The Bisnovat SK-2 was seemingly too advanced for its own good and, despite promising performance gains, was not adopted for serial production during World War 2.
Like other powers of the late-Interwar period (that is, the period between the two World Wars), the Soviets were hard at work on development of all-new monoplane wing planforms to improve their lot of frontline machine gun-armed fighters. The Central Dynamics and Hydrodynamics Institute (TsAGI), under the direction of Matus Bisnovat, had conducted research in the field involving the SK/SK-1 ("Skorostnoye Krylo") high-speed monoplane-winged speedster of 1939-1940 and this work was used to progress a combat-level fighting monoplane bearing his name - the Bisnovat "SK-2". Bisnovat had already accrued the needed knowledge while working as an aeronautics engineer at OKO in Kiev, Ukraine, and was eventually allowed to establish his own design bureau ("OKB") for extending the project.
Like the original SK, the SK-2 sought to accomplish complete refinement in design, not only utilizing an all-new, small-area wing planform but also securing the smallest, most efficient airframe to viably accommodate an inline piston engine of the day. The aircraft featured the Klimov M-105 (VK-105) 12-cylinder inline piston engine of 1,050 horsepower driving a three-bladed propeller at the nose - the engine housed in a compact, low-profile space to maintain the aircraft's streamlined efficiency. The pilot's position was held low against the fuselage and positioned well-aft in the design, the dorsal spine meeting the base of the single rudder tail fin. The "tail-dragger" undercarriage was hydraulically controlled and wholly-retractable. The mainplanes, with their rounded tips, straight leading edges, and tapering trailing edges, were fitted low and ahead of midships creating a balanced flying platform. All-metal construction, including light alloy skinning, was used throughout the makeup of the aircraft though fabric covered the tail's control surfaces.
In its potential combat form, it was proposed that the aircraft would carry an armament array of at least 2 x 12.7mm BS Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) in the engine cowling and possibly 1 x 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG) to improve firepower in meeting the threats of the day.
As finalized, the SK-2 was first-flown during October 1940 (this as World War 2 raged on) and gave itself a good showing. However, the gains found through this advanced design were not enough to supplant the current mold of fighter design in the Soviet aircraft stable. As such, the Sk-2 project was abandoned as the war continued.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
27.2 ft (8.28 m)
Width/Span
24.0 ft (7.30 m)
Height
10.7 ft (3.25 m)
Empty Wgt
4,079 lb (1,850 kg)
MTOW
5,071 lb (2,300 kg)
Wgt Diff
+992 lb (+450 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Bisnovat SK-2 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Klimov M-105 (VK-105) 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled inline piston engine developing 1,050 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Bisnovat SK-2 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
PROPOSED:
2 x 12.7mm BS Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) in engine cowling.
1 x 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG).
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
SK-2 - Base Series Designation; single flyable example completed.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
52
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 500mph
Lo: 250mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (410mph).
Graph average of 375 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Bisnovat SK-2 operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (1)
1
36183
44000
Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).
>>
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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.
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 all American military medals and ribbons.
Soviet Union (cancelled)
