A fast rocket plus PVRD ramjet fighter. RS-132 rockets made by Kimcotupan15. They also be found on his MiG-3.

History:

Purpose: Simple jet (rocket + ramjet) fighter
Design Bureau: RNII (reaction-engine scientific research institute) and OKB No.55.

By 1940 the idea of the PVRD (ramjet) was familiar in the Soviet Union, mainly to boost the speed of piston-engined fighters. In 1940 Professor Mikhail Tikhonravov, on the RNII staff, had the idea of making a simpler and lighter fighter with a ZhRD (liquid propellant rocket) in the tail and PVRDs under the wings. This could put together various things already developed in the Soviet Union to create what might have been a cheap and quickly produced fighter which, apart from short range and endurance, would have had outstanding performance. Unfortunately, perhaps because it appeared unconventional, this project suffered from endless argument and foot-dragging, finally falling victim to a decision to to abandon all such aircraft. According to Shavrov, "The proposal did not attract any objections from A. G. Kostikov, Director of the RNII. It was continued as a preliminary project, and approved by the Technical Council of the RNII in spring 1941. It was later examined by a commission of specialists at the WA" (air force academy). This commission, comprising S. A. Christianovich, A. V. Chesalov, S. N. Shishkin, V. I. Polikovskii and others, proclaimed that, "This project does not bring out anything new." Work proceeded at a snail's pace, and Kostikov then took the proposal to the NKAP (state commissariat for aviation industry), where Tikhonravov defended it on 17-18th July 1942. In November 1942 Kostikov showed the proposal to K. E. Voroshilov, and eventually Stalin himself gave authority for work to resume, appointing Kostikov chief designer. From this time onwards many documents called the project "Ko-3." Funding was provided for two prototypes, and to build these the RNII set up OKB-55, appointed as director M. R. Bisnovat (see earlier) and A. A. Andreyev as his deputy. Tikhonravov did the aerodynamic calculations, while stressing was in the hands of V. D. Yarovitskii. By spring 1943 two 302 aircraft were almost completed. Testing in the T-104 tunnel at CAHI (TsAGI) began at this time. In 1943 the original proposed ramjets were changed to a new design by Vladimir Stepanovich Zuyev. These were initially tested in a half-scale form, but full-scale testing was never carried out. Two 20mm ShVAK cannon were to have been mounted in the nose and two more in the bottom of the forward fuselage, each with 100 rounds. In addition, there was to have been provision for underwing racks for either two FAB-125 bombs, or two RS-132 rockets, or four RS-82 rockets. After much argument it was decided to forget the ramjets and complete the aircraft as the 302P (Perekhvatchik, interceptor) with the rocket only.

302 with PVRD engines

Three-view of 302 with PVRD engines

302P inboard profile