- 10Kh
-
10Kh 10Kh Type cruise missile Place of origin USSR Production history Designer Vladimir N. Chelomey Designed 1945 Manufacturer OKB-51 Produced 1945 Number built 300 (10Kh) Variants 10Kh Izdeliye 30
10KhN
14Kh
14KhK1
15Kh
16Kh
17Kh
18Kh
Gliding bombSpecifications Engine Chelomey D-3
ca 400 kgp (880 lb) thrustPropellant Gasoline Boost time Solid fuel rockets (ramp launching) Launch
platformPetlyakov Pe-8
Tupolev Tu-2LL10Kh was the designation for the initial series of Soviet Union air-launched pulse jet engine powered cruise missiles, reverse engineered from the Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1) flying bomb.[1] cruise missiles developed in the 1950s (and cancelled in the same decade) by the OKB-51[2] under the leadership of Vladimir Chelomey and based on the V-1 flying bomb.
History
Reports of the German V-1 flying bomb attacks on London prompted Stalin to order a program to develop a Soviet equivalent, the program commencing in June 1944. Vladimir Chelomey, who had been working on pulse jet engines, was assigned to the project in October 1944 and given control of the OKB-51 design bureau following the death of famous designer N.N. Polikarpov. The program was assisted by the recovery of a partial V-1 by Societ forces at the Blizna test range in Poland. The initial V-1 copy was called 10Kh and later Izdeliye 10 ("Article 10"). Serial production was scheduled to commence in March 1945 with 100 per month, increasing to 450 per month later that year.[3]
By the end of 1944 the development of the D-3 pulse engine that propelled the 10Kh was at the prototype stage and the first production 10Kh was ready on February 5, 1945. As no launching ramps had been constructed, the first test was an air launch from a Petlyakov Pe-8 heavy bomber on 20 March 1945, near Tashkent. By 25 July 1945 66 missiles had been launched, of which 44 transitioned to autonomous flight, 22 of these reaching the range target and 20 maintaining the required heading.[4] A batch of improved 10Kh (Izdeliye 30) were constructed with wooden wings, and 73 more air launches were performed in December 1948. A ground launched variant called 10KhN was also tested in 1948, which used rocket-assisted takeoff from a ramp.
The purpose of the first tests was to determine the factibility of dropping the 10Kh missiles from a plane in flight and, about 100 meter below the plane, ignite the pulse jet, but only 6 out of 22 missiles did so correctly. The second series of tests were on corrected faults in the missiles, allowing a success of 12 out of the 22 missiles launched. The final tests were conducted to determine the precision (6 of 18 missiles launched impacted the target) and effectiveness (from 4 missiles, 3 detonated successfully) of the missiles.[5]
Variants
- 10Kh
- The initial production version of the V-1 reverse engineered look-alike, powered by a single Chelomey D-3, reverse engineered Argus As014.[4]
- 10Kh Izdeliye 30
- Improved version with wooden wings.[4]
- 10KhN
- A ground launched version using rocket assisted take off gear to boost the missle up a launch ramp.[4]
- 14Kh
- Further development with revised wings of several configurations and structural material, powered by single Chelomey D-5.[4]
- 14KhK1
- An outgrowth of the Kh14 powered by a single Chelomey D-6.[4]
- 15Kh
- A ship launched version.[4]
- 16Kh
- Experimental missiles using Kh10 airframes with single Chelomey D-6 engines, later tested with two Chelomey D-3 engines mounted side by side on V-configured pylons on the aft fuselage and extended tailplanes with rectangular fins and rudders at the tailplane tips.[4]
- 17Kh
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- A ship launched version.[4]
- 18Kh
- Further development of the 10Kh series of cruise missiles.[4]
- Gliding bomb
- An unpowered gliding bomb was also derived from the 10Kh featuring a twin tail similar to the 16Kh in addition to a central fin, as well as a jettisonable undercarriage.[4]
References
- ^ "Russia: VPK NPO Mashinostroyeniya". 2008. http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/Russia/delivry/npomash.htm. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly (2008). "ROCKETS: Cruise missiles". http://www.russianspaceweb.com/rockets_cruise.html. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Zaloga, Steven J.; Jim Laurier (2005). V-1 Flying Bomb 1942-52: Hitler's Infamous 'Doodlebug'. Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-84176-791-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gordon, Yefim. Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons. Midland. 2004. ISBN 1-85780-188-1
- ^ Turner, Brad (2006). "Soviet missile development". http://www.german-discs.net/soviet-missiles.php. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- Gordon, Yefim. Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons. Midland. 2004. ISBN 1-85780-188-1
Categories:- Cold War missiles of the Soviet Union
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