Alexandrov-Kalinin AK-1
| Alexandrov-Kalinin AK-1 | |
|---|---|
 Replica of the AK-1 in the Museum of Civil Aviation in Ulyanovsk |
|
| Type: | Airliner |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 1924 |
| Commissioning: |
1924 |
| Production time: |
1923 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
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The Alexandrow-Kalinin AK-1 ( Russian Александров-Калинин АК-1 ) with the nickname Latvian Rifleman (Латышский стрелок) was the first commercial aircraft built and used in the Soviet Union . However, there was only one copy.
history
The development of the AK-1 took place at the request of the scientific committee of the air force and the headquarters of the air fleet, which also provided the financial means. It was hoped that the type would provide information on the use of wings with a thick profile in practice and thus the confirmation of previous calculation methods. In order to set standards in Soviet passenger aircraft construction for the future, the project planning work was carried out very precisely, the materials used were subjected to extensive tests and the results analyzed. For this purpose, the construction was also carried out in the ZAGI , the scientific test center for aviation.
Vladimir Alexandrov was primarily responsible for the construction . The calculations were carried out by Vladimir Kalinin together with Alexei Cheryomuchin .
The construction phase lasted from April to November 1923 and took place in the GAS No. 5 "Samoljot" (airplane) plant. The first flight took place in February 1924, the actual flight test began on March 8 and was carried out by ZAGI test pilot A. I. Tomaschewski . After its successful completion in mid-June, the AK-1 received its approval for air traffic-specific tasks and opened the Moscow - Kazan airline on July 15, 1924 in the service of the Dobrolet . There she completed 23 flights and covered more than 11,000 kilometers.
The guy achieved some fame when he and five other Soviet planes made a long-distance flight from Moscow to Beijing over a distance of 7,000 km. This Far East flight took place from June 10th to July 17th, 1925 and was completed in several intermediate stages. The AK-1 received an additional 100-liter fuel tank for this.
On August 16, 1925, the AK-1 brushed against a tree when taking off and fell.
technical structure
The cell of the AK-1 consisted of a wooden frame with fabric covering, in the area of the engine made of steel tubes with plywood planking.
The high -wing strut wing had a trapezoidal plan with a Göttingen profile 436 at the beginning and 428 at the end and at the strut attachment points a thickness of twelve percent. Spars and ribs were made of wood with a linen covering. The struts were made of Kolchug aluminum . The two fuel tanks were above and behind the passenger cabin.
The chassis consisted of two main wheels connected by an axle with rubber suspension and a wooden tail spur, it was rigid and not retractable. During the flight tests, the wheels were replaced by runners.
The passenger cabin was comfortably lined and even housed a plush sofa and curtains on the windows.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Constructors | Alexandrov / Kalinin |
| Crew / passengers | 1-2 / 2-3 |
| length | 10.75 m |
| span | 14.94 m (ailerons 4.20 m) |
| height | 3.1 m |
| Wing area | 37.0 m² |
| Wing loading | 45.5 kg / m² |
| Power load | 9.9 kg / hp |
| Empty mass | 1145 kg |
| Payload | 540 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 1685 kg |
| Engine | a liquid-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine Salmson |
| Starting power | 125 kW (170 hp) |
| Top speed | 147 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 130 km / h |
| Climb performance | 1.0 m / s |
| Service ceiling | 2200 m |
| Range | 500 km |
| Take-off / landing route | 90 m / 120 m |
literature
- Wilfried Copenhagen , Jochen K. Beeck: The large aircraft type book . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02522-1 , p. 412 .
- Wadim B. Schawrow: On the history of Soviet aircraft construction - experimental constructions 1923-1925 (3) . In: Wolfgang Sellenthin (Ed.): Fliegerkalender der DDR 1978 . Military Publishing House of the GDR , Berlin 1977, p. 188/189 .
- Heinz A. F. Schmidt: Soviet planes . Transpress , Berlin, p. 35 .
Web links
- Александров, Калинин АК-1. Retrieved July 16, 2018 (Russian).