72237 SOVIET JET FIGHTER ALEXEYEV I-216

Alekseev I-215 was a Soviet prototype Cold War fighter. The machine was made in the dorsal wing configuration. The prototype's flight took place in 1947 (designation: I-211), but the machine never entered production. The length of this aircraft was 11.54 meters with a wingspan of 12.25 meters. The I-215 was powered by two Rolls-Royce Derwent V jet engines. It was assumed that the on-board armament would consist of three 37 mm N-37 cannons. Alekseev I-215 was developed for the Soviet Air Force, which sought to acquire a new jet-powered interceptor, primarily intended to fight enemy strategic bombers. The constructor of the machine, Semyon Alekseev, opted for a dual-engine system in the wing gondolas, and therefore similar to that of the Me-262 or Gloster Meteor. It was also planned to introduce an airtight cabin, and ultimately a radar was to be installed in the nose of the fuselage. Due to the fact that the I-215 had worse performance than the designs of the MiG plant (the future MiG-15), the project was eventually canceled.