Tsybin RSR

The Tsybin RSR (Reactivnyi Strategicheskii Razvedchik) was a Soviet design for an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

Development and design

In 1954, the design bureau headed by Pavel Tsybin started development of a ramjet powered supersonic strategic bomber, the RS. This design proved impracticable, and a smaller derivative, the 2RS was proposed, which would achieve intercontinental range by being air launched from a modified Tupolev Tu-95 bomber.

This too was unsuccessful, with the aircraft unable to return to base if used on an intercontinental mission, while being incapable of carrying a thermonuclear bomb. The design was therefore revised again to a reconnaissance aircraft capable of operating from conventional runways, the RSR. As ramjets could not be used for take-off, they were replaced by turbofans.

The RSR was primarily of aluminium construction, with a long circular section fuselage, which housed a pressurized cabin for the pilot together with cameras and fuel, with thin, low aspect ratio trapezoidal wings. The engines, two Soloviev D-21 turbofans, were mounted at the tips of the wings. The aircraft had a bicycle undercarriage, with outriggers under the engine nacelles. It was planned to cruise at greater than Mach 2 at a height of 20,000 m (65,600 ft) giving a range of 3,760 km (2,340 mi).