aircraft/loadouts Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1

[Comrade_Katya 98]

Hello there, I would like to suggest a fascinating and little known aircraft, The Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1.  

Around a similar time to when the Komet was first being thought up, Soviet engineers were working on this aircraft, which was to be the Soviets first ever rocket fighter, designed as a short range interceptor, and powered by the Revolutionary  Dushkin D-1A-1100 liquid-fuel rocket motor, or the later model RD-1A rocket motor. Armed with a pair of 20mm cannons, with a top speed of up to 800 km/h and a rate of climb of 70-160 m/s, I feel this aircraft would make an excellent edition to War Thunder.
 
A total of 9 were built and it made 13 total test flights, with only one crash.

Detailed Performance:

General Characteristics:

Crew: 1
Length: 6.4 meters
Wingspan: 6.48 meters
Height: 2.06 meters
Area of wings: approximately 7 meters squared
Empty weight: 805 kg
Maximum takeoff weight: 1650 kg
Powerplant: Either a D-1A-1100 rocket motor or an RD-1A rocket motor
Armament: 2x 20mm ShVAK cannons

Flight Characteristics:

Top speed: 800 km/h

Rate of climb: 70-160 m/s
Endurance: 2-15 minutes depending on engine and thrust settings

It should be noted that the aircraft was stated as being able to climb to 10,000 meters in only 59 seconds.


Information on this aircraft can be found from the following sources:

http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/bi1.html
http://xplanes.free.fr/florov/afr-5.html
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=868
https://ww2db.com/aircraft_spec.php?aircraft_model_id=430
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bereznyak-Isayev_BI-1


Some history on the aircraft:
 

Spoiler

Early Design:
 

Soviet research and development of rocket-powered aircraft began with Sergey Korolev's GIRD-6 project in 1932. His interest in stratospheric flight was also shared by Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky who supported this early work. After a long series of unmanned tests of vehicles, Korolev's RP-318-1 rocket aircraft flew on 28 Feb 1940. That Spring, TsAGI (ЦАГИ – Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т – Tsentralniy Aerogidrodinamicheskiy Institut Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute) hosted a conference for aircraft chief designers on the subject of ramjet and rocket propulsion. On 12 July the SNK (Sovet Narodnykh Komissarov – council of peoples commissars) called for the development of a high-speed stratospheric aircraft.

Aircraft designer and head of OKB-293, Viktor Fedorovich Bolkhovitinov attended the TsAGI conference along with two of his top engineers, A. Ya. Bereznyak and A. M. Isaev. The young Bereznyak had made an impression in 1938 with a high-speed airplane design that some thought could break the world speed record. Bereznyak and Isaev were excited by the idea of designing a rocket-powered aircraft, and their "patron" Bolkhovitinov approved. By the Autumn of 1940, they were able to show fellow engineer Boris Chertok a preliminary design of "Project G". The design, made up mostly from plywood and duralumin had a take-off weight of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb), and they planned to use the new 13.734 kN (3,088 lbf) rocket engine under development in the RNII ( Raketnyy Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Institut – reaction engine scientific research institute). Chertok was astounded that the aircraft could almost climb vertically.

Bereznyak, Isaev and Chertok visited RNII in March 1941, but the new rocket engine was not working yet. The engine was designed by Leonid Dushkin, who had made the RD-A-150 for the Korolyov RP-318-1. Powered by tractor kerosene and red fuming nitric acid, it fell short of the hoped for 13.74 kN (3,090 lbf) thrust and the D-1-A-1100 was expected to reach 10.8 kN (2,400 lbf). The "A" stood for Nitric Acid ("Azotnokislotny" in Russian), versus K for Liquid Oxygen ("Kisloroda" in Russian), a distinction of unusual importance and controversy among Soviet rocket scientists. Dushkin's turbine propellant pump was causing considerable problems, driven by hot gas and steam from a small combustion chamber fed with rocket propellants mixed with water, but this system was perfected a few years later for the RD-2M engine.

The D-1-A-1100 was built from S54 steel (a 12% chromium alloy). At this point in time, Russian rocket engines were built with typical aviation piston-engine manufacturing technology, weighing 48 kg (106 lb), it could be broken down into discrete forged-steel sections – a conical head with 60 centrifugal injectors, the cylindrical chamber, and the nozzle – joined with bolts and copper gaskets. It was ignited with a nichrome glow plug, later replaced with silicon-carbide and was cooled regeneratively by both propellants, the chamber walls by a spiral flow of incoming fuel (kerosene) and the nozzle section by the flow of oxidizer (Nitric Acid).

