Myasishchev M-55 Geophysica

Myasishchev · Soviet Union · first flew 1988 · fighter

The M-55 Geophysica is a high-altitude research and reconnaissance jet with an enormous glider-like wing, developed from the earlier M-17 for stratospheric science flights.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Two turbofans on rear fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Very long high-aspect-ratio straight wing
Twin booms with twin tail fins
Two turbofans on rear fuselage

Identify it by the extremely long slender straight wing, the twin tail booms each ending in a fin, and the pair of turbofans mounted on the rear fuselage.

Specifications

The Myasishchev M-55 Geophysica has a length of 22.87 m (75 ft).
It has a wingspan of 37.46 m (123 ft).
Its maximum speed is 743 km/h (462 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Evolved from the single-engine M-17 Stratosphera, the twin-engine M-55 first flew in 1988 to reach altitudes above 21 km. After the Cold War it was repurposed for atmospheric and ozone research campaigns.

Variants

The line comprises the earlier single-engine M-17 and the twin-engine M-55, the latter fitted for scientific payloads and once proposed for Earth-observation duties. Very few airframes were built.

Where you'll see it

A handful serve Russian research institutes and have flown international climate-science missions from bases as far afield as the Arctic and Antarctic. It has no UK operator, though European scientists have used it in EU-funded campaigns.

Related aircraft

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