Moskalev SAM-23

Ground-Attack Aircraft Proposal

Soviet Union | 1943

"The Moskalev SAM-23 of 1943 was drawn up as a potential dedicated ground-attack platform armed through machine guns, cannon, and rockets."

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

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/18/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Alexsandr A. Moskalev never found the level of success that his Soviet World War 2-era (1939-1945) peers found - most of his forward-thinking designs ended their days as mere "paper airplanes". Plenty of contributions were apparent, however, and these ranged from the SAM-1 sesquiplane monoplane fighter of 1930 to the SAM-28 motorized glider of 1943. In-between there lay a plethora of design forms that included the "SAM-23", a single-seat, single-engine ground-attack aircraft of unique design form appearing during the fighting of World War 2 in 1943.

NOTE: The "SAM-23" designation was also used for a later troop-carrying glider of 1944. While incorporating a twin-boom layout, it held a boxy fuselage and was its own design apart from the SAM-23 ground-attack platform detailed in this article.

The aircraft was given a centralized nacelle making up the fuselage and housing the avionics, cockpit, and propulsion system while the tail section was made up of a twin-boom configuration. The single-seat cockpit was positioned just aft of the rounded nose section and covered over in a framed canopy. Views to the rear were obstructed by the raised dorsal spine as well as the wing mainplanes, which were shoulder-mounted atop the fuselage. The engine was seated aft and above the pilot's position in "pusher" configuration and set to drive a simple two-bladed propeller unit - pushing air between the two tail booms. The booms were joined at the aft-end of the aircraft by a single horizontal plane which, rather interestingly, mounted only a single vertical tail fin (two outboard planes were typical of such designs). The undercarriage was fixed and of a tail-dragger arrangement, incorporating two large main wheels forward and a small single wheel aft.

Drive power was to come from 1 x Mikulin M-11 series engine offering 150 horsepower.

One of the more interesting aspects the aircraft was a retracting tail wheel skid that is explained as a rudimentary terrain-following device, lowered and raised as needed.

The aircraft was proposed with armament comprised of 2 x 20mm ShVAK autocannons as well as 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns to go along with support for up to 4 x RS-82 air-to-surface rockets. This would have given it considerable killing power for the period, certainly suitable for ground-attack sorties against German convoys and static postions.

Like other Moskalev designs of the period, the radical SAM-23 proposal was not advanced.

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-23 Ground-Attack Aircraft Proposal.

1 x Mikulin M-11 piston engine developing 150 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller unit in pusher configuration at the rear of the fuselage nacelle.
Propulsion

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Moskalev SAM-23 Ground-Attack Aircraft Proposal.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Moskalev SAM-23 Ground-Attack Aircraft Proposal .

PROPOSED:
2 x 20mm ShVAK autocannons.
2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns.

OPTIONAL:
4 x RS-82 air-to-surface rockets.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Moskalev SAM-23 family line.

SAM-23 - Base Project Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Moskalev SAM-23. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Moskalev - Soviet Union

[ Soviet Union (cancelled). ]

1 / 1

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

Going Further...
The Moskalev SAM-23 Ground-Attack Aircraft Proposal 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)