War Time Development:

On 21 June Isaev proposed a new design using compressed air instead of a pump to force propellant to the engine. The next day, Operation Barbarossa brought the Soviet Union into World War II, and the rocket-powered interceptor suddenly became important. Bereznyak and Isaev began a new more detailed design, which they finished in three weeks. On 9 July Bolkhovitinov and his project-G team met with Andrey Kostikov the head of RNII. Dushkin was not happy about the idea of bypassing his fuel pump design, but they backed the plan and cosigned a letter that was eventually shown to Joseph Stalin. After giving a report at the Kremlin, they were ordered to build the aircraft and were given only 35 days to do so. The official order was dated August 1, but work began in late July. The engineers were given leave to visit their families, and then literally lived at the factory until the aircraft were finished.

The new design was called "BI" for Blizhnii Istrebitel (close-range fighter), but the letters were also understood by everyone to stand for its inventors: Bereznyak and Isaev. The original plan to include four machine guns was replaced by a design with a pair of 20 mm (0.79 in) ShVAK cannon. The new aircraft was a low-wing monoplane 6.4 m (21 ft) long, with a wingspan of 6.5 m (21 ft) and an estimated take-off mass of 1,650 kg (3,640 lb) (dry mass 805 kg (1,775 lb) and had a maximum propellant load of 705 kg (1,554 lb). The D-1-A-1100 engine was capable of throttling between 400 kg and 1,100 kg and with 705 kg (1,554 lb)) of propellant, the engine could burn for almost two minutes.^[1]

Working around the clock, local furniture workers were employed to build the first two prototypes (BI-1 and BI-2). The skin was 2 mm (0.08 in) plywood with a bonded covering of fabric. The ailerons, elevators and rudder were fabric covered, and the flaps were duralumin. In the forward section were 5 compressed air tanks and 2 kerosene tanks. In the aft were 5 compressed air tanks and three nitric acid tanks.

Pressurized to 60 bar (6,000 kPa), the tanks were made from a high-strength chromium-manganese-silicon steel ("Chromansil") that was not especially resistant to corrosion. Thus, the acid tanks had to be replaced periodically. Compressed air was also used to retract and deploy the landing gear and to power the built-in cannon.

On 1 September 1941 the BI-1 was completed and ready for gliding tests by pilot Boris N. Kudrin as Dushkin's engine was still not ready. A few weeks later, rival aircraft designer A.S. Yakovlev took it upon himself to tow the prototype to TsAGI for windtunnel testing. This alarmed Bolkhovitinov's team, because their patron had a rocky history with Yakovlev, but Alexander Sergeevich and aircraft designer Ilya Florov studied the test results and gave them sound advice for improvements. Yaw instability was corrected by enlarging the rudder and adding two circular plates to the tail horizontal stabilizer.

Test Flights in the Urals:

 

In October, both OKB-293 and RNII were evacuated to the Urals, along with most of Moscow's war industry. Bolkhovitinov's team was stationed in Bilimbay, and Dushkin's team in Sverdlovsk, about 60 km (37 mi) away. A test stand was built on the shore of frozen lake Bilimbay, with a dynamometer cradle to hold the BI-1 during engine testing. A new test pilot, Grigory Yakovlevich Bakhchivandzhi, was assigned to the team. Dushkin was increasingly absorbed by other work, including RNII's own rocket aircraft project, the Kostikov-302. He assigned his engineer Arvid V. Pallo to oversee the installation and testing of the rocket engine.^[2]

Nitric acid presented a constant problem, corroding parts and causing skin burns and respiratory irritation. Tanks of sodium carbonate solution were kept around to neutralize acid spills. On 20 February 1942, the engine exploded during a full system test. The nozzle section was blasted into the lake, and the engine head struck the back of the pilot's seat, knocking Bakhchivandzhi against the instrument panel and injuring him slightly. Pressurized nitric acid from a broken propellant line drenched Pallo. Fortunately, quick thinking mechanics dunked him head-first into a tank of soda solution. His face was yellow from the characteristic acid staining, but his glasses saved him from being blinded. To protect the pilot in the future, a 5.5 mm (0.22 in) steel plate was added to the back of the seat.

