The Myasishchev M-55 (

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: ''Mystic-B'') is a high-altitude

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using Aerial photography, photography), signals ...

developed by OKB Myasishchev in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, similar in mission to the

Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed the "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single-engine, high–altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since the 1950s. Designed for all- ...

, but with a

twin-boom A twin-boom aircraft has two longitudinal auxiliary spars, or “auxiliary booms” , that may contain ancillary components such as fuel tanks and/or provide a supporting structure for other items. Typically, twin tailbooms support the tail ...

fuselage and tail surface design. It is a twin-engined development of the Myasishchev M-17 Stratosphera with a higher maximum take-off weight.

Design and development

During the 1950s and 1960s the

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instituted several programs using high-altitude reconnaissance balloons, released over friendly territory to ascend into the jetstream and be transported over the

and

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

.Taylor, Michael J. H. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999–2000'', 2000. , p. 157.

''Subject 34''

To combat these high-altitude balloons, Myasishchev proposed ''Subject 34'' a single-seat turbojet-powered twin-boom high-aspect-ratio aircraft. Armament of the single-seat balloon interceptor was to have been two air-air missiles (AAM) and two

GSh-23 The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 () is a twin-barreled 23 mm autocannon developed in the Soviet Union, primarily for military aircraft use. It entered service in 1965, replacing the earlier Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 and Rikhter R-23. The GSh-23 wo ...

cannon with 600 rounds per gun in a dorsal turret. Before ''Subject 34'' could be developed into operational hardware, the threat receded due to the success of the ''Keyhole'' reconnaissance satellites of the Corona program and the emergence of the

Lockheed A-12 The Lockheed A-12 is a retired high-altitude, Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft built for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by Lockheed's Skunk Works, based on the designs of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The aircraft was ...

. The first prototype of ''Subject 34'' was completed in secret at the

Kumertau Kumertau (; , ''Kümertaw'') is a town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located from Ufa and from Sterlitamak. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with ...

helicopter plant in

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, but whilst carrying out taxi tests in December 1978, the prototype ''Chaika'' piloted by K. V. Chernobrovkin lifted off to avoid hitting snow banks and was destroyed after hitting a hillside in zero visibility.

M-17 Stratosphera

The design of the ''Chaika'' was adapted as a reconnaissance aircraft and emerged as the Myasishchev M-17 Stratosphera with a revised airframe, including straight tapered wings with 2° 30' anhedral (0° at 1g), shorter fuselage pod and unreheated (non-afterburning)

Kolesov RD-36-51 The Kolesov RD-36 was a supersonic turbojet engine used on various Soviet aircraft projects. Design and development Developed at OKB-36 (P. A. Kolesov) and produced at the Rybinsk Motor-Building Plant, the RD-36-51A engine was developed fo ...

turbojet engine. Flown for the first time on 26 May 1982, the M-17 prototype (regn CCCP 17401) was soon allocated the NATO reporting name Mystic-A and was used for investigating the

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over

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in 1992. The M-17 also set a total of 12 FAI world records, 5 of which still stand. On 28 March 1990, M-17 ''CCCP 17401'' piloted by Vladimir V. Arkhipenko set an altitude record of in class C-1i (Landplanes: take-off weight 16 000 to 20 000 kg).

M-55 Geophysica

The M-17 balloon-interceptor-based model was terminated in 1987 and replaced by the M-17RN, later known as the M-55 Geophysica,

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reporting name ''Mystic-B''. First flown on 16 Aug 1988, the M-55 airframe was revised further with a longer fuselage pod, housing two

Soloviev D-30-10V The Soloviev D-30 (now the Aviadvigatel PS-30) is a Soviet two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine, officially referred to as a "bypass turbojet". It is one of the most powerful turbofan engines developed in the Soviet Union. Development of the tur ...

un-reheated turbofan engines, shorter-span wings and comprehensive sensor payload. The M-55 set a total of 15 FAI world records, all of which still stand today: On 21 September 1993, an M-55 piloted by Victor Vasenkov from the 8th State R&D Institute of the Air Force named after V. P. Chkalov at

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reached a class record altitude of in class C-1j (Landplanes: take-off weight ). A dual-control version, the M-55UTS, was developed by adding a second cockpit behind the original, displacing some avionics and/or sensor payload. A number of M-55 Geophysica remained in service into the 1990s, performing in

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

roles; one M-55 took part in a study of the

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stratosphere The stratosphere () is the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere of Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is composed of stratified temperature zones, with the warmer layers of air located higher ...

in 1996–1997, with similar experiments performed in

during 1999. An Irish-headquartered company Qucomhaps, with a focus on Southeast Asia, has entered a 1-billion USD deal to use the M-55 as a

high-altitude platform station A high-altitude platform station (HAPS, which can also mean high-altitude pseudo-satellite or high-altitude platform systems), also known as atmospheric satellite, is a long endurance (aeronautics), endurance, high altitude aircraft able to off ...

for digital communications.

Service history

, the UK Ministry of Defence believes that Russia is working to return the one flyable M-55 aircraft to military service for use in the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

Variants

;''Subject 34'': The prototype of a high-altitude balloon interceptor, dubbed ''Chaika'' (Gull), was completed in secret at the

helicopter plant in

. ;M-17 Stratosphera: A reconnaissance version of ''Subject 34'', given the

''Mystic-A'', powered by a single

turbojet engine. At least two M-17 aircraft were built. ;M-17RN: Initial designation of what was to become the M-55. ;M-55 Geophysica: A refined version of the M-17 powered by two

unreheated turbofans, carrying a wide variety of sensors for Earth-sciences research. Five M-55 aircraft were built, including one M-55UTS. ;M-55Sh: Proposed ground attack variant. Not built. ;M-55UTS: A dual-control trainer version of the M-55 with a second cockpit directly aft of the forward cockpit, displacing some of the avionic/sensor payload, otherwise identical to the M-55. ;Geophysica 2: a more advanced Earth-sciences research aircraft derived from the M-55, which was not built.

Operators

; *

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; *

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Specifications (M-55)

References

External links

Photos on russianplanes.net

Photos on airliners.net

Soviet Air Force's Weirdest Foe
, ''YouTube'' {{USAF/DoD reporting names Myasishchev aircraft 1980s Soviet military reconnaissance aircraft Twinjets Twin-boom aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1988