M-17/17R/55

Myasishchev/Molniya M-17 "Mystic" (Ram-M) was designed originally as high-altitude aircraft with a dorsal gun turret, to shot down US reconnaissance balloons floated over the USSR after WWII. Subsequently it was developed as single-seat reconnaissance and research aircraft. The first two prototypes (Mystic-A) had a single RKBM Rybinsk RD-36-51V turbojet of 15,430 lb trust. Twin-jet version M-55 (Mystic-B) designated M-17R. Soviet U-2 is twin-boomed aircraft of high aspect ratio wing. Deputy general manager of Molniya Scientific and Industrial Enterprise (which absorbed Myasishchev Bureau) G. P. Dementiev revealed that a production two-seat twin-engine (Aviadvigatel PS-30-V12 turbojets) aircraft was under work.
The single engine prototypes were used for aerodynamic and atmospheric research: to develop a laminar-flow wing for high-altitude and geophysical studies. M-17 wearing Aeroflot marking CCCP-17103 was retired to Monino museum. Current modifications used for ozone "hole" research and protecting crops from hail.
Cameras and other sensors are housed in a large compartment in the lower fuselage. The aircraft was reported to have an ability to loiter for more that 4 hours at 65,500 ft and for 5 hrs at 55,775 ft.

Performance
max speed at height 435-466 mph, ceiling 65,600 ft, landing run 5,745 
ft, max endurance 6 hr 30 min.
Dimensions
span 122 ft 11 in, length 75 ft, height 15 ft 5 in.

MiG-25R/RB/RBV/RBT/RU/RBK/RBSh/RBF

Production of basic MiG-25 begun in 1969. In 1970 bombing capability was added and became standard on MiG-25RB. An automatic bombing system added all-weather precision attack capability at supersonic speeds from heights of >65,000 ft. MiG-25RB can be fitted with one of the reconnaissance/elint packs or airborne side-looking radar. 85 MiG-25RB are in crevice today. Aircraft has two R-15BD-300 engines and 4,800 gal of fuel internally (1,400 gal external tank can be fitted). The exceptional advantages of the MiG-25RB and RBV were greatly appreciated by their operators: extent of the ground area swept during a single flight by either the cameras or the elint equipment, high-speed long-distance flight, and near invulnerability to air defenses of the time. On March 26, 1971 MiG-25 achieved a dash speed of Mach 3.2 at 63,000 ft (19,200 m). On subsequent flights an altitude of 73,000 ft (22,250 m) was achieved. In October of 1971 two soviet MiG-25 made reconnaissance flights Sinai and Israel. On both occasions Israeli F-4E Phantoms failed in an attempted intercept.

Performance
max speed at altitude Mach 2.83, at S/L Mach 0.98, ceiling 68,900 ft, 
range 1,015 miles (supersonic/internal fuel), 1,490 miles (subsonic, with 
external fuel tank).

In 1953 Pavel V. Tsybin at the Letno-Ispytatel'nyi Institute (LII) at Zhukovskii started development of RSR (reactivnyi strategicheskii razvedchik) capable of Mach 2.8 flight at altitudes around 100,000 ft. The design was optimized for light weight, low drag and large fuel capacity. Aircraft had a long fuselage, thin trapezoidal wing, and the engines mounted at the wingtips. RSR had only one landing gear ala U-2. Two outriggers were fitted under engine nacelles and a support unit was placed under the tail. Somewhat less capable subscale technology demonstrator was build and flown in 1959-1960. NM-1 had a skid landing gear and jettisonable main skid wheels for take off and low-drag retractable cockpit. Aircraft had a poor handling characteristics at low speed (like other supersonic a/c of that time) and after completion of the tests by the end of 1960, the RSR project was canceled. The failure to develop the turboramjet for RSR was one of the reasons.

Russian Aircraft Since 1940 by Jean Alexander Soviet X-planes by Yefim Gordon and Bill Sweetman World Air Power Journal Spring 1990 Air Force Magazine March 1995