History
The I-14 (ANT-31), a Soviet single-seat fighter was developed at Tupolev's design bureau by Pavel Sukhoi's team. It was the first all-metal monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear in the world. The first prototype powered by Bristol Mercury IVS-2 radial engine took off on May 27 in 1933. The second prototype, called ANT-31bis (I-14bis) was considerably redesigned, including a more powerful Wright Cyclone R-1820 F-2 engine, a smooth wing skinning instead of corrugated on ANT-31, different, outward-retracting landing gear and an open cockpit. ANT-31bis was armed with two synchronized PV-1 machine guns and two Kurchevsky APK-11 recoilless cannons in the wing. The aircraft successfully passed the state acceptance trials in 1934, and serial production was started at the new No 125 factory in Irkutsk. Production I-14 had an increased wheel track, R-1820 F-3 engine and was armed with machine guns only. State acceptance trials of the first production aircraft held in 1936 uncovered a serious problem - difficult spin recovery. The military refused to accept I-14, and the design bureau had to introduce several modifications, including a new tailplane with an increased area, which finally allowed to solve the spin problem. However, by that time I-14's rival, a much cheaper and easier to produce Polikarpov I-16 was already in mass production. It was decided to terminate the I-14 production and scrap the unfinished aircraft at No 125 factory. Of 55 aircraft ordered only 18 were completed and entered service.
Features
- Full resin kit
- 90 total parts
- 4 clear resin parts
- 4 reinforced resin parts
Parts
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