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RUSSIAN CENTRAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM at MONINO
VVA-14
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|---|---|
| Description | |
| Manufacturer: | L.R. Bartini (Beriev design bureau) |
| Designation: | VVA-14 |
| Version: | 14M1P ground effect plane |
| Type: | Experimental Vertically Takeoff Amphibian Airplane |
| Crew | 3 |
| Specifications | |
| Length: | 25,97 m |
| Height: | 6,79 m |
| Wingspan: | 30 m |
| Takeoff weight: | 52000 kg |
| Empty weight: | 35356 kg |
| Bombload: | 2000 kg |
| Propulsion | |
| No. of Engines: | 12 lift (only VVA-14 version) and 2 sustainer (4 in 14M1P version) |
| Lift engine: | RD-36-35PR turbofan |
| Thrust of the lift engine: | 43 kN (4400 kgf) |
| Sustainer: | D-30M |
| Thrust of the sustainer: | 67 Í (6800 kgf) |
| Performance | |
| Service range: | 2450 km |
| Max speed: | 760 km/h |
| Service ceiling: | 8000-10000 m |
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The VVA-14 amphibian airplane was intended to struggle missile-carrying and multipurpose enemy submarines in near coastal zone. The search and rescue version was also under consideration.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The plane's conception appeared in result of Bartini's multiyear research titled "The Theory of Intercontinental Earth Vehicle". The first approximation of the plane was MVA-62 design. Despite the Bartini's designs were supported by the country's government, the VVA-14 plane wasn't put in mass production. When the designer died, the development of the plane was abbreviated and then canceled.
Two experimental amphibians, ciphered as 1M and 2M, were put into production. By the summer of 1972 the VVA-14-1M was manufactured by joint efforts of the Taganrog enterprises - the Taganrog-based Beriev Aircraft Research and Engineering Complex and the Taganrog Aviation JSC.
The variety of scientific, construction, and technological problems accompanied the plane's development have been solving by many scientific (TsAGI, LII Flight Research Center, TsIAM, VIAM, SibNIA, NIAT) and manufacturing (Ukhtomsky Helicopter Plant named after Kamov, Dolgoprudnensky Design Bureau in Automatics, Yaroslavl Production Complex) organizations.
The VVA-14 first flight was held on September 4, 1972. It was tested by pilot Yu. Kupriyanov and navigator L. Kusnetsov. In 1975 the test program was completed, the plane performed 107 flights with a total flight time 103 hours.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The VVA-14 museum's exhibit was transported from Taganrog to Monino in 1987. First it was delivered by water to Lytkarino (Moscow district), where it was disembarked on the shore. Until a helicopter arrived, nobody took care of it and the plane was partly damaged and demounted by unknown persons. The Mi-26 helicopter delivered the plane to Monino were it was now stayed, still disassembled.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
| The first flight | 1972 |
| Powerplant | 12 RD-36-35 PR lift turbofan engines 2 D-30M cruising bypass turbojet engines |
| Trust, kN (kgf) of the RD-36-35 engine Òÿãà äâèãàòåëÿ ÐÄ-36-35ÏÐ, êÍ (êãñ) | 43 (4400) |
| of the D-30M engine, kN (kgf) | 67 (6800) |
| Dimensions, m | |
| length | 25.97 |
| height | 6.79 |
| wing span with wingtips | 30.0 |
| Wing area, sq.m | 217.7 |
| Takeoff weight, kg | 52000 |
| Empty weight, kg | 35356 |
| Bomb load, kg | 2000 |
| Service range, km | 2450 |
| Patrolling time on the distance of 800 km, h: | |
| at height of 500 ì | 2,0 |
| at height of 2000 ì | 2,25 |
| Max speed at height of 6000 m, km/h | 760 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 640 |
| Patrol speed, km/h | 360 |
| Service ceiling, m | 8000-10000 |
| Time to climb at 6000 m, min | 40 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
Armament in the bomb bay up to 2000 kg (max 4000 kg). Weapons variants:
- 2 AT-1 or AT-2, or "Orlan" torpedoes;
- 3 "Orel" defense rocket torpedoes;
- 1 RU-2 depth charge with a special warhead;
- 18 PLAB-50 or 16 PLAB-250-120 bombs;
- 144 RGB-1U radio sonar buoys;
- 9 RGB-12 or 10 RGB-21 (RGB-5);
- 100 explosive sound sources;
- 8 IGDM-500 or 4 UDM-1500 air mines.
