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

 

[hesham]

From AW 1999.

 

[djfawcett]

This project was originally conceived and started by Sergei Yakovlev Jr., Skip Holm, and me. I received quite an education on heavy lifting from Sergie. I have the original project white paper (about seven hundred pages) somewhere. This was being done about the same time we were looking at the Tu-160 and Burlak (Russian anti-satellite system) to launch Iridium satellites. The cost per launch was projected to be about $1,500 per pound with the potential of getting to $500 per pound.

From the article above, Howard Foote was a front guy for the investment money. He was a piece of work to say the least. He had no idea how to stay in his lane. He created more confusion the ever imaginable. At the end of the day, brought the program shut down when Howard managed to really upset the investors.

There were some great stories back then with Sergei. We took him to Kelly (remember the towed spaceplane) at Kelly's request to discuss the program. That was quite the moment when Sergei told Kelly his vehicle needed redesigning. Sergei told Kelly his vehicle was about 50% over weight.