Rocket stages for derivatives of the R-7 missille

[Phillip Clark]

The following list shows the Cyrillic alphabet, with the English equivalent of each letter and then the rocket stage associated with the Cyrillic letter for the launch vehicles based upon the original R-7 missile.   Each rocket stage is designated a Blok, so the long core stage is the Blok A and the four strap-ons are Bloks Б, В, Г and Д.

The English equivalents are approximate because more than one Cyrillic letter can equate to an English letter – the difference is in the pronunciation.

Of course, not even Sergei Korolyov could use every letter in the Cyrillic alphabet, hence the many letters with no rocket stage indicated.   However, I am sure that there were some designators assigned for unflown/undeveloped rocket stages, and I am wondering if anyone can please fill in any gaps please?

А   A      Core stage
Б   B      Strap-on booster
В   V      Strap-on booster
Г   G      Strap-on booster
Д   D      Strap-on booster
Е   Ye/E      Vostok orbital stage   
Ж   Zh
З   Z
И   I      Soyuz/Molniya orbital stage
К   K
Л   L      Molniya “escape” stage
М   M      LOX/LH2 upper stage (not developed)
Н   N      LOX/LH2 “escape” stage (not developed)
О   O   
П   P      
Р   R      LOX/LH2 “escape” stage (not developed)
С   S
Т   T
У   Oo
Ф   F
Х   Ch
Ц   Ts
Ч   Ch
Ш   Sh
Щ   ShCh
Ъ   (silent)
Ы   A
Ь   T
Э   A
Ю   Yoo
Я   Ya

[eeergo]

Just noting Block D can also refer to the originally-N1, now Zenit/Proton upper stage.

Block zh (Ж) existed as a modified R-9A second stage, and served as a precursor of Block I (И) once parking orbit schemes were developed for Earth-escape trajectories, instead of continuous thrusting (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/forum13/topic304/?PAGEN_1=64)

[Phillip Clark]

Just noting Block D can also refer to the originally-N1, now Zenit/Proton upper stage.

Block zh (Ж) existed as a modified R-9A second stage, and served as a precursor of Block I (И) once parking orbit schemes were developed for Earth-escape trajectories, instead of continuous thrusting (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/forum13/topic304/?PAGEN_1=64)

That is why I specified that my listing only related to the R-7 derived launch vehicles.

Thank you re the Blok Ж.

[a2soup]

Ы   A
Ь   T
Э   A

Maybe this is completely pedantically off topic, but these three Cyrillic transliterations are wrong. They should be:

Ы   Y (as a vowel)
Ь   (silent)
Э   E

[nsn]

Maybe this is completely pedantically off topic, but these three Cyrillic transliterations are wrong.

Х   Ch

is of course wrong too. Think of Khrunichev.

[Phillip Clark]

In my original listing I was using the Cyrillic to English equivalents given in a Russian-English dictionary that I have.   So you need to blame the publisher Collins from ~40 years ago!

[Proponent]

Maybe this is completely pedantically off topic, but these three Cyrillic transliterations are wrong. They should be:
Ы   Y (as a vowel)
Ь   (silent)
Э   E

And no words begin with ъ, ы or ь, so I think it unlikely that they would be used to designate stages.

EDIT:  'ы' -> 'ь'