A question about a Kalinin

maxmwill · October 14, 2014, 03:14:41 AM

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, if so, then ignore me, but if not, then I'm asking.

I'm sure that some here are aware of the Kalinin K7, an aircraft that was designed without any understanding of just what resonant frequency is all about.

But, had Kalinin been able to work the bugs out, as a bomber, how far could it have gone, as a weapon system? Could this have been developed any further?

And, as big and ugly as it was, that elliptical wing was kind of pretty and elegant(I'm a sucker for ladies with curves).

And, as has been the case with other bomber designs, how might it have fared as a passenger transport?

zenrat · October 14, 2014, 04:22:32 AM

maxmwill · October 14, 2014, 04:27:08 AM

I know the model of it is available, but I'm asking what could have happened had Kalinin been able to work out the bugs, and not only would it fly in squadron strength, but what could possibly be next with it?

Captain Canada · October 14, 2014, 06:21:54 PM

Never heard of it. Looks pretty neat ! Both ugly and elegant I'd say. Guess I'll have to do some googling to find out what it was all about.

zenrat · October 15, 2014, 01:58:33 AM

Quote from: maxmwill on October 14, 2014, 04:27:08 AM
I know the model of it is available, but I'm asking what could have happened had Kalinin been able to work out the bugs, and not only would it fly in squadron strength, but what could possibly be next with it?

And I thought it might be nice if everyone could see what you were talking about. The model box was near the top of the goggle page and seemed the obvious choice to post.

sandiego89 · October 15, 2014, 05:46:08 AM

I'll offer a few observations, even of the bugs had been worked out, I think it would have been doomed as a bomber. Very thick wing and other design features resulted in a very slow aircraft, with wiki saying 140 mph top speed. Even with heavy defensive gunner postions covering all aspects, it would have been a slow, fat target by AAA and fighters.

I think the best WHIF option would be as a heavy cargo aircraft delivering cargo like a small tank, or a load of troops to remote sites.

Best real world application would have been as a mail carrier. As a passenger aircraft, it would have been quickly outdated by other mid 1930's (albeit smaller) designs, like licence built versions of the DC-2/3. The idea of one plodding over remote Russia with passengers sipping vodka in their cabins does have some appeal, like a long range DO-X or clipper.

I'd chalk it up as an early aviation oddity, that was rapidly eclipsed by more practical aircraft.

rickshaw · October 15, 2014, 06:32:08 AM

Just another example of the Russian fascination with gigantism.

jcf · October 15, 2014, 12:18:47 PM

The K-7 design originated as a concept for a seven-engine, twin-tail 120 passenger transport,
the passengers were in cabins within the wing, which is why the wing was so thick. Approval to
build came in 1931, but as a bomber instead of a transport. The change to bomber led to the
addition of the big gondolas which contained the bomb-load. Following the crash of the prototype
Kalinin was transferred to a new GAZ under a different administrator and two more prototypes
were ordered. Amongst the changes were new stressed-skin tail booms. Both were cancelled, the
first of the two being 60% complete.

So as an airliner: get rid of the nose gun position and under nose bomb-aimer gondola, replace the
clunky landing-gear cum bomb-load cum gunner position gondolas with a more normal landing gear.
Similar to G-38 perhaps?

The Modelist-Konstruktor article on the K-7:
http://hobbyport.ru/avia/k_7.htm

Comparison to other giants of the period: