Mikoyan/Gurevich I-222

The first of the "A" high-altitude fighter series to mate turbo-supercharger and cabin pressurisation, the I-222, or 3A, was powered by a Mikulin AM-39B-1 engine which afforded 1750hp for take-off and had a TK-300B turbo-supercharger on its port side. Armament consisted of two synchronised 20mm ShVAK cannon. Reverting to the wooden monocoque rear fuselage of the I-220, the I-222 employed a Shchyerbakov-designed pressure cabin of welded dural sheet with inflatable rubber seals and pressurized by air tapped from the compressor. The cockpit was air conditioned for the first time in a Soviet fighter. The flight test programme began on 7 May 1944, but although plans had been formulated to produce the "A" series altitude fighters in quantity, the course of the war had meanwhile virtually eliminated the threat of high-altitude Luftwaffe attack. Priorities were therefore changed and although the development programme was continued all proposals for series production were discarded.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1667 x 1070)