By April 1942, BI-1 was ready for testing at nearby Koltsove airfield. A test commission was formed, with representatives from OKB-293, RNII and the NII VVS. On 2 May the pilot let the aircraft lift off to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) under low thrust.

On 15 May at 19:02 (UTC), Bakhchivandzhi made the first real flight of BI-1, reaching an altitude of 840 m (2,760 ft) and a maximum speed of 400 km/h (220 kn; 250 mph). The mass of the aircraft had been reduced to 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) (only 240 kg (530 lb) of nitric acid and 60 kg (130 lb) of kerosene loaded), and the engine was de-rated to 4.9 kN (1,100 lbf). The pilot shut the rocket engine off after about one minute, when a light indicated it was overheating. On landing, the aircraft descended too rapidly because of insufficient forward speed, breaking the main-landing-gear on touchdown. The pilot was unhurt and reported that, aside from the rough landing, the aircraft handled well. The flight lasted only 3 minutes and 9 seconds.

In July, Dushkin recalled Pallo to help work on the "302" rocket-aircraft project, meanwhile Bolkovitinov asked Isaev to take over and master the technology of liquid fuel rocket engines. Isaev got permission to visit Valentin Glushko, the leading Soviet expert on rocket engines, who was then working in a special lab for political prisoners. Glushko taught Isaev the complex techniques of chamber-wall heat transfer calculation and engine design, developed by himself and Fridrikh Tsander in the early 1930s. Isaev's propellant feed system was simple, but it produced an uneven fuel pressure that diminished as compressed air was used up. Bolkovitinov and his engineers wrestled with this problem, designing pressure regulators and even a piston fuel pump driven by compressed air, but none of these improvements were realized.

Too damaged by acid to fly safely, BI-1 was retired and the second prototype BI-2 was made ready. Backchivadzhi made the second flight on 10 Jan 1943, reaching 1,100 m (3,600 ft) but with the engine still throttled back for a maximum speed of 400 km/h (220 kn; 250 mph). The first flight had been with landing gear kept down, and some vibration was observed. For the second flight the landing gear was retracted, and no vibration was observed at the same speed.

The third flight was made on 12 Jan (some sources say 10 Feb) by a temporary test pilot, Konstantin Gruzdev, while Backchivadzhi was consulting on Kostikov's "302" project. This time the engine was opened up to full thrust of 10.79 kN (2,430 lb_f) and a speed of 675 km/h (364 kn; 419 mph) was achieved and a maximum altitude of 2,190 m (7,190 ft). During the winter, the landing gear was switched from wheels to skis. On one of Gruzdev's flights, one ski broke off during take-off, but he was able to land safely. Backchivandzhi returned to make flights in the third prototype BI-3 on 11 March, 14 March and 21 March, reaching a maximum altitude of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) with a maximum rate of climb of 83 m/s (16,300 ft/min).

The 21 March flight was with a full load of ammunition, however most of the BIs did not carry weapons, and although some reports claim that BI-4 was used for live ammunition tests, the guns were never fired in flight. The BI-4 model was also reportedly to be used as the template for mass production of 30 to 50 BI-VS aircraft by Andrey Moskalev's factory, with Moskalev augmenting the twin ShVAK cannon with a load of ten thermite bombs.

On 27 March, during a low-altitude test flight, BI-1, piloted by Backchivandzhi, enterred a 45-degree dive and crashed into the ground, killing Backchivandzhi. The accident put a halt to flight tests, and a lengthy investigation began. Eventually, after wind tunnel testing, it was determined that BI-1 lost control due to transonic effects on the pitch controls / stabilisers. Estimates of Backchivandzhi's final velocity range from 800 to 900 km/h (430 to 490 kn; 500 to 560 mph), but the recording instruments were too damaged by the crash for a reliable measurement.

A New Engine:

In May 1943, OKB-293 returned from its evacuation and set up operation in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow. On May 18, Bolkhovitinov wrote a detailed report "On Rocket Aircraft and Further Prospects". He emphasized the need to study the dangerous regime of "shock stall", and to safely transition through transonic speed and beyond. He proposed the goal of a new rocket aircraft capable of 2,000 km/h (1,100 kn; 1,200 mph).

