Sukhoi Su-7 (1944)
The Sukhoi Su-7 (1944) was a high-altitude interceptor prototype, derived from the Su-6 ground-attack aircraft. The Su-7 was a mixed-power aircraft, with a Power came from a Shvetsov ASh-82FN piston engine with two TK-3 turbochargers in the nose and a Glushko RD-1-KhZ rocket engine in the tail. This mixed power approach was intended to solve the problem of intercepting fast, high-flying bombers before jet engines were mature enough to do the job alone.
It was derived from the Su-6, Sukhoi’s heavily armoured ground-attack aircraft, itself a competitor to the famous Ilyushin Il-2. To improved performance, the armour of the ground-attack version was removed.
The intended targets were high-speed bombers — at that stage of the war, the Soviet Air Force was concerned about threats like advanced German bomber designs and longer-term strategic considerations. The rocket boost would allow a rapid climb and speed surge to intercept targets that a piston engine alone couldn’t catch in time.
In 1945, the rocket motor exploded during flight testing, killing the pilot and destroying the aircraft.
