Yakovlev Skylifter

[Antonio]

This is for Tophe

AW&ST June 12,2000 Pg 50. "Tu-160 launch program revamped to cut costs" by William B. Scott.

It is a huge double-fuselage aircraft that could launch either expendable rockets or a RLV. Projected to carry a 900,000-1 million-lb payload and launch it from altitudes up to 29,000 fet and speeds of Mach 0.65-0.75. It could also carry containerized cargo, a firefighting pod, emergency power module, or a mobile hospital/command post for disaster relief. In order to minimize costs, the outer wing sections are from an An-124 and its forward fuselage section from a Yak-40. Landing gear is derived from An-225. Cargo carriying area is 7 m high and 24 m wide

 

[Tophe]

Thanks, Antonio...
At the Portuguese site
http://ogrunho.wordpress.com/2006/05/09/yak-skylifter-o-aviao-que-quer-colocar-em-orbita-pessoas-e-cargas/
I got this (thanks to AltaVista BabelFish):
The Yakovlev currently develops a complex and extremely difficult program that it intends to construct a great airplane that can launch rockets or manned space vehicles.
The project "Skylifter" will be capable to carry a load up to 408 tons, corresponding to the gross weight of several of the systems of launching (RLVs), up to 9 km of altitude and to a maximum speed of Mach 0.65-0.75.
The Yak "SkyLifter" would substitute thus the conventional systems of launching, reducing the cost of load launching for terrestrial orbit. (…)

 

[fightingirish]

Reminds me a lot of the Daimler Benz Projects from WWII...

 

[Matej]

Ugmh, WOW!

 

[flateric]

Mamma mia!!!

 

[Archibald]

It remind me THIS one
http://astronautix.com/lvs/sysem49m.htm

 

[Tophe]

Thanks for this new one too...

 

[Triton]

Source:
http://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/20000612#!&pid=50