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DFS 346
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==Operational use== In 1947, an entirely new 346 prototype was constructed, incorporating refinements suggested by the tests. This was designated '''346-P''' ("P" for ''planer'' - "glider"). No provision was made for a powerplant, but ballast was added to simulate the weight of an engine and fuel. This was carried to altitude by a [[B-29 Superfortress]] captured in [[Vladivostok]] and successfully flown by [[Wolfgang Ziese]] in a series of tests. This led to the construction of three more prototypes, intended to lead to powered flight of the type. ===First accidents=== [[File:346 ES.svg|thumb|150px|Pilot escape sequence]] Newly built '''346-1''' incorporated minor aerodynamic refinements over the 346-P, and was first flown by Ziese on September 30, 1948, with dummy engines installed. The glider was released at an altitude of 9700 m, and the pilot realised that he hardly could maintain control of the aircraft. Consequently, while attempting to land, he [[Descent (aircraft)|descended]] too fast (his speed was later estimated at 310 km/h). After first touching the ground he bounced up to a height of 3β4 m and flew 700β800 m. At the second descent, the landing ski collapsed and the fuselage hit the ground hard.<ref name="dfs">Deutsche Flugzeuge in russischen und sowjetischen Diensten</ref> The pilot seat structure and [[seatbelt|safety-belt]] proved to be very unreliable, because at the end of a rough braking course Ziese was thrown forward and struck the canopy with his head, losing [[consciousness]]. Luckily, he wasn't seriously injured, and after treatment in hospital he was able to return to flying. Accident investigation research team came to the conclusion that the crash was a result of pilot error, who failed to fully release the landing skid. This accident showed that the aircraft handling was still very unpredictable, as a result, all rocket-powered flights were postponed until pilots were able to effectively control the aircraft in unpowered descent, requiring further [[gliding|glide]] flights.<ref name="dfs"/> The damaged 346-1 was later repaired and modified to '''346-2''' version. It was successfully flown by test pilot P. Kazmin in [[1950 in aviation|1950]]-[[1951 in aviation|1951]] winter, but nonetheless these flights also ended "on fuselage". Furthermore, after the last flight of these series, the [[airframe]] again required major repairs. On 10 May 1951, Ziese returned to the program, flying final unpowered test flights with the 346-2, and from 6 June, unpowered tests of the 346-3 without accidents.<ref name="dfs"/> ===Final flights=== By the mid-1951 '''346-3''' was completed, and Ziese flew it under power for the first time on 13 August 1951, using only one of the engines. Continuing concerns about the aircraft's stability at high speeds had led to a [[V speeds|V<sub>NE</sub>]] limit of [[speed of sound|Mach]]{{nbsp}}0.9 being placed during test flights. Ziese flew it again on 2 September and 14 September. On this last flight, however, things went drastically wrong. Separating from the carrier plane at 9,300 meters (30,500 ft) above Lukovici airfield, the pilot fired the engine and accelerated to a speed of 900 km/h (560 mph). The rocket engine worked as expected, and 346-3, quickly accelerating, started ascending and soon had flown in very close proximity of its carrier aircraft.<ref name="dfs"/> Ziese then reported that the plane was not responding to the controls, and was losing altitude. Ground control commanded him to bail out. He used the escape capsule to leave the stricken aircraft at 6,500 meters (21,000 ft) and landed safely by parachute. With the loss of this aircraft, the 346 program was abandoned.<ref name="dfs"/>
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