The defense armament includes active and passive jamming sources.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The VVA-14 amphibian plane is built around a high wing with a highly developed central wing of low aspect ratio, stright trapezoidal wing, double horizontal and vertical tail.
Top view
Side and face views
The plane's all-metal airframe comprises a fuselage, middle portions of central wing, two side sections with floats, torsion-box central wing, two removable wing portions, tail, cruising engines' nacelles over fuselage.
The side sections are intended to fix horizontal and vertical tail, floats and main units of tricycle wheeled landing gear. The removable wing portions have slats, slotted flaps, and ailerons. The tail is provided with elevators and rudders.
Above the evolution speed, the plane is controlled with aerodynamic control surfaces. During vertical takeoff and landing as well as during transient process, the plane is controlled with jet vanes. The plane control system includes the SAU-M automatic control system.
Design, test and production of a LG pneumatic retractable floats was a complicated problem. It was solved only two years after the first plane's flight.
The powerplant comprises two cruising D-30M bypass turbojet engines designed by P. Solovyov and 12 lift RD-36-35PR turbofan engines designed by P.Kolesov as well as TA-6A turbo generator - an auxiliary airborne unit. There are fuel (15,500 kg of fuel capacity), deicing, and fire extinguishing systems.
Crew members (a pilot, navigator and operator) are accommodated in ejection cockpit capsule that provide the possibility to save the crew in all flight attitudes and to stay for long time in it after landing to the ground or water. The third copy of the plane is supposed to use for the ejection cockpit capsule testing.
The "Burevestnik" search-and-aim system was especially developed to let the crew detect, track, and destroy hostile submarines with high accuracy. The "Bor-1" airborne search magnitometer, radio sonobuoys and weapons automatic release mechanism, flight-and-navigation system operate jointly with this search-and-aim system.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The 14M1P ekranoplan version was developed from the experimental VVA-14 airplane. Bartini used the idea of designer P. Alekseev - to direct the air flow under the wing with help of two forward D-30M engines.
Top view
Side and face views
To a certain degree this version was involved by absence of lift engines for the VVA-14. By the way, that situation didn't allowed to test the amphibian vertical takeoff and landing. The ekranoplan had catamaran boats instead of floats and the design of the wheeled landing gear was changed. The tests of the ekranoplan weren't completed.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
The North-West and Pacific sea theaters of warfare as well as Baltic and Black seas were hypothetical regions of the amphibian's operation. The plane could be used from alert position on land and sea airfields in rescue, rescue/strike, and strike versions.
The rich information and experience that later were used to design and build the biggest A-40 "Albatros" amphibian plane were gained in result of the VVA-14 amphibian plane and the 14M1P ekranoplan tests and researches performed with the specially built to develop those aircraft a gas dynamic and flight stimulating (both with a movable and fixed cockpit) installations.
In process of development the unusual designs of the VVA-14 amphibian and 14M1P ekranoplan there were born new decisions and new talented designers as well. For example, G. Panatov, a young engineer who at that time only began his career, later on became a general designer of the Beriev TANTK.
Amphibian's tests showed that a dynamic air cushion effect existed at higher heights than it was predicted by the theory. For the mean aerodynamic chord of 10.75 m this effect was essential at height 10-12 m, and at the leveling off height of 8 m pilot Yu. Kuprianov repeatedly asked a flight control officer to allow him release the control stick to land the plane without pilot.
Such plane's configuration peculiarity made perspective the next Bartini's project, a "2500" ekranolyot, where 2500 was a flight weight of the machine in tons. The mean chord of the designing aircraft was 250 m that increases the height of ground-effect flight up to 150-200 m and makes the flight more safety than that of lighter and lower flying (up to 5 m) ekranoplanes.
| Intent | History | Exhibit | Performance | Armament | Design | Versions | Employment | P.S. |
When will Museum's visitors see the last Bartini's plane to be assembled as this photo shows where the plane is on the factory ground?
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