Myasichev-Gurko M(G)-19

Something really odd, still mostly classified project of LH-fueled aerospace plane with TOW around 2000 (two thousand) tons and LEO payload 40-90 tons, part of more global so-called 'theme' codenamed 'Kholod-2' (Cold-2).
Initial plans to use combined ramjet/rocket engines later became even more fantastic with the use of nuclear rocket engines, with maiden flight planned for 1990. Project began ca 1972 and lived in various forms till USSR breakdown.

Do you (or anyone else) know more about the 'Kholod-2' theme? Were Tu-260/360, Tu-2000, MiG 301/321 etc. also part of it? What about the LNG/hydrogen fuelled Tu-155 and the Kholod scramjet demonstrator? And was there a 'Kholod-1'?

I hope these aren't too many questions.

Meteorit said:

Do you (or anyone else) know more about the 'Kholod-2' theme? Were Tu-260/360, Tu-2000, MiG 301/321 etc. also part of it? What about the LNG/hydrogen fuelled Tu-155 and the Kholod scramjet demonstrator? And was there a 'Kholod-1'?

I hope these aren't too many questions. 

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Someone definitely knows more. All I can say from what I know is that Kholod was multi-aspect family of programs that studied LOX as perspective aircraft fuel and hypersonic combustion as well, and their practical use for space and military programs. Say, if you are talking about hypersonics and LH as its fuel in USSR - all that was a part of Kholod. SA-5 launched scramjet was Kholod, Kholod-2 was mostly all about M-19, multi-stage development program that considered step-by-step program. Carriage of LOX onboard must be tested on IL-76, but after death of Myasichev this aspect was transferred to Tupolev OKB, that lead to Tu-155 in 1988, and think that was related to own Tupolev recearch in aerospace plane, Tu-2000.

In 1993-95 there was another research program called 'Oryol' (Eagle), say RFP for reusable spacecraft, that was answered with many concepts including Tupolev's follow-on on Tu-2000 (sometimes referred as RAKS (Rossiyski Aerokosmichesky Samolyot/Russian AeroSpace Plane)' or 'Oryol') and zoo of air-launched concepts, 'Delta Clippersky' called Corona from Makeev OKB, Russian Venture Star from KB Salyut etc. All that was making cake of sand as no financing were possible.

Now activities on this subject are alive and as guys from TzIAM say, money flow is slightly grows and secrecy is grows that means that military perspectives are seen, at least they have launched in 2004 something hypersonic that can breach BMD shield (at least as they say). Launch was said to be tests of X-90 aka AS-19 Koala, but it was a cover-up as been said by insiders. Ugh, one day we will know more. BTW, Yuri Solomonov, father of Topol-M, in February 2005 said that in fact that misterious hypersonic 'something' didn't hit the target point and burned somewhere over Svobodny cosmodrome. http://www.rg.ru/2005/02/02/reforma-ran.html All I also know that stuff has NO fuel onboard, so it's possible another wunderwaffe that must mostly attack brains of Pentagon egghead and budget eaters. As one Pentagon four star general said answering a question if new russian hypersonic warhead will breach BMDO defence - 'No, it wouldn't, it will not work...As well as our anti-missile defence...'

Thanks for the answer flateric. I'd have a few more questions:
When you wrote 'studied LOX as perspective aircraft fuel' did you mean LH (liquid hydrogen)? Am I right assuming the Kholod scramjet demonstrator was in some sense the 'first stage' of the program, and 'Kholod-2' a continuation? And could you try to rephrase 'Kholod-2 was mostly all about M-19'? Do you mean M(G)-19 was the only vehicle design of the Kholod-2 program, and the other hypersonic vehicles belonged to something else (Kholod-'1')?

Oh, and Kh-90 is actually AS-X-21 .

Ugh. shame on me, not LOX of course, LH...

What about Kholod timeline - it's not clear. One source says that Kholod was initiated in March 1979.

..While other says that Kholod-2 theme was initiated in late 1974, and its target was to determine possible aerodynamic and structural configuration and powerplant of perspective aerospace plane. All mentions of Kholod-2 program I've seen only in relation to M-19 so far, and never in relation to OKB Tupolev, but it doesn't mean that their Tu-2000 wasn't part of Kholod-2, we just don't know that.

IMHO, Kholod held more wider aspects of hypersonics and cryogenic fuels - from production to practical use, while Kholod-2 is more pointed on aerospace plane itself.

In fact, this theme is very touchy so far, and I can't discuss it more deeply, mostly because (c) aspects, I know that more information are readied for publication as part of Vadim Lukashevich (owner of www.buran.ru) upcoming book on russian reusable spacecrafts, or an devoted article.

