RD-214 should not be confused with RD-0214.
| RD-214 (РД-214) | |
| Country Of Origin: | USSR |
| Date: | 1955-1959 |
| Designer: | Energomash, V.Glushko |
| Manufacturer: | Plant No. 19 named after I. V. Stalin |
| Associated: | R-12 and Kosmos-2 |
| Status: | Retired |
| Type: | liquid |
| Oxidiser: | AK-27I |
| Fuel: | TM-185 |
| Mixture Ratio: | 3.97 |
| Cycle: | Gas Generator |
| Combustion Chamber: | 4 |
| Nozzle Ratio: | 9.42 |
| Thrust(Vac): | 730.2kN |
| Thrust(Sl): | 635.2kN |
| Chamber Pressure: | 4.36MPa |
| Specific Impulse Vacuum: | 264isp |
| Specific Impulse Sea Level: | 230isp |
| Burn Time: | 140 s |
| Length: | 2380mm |
| Diameter: | 1480mm |
| Dry Weight: | 655kg (1,444lb) |
| Used In: | R-12 and Kosmos-2 |
The RD-214 (GRAU Index 8D59) was a liquid rocket engine, burning AK-27I (a mixture of 73% nitric acid and 27% N2O4 + iodine passivant and TM-185 (a kerosene and gasoline mix) in the gas generator cycle. As was the case with many V-2 influenced engines, the single turbine was driven by steam generated by catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. It also had four combustion chambers and vector control was achieved by refractory vanes protruding into the nozzle's exhaust.
For the requirements to have storable propellants and higher thrust, Glushko's OKB-456 developed the RD-211, which had four combustion chambers, each having twice the thrust of the RD-100, a Russian adaptation of the V-2 A-4 engine. The four chambers were fed from a single turbopump powered by steam generated from catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. When then came the requirement for the Buran cruise missile project, a version for that application was developed in the RD-212. Both RD-211 and RD-212 proved too weak for the application and the project were abandoned for the RD-213 for Buran. When Yangel's OKB-586 was tasked with developing the first storable propellant ballistic missile in the Soviet arsenal, the RD-211 proved too weak. Thus, the project was definitely abandoned and the more powerful RD-214 was developed. While Korolev's refusal to use toxic propellants basically left him out of the ballistic missile development race, the basic design of the RD-211 also served as basis for the RD-107/RD-108 engine, which went to be the most flown rocket engines in history.
The initial R-12 was a pad launched missile. It had significant operative issues on readiness and vulnerability. Thus, the silo launched R-12U was developed. For this development the RD-214U was developed. When Yangel used the R-12U as the basis for the Kosmos-2 63S1, the RD-214F was developed and fire tested, but in the end the stock R-12U was used as first stage. So it was for all subsequent 63S1M and 11K63.
This engine many versions:
| Engine | RD-211 | RD-212 | RD-213 | RD-214 | RD-214U | RD-214F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKA | 8D57 | 8D41 | 8D13 | 8D59 | 8D59U | 11D45 | |
| Development | 1953-1955 | 1954-1956 | 1956-1957 | 1955-1959 | 1959-1960 | 1960-1962 | |
| Engine type | Gas generator | ||||||
| Propellant | AK-27I (73% nitric acid, 27% N2O4, and iodine passivant) / TM-185 (a kerosene and gasoline mix) | ||||||
| Combustion chamber pressure | 3.923MPa | 3.923MPa | 4.66MPa | 4.36MPa | 4.36MPa | 4.38MPa | |
| Thrust, vacuum | 642.3kN | 622.7kN | 749.2kN | 730.2kN | 730.6kN | 729.6kN | |
| Thrust, sea level | 549.2kN | 559kN | 686.5kN | 635.2kN | 635.5kN | 635.5kN | |
| I, vacuum | 253isp | 254isp | 264isp | 264isp | 264isp | 264isp | |
| I, sea level | 224isp | 227isp | 231isp | 230isp | 230isp | 230isp | |
| Burn time | 122s | 100s | 110s | 140s | |||
| Length | 2700mm | 2500mm | 2500mm | 2380mm | 2380mm | 2380mm | |
| Diameter | 1650mm | 1480mm | 1480mm | 1500mm | 1480mm | 1480mm | |
| Dry weight | 635kg (1,400lb) | 642kg (1,415lb) | 625kg (1,378lb) | 655kg (1,444lb) | 655kg (1,444lb) | 655kg (1,444lb) | |
| Use | R-12 (8K63) Project | Buran Project | Buran Project | R-12 (8K63) | R-12U (8K63S) Kosmos-2 (11K63) | Project for Kosmos-2 (63S1) | |