What is the Russian m55 spy plane?

The Myasishchev M-55 (NATO reporting name: Mystic-B) is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by OKB Myasishchev in the Soviet Union, similar in mission to the Lockheed ER-2, but with a twin-boom fuselage and tail surface design.

What is the highest flying Russian plane?

The MiG-25 features a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles, and it still has the world record for reached altitude of 38 km (125,000 ft).

What is the Russian reconnaissance jet?

The A-50 is a Russian reconnaissance plane, equivalent to the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) plane, used by NATO. Topped with a large radar, it typically has a crew of 15 and can scan an area of several hundred kilometres for enemy aircraft, ships and missiles.

What is the current high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft?

The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft with an integrated sensor suite that provides global all-weather, day or night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.

What is the most advanced spy plane in the world?

The SR-71 Blackbird , a sleek and futuristic-looking aircraft, was a marvel of engineering and a triumph of military aviation. It was designed as a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, capable of flying at speeds of over 3,500 km/h and altitudes of up to 85,000 feet.

What plane does Putin fly on?

A highly customized version of the Il-96-300, called the Il-96-300PU, is used as the primary aircraft in the Russian presidential aircraft fleet. Four were used by Russian president Vladimir Putin, and by Dmitry Medvedev as VIP planes.

What is the secret fighter aircraft of Russia?

The Su-57 is a supersonic, twin-engine, fifth-generation stealth fighter jet and was seen as Moscow's answer to Western stealth jets like the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor. But its development, which began in 2002, according to the US military, has been slow, and an Su-57 crashed during a 2019 test flight.

What is the current US gunship?

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems.

What is the highest a jet has ever flown?

It was in 1977 that the highest current altitude record achieved by a manned air-breathing jet engine propelled aircraft was set, when Alexandr Fedotov flew to a height of 123,520 ft in a Mikoyan Gurevitch E-266M. That's about three times the normal cruising altitude of a passenger jet!

What is the maximum height a plane can fly?

The maximum height that a commercial airplane is allowed to fly is 42,000 feet , as this is the universally approved maximum altitude.

What spy plane does the US use now?

Spy planes are still in use and Lockheed Martin's U-2 remains the supreme, go-to jet for high-altitude reconnaissance. U-2s have been around since the 1950s and the US Air Force fleet maintains more than 30 of the spy planes.

Does Russia have any spy planes?

As of late 2023, Russia had an estimated two A-50s and eight A-50U aircraft , according to the Military Balance 2024, compiled and published by the London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies. This count was finalized ahead of the two losses reported by Ukraine this year.

What is the most advanced Russian plane?

"The Su-57 is Moscow's most advanced fighter" jet that can carry two different types of cruise missiles. The Russian military has a limited number of them, the GUR added. The GUR did not specify exactly how the strike was carried out.

Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic) High-Altitude Reconnaissance (2024)

High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft

Soviet Union | 1978

"The Myasishchev M-55 Mystic was developed as a high-altitude reconnaissance platform similar in mission scope to the American Lockheed U-2 series."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/21/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Myasishchev M-55 (NATO codename of "Mystic") was originally developed to counter the cold War-eras threat posed by American high-altitude reconnaissance balloons launched into Soviet and Chinese airspace during the 1950s and 1960s. The original program begat the "Subject 34" aircraft of which only one was built. This aircraft was eventually evolved along two lines further into its career, resulting in the M-17 "Stratosphera" ("Mystic-A") "balloon destroyer" / reconnaissance platform and the M-55 "Geophysica ("Mystic-B") high-altitude reconnaissance and research platform. Two of the former were produced and five of the latter with the last aircraft arriving in 1994.

