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Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic)

1978 COLD WAR MODERN AIRCRAFT

History

The Myasishchev M-55 (NATO codename "Mystic") was originally developed to address the threat posed by high-altitude reconnaissance balloons deployed by the United States in the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as launches from Chinese airspace. Initial plans started with the Subject 34 aircraft, of which only one was built.

The aircraft eventually went in two directions during its career, resulting in the M-17 "Stratospheric" ("Mystic-A") balloon destroyer/reconnaissance platform and the M-55 "Geophysical" ("Mystic-B") ). High-altitude reconnaissance research platform.

The former produced two, the latter five, with the last aircraft arriving in 1994.

Enemy balloons may be dropped by enemies in Allied airspace and float over Soviet territory. Powerless and swept away by currents, there are few, if any, visible signs of their deployment. Without obvious detection and interception, the balloon could travel across the country and provide vital reconnaissance information.

Therefore, the Object 34 was intended to be equipped with 2 x 23mm GSh-23 cannons (mounted on the dorsal turret) and 2 x Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM) as balloon interceptors to attack these targets. However, as the U.S. satellite program improved to the point where these balloons were no longer needed, it became clear that there was no need for further Subject 34 product development.

In any case, the prototype was lost in an accident after a taxi test in December 1978.

Another branch of the design is to carry out reconnaissance missions with a mission scope similar to that of the American Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft received a modified airframe and was powered by a single Rybinsk/Kolesov RD-36-51V series turbojet developed from the propulsion unit of the Tupolev 144 supersonic jetliner. A prototype completed its maiden flight on May 26, 1982, and received the designation M-17 "Stratosphere" while in service with the Soviet Union.

Once recognized by the West, the NATO codename became "Mystic-A". This design not only set more than a dozen aircraft records, but also served scientific research.

The M-17 itself was converted into the "M-17RN" high-altitude reconnaissance platform and later completed the M-55 "Geophysics". The first flight in prototype form took place on August 16, 1988, and this fuselage differed in that it was longer than the original.

Also, the single-engine installation was abandoned in favor of a side-by-side twin-engine approach - these were 2 x Soloviev D-30-10V turbofans. The wingspan of the main aircraft has been reduced and support for onboard mission equipment (mainly sensors) has been improved.

The series once again set out to rewrite the aviation record books, as the M-55 acquired no less than 15 of its own aircraft during its flight. To better train incoming pilots on the intricacies of this unique aircraft, a two-seat tandem version, known as the "M-55UTS", was also developed.

Like the M-17 before it, the M-55 does its own science and is still in service at the time of this writing. A more advanced version was proposed as "Geophysica 2", but was not pursued.