Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8

MiG-8 *Utka*
MiG-8 Utka
	The MiG-8 in flight
General information
Type	Experimental liaison aircraft
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Mikoyan-Gurevich
Status	Prototype
Number built	1
History
First flight	13 August 1945

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 Utka (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-8 «Утка», "duck") was a Soviet experimental aircraft. Built of wood, the aircraft was designed and built in 1945 to test the novel canard configuration. It also used a tricycle undercarriage, the first used by the OKB. It was modified to test a variety of vertical stabilizer and wingtip configurations and was later used as a liaison aircraft for many years by the design bureau.

Design and development

Nicknamed Utka ("duck"), as the word canard (referring to its small forward wing) is French for "duck", and with the Russian aeronautics term for a canard wing being described as a "duck" scheme (схема "утка"), the MiG-8 was an experimental aircraft designed and built by the OKB to evaluate the stability and handling of the canard configuration in conjunction with swept wings. This design has benefits in a jet-powered aircraft as it leaves the rear of the fuselage clear of interference from the jet's exhausts. To test the concept the MiG-8 was powered by a Shvetsov M-11 five-cylinder radial engine, with a pusher propeller.

Operational history

The aircraft was used as a testbed for developing the swept wing of the MiG-15, and afterwards continued to fly as a communications/utility aircraft for the OKB. Being made of wood and fabric, it was very light and reportedly a favorite among MiG OKB test pilots for its docile, slow-speed handling characteristics.^{[citation needed]}

Specifications

Data from MiG aircraft since 1937,^[1] The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 2
Length: 6.995 m (22 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 15 m² (160 sq ft)
Airfoil: Clark YH 12%
Empty weight: 642 kg (1,415 lb)
Gross weight: 1,150 kg (2,535 lb)
Fuel capacity: 195 L (43 imp gal; 52 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Shvetsov M-11FM 5-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 82 kW (110 hp) (de-rated)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 205 km/h (127 mph, 111 kn)
Landing speed: 77 km/h (48 mph; 42 kn)
Range: 500 km (310 mi, 270 nmi)

References

^ Gunston, Bill (1998). MiG aircraft since 1937 (1st ed.). Sparkford: PSL. ISBN 0851778844.
^ Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. p. 184. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.

Bibliography

Gordon, Yefim and Komissarov, Dmitry. OKB Mikoyan: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing, 2009 ISBN 978-1-85780-307-5
Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey, 1995 ISBN 1-85532-405-9

External links

[Gungor-1] Gunston, Bill (1998). MiG aircraft since 1937 (1st ed.). Sparkford: PSL. ISBN 0851778844.

[2] Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. p. 184. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.

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