In the autumn 1925 g. aviation department, hydroaviation and experienced construction (AGOS) TsAGI has been issued the task of building the country's first single-seat fighter of all-metal construction. Giving out this task, Air Force expected to decide for themselves in a number of fighter aircraft issues: to investigate the possibility of creating an all-metal fighter and compare it with similar fighters, engines having air and water cooling.
Fighter design team was tasked PO. dry, still quite young designer, under the overall guidance of AN. Tupolev. Dry after Bauman was personally invited by Tupolev in AGOS TsAGI. He began to work in a team AI. Putilova, and then he was entrusted with a team to create a fighter ANT-5. Design Fighter I-4 was launched in February 1926 g. brigada P.O. Sukhoi has created a new and original aerodynamic design. It was a single podkosny polutoraplan small cantilever with the lower wing and engine "Jupiter IV» capacity 420 HP. French company "Gnome-Rhone». Motor-engine unusual design was designed personally PO. dry.
The prototype were built in January 1927 city, and the plane in August was ready. The first flight of an experienced fighter raised his test pilot MM. thunders 10 August 1927 g. After several successful flights, and some improvements in the aircraft passed the Air Force Institute on state tests, which were completed at the end of the year. In general, the characteristics I-4 was not inferior to the best fighters of the world, especially in terms of maneuverability, It was recommended for serial production and adopting. While they were testing the prototype, in July 1928 g. It was built plane alternate with a more powerful engine and some technological improvements in design. Lower wing was detachable, with a small central plane, vertical tail area slightly increased.
According to the results of a backup test it took as a benchmark for mass production at the factory number 22. Because of the complexity of organizational and technological nature first production machine was released 15 October 1929 g. Take-off weight of the aircraft was slightly higher, and flight data became slightly lower. Unlike the prototype two gun "Vickers" were replaced for domestic PV-1-caliber 7,62 mm. Serial production lasted about five years,, all were released 369 machines multiple options. The Air Force and was 4-up 1934 g. In addition to the mass-produced cars, a few prototypes were produced for various projects. To "links» B.C. Vahmistrova released plane with a reduced lower wing for easy takeoff TB-1-uterine plane.
The prototype I-4 (IPG-5)
AT 1929 g. on TB-1 was the world's first successful experiment on a cutaway of an aircraft in flight two fighters. In summer 1932 g. with I-4 were first held in the air firing rockets RS-82. Also conducted experiments with a dynamo-reactive B structure cannons. Kurchevsky. By plane two 76-mm smoothbore gun installed at the upper wing at one meter away from the strut attachment fittings. AT 1935 g. carried out serious work on short-term sharp rise in speed fighter in flight. Aircraft equipped a rocket boosters type PHII. To this end, the powder produced six missiles, which were installed three on each side of the machine. Link each missile was 450-500 kG. But then the work stopped and resumed only on airplanes I-15.
The performance characteristics of the I-4
– chief designer: Putilov, Alexander
– First flight: 10 August 1927 of the year
– Getting Started: 1930 year
– End of operation: 17 October 1935 year
– units produced: 2 experienced and 177 serial (for 1929 year - 2, 1930 — 163, 1931 — 12)
The crew of the I-4
– 1 human
Sizes I-4
– Length: 7,28 m
– Wingspan: 11,40 m
– empty weight: 978 kg
– Normal takeoff weight: 1430 kg
– Mass fuel in internal tanks: 303 kg
Engine I-4
– 1 Single row × M star-22
– engine power: 1 × 480 HP.
Speed I-4
– Maximum speed at ground: 220 kmh
– Maximum speed at height 5000 m: 231 kmh
– Cruising speed: 186 kmh
– Skoropodъёmnost: 555 m / min
– set the height: 5000 M 14,6 min
Flight range I-4
– 840 km
Practical ceiling I-4
– 7000 m
Armament I-4
– Small-pushechnoe: 2 × 7,62 mm gun MF-1 1000 cartridges for each
Photo Fighter I-4
Fighter I-4 system “Unit 1”
