The Yakovlev AIR-1 (VVA-3) was a 1920s

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

two-seat light biplane, the first aircraft designed and built by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Yakovlev.

Development

Yakovlev designed his first aircraft while working at the Zhukovsky Military Aviation Academy; the aircraft was a two-seat light biplane powered by a

ADC Cirrus The ADC Cirrus is a series of British aero engines manufactured using surplus Renault parts by the Aircraft Disposal Company (ADC) in the 1920s. The engines were air-cooled, four-cylinder inline types. They were widely used for private and li ...

piston engine. Although the directors of the Academy were opposed to the design, the aircraft was built in the Academy Club on his own time. Originally designated VVA-3 (Military Aviation Academy-3) Yakovlev later redesignated it the AIR-1 in honour of Alexei Ivanovich Rykov, the country's premier (the Chairman of the

Council of People's Commissars The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

) and the president of the ''Osoviakihm''. The first flight on 12 May 1927 was flown by Yakovlev's friend J.I. Piontkovsky, who later rated the flying qualities as ''excellent''; Piontkovsky later flew the aircraft non-stop from Sevastopol to Moscow in 15½ hours, a distance of 1240 km. In 1928 Yakovlev produced an improved variant, the AIR-2; six were built between 1928 and 1931 fitted with different five-cylinder

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

s. One aircraft powered by a Siemens engine was designated AIR-2S and was fitted with floats designed by V B Shavrov. 1986 CPA 5780

Variants

;AIR-1 :Prototype with a

engine. ;AIR-2 :Improved variant fitted with either a Siemens, Walter NZ-60 or NAMI M-23 radial engine. ;AIR-2S :AIR-2 fitted with two wooden floats. ;VVA-3 :Original designation of the AIR-1

Specifications (AIR-1)

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Yakovlev AIR-1
{{Yakovlev aircraft 1920s Soviet and Russian civil utility aircraft 1920s Soviet and Russian sport aircraft AIR-1 Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1927