Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma)

History

The Moskalev SAM-7 "Sigma" was a completely unique two-seat single-engine "tailless" fighter of the WWII era (1939-1945) by aircraft standards of the mid-1930s, it was never used by Soviet aircraft from 1936 for production aircraft. Such experiments proved to be commonplace for all the major players of World War II, and many such designs never appeared, let alone a working prototype.

The design of this aircraft is attributed to Alexsandr A. Moskalev.

This aircraft contains a mid-wing assembly with full-length slotted flaps designed to act as elevators and ailerons to handle pitch, roll, and elevator control. Wing main aircraft are usually mounted on the side of the fuselage and taper from the fuselage to the wingtips.

In addition, the wingtips are covered by oversized rounded fins. The pilot sits in his usual seat near the midship, with the engine mounted directly forward, which previously powered a four-blade wooden propeller unit. The structure is all-metal, including an aluminum alloy skin. The landing gear is in a "trailer" arrangement with two main (wheeled) legs and a simple tail glide under the wings.

The main legs are retracted (by a manual mechanism) into the wing towards the centerline of the fuselage, while the tail is fixed.

Power comes from a 750 hp Mikulin M-34 series liquid-cooled V12 piston engine that drives the propeller unit on the nose. The same production engine (more than 10,500 individual units were produced from 1934 to 1943) powered types such as the Tupolev TB-3 and TB-4, Petlyakov Pe-8 and Kalinin K-7.

The wingspan of the aircraft reaches 9.6 meters, and the total length of the fuselage is 7 meters. The curb weight is 1,000 kg and the MTOW is 1,500 kg.

The proposed weapon is a 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine gun, synchronised to fire through rotating propeller blades, while the rear cockpit is managed by a dedicated rear gunner with access to 2 x 7, 62mm ShKAS machine guns. This would allow the aircraft to attack air and land targets while actively defending from behind.

The SAM-7 underwent limited testing and was soon found to be an inherently unstable design - unsurprising considering it deviates from aircraft design specifications at the time. Instead, the focus of Soviet aviation for the foreseeable future will remain on more traditional conventional fighter designs.

Recorded performance figures include a top speed of 500km/h, a range of 800km and a service ceiling of 9,200m.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Performance

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