RP-318 Rocketplane - 18,021 bytes. 284 x 394 pixels.

Korolev adaped his SK-9 glider in 1936 as the first rocked-powered aircraft in the Soviet Union. It was originally to be used to flight test Glushko's ORM-65 engine, but this proved too unreliable for manned flight. Glushko developed an improved ORM-65-2 but in the 1938 he and Korolev were arrested and sent to the Gulag in Siberia to die. The work was carried on by others with delays, and the first powered flight finally came on 28 February 1940. Test pilot V P Fedorov was towed to 2600 m and cast off at 80 km/hr. The rocket then fired and accelerated the aircraft to 140 m/s and 2900 m altitude. The RP-318 flew nine times before the war ended the work.

Craft.Crew Size: 1. Total Length: 7.4 m. Total Mass: 700 kg. Total Propellants: 75 kg. Primary Engine Thrust: 140 kgf. Main Engine Propellants: RFNA/Kerosene.

Test pilot V P Fedorov was towed to 2600 m and cast off at 80 km/hr. The rocket then fired and accelerated the aircraft to 140 m/s and 2900 m altitude. The RP-318 flew nine times before the war ended the work.

• 301 - Butowski, Piotr, Air Forces Monthly Special, X-Planes, "Black Reds", February 1998, p. 35.