Ragnar wrote in message ...
SNIP E-155 TIMELINE
Equally distributed? Your own post says different. The interceptor came
first in development.


Ragnar, man... the thing is that the "principal solution"-that means:
general layout, engines etc was made in 1960, and was intended for a
fighter. BUT, on March 10, 1961 A.I. Mikoyan wrote a "Decision about
designing an airplane YE-155" in the BOTH versions. Note that in the West,
this would have meant that project has started in 1961.

This "official" decision and the fact that the recce prototype version was
built first is still causing a stirrup in many heads, since it is
paradoxical. It would had been like if in the West the "Archangel1-1"
(future A-12) was designed as a recce plane (as it was), but, for example,
YF-12 prototype has been built first (as it wasn't).

Nele

NULLA ROSA SINE SPINA