Moskalev SAM-13

History

The Moskalev SAM-13 appears to have been directly or at least directly influenced (or at least heavily influenced) by pre-WWII Dutch Fokker D. XXIII single-seat tandem-engine fighters (detailed elsewhere on this page). Soviet production first appeared around 1940 when the D. XXIII was developed in the late 1930s.

It was very similar in design, accommodating a crew under a framed canopy, with a raised dorsal stern, and was twin-engined in a fore-aft configuration. Likewise, a retractable tricycle landing gear for ground operations is shown, as well as a twin tail boom layout. However, the Soviet version was smaller and therefore lighter, while being powered by a low-powered engine.

It never got past the prototype stage.

The SAM-13 selected two Renault-Benghazi MV-6 air-cooled six-cylinder engines, rated at 220 hp, as their powerplants, while driving a three-bladed propeller unit. Weapons are concentrated on 2 x 7.62mm machine guns mounted on the forward fuselage and fired synchronously via rotating propeller blades on the nose, each tail boom will also carry 7.62mm machine gun weapons.

Dimensions of the proposed fighter include a length of 7.7 meters, a wingspan of 7.3 meters and a height of 3.8 meters.

The layout of the aircraft keeps the fuselage centered, with the wing main aircraft running below the rear end of the structure. The wings are round, tapering towards the tip. A cantilever assembly begins at the leading edge of each wing and extends beyond the trailing edge.

At the very end of the aircraft, the legs are connected by a horizontal stabilizer, each with a small surface vertical tail. Side-by-side, the SAM-13 clearly differs from the Dutch offering at least in size and specific shape - however, there are undoubtedly many similar physical characteristics.

The SAM-13 was tested at an altitude of 19,000 feet at 323 miles per hour. Like the Dutch design, it was found to lack the air cooling required for rear-engine installations, causing overheating problems.

However, the performance of the twin-engine design is considered to be quite good, and the torque effect naturally produced by a single engine is eliminated by using two engines.

It all failed when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa). Resources were diverted to other fighter jets, knocking the SAM-13 out of the game and ultimately reducing it to the last page in military aviation history. Only one airworthy prototype of the SAM-13 has been completed.

The only prototype was destroyed by its owner when its development facility was abandoned in the hasty Soviet retreat east.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes