Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma)

Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Prototype

Soviet Union | 1936

"The Moskalev SAM-7 never fulfilled its potential in testing - largely due to an unproven and wholly unique design arrangement."

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/26/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

By mid-1930s aircraft standards, the Moskalev SAM-7 "Sigma" was a wholly unique, two-seat, single-engine "tailless" fighter proposal of the World War 2-era (1939-1945) to emerge from the Soviet Union Appearing in 1936, the aircraft never saw service as a production aircraft. Such experiments proved common for all major participants of the Second World War with many such designs never seeing the light of day, let along functional prototypes. Design of this aircraft is attributed to Alexsandr A. Moskalev.

The aircraft incorporated a mid-set monoplane arrangement with full-length slotted flaps were to act as elevators and ailerons to handle pitch, roll, and elevation controls. The wing mainplanes were fitted to the sides of the fuselage in typical fashion and given a tapered shape from fuselage to the wingtips. Furthermore, the wingtips were capped by oversized, rounded fins. The pilot sat in his usual place near midships with the engine mounted direct forward, this used to drive a four-bladed wooden propeller unit. Construction was of all-metal including metal skinning of aluminum alloy. The undercarriage was of a "tail dragger" arrangement incorporating two main (wheeled) legs under the wings and a simple tail skid aft. The main legs retracted (by means of a manual mechanism) into the wings towards the fuselage centerline while the tail skid was fixed.

Power was from a single Mikulin M-34 series V12 liquid-cooled piston engine of 750 horsepower which drove the propeller unit at the nose. This same mass-production engine (over 10,500 individual units produced from 1934 to 1943) powered such types as the Tupolev TB-3 and TB-4, the Petlyakov Pe-8, and the Kalinin K-7.

The aircraft's wingspan reached 9.6 meters with an overall fuselage length of 7 meters. Empty weight was 1,000kg against an MTOW of 1,500kg.

Proposed armament was 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades while the rear cockpit was managed by the dedicated rear gunner who had access to 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns. In this way, the aircraft could attack both aerial and land-based targets while being actively defensed from the rear.

The SAM-7 saw only limited testing and quickly found to be an inherently unstable design - no surprise considering the departure from the aircraft design norms of the time. Instead, the Soviet aeronautic focus remained on more conventional, traditional fighter designs for the foreseeable future.

Captured performance specs included a maximum speed of 500 kmh, range of 800 kilometers, and a service ceiling of 9,200 meters.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Moskalev SAM-7 Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Prototype.

1 x Mikulin M-34 V-12 liquid-cooled inline piston engine developing 750 horsepower and driving a four-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

311 mph
500 kph | 270 kts
Max Speed

30,184 ft
9,200 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

497 miles
800 km | 432 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Moskalev SAM-7 Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Prototype.

3
(MANNED)
Crew

23.0 ft
7.00 m
O/A Length

31.5 ft
(9.60 m)
O/A Width

2,205 lb
(1,000 kg)
Empty Weight

3,307 lb
(1,500 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma) Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Prototype .

PROPOSED:
2 x 7.76mm ShKAS machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mounts over the nose synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns paired in a trainable, rear-facing gun position at the aft-section of the fuselage.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma) family line.

SAM-7 - Base Project Designation; single prototype completed and lightly tested.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Moskalev UN31 / Plant 18 - Soviet Union

[ Soviet Union (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The Moskalev SAM-7 (Sigma) Twin-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Prototype appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)