History
A.S.Moskalev was an outstanding Soviet aircraft designer who created a lot of
unconventional projects, many of which were built and successfully flew.
The SAM-7 was an extraordinary tailless all-metal aircraft featuring the delta
wing with two fins on its edges and a short fuselage with the separate pilot and
gunner cockpits. The plane was powered with the M-34 engine (750 hp) cooled
by the vapouring radiator in flight. The retractable conventional radiator housed
behind the pilot's cockpit was used on low speeds and on take-off. The wooden
propeller had four blades. Airplane's armament consisted of four 7.62mm ShKAS
machine guns : two above the engine and two flexible - in the gunner's cockpit.
The SAM-7 was built in 1934-1935 and was initially tested on the aircraft plant
airfield. Despite good characteristics the whole program was cancelled by the
VVS in favour of the same delta wing tailless bomber K-12 which entered small
series production on the same plant a year later.
SAM-7 "Sigma" data:
Length .........................7 m
Span........................9.46 m
Wing area...............20 sq.m
Take-off weight.........1480 kg
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