In 1939 Latvia ordered 39 Hawker Hurricane fighters from United Kingdom, thus there was a need for monoplane pilots in Latvia. For this purpose, Irbītis designed the VEF I-17 among other trainer aircraft. Due to the start of Second World War in September 1939, the British Hawker Hurricanes never arrived in Latvia which induced the Latvian Air Force to encourage Latvian aircraft development instead. Due to the pressures of the war, the I-17 prototype was accepted almost without testing and serial production started.[1]
After the occupation, the I-17 was tested by Soviet Red Army and some had Soviet M-11 engines installed. After the occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany in July 1941, the I-17 was also examined and tested by the Luftwaffe and, like the VEF I-16, was used by the aviation school in Toruń.[2]
The further fate of the VEF I-17s produced is unknown.
Around 2009, it was reported that the Director of the Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia Māris Gorodcovs had begun work on building a replica of the I-17.[3]
