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 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.

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

 Soviet Union

Specifications

General 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

  1. ↑ 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
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