P rototype of the I-5.
N.N.Polikarpov was assigned to develope the I-6 (primarily wooden) fighter
(delivery July/August 1930) under provisions of the Five Year Plane for
experimental aircraft design (starting 1928). At the same time
D.P.Grigorovich was working on his his own
I-5 design, different from Polikarpov's (and
Tupolev's I-5).
When the unrealistic Plane was obviously failed, N.N.Polikarpov,
D.P.Grigorovich and other ~450 aircraft designers and engineers
were arrested by the NKVD as "saboteurs and enemy infiltrators". Some 300 survived,
and were arranged to work in the police supervised design bureaus and experimental factories.
Initially working separately, N.N.Polikarpov and
D.P.Grigorovich joined their forces and the wooden mock-up was ready on
28 March 1930. The conditions of the enforced labor 'helped'
designers and workers to complete the prototype within 30 days after the mock-up. It was designated VT-11, carrying
letters "VT" on the rudder. Here VT stays for the "Vnutrennaja Tur'ma", "Internal Prison". Aircraft was test-flown on April 29,
1930 by test-pilot Benedict Bukholz.
One month later the second prototype "Klim Voroshilov" was completed. They had different engines (so different cowling
design) and some other minor changes were introduced. Those two prototypes had individual fairings covering cylinder heads.
Third prototype ("Present to the XVI Party Congress") was powered with domestic high-altitude
M-15 engine. It differed from other two by NACA cowling, covering whole engine.
All prototypes were highly praised by test-pilots for their exceptional handling characteristics. Stalin was provided with the
fighter he wanted. The design team was released from prison, and soon N.N.Polikarpov
was crowned as a "King of Fighters". Not all designers and engineers shared this luck, and about 150 vanished in Stalin's camps
and prisons.
Seven pre-production VT-11 were built, nearly identical to the second prototype. Small headrest fairing was added, main wheel
shock were uncovered. No serious complications were revealed, and aircraft went into production as
I-5;
Sources :
"History of aircraft construction in the USSR" by
V.B.Shavrov, Vol.1 p.435-438
'Polikarpov Fighters in action, Part 1' by Hans-Herri Stapfer.
More links...
VT-11, Polikarpov
VT-12, Polikarpov
VT-13, Polikarpov
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