Grigorovich Stal-MAI
1930s Soviet long-range aircraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Stal-MAI (also called the RD-MAI) was a long-range experimental aircraft developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute under the supervision of Dmitry Grigorovich and later Pyotr Grushin. It first flew on 19 September 1934.
| Stal-MAI | |
|---|---|
| Stal-MAI model at the Museum of Moscow Aviation Institute | |
| General information | |
| Type | Long-range experimental aircraft |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | Moscow Aviation Institute |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 19 September 1934 |
Development and design
In December 1931 the government made the decision to build the Tupolev ANT-25 long-range aircraft. At the same time there was a need for an aircraft with a range of 5,000 km (3,100 mi; 2,700 nmi). In late 1931, Grigorovich, then the new director of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), organized a group of students to design an aircraft of this type, among them Pyotr Grushin and Mikhail Pashinin.[1] Grigorovich was focused on his cannon fighters and supervision later passed on to Grushin.[2] The aircraft was completed in the mid 1934 and first flown on 19 September 1934.[3] The aircraft was repaired but the project was discontinued.[4]
The Stal-MAI was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a two-spar trapezoidal wing and a braced empennage. It was powered by a single Mikulin M-34R liquid-cooled V12 engine equipped with a gearbox driving a variable-pitch propeller. The retractable landing gear was operated manually. The two-seat cockpit was enclosed by a single canopy. Except for the fabric-skinned control surfaces, the aircraft was made of steel. The Stal-MAI was among the first aircraft in the world to be constructed mainly out of steel.[1][2]
Specifications
Data from Dmitry Grigorovich's Aircraft[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
- Height: 4.03 m (13 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 40.5 m2 (436 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,410 kg (5,313 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,850–4,600 kg (8,488–10,141 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 1,000–1,800 kg (2,200–4,000 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mikulin M-34R liquid-cooled V12 engine, 620 kW (830 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 330–350 km/h (210–220 mph, 180–190 kn)
- Cruise speed: 290–300 km/h (180–190 mph, 160–160 kn)
- Range: 3,250–6,000 km (2,020–3,730 mi, 1,750–3,240 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 6,000 m (20,000 ft)