The next year, Bolkhovitinov had five more aircraft produced, BI-5 through BI-9. In the Spring of 1944, BI-6 was fitted with a pair of Igor A. Merkulov's DM-4 ramjet engines. It did not contain a rocket engine, so it was towed into the air. The pilot, Boris Kudrin, flew the BI-6 three times, but was never able to get both ramjets to start at the same time. The aircraft was taken to TsAGI for further tests in the T-101 wind tunnel. The DM-4 auxiliary motor was also tested on the YaK-7b fighter.

With the loss of the D-1-A-1100 engine, Isayev began designing a new engine. The RD-1 was completed and tested in October 1944. The general form of the engine was the same as Dushkin's, but with numerous improvements. Isayev fashioned the sections from 12Kh13 stainless chromium steel (13% chromium, 0.12% carbon content). The head had 85 swirling injectors arranged in a honeycomb pattern that promoted improved fuel-oxidizer mixture. It also used a more reliable electric arc starter instead of a glow plug. Isayev also improved the regenerative cooling, increasing the flow rate around the nozzle.

BI-7 was flown twice with the RD-1 engine, on January 24 and March 9, 1945. Pallo reports there was an emergency with the landing gear during the January flight. In addition to the new engine, various changes were made to the aircraft's design: a larger rudder, smaller false keel, and different wing fillets. During the test flights, the pilot Boris Kudrin, noticed some tailfin flutter. On May 29, the pilot M.K. Baykalov tested the BI-7 in glider mode, without starting the engine, and the flutter was not detected. At this point, the aircraft was too corroded by nitric acid to fly again, and it was retired. To further investigate the flutter problem, BI-5 was modified in the same fashion as BI-7 (but with no engine) and tested in glider flights; however, the problem was not reproduced.

After BI-6 was sent to TsAGI, BI-9 was put into service as a replacement (marked with a "6" on its tail). Flown by Boris Kudrin and M.A. Baikalov, it was used in glider tests with extra payload weight. The fate of BI-8 is unknown.

As turbojet aircraft began to appear in the mid 1940s, the lack of prospects for further development of rocket aircraft in general, and BI in particular, primarily due to limited flight time became evident.

 

Below are some photographs of the aircraft



 

Spoiler

Original prototype


Prototype with 2x 20mm


Rear view of prototype


Cannon installation in nose


View of cockpit interior



Modern replicas constructed partially with original components

And finally, here is actual video footage of the aircraft being tested, with the cannons clearly visible in the nose

BI-1 test flight footage


 

Edited December 16, 2017 by Comrade_Katya

[SAUBER_KH7 3,326]

Open for Discussion.

[Nell_Lucifer 927]

Yes +1 

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

+1

This along the MiG I-270 Zh too. Japan and Germany have rocket planes, why shouldn't Russia have some too

Edited December 16, 2017 by EpicBlitzkrieg87

[Igotchatbanned 557]

It would be a great and different addition! Gib!

[Grand_Moff_Tano 3,460]

BL-1 is a must!  Loved it from the IL-2 days haha

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

This has been suggested before, but the footage you've found is nice.  I'd be fine with this being an event vehicle, or possibly a rank 5 "premium" once rank 6 aviation is added...if Gaijin can figure out how to balance it properly, since there's a few...issues.

 

The biggest issue, of course, is that climb rate.  Going by the data listed in the OP, a conservative estimate of its climb rate is placed at 70 m/s.  For comparison, the War Thunder wiki lists the Hunter F.1's climb rate at 55 m/s, the MiG-17A's at 50 m/s, and the CL-13A at 49.3 m/s...or to put it another way, this thing would theoretically outclimb EVERY plane in the game.  Even with its redline speed being in the 800-900 km/h range (iirc this thing's top speed was limited not by aerodynamics but by the fact that the plane tended to pitch downwards uncontrollably at that sort of speed), that's pretty damned ridiculous when combined with the possible maximum fuel load of fifteen minutes, more than enough time to get to altitude, get a few cheeky kills on climbing enemies, and then zip back to base.

 

On the OTHER hand, as I mentioned before it's not especially fast by rank 5 standards (the aircraft becoming completely unresponsive above around 800 km/h according to an investigation into one of the crashes).  Its firepower - while decent - is a bit lacking compared to other jets in terms of rate of fire, muzzle velocity, and burst mass.  Lastly, there's the fact that it was likely made at least partly of wood, and anybody who's flown the high-tier Yaks (particularly the Yak-15s) knows what this means for high-speed maneuvers (high Gs + wooden wings = no more wings), so in spite of its climb rate , the pilot would need to be VERY careful while executing BnZ attacks against lower enemies.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Z3r0_

[Admiral_Aruon 2,264]

oh you gotta be kidding me. this thing is awesome. its every performance aspect of the Komet taken to its most bat**** crazy extreme. swoop in, damage or de-wing someone and zoom climb away from harm.

