The Soviet intercontinental three-stage ballistic missile "Gnome" was a unique development of the 60s of the last century, but to this day it is the most advanced technology that allows, using the first stage ramjet, not only to strike another continent, but also to bring the payload to a low orbit.
In the late 50s. The government of the USSR set the task for the missilemen: to create a mobile complex of intercontinental range, maximally adapted to the requirements of the troops and taking into account the maximum permissible load of bridges (strategic, fortified) in the USSR - the weight of the entire complex should not exceed 65 tons.
The limitation on the mass of the complex determined the maximum weight of the rocket at 32-35 tons (the mass of the empty conveyor is approximately equal to the mass of the rocket). The solution to the problem of an extremely easy-to-operate complex was and remains the use of solid propellant engines.
However, the TTRD has a serious drawback - the specific impulse is lower than that of the liquid ones.
Accordingly, all other things being equal, more fuel is needed to achieve the same range, the rocket will be heavier.
At that time, the RT-1 solid-propellant rocket was already being designed, with a launch weight of 34 tons flying at 2400 km, and the RT-2, respectively - 51 tons and 10000 km. But for the new mobile complex this was a lot, it was required to get a weight of no more than 32 tons!
Decree of 2.06.1958 under No. 708-336 of the Council of Ministers of the USSR identified a list of several bureaus that were to begin development for such missiles. Among them were KB: Koroleva, Makeeva, Tyurin, Tsirulnikova and Yangel.
However, conventional liquid-propellant or solid-propellant missile designs of that period did not have performance characteristics to meet the requirements of the weight limit. Oh, which was reported to the top.
The works were officially closed by decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 138-48 of February 5, 1960.
However, Boris Shavyrin, who was not directly involved in the development, proposed a completely innovative alternative -
use a ramjet solid-propellant engine as the first stage.
During the period described, the outstanding mortar designer B. I. Shavyrin headed KBM-DESIGN BUREAU OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (Kolomna). headed the KBM after the death of B. I. Shavyrin in 1965 and continued its development.
Shavyrin literally did not live a day before the first bench tests
This idea reached D. A. Ustinov and so interested him that he gave the go-ahead for R&D.
According to some Western sources, the PR-90 short-range ballistic missile (BR) served as a probable prototype of the "Gnome".
Shavyrin almost made the "Gnome" even more unique and completely futuristic, but already according to the layout scheme.
He proposed to place the first, direct-flow stage in front of the next one. A second, purely missile, with a warhead was inserted into its tail section. And in flight, during separation, the main engines would pull the first stage from the second.
For all its originality, this almost ruined the idea in the bud: despite the fact that the "embedded" rocket was proposed by Obert in 1929, such a scheme has been implemented to this day only in relation to anti-submarine systems. A similar scheme is used on the Makeevskaya R-39 / RSM-52 (the ascent block is placed in a similar way, but there it happens under water in the presence of an Archimedean force and a sufficiently viscous medium).
Subsequently, a more conservative option was chosen.
The basing options were assumed:
mobile, sea, including on the developed ekranoplanes (model ship 'Caspian Monster') and a hidden mine.
Solid fuel for the first stage engine was developed at the Research Institute of Chemical Products under the leadership of Nikolai Silin. Solid propellant charges of the accelerator were developed at the ANII HT under the leadership of Yakov Savchenko. Mixed solid propellant charges of the second and third stages were developed at NII-125 under the leadership of Boris Zhukov.
The rocket was equipped with a powder pressure accumulator. It was housed in a semi-container, which was docked with the combustion chamber (the body of the WFD combustion chamber was part of the container design). This made it possible to reduce the weight of the entire complex.
The self-propelled launcher was placed on the chassis of a heavy tank. PU was developed in KB-3 of the Leningrad Kirovsky plant under the leadership of Joseph Kotin. The mine launcher was developed at TsKB-34 under the leadership of Evgeny Rudyak. The complex of means for overcoming missile defense was created in NII-108. The autonomous inertial control system was developed at the Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics (TsSHAG) under the leadership of Ilya Pogozhev.
The bench engine for testing in Turaevo had a metal body. Later, a fiberglass body was developed at the Khotkovsk Central Research Institute of Special Engineering.
The head of the scientific and technical direction, the chief designer of the KBM direction, laureate of the State Prize, Corresponding Member of RARAN Oleg Mamalyga recalls the tests:
Mixed solid propellant charges of the second and third stages were developed at NII-125 under the leadership of Boris Zhukov. The rocket was equipped with a powder pressure accumulator. It was housed in a semi-container, which was docked with the combustion chamber (the body of the WFD combustion chamber was part of the container design). This made it possible to reduce the weight. The self-propelled launcher was housed on the chassis of a T-10 heavy tank. The weight of the missile launcher was supposed to be about 60 tons. PU was developed at KB-3 of the Leningrad Kirovsky plant under the leadership of Joseph Kotin. The mine launcher was developed at TsKB-34 under the leadership of Evgeny Rudyak. The complex of means for overcoming missile defense was created in NII-108. The autonomous inertial control system was developed at the Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics (TsSHAG) under the leadership of Ilya Pogozhev.
In the case of the start of mass production, it was planned to deploy, according to various sources, from 10 to 20 mobile rechargeable launchers. The shelf life of the rocket at TPU was about 10 years.
The gnome is a three-stage rocket. Four TT accelerators, located along the outer diameter of the main body, accelerated the ICBM to a speed of Mach 1.75. At this moment, a sustainer ramjet engine was launched, which, working from 60 to 70 seconds, accelerated the rocket along the optimal aerodynamic trajectory to a speed of 5.5 Mach. At the final stage, the conventional turbojet engine of the next stages gave the BG weighing 535 kg almost orbital speed. It was assumed that the warhead could have a nuclear power plant with a power of up to 0.5 megaton.
Development for unknown reasons was discontinued at the end of 1965. The Gnome ICBM was not delivered to the armament.
Here is what Sergei Aleksandrov wrote about this (Technique of Youth N 2 '2000 "Surname is this", interview with S. Invincible):
Probably, the developments and technologies have not been forgotten:
PS
Boris Ivanovich Shavyrin (April 27 (May 10) 1902, Yaroslavl - October 9, 1965, Moscow)
He graduated from the Yaroslavl evening work faculty (1925), then MVTU im. NE Bauman (1930) with a degree in mechanical engineer for artillery weapons. He worked as an engineer in the production department of the Cannon-Weapons-Machine-Gun Association, at the same time he was engaged in teaching activities, taught a course on resistance of materials at the Moscow Technical University.
On the eve of World War II, the People's Commissariat of State Security opened a criminal case against Shavyrin on charges of "sabotage, malicious and deliberate disruption of the creation of mortars," the order for his arrest was signed by the People's Commissar for State Security and the Prosecutor General. However, at the insistence of the People's Commissar for Armaments BL Vannikov, he was not convicted.
Sergei Pavlovich Invincible (born September 13, 1921, Ryazan).
He graduated from the Moscow Higher Technical School in 1945 with a degree in "mechanical engineer for ammunition", the theme of the diploma project - "Long-range missile system for fighting tanks"
It is believed that Sergei Pavlovich left the KBM himself - thereby expressing his protest against the liquidation of the Oka complex - under the Treaty on Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, which in no way fell under it.
KBM- the head enterprise for the development of complexes of operational-tactical missiles, anti-tank and portable anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as a non-strategic missile defense system.
At present, Nikolai Gushchin is the head and chief designer of the state-owned enterprise "Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering".
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