the K-80 was preferred.

K-9-51 designation makes little sense. K-9 is sometimes designated K-9-155, 155 standing for Mikoyan's OKB number. 51 is Sukhoi, so K-9-51 ought to be a K-9 missile designed for a Sukhoi fighter.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

So - did some quick research and it seems there was a K-9-51. It was a Sukhoi design, rival to Mikoyan's K-9-155, using the same seeker designed for the TsP-1 radar. Photos from http://missiles.ru/foto_602.htm.


Elaboration of the interceptor missile developed for the P-1 to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from 08.17.1956 Mr. . But a full-fledged design missiles with radar seeker given Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers on 04.04.1958 was planned to complete the design of a rocket in April 1959 to complete the construction of prototypes in July 1960 and begin test-fired in March 1961 Development of the missile was conducted OKB Sukhoi-51 (missile K-9-51 airplane T-37). Testing of weapons systems (K-9 missiles and radar) started on the experimental plane T-47-6. In February 1960, it was conducted for the production of missile tests, as well as a completed assembly of the first flight prototype interceptor T-37. But the February 5, 1960 the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR stops all work on the interception of missile K-9-51 aircraft and T-37. Produced missiles were transferred to schools as teaching aids.

http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/index-114.html

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

K-9-51 is near identical to K-80 in configuration. Food for thought?

 

[Hood]

Yefim Gordon's 'Soviet/ Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two' confirms the K-9-51 was developed by Sukhoi for the T-37, but beyond stating "it was a quite different missile despite the similar designation" offers no further details.

Interestingly his Red Star book 'Sukhoi Interceptors' states a different story, claiming the K-9 (R-38) was designed by MiG for the Ye-150 and T-37, but implying that both manufacturers applied their own K-9 designation for their respective aircraft. Obviously this is incorrect but its interesting to see where the confusion would have arisen.
I wonder how much of the internal electronics and rocket motors were identical between the two K-9 designs?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

As I understand it K-9 was originally a Toropov OKB 134 project but they were put full time on Sidewinder reverse engineering and responsibility devolved to Mikoyan and Sukhoi who made two different airframes to house the same seeker etc. I am suspicious of how similar K-9-51 is to K-80 which aerodynamically departs majorly from the K-8 which Bisnovat made before K-80 but have no evidence of a connection. Given that the article is by a respected author on Soviet missiles this might be K-9-51.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

K-9 ("product 90")
In the second half of the 1950s, there was a need to create an air-to-air guided missile with characteristics higher than those specified by the PSM
USSR of 1954. The development of such a missile under the index K-9 was carried out in relation to the Sukhov interceptor P-1, and then to the heavy interceptors of the E-152 and T-37 families, designed for speeds of up to 3000 km/h, and directly by the creators of the carrier aircraft, respectively, in OKB-155 A.I. Mikoyan (K-9-155) and OKB-51 P.O. Sukhoi (K-9-51).

The OKB P.O.Sukhoi K-9-51 (P-38) missile was created using a normal aerodynamic scheme and resembled a smaller version of the K-80. However, due to the cessation of work on the T-37 aircraft in early 1960, its development was interrupted.

Unlike the Sukhov T-37, the Mikoyan E-152 was created as a modernized E-150 and was successfully brought to flight tests. It was envisaged that the E-152 would be equipped with the Uragan-5B radar as a component of the Uragan-5 integrated automated interception system.

During the development of the E-152, a decision was made to create the E-152A variant with two R-11F-300 engines, which had already been mastered by the MiG-21. Based on the many years of experience of OKB-155 in developing air-to-ground cruise missiles, carried out jointly with KB-1 of the State Committee for Radio Electronics, at the end of May 1958, this organization was involved in the development of not only the semi-active RLGS of the K-9 missile, but also the TsP-1 aircraft airborne radar, operating as part of the Uragan system. It was assumed that the bomber detection range would be 50 km, three times exceeding the corresponding indicator of the Uragan radar.

In KB-1, the chief designer of the system as a whole was Kolosov, the K-9 system was A.I. Savin, and its control system was D.L. Tomashevich. Initially, the development of the basic design scheme of the missile was entrusted to KB-1, and the design documentation to Plant No. 134. For some time, the missile for the Mikoyan interceptor was called K-9-134. However, TsAGI studies showed that the main parameters of the layout adopted by KB-1 were unacceptable. The development of the documentation was suspended.

With the start of reproduction of the Sidewinder, Plant No. 134 was unloaded as much as possible from other topics, so that further work on the K-9 was continued, restoring the previous designation of the missile - K-9-155. The K-9 was made according to the scheme with a rotating wing, similar to the American Sparrow. It made extensive use of composites, and used a dual-mode solid-propellant rocket engine PRD-56 with a launch thrust twice that of the cruise thrust. The launch mass of the missile was 245 kg, the warhead mass was 24 kg. The missile was guided by the parallel approach method, and the warhead was detonated by a proximity fuse. The maximum launch range was to be 9 km at a missile flight speed of up to 1400 m/s. To receive the reference signal from the aircraft radar, pin antennas on the tail were used, which were later replaced by plate antennas on the body. The missile included a semi-active radar homing head TsR-1, radio fuse TsR-1, autopilot APTs-18, safety-actuating mechanism I-60.

In 1959, the production of missiles began by the experimental production of OKB-155 using documentation of KB-1. The first flight on the E-152A aircraft was performed by GK Mosolov on July 10, 1959. By the end of March 1961, 5 launches of ballistic versions of the missiles ("products 91") were carried out from ground and air launchers. In addition, in December, 5 software versions of the missile - "products 92" - were launched from the aircraft. Five TsP-1 aircraft radars, 15 sets of on-board equipment, and 25 experimental missiles were manufactured.

In between missile launches, the E-152A took part in a parade over Tushino. The paint job on the K-9 missiles mounted on underwing pylons was intended to give a triangular shape to their trapezoidal rotating wings, which contributed to an even greater similarity to the Mikoyan CO Sparrow missile.
But the intended distortion of the shape did not work - its appearance was accurately reproduced on diagrams in foreign reference books, where it was named AA-3 Ash. The E-152 aircraft itself received the code Flipper. But the twin-engine modification of the aircraft was not developed. The achieved maximum speed of 2300 km/h turned out to be significantly lower than the specified one.

The first flight of the E-152 with the R-15 engine took place in April 1961. The pylons with the K-9 missiles were placed on the cut-off wingtips. This design, already mastered abroad, became widespread in domestic aviation only two decades later.

The second prototype of the aircraft, the E-152-2, with the new Smerch guidance system, made its first flight in September. Initially, it was going to be equipped with the CP-1 radar and K-9 missiles. However, the E-152 program was significantly delayed, mainly due to the low reliability of the R-15 engine. In addition, by the end of 1961, KB-1 had practically stopped work on the K-9 project. On the contrary, the development of K-80 missiles for the Tu-128 continued successfully. Therefore, in 1962, a decision was made to use them on E-152 aircraft, replacing the CP-1 radar with the Uragan-5B-80 station (later called Smerch-A). The converted aircraft received the designation E-152P.

Later, the missile launchers were moved from the wingtips to underwing pylons and the interceptor became known as the E-152M. But by this time, all work was already being done to support the E-155 program - the future Mig-25P.

Rostislav Angelskiy "DOMESTIC AIR-TO-AIR GUIDED MISSILES" in Aerospace Review 2006 01

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

K-9-155 cutaway from MiG - Flying Through Time Vol2. Note the very Sidewinder tail with rollerons. Also note how small the rocket is.