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RD-106

Engine · Russia

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Glushko LOx/Kerosene rocket engine. R-7 ICBM stage 2 (core) initial project. Out of Production. Single chamber engine intended for the R-7 sustainer. Version of RD-105 with larger nozzle. Subsequently replaced by the 4 chamber RD-108.

Glushko was having difficulties in achieving stable combustion in a chamber of the size of the RD-106, which represented a huge scale-up from the ED-140 German-design 7 metric ton thrust engine. In the beginning of the 1950's, various experimental chambers of 600 mm diameter were built, but Glushko was unable to achieve stable combustion. An increase in the payload specification of the R-7, requiring a 50% increase in thrust per stage, got him off the hook. At the end of 1954, he abandoned the RD-106 and instead used four more modest V-2-size chambers for the RD-108.

Thrust (sl): 519.000 kN (116,675 lbf). Thrust (sl): 53,000 kgf. Engine: 802 kg (1,768 lb). Chamber Pressure: 58.80 bar. Area Ratio: 20.4. Thrust to Weight Ratio: 82.04. Oxidizer to Fuel Ratio: 2.7.

Country
Russia
Propellants
Lox/Kerosene
Bibliography
320, 323, 394