Strana 10
Auxiliary Fuel Tanks (in liters)
The R-13M Guided Air-Air Missile
After replacing the outboard wing pylons with wet items, two 490 liter droptanks could be carried.
490 490 490
800
Specifications:
Length: 2870mm
Diameter: 127mm
Span: 632mm
Front Fin Span: 420mm
Weight: 90kg
Warhead: 11.3kg
Guided Flight Endurance:
55 seconds
Flight Hours: 40h
TECHNICS / EQUIPMENT
Main Components:
Guidance and Control Section – is designed
to acquire the target and guide the missile
to it. It also issues a command to arm
the proximity fuse and controls initiation
upon direct contact of the missile with
the target and detonation of the warhead.
It consists of 2 parts - the control section
(1), which integrates the infrared homing
head, the steering and power supply block
and the rudders, and the proximity fuse
(2).
Warhead (3) – serves to effectively
destroy the target. It consists of a body,
a rod cylinder and an explosive charge
(approx. 4 kg of phlegmatized octogen
with aluminum powder).
Solid propellant rocket motor (Fig. 4) – the
source of reactive thrust for the missile, which
gives it the speed necessary for its effective
use. On the body of the rocket motor there
are three guides for hanging the missile on its
launcher, while the aft part of the motor has
four wings attached with studs, placed in the
shape of a letter ‘X’, equipped with gyroscopic
stabilizers at their ends, providing control of
the angular velocity of rotation of the missile
around its longitudinal axis, commonly called
rollerons, which ensure the stability of the
missile around its various axes.
The missile is suspended under and launched
from an APU-13MT launcher, which contains
a nitrogen cylinder to cool the homing head's
photo resistor. The launcher weighs 56 kg.
This weapon was used by interceptor aircraft
for engaging aerial targets. It could be used
effectively against both maneuvering and
non-maneuvering bogies under normal wea-
ther conditions, day or night, with a maximum
launch overload of 3.7g. It could be launched
from a wide range of altitudes when fired from
the rear hemisphere. In terms of aerodynamic
configuration, it was a canard type missile,
meaning the control rudders were in the front
part of the missile, stabilizing fins in the rear.
It was guided to the target with the help of an
infrared seeker, which was cooled using nitro-
gen to increase its sensitivity.
An overall view of the R-13M air-air IR guided missile.
Guidance and Control Section of the missile. In the upper part of the control section,
a pull-out cable connection is visible, which connects the missile with the aircraft's
onboard network.
Warhead and proximity fuse, R-13M
INFO Eduard10
May 2025