 

not just a BnZ fighter, but a literal drive-by hit and run rocketship. it's like the glorious magical communist love child of Yuri Gagarin and Rambo.

 

BI-1? more like da+1.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Admiral_Aruon

[Comrade_Katya 98]

Forgot to mention the chart showing the performance in test flights, i'll include it in this comment. It did actually manage to reach 160 m/s climb rate in one of the tests.

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

16 minutes ago, Comrade_Katya said:

Forgot to mention the chart showing the performance in test flights, i'll include it in this comment. It did actually manage to reach 160 m/s climb rate in one of the tests.

 

Unfortunately, 160 m/s would be WAY too fast to be even remotely balanced.  Even a conservative estimate of 70 m/s, like I said earlier, would let it outclimb every plane in the game, but at least that could be offset by its drawbacks (low redline speed, mediocre though not terrible firepower, and questionable structural integrity during high G maneuvers).

 

It'd be a Yak jet on crack with those capabilities.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Z3r0_

[Comrade_Katya 98]

2 minutes ago, Z3r0_ said:

 

Unfortunately, 160 m/s would be WAY too fast to be even remotely balanced.  Even a conservative estimate of 70 m/s, like I said earlier, would let it outclimb every plane in the game, but at least that could be offset by its drawbacks (low controllable top speed, mediocre though not terrible firepower, and questionable structural integrity during high G maneuvers).

 

It'd be a Yak jet on crack with those capabilities.

I should point out that running the engine at the power required to give that rate of climb will only give you two minutes of powered flight, if that helps balance it.

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

Just now, Comrade_Katya said:

I should point out that running the engine at the power required to give that rate of climb will only give you two minutes of powered flight, if that helps balance it.

 

That might help to offset it, but on the other hand that would go in the opposite direction and make it useless.  160 m/s for two minutes is REALLY quick, so quick that you'd be out of fuel before you've spotted an enemy aircraft in most cases.  I guess that doesn't matter if you plan to go SAM mode against a bomber though.

[Comrade_Katya 98]

3 minutes ago, Z3r0_ said:

 

That might help to offset it, but on the other hand that would go in the opposite direction and make it useless.  160 m/s for two minutes is REALLY quick, so quick that you'd be out of fuel before you've spotted an enemy aircraft in most cases.  I guess that doesn't matter if you plan to go SAM mode against a bomber though.

At that power it gives 59 seconds to get to 10,000m. You could easily climb for 40ish seconds to get up to around 8000m and then cut/throttle the engine and cruise.

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

That's kind-of what I'm envisioning.  Pity it's Soviet, it'd be funny as hell to make Tu-4 pilots **** themselves when they see one of these things barreling their way, knowing that this will be a one-way flight for both of them.  I guess there's always mixed battles for that...

Edited December 17, 2017 by Z3r0_

[GuiRitter 694]

On 17/12/2017 at 6:26 AM, Z3r0_ said:

This has been suggested before [...]

Found the link for you:

(That makes this the 3rd time this is being suggested...)

 

But, sure, I want it too!

Edited December 19, 2017 by GuiRitter

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

14 hours ago, GuiRitter said:

Found the link for you:

(That makes this the 3rd time this is being suggested...)

 

But, sure, I want it too!

I think suggestions that are that old are irrelevant now

[Shepard_FR 546]

YOSS !!

 

I want this plane, I loved messing around with it in IL-2 1946.

[Milocat 4,857]

+1 for the Soviet Komet.

[VWGolf4_20v_AGU 132]

+1

[Wolf_89 2,525]

Would really like too see more rocket fighters.

So this is a BIG yes pls! from me

[BrentD15@psn 1,117]

+1 for the Kosmonauts!

[EllQuick 1]

Moar rocket aircraft!

[kamikazi21358 998]

+1, and I usually don’t say main tree for prototypes, but since 9 were made, I think this is the best option for a main tree rocket plane for the USSR than the other options.

[AspandaIV 376]

I personally prefer the I-270 over the BI-1 but i'll still want it in game

[Solarmod 1,204]

Very ugly, looks fun. +1