Kholod program timeframe and results is much more publicized, and you can make timeline of it yourcelf.

Can someone translate this?

flateric said:

Can someone translate this?

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The Frenchman believes we are doing spearhead research.
General, the scramjet held out for 30 seconds at Mach 6.5
Excellent

Ok, what I know is surely a small part.I don't know hos it is related to the main story!!!!
Kholod : A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) was tested on a SA-5 between 1991 and 1998. The CNES - french space agency- was part of the program. World record for an airbreathing vehicle mach 6.5 on 12th February 1998 (that the aim of the picture).
C'est tout pour aujourd'hui!!! ;D

New structural cutaway drawings (one is 'old' classic description-based, second is 'new', based on declassified documents and research, with some details intentionally omitted/not shown) and on-orbit configuration (you can judge best size comparing it to MIR space station)

Courtesy Vadim Lukashevich (www.buran.ru), published here with permission.

Thanks flateric! I have to say I find this design really fascinating, not least due to its size and propulsion.

Was visiting Konstantin Udalov of Avico-Press today and saw 4-inch thick folder of original M-19 documentation...What can I say...we have many things to see *yet* in the future...

Appears to be all rocket propulsion? However unable to see underside to verify?

airrocket said:

Appears to be all rocket propulsion? However unable to see underside to verify?

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According to 'Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myasichev's Aircrafts', M-19 used a zoo of engines to reach orbit and return back, with H2 being fuel for all the engines, as well as reactor's working fluid:
10 augmented low-bypass turbojets operating from take-off to speeds of М=2,5-2,7 at 12-15 km. Heat exchangers, interconnected with reactor core, are installed in front of turbine in both ducts.
At boost phase (M=2,7-5,0 at ~ 15 km) turbojets are working in autorotation mode, with operational heat exchangers in front of afterburner.
At the speed of M=3,5-4,5, scramjets are turned on, and working in pair of turbofans, they are accelerating vehicle to M=16, H=50 km. After that, giant ogival aerodynamic fairing at back of M-19 is jettisoned, and nuclear rocket engine roars finally.

Reactor power while working in *turbofan* acceleration mode, is rated at 2100-4000 MWT, at rocket nuclear engine mode - N~14800-15600 MWT, with engine thrust of 280-300 metric ton-force.

All drawings (c) Avico-Press

Nuclear power ?

Archibald said:

Nuclear power ?

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Sure. Seems you didn't read thread from the top

Yes nuke power. There are fusion powered combined cycle space plane concepts being studied as well. These really thread the CATS needle with reusable single stage earth to moon flights. Physics are way far ahead of current scram applications.

Several other iterations of "Kholod-2" study (that was fully dedicated to M-19).
Not to scale.

The "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myasichev's Aircrafts" K.Udalov,A.Brook,V.Pogodin.. has been used while working on recently posted drawings of the M-19. I forgot to indicate that point. Since the authors & publishers claim I put my own copyright illegally, I apologize.Thus, in settlement of their claims, there's a new posting of these drawings without my copyright. Though I state that I simply took a bad quality PDF (which I keep long time) with no properties/security requisites, and had it drawn with Corel Draw.

Archibald said:

Ok, what I know is surely a small part.I don't know hos it is related to the main story!!!!
Kholod : A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) was tested on a SA-5 between 1991 and 1998. The CNES - french space agency- was part of the program. World record for an airbreathing vehicle mach 6.5 on 12th February 1998 (that the aim of the picture).
C'est tout pour aujourd'hui!!! ;D

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Yes. Article in TiV 1 May 2004 about the S200 missile has useful information about Kholod and Kholod-2 at the end. The "Kholod" [Cold] inter-departmental program for the study of the problems of the use of liquid hydrogen fuel in aviation was approved on 6 March 1979 by Presidium of USSR. The experimental hydrogen-fueled hypersonic scramjet engine was designed and manufactured by the "Soyuz" Machine-Building Design Bureau in Tura. The experimental axisymmetric E-57 hydrogen-fueled supersonic scramjet engine had a diameter of 226 millimeters and a length of 1.2 meters and it was attached to the nose cone of a 5V28 missile. On 27 November 1991, at a test range in Kazakhstan, a flight test of the hypersonic scramjet engine in the flying laboratory, "Kholod", was carried out for the first time. The speed of sound was exceeded by a factor of six at a flight altitude of 35 kilometers during the test. During a launch of the flying laboratory, "Kholod-2", on 12 February 1998, a speed of 1,830 meters per second was achieved by the 5V28 missile with a new wing.