Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS (MiG-5)

1940 WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

• 1 Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS (MiG-5) History
• 2 Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS (MiG-5) Specification
  • 2.1 Basic
  • 2.2 Production
  • 2.3 Roles
  • 2.4 Dimensions
  • 2.5 Weight
  • 2.6 Performance
  • 2.7 Performance
  • 2.8 Armor
  • 2.9 Changes

Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS (MiG-5) History

Almost all of the world's interwar aviation services had the concept of a twin-engine "heavy fighter" designed to escort bomber formations as well as conduct separate, specialized strikes against ground targets. In many ways, before the word aircraft became commonplace, these were multi-role platforms that could perform a variety of battlefield roles while maintaining their inherent fighter qualities. There are some notable ventures in the heavy fighter category - namely the British de Havilland DH.

98 "Mosquito", German Messerschmitt Bf 110 and American Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" - while the Soviets themselves tried several twin-engine types, including Mikoyan-Gurevich's oft-overlooked entry - Mi Grid DIS ("Dalniy Istrebitel Soprovozhdenya").

DIS was developed in response to Soviet Air Force requirements for long-range fighter escort. Over time, the need grew to include several other battlefield roles, including bombing, torpedo launching, and rapid reconnaissance.

Design work began in 1940, and Mikoyan-Gurevich joined Grushin, Polikarpov and Tairov to meet demand. The Mikoyan-Gurevich entry became "DIS-200" and the engine set chosen was 2 x Charomskii series M30 or M40 systems.

A streamlined fuselage to match the front cockpit has been developed, with a split vertical tail arrangement at the rear. The wings were mounted forward amidships, and each wing was fitted with an engine nacelle - the engine drove a three-bladed propeller unit.

The landing gear relies on a "tail" arrangement, with the main wheels retracted into each nacelle.

The proposed armament is centered on a 23mm VYa gun (attached to a detachable abdominal compartment) with 2 12.7mm BS machine guns and 4 7.62mm medium machine guns. Combined bomb/torpedo carrying capacity with loads up to 2,205 lbs.

However, when fitted with this war load, the aircraft lost its ventral gun pods.

As the Charomskii engines were not ready in time, 2 Mikulin AM-37 12-cylinder V-engines, 1,400 hp each, were installed on the fuselage. Ground operations of the "DIS-T" prototype began in mid-May 1941, and the maiden flight took place on June 11, but the design soon proved unsatisfactory in terms of performance - it could reach up to speed is less than 350 miles per hour. With appropriate modifications to the problem, including drag reduction techniques and the use of a four-bladed propeller, this work resulted in a speed increase of 32 mph. Still not a production-worthy platform, and development is recommended to continue improving the product.

The Axis advance toward Moscow, where work on DIS-T was underway, forced a further eastward shift of operations and severely delayed the program. Production issues with the AM-37 engine also derailed the upcoming heavy fighter design (currently assigned the MiG-5 designation).

The name DIS-200 was subsequently also used for the second prototype - "DIS-IT". The first flight of this model was recorded on January 28, 1943, with the main difference being the use of 2 Shvetsov M-82F 14-cylinder radial piston engines, each producing 1,700 hp.

The armament was changed to 2 x 23mm guns and 4 x 7mm machine guns, and features included a top speed of 375 mph.

By 1943, however, the situation in the Soviet Union had changed significantly since the German invasion of 1941, and it became clear that there was little need for heavy fighter jets to escort Luftwaffe bomber formations. Instead, Soviet aircraft production focused on more tactical platforms that could surgically hit shaft formations more accurately. It also meant relaxing any range requirements for Soviet aircraft that would advance toward Berlin from bases close to the enemy.

This led to the complete cancellation of the MiG DIS project in October 1943.

Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS (MiG-5) Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes