Tandem MAI

Tandem MAI

Tandem MAI

USSR

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.0	2.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Strike aircraft

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The Tandem MAI is a Rank I gift Russian attacker with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm" during the 2018 World War Two Chronicles.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	8000	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	8000	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	X	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
650	310	???	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< ???	< ???	< ???	> ???

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
?,??? m	??? hp	?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.

Suspended armament

Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.

Defensive armament

Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available remove this subsection.

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator
II		Compressor	Airframe
III	Wings Repair	Engine
IV		Engine Injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good manoeuvrability
• Has a tail gunner to ward off enemy aircraft
• 4 x ShKAS machine guns can shred enemy aircraft of similar rank

Cons:

• The twin vertical stabilizers are two blind spots in rear gunner's field of fire

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

The Tandem MAI, also known as the MAI Sh-Tandem of Sh-MAI, was an experimental ground attack aircraft designed during the late-1930s by Pyotr Dmitrievich Grushin (1906-1993) at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). An alternative way of thinking in the development of the Schturmovik or ground attack/light bomber plane, the Tandem MAI featured an unusual front- and back-wing configuration, with the stabilisors being nearly as large as the wings themselves, and providing 45% of the lift. This had the advantage of creating an aircraft with a center of gravity which was further aft than with conventional aircraft, allowing ordonnance to be installed in the main fuselage. The aircraft unusually also had elevons: both the front- and rear wing were equipped with combined aileron/elevators.

Due to the unusual placement of the vertical stabilisers in a crucifix configuration on the horizontal stabilisers, this left the rear fuselage free for the installation of a turret. This in turn gave the added benefit of a single gunner being capable of defending a very wide area around the aircraft's rear gunner, rather than the conventional design of a single rear gunner whose field of fire was partly blocked by the aircraft's fuselage.

Three prototypes of the Tandem MAI were built between 1937 and 1939, with the aircraft being flight-tested by Pyotr Mikhailovich Stefanovsky (1903-1976). It built from a conventional, light wooden monocoque frame with plywood/bakelite covering: this allowed for a quick construction, with the first prototype being built by an 18-man team in just 45 days. The aircraft was supposed to be powered by the 1100 hp Tumansky M-88 air-cooled radial engine, but due to its unavailability the prototypes were powered by the 950 hp Tumansky M-87A.

The first prototype was built as a single-seat unarmed concept tester, which showed the viability of the design. This prototype passed its preliminary flight tests by January 8th 1939. Subsequently the aircraft was developped into its definitive two-seater form, with a cockpit which was set slightly more rearwards, and the tail gun turret installed. This second prototype was finished by late summer of 1939, with state tests held in September and October of 1939. The state tests concluded on October 10th, after 51 flights had been made. The results were disappointing: it was noted that the changed configuration over the single-seater greatly impacted on the type's performance. The aircraft had longitudinal stability issues and poor rudder response; it had poor take-off performance; the cockpit was found to be cramped; and the tail turret design imposed a severe speed penalty on the design. The test report suggested changing the tail turret to a tapered conical design. Most seriously, the front wing and landing gear were found to be insufficiently strong.

A third prototype was built with a number of improvements, such as a different installation of a structurally strengthened front wing to improve take-off performance. However, by this time interest in the Tandem MAI had waned, especially given its armament of 4 fixed and 1 trainable ShKAS machine guns and 200 kg of ordonnance was seen as insufficient for future attack aircraft. Accordingly, all further development of the MAI Tandem was halted.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.