The Aleksandrov-Kalinin AK-1 was a prototype airliner built in the Soviet Union in the early 1920s, designed as part of a project by TsAGI to investigate low-cost construction techniques and to verify calculation models for thick-section airfoils. It was a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane of conventional design, powered by a single engine in the nose. Two passengers could be carried in an enclosed cabin in the fuselage, while a separate enclosed cockpit was provided for the pilot, plus a co-pilot or an additional passenger. Construction was wooden throughout.
| AK-1 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Airliner |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | GAZ-5 |
| Designer | Vladimir Leont'evich Aleksandrov Vladimir Vladimirovich Kalinin |
| First flight | 1 February 1924 |
| Number built | 1 |
The aircraft was assembled at the GAZ-5 factory during 1923 and flight testing began in February the following year. Money for the project had been donated by the Latvian Riflemen, and the AK-1 was named Латышский стрелок (Latyshskii Strelok - "Latvian Sharpshooter") in recognition of this. Following flight tests, it was handed over to Dobrolyot, who used it on a route between Moscow and Kazan. In 1925, it was used in a propaganda flight from Moscow to Beijing and other Chinese cities, flying 7,000 km (4,300 mi) in 38 days.
Operators
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Specifications
editGeneral characteristics
- Crew: one-two pilots
- Capacity: two-three passengers
- Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 14.90 m (48 ft 11 in)
- Height: 3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 37.0 m2 (398 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,096 kg (2,411 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,685 kg (3,707 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Salmson RB.9 water-cooled 9-cylinder radial[1] , 130 kW (170 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 147 km/h (92 mph, 80 kn)
- Endurance: 5-6 hours
- Service ceiling: 2,200 m (7,200 ft)
- Rate of climb: 1.2 m/s (230 ft/min)
References
edit- ^ Gunston (1995)
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 547.
- Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875-1995. London: Osprey (Reed Consumer Books Ltd). p. 16. ISBN 1 85532 405 9.
- Уголок неба
- Russian Aviation Museum Archived 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine