I-14 (IPG-31) – Sukhoi fighter

Plane I-14 (IPG-31) became the second fighter after the ANT-5 (I-4), built in OKB AN. Tupolev. In 1933-1934 gg. Three types of high-speed fighter aircraft were built in three different EDO USSR. first in 1932 g. to develop such an aircraft launched EDO AN. Tupolev, receiving a task to a maximum speed fighter 400 kmh. Leading the aircraft ANT-31 was appointed as PO. Dry, previously built and 4. The novelty of the project was the retractable landing gear and closed cockpit.

Fuselage skin I-14 (IPG-31) It was made smooth, and wing skin was still corrugated. The aircraft to be fitted with a dynamo-jet guns (DRP), but due nedovedennosti their armament consisted of single PV-1 machine gun in the fuselage. English air-cooled engine "Mercury IV of" firm "Bristol" has been selected for an aircraft. Construction of the first prototype finished in the spring 1933 g. 27 yeast plane ANT-31, piloted by test pilot KK. Popov, It made its first flight. The rate shown during tests in the plane 384 kmh, good result, but still insufficient. Factory tests were completed by the end of the year, and in January, he was transferred to the state, which took place in the non-retractable ski gear. In August 1933 g. It began construction of a backup fighter I-14 with the motor "Cyclone" firm "Wright". When designing take into account all the shortcomings of the previous car - the chassis were reworked, plane and motoustanovka. Canopy made public, wing skin - smooth. Armament consisted of two machine guns have PV-1 and two ANC. And the construction of an understudy-14bis completed in February 1934 g. 1 May 1934 g. AND-plane 14, together with I-15 and I-16 was in the parade on Red Square. tests have shown, fighter that slightly exceeded expectations of the military. On high 3000 m plane showed a maximum speed 402 kmh.

Serial production of aircraft I-14 (IPG-31) It began on the new Irkutsk aircraft plant, Although originally planned to ETV in Moscow, where serial drawings have already been transferred. The first copy of the production aircraft nearly all collected in wooden stocks, which are then cut the order, To remove the fuselage. Center section bыl rejected, and re-manufactured. The first production aircraft was delivered to the test in 1936 g. Tests fighter I-14 in the training air combat with the new advanced I-16 NN. Polikarpov showed advantage of the first. Past aircraft tests showed corkscrew, that it is necessary to revise the tail circuit for the normal exit from the. Military aircraft detained decision adopted. Almost three years spent on the problem with the corkscrew. At the suggestion of Professor AN TsAGI. Zhuravchenko together with the plant the necessary research and adaptation of the aircraft were carried out. Tests of the modified aircraft, conducted in 1937 g. (test pilots: A.I. Nikashin and NS. Rybko), show, that corkscrew on I-14 managed to win. According to its characteristics and snap-14 was one of our best fighters, and aviation science was enriched with valuable experience in dealing with this problem.

A total of N9 plant 125 built aircraft I-14 (IPG-31), are put into the Air Force air units only 18, others were not finished. Due to the lack of the new factory workers skilled planes had low quality exterior surface. With the introduction of simpler and cheaper to manufacture, and most importantly - a faster-16 fighter aircraft I-14 has lost its value. But in the history of our aircraft, he entered as the first high-speed fighter with retractable landing gear. The design and construction of this machine has accumulated valuable experience in the use of smooth skin and countersunk rivets.

The performance characteristics of I-14 (IPG-31)

Photo I-14 (IPG-31)

Three-dimensional diagram of a fighter I-14

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