| In 1940 Aleksander Yakovlevich
Bereznyak conceived the idea of a small target-defence interceptor powered
by a Dushkin D-1A-1100 rocket engine using kerosene and nitric acid as fuel,
after being told of the engine by Aleksei Isaev. The
aircraft which took shape was known as the BI (standing for Bereznyak and
Isaev who were responsible for the idea and design) would become the world's
first rocket powered fighter, it's first flight under power being on 15/04/1942.
The endurance of the BI was considered too short, so in the tradition of
the Soviet aircraft industry, it was suggested that ramjets be fitted to
the wing tips of the BI-6, in this case 2x Merkulov DM-4 ramjets. The aircraft
was tested in a wind tunnel (TsAGI-101) in the spring of 1944 but never
flew. |
|
BI-6 before having the ramjets
fitted
|
|