Enemy balloons could be released in allied airspace by the enemy and drift over Soviet territories. As they were powerless, carried about by the current, there were little, if any, telltale signs of their operation. Unless spotted visibly and intercepted, the balloons could cross the country and deliver critical reconnaissance information. As such, Subject 34 was envisioned with and armament of 2 x 23mm GSh-23 cannons (fitted to a dorsal turret) and provision for 2 x Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) to engage these targets as a balloon interceptor. However, when the American satellite program improved to the point that these balloons were no longer necessary, there proved little need for evolving the Subject 34 product. At any rate, the prototype was lost in a crash after conducting taxi tests during December of 1978.

Another offshoot of the design was pushed through for the reconnaissance role similar in mission scope to the American Lockheed U-2 spyplane. This aircraft was given a revised airframe and carried a single Rybinsk / Kolesov RD-36-51V series turbojet engine developed from the Tupolev 144 supersonic jet airliner's propulsion unit. A prototype achieved first-flight on May 26th, 1982 and was given the designation of M-17 "Stratosphera" in Soviet service. Once acknowledged by the West, the NATO codename became "Mystic-A". Besides setting a dozen aircraft records, this design also went on to serve in scientific research roles.

M-17 was itself modified to become the "M-17RN" high-altitude reconnaissance platform and, later, finalized as the M-55 "Geophysica". A first-flight in prototype form occurred on August 16th, 1988 and this fuselage differed in being longer than the original. Additionally, the single engine installation was given up in favor of a twin-engine, side-by-side approach - these being 2 x Soloviev D-30-10V turbofans. The wingspan of the mainplanes was reduced and there was improved support for onboard mission equipment (mainly sensors).

Again the series set about rewriting the aviation record books as the M-55 secured no fewer than fifteen of its own for its time in the air. To better train incoming pilots on the intricacies of this unique aircraft, a tandem two-seat version was also developed as the "M-55UTS". Like theM-17 before it, the M-55 went on to conduct scientific work itself and remains in active service as of this writing. A more advanced version was proposed as the "Geophysica 2" but not followed up on.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic-B) High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft.

2 x Soloviev D-30-V12 non-afterburning turbofan engines developing 20,950 lb of thrust each.
Propulsion

206 mph
332 kph | 179 kts
Max Speed

70,538 ft
21,500 m | 13 miles
Service Ceiling

3,107 miles
5,000 km | 2,700 nm
Operational Range

1,970 ft/min
600 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic-B) High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

74.8 ft
22.80 m
O/A Length

122.9 ft
(37.46 m)
O/A Width

15.7 ft
(4.80 m)
O/A Height

30,865 lb
(14,000 kg)
Empty Weight

44,092 lb
(20,000 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic) High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft .

Subject 34 (Proposed):
2 x 23mm GSh-23 cannons in dorsal turret
2 x Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs)

M-17 / M-55:
No armament. Specialized data-collecting /research payload carried.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic) family line.

Subject 34 - Original balloon destroyer model; single example produced; lost to accident.
M-17 "Stratosphera" ("Mystic-A") - Dedicated high-altitude reconnaissance variant; fitted with 1 x Kolesov RD-36-51 turbojet engine; 2 examples produced.
M-17RN - Original designation of M-55 series; lengthened fuselage; twin-engine configuration; improved payload capabilities; reduced wingspan.
M-55 "Geophysica" - Atmospheric research platform; fitted with 2 x Soloviev D-30-10V turbofan engines; five examples produced.
M-55UTS - Two-seat, dual-control trainer platform with tandem seating.
M-55 "Geophysica 2" - Proposed improved research platform; never built.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 8 Units
Contractor(s): Myasishchev - Soviet Union

[ Russia; Soviet Union ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 300mph

Lo: 150mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (206mph).

Graph Average of 225 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

RECONNAISSANCE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Going Further...
The Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic) High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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Myasishchev M-55 (Mystic) High-Altitude Reconnaissance (2024)

High-Altitude Reconnaissance / Scientific Research Aircraft

Soviet Union | 1978

"The Myasishchev M-55 Mystic was developed as a high-altitude reconnaissance platform similar in mission scope to the American Lockheed U-2 series."

FAQs

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References