Inter-Wars

Nikitin, Vasili Vasilievich

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Born in 1901, Vasili Vasilievich Nikitin (In Russian: Василий Васильевич Никитин) came to aircraft construction in an unconventional way. An architect by training, he began working in 1922 at DP Grigorovich’s construction bureau. He soon stood out as an organizer and designer, for which he was appointed as responsible for the general composition.

Between 1925 and 1929 he went to work with NN Polikarpov and between 1930 and 1936 at the TsKB.

From 1933 Nikitin designed several airplanes of his own conception and participated in the development of other models in collaboration with several designers.

In 1933 he designed his first own design, the NV-1 single – seater trainer which was soon upgraded into the NV-2 version. The NV-4 of 1936 appeared as a central float plane and Nikitin developed a military version, which competed unsuccessfully in the competition for the KOR-2.

The NV-5 of 1937 was the forerunner of an entire family of biplane training aircraft that was never produced due to the preference given to single-seater trainers.

From the arrest of Mijelson in 1937 Nikitin went on to head the Experimental Department of Factory No.23 in Leningrad, which was responsible for the continuation of his designs. In this period include flying boat MP from 1937 and training floatplanes MU-4 and MU-5.

In addition to his own designs during this period, Nikitin worked on modifications of aircraft from other manufacturers. The R-5T torpedo boat, developed in 1933 on the basis of the Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance aircraft, vame to light; the R-5 Jumo from 1935, with a German engine and the special RZ to set records from 1937.

In 1937 the PSN models (special mission gliders) were built, flying bombs without motor. The first model was PSN, developed by NG Mijelson and 10 copies of it were built. The second model, called PSN-2, was conceived by MM Yefimov and had already been towed through the air when it was decided to cancel development.

Between 1939 and 1940 VV Nikitin went on to direct the OKB-30 based on the Moscow Tech and later transferred to Factory No.156. Test pilot Vladimir Shevchenko was appointed lead constructor. Between 1939 and 1941 the OKB-30 would build 3 prototypes (IS-1 , IS-2 and NV-6) and would be responsible for the development of 18 aircraft projects. OKB-30 ceased to exist as a result of NKAP order No. 459ss issued on May 20, 1941.

From 1941 on, he held various management positions in aeronautical repair shops and at TsAGI. In 1942 he converted a captured Junkers Ju-52 from the Germans into a test bed for experimental applications at the TsAGI and later took charge of the design and construction of the wind tunnels and the work of the Scientific-Technical Bureau of the institute.

In 1945 he was in charge of transforming a Douglas Douglas A-20 “Boston” attack aircraft into a liaison plane and staff transport with capacity for several passengers.

After the war he went to work at the NI Kamov bureau, dedicated to the development of helicopters, and was soon selected as its reserve.

Overall VV Nikitin was responsible for the creation of 15 original and successful aircraft. This aeronautical constructor managed to pass the piloting courses and generally tested his designs in the air.

Vasili Vasilievich Nikitin died in 1955.

Nievdachin Buriviestnik P-5

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Between 1919 and 1921 in the young Soviet state the glider began to develop as a type of sport. In the winter of 1921, a group with KK Artseulov founded the first circle of Soviet planners known as “Thermal Flight” (Парящий полет). This group was originally made up of four military pilots, nineteen cadets, and students from the Air Fleet Academy and the Moscow Higher Technical School. Eight of its members: KK Artseulov, VP Nievdachin, VS Pyshnov, SV Ilyushin, SN Lyushin, BI Cheranovski, MK Tijonrarov and IP Tolstix would become the builders of the first Soviet gliders.

The record-breaking single-seater glider “Buriviestnik”, built by the military pilot VP Nievdachin, was calculated to achieve high flight speeds and was originally designed for the participation of one of the best Soviet pilots in international competitions to be held in the French Rhône.

The Buriviestnik or P-5 (Russian: Невдачин “Буревестник” (П-5)) was designed as a cantilever low-wing monoplane with an airplane layout and clean lines. The constructive base of the fuselage was made up of the force knot called by its author the central cell, on which the pilot’s seat was located and to which the wings, landing gear and tail were fixed.

Built at Factory “Promvozdux” of Tversk in 1923, the entire construction was made of wood and covered with calico. The wings, of double spar, could be separated from the fuselage to facilitate the transport. The wing spar was covered with grid-shaped ribs. The wing leading edge consisted of a 2 mm thick curved sheet of plywood attached to a thin frame located in the open part of the cockpit. The wing trailing edge also ended in a frame attached to the exit of the wing nerves. The wing profile used was a variation of Pr-426.

The entire surface of the glider was covered with a layer of enamel and then two layers of enamel with aluminum powder. During the tensioning of the fabric, an unconventional system was used whereby the fabric was “sewn” to each of the ribs of the wing without passing the tension cord through the wing.

The cockpit cover was installed in front of the central cell and the fuselage armor was installed behind it. The tail section consisted of three stringers made up of 20 x 20 mm pieces of wood joined together by pieces of plywood. The cross section of the fuselage in this area was reminiscent of a 5-pointed pyramid with the upper vertex drifting towards the keel. The weight of the fuselage without the rudders and landing gear was only 18 kg.

The landing gear was made up of a bent ash shaft at the end of which and by means of metal fixings, the axles made of steel tubes were supported. The wheels were made of wood with the edges covered in leather. They weighed 5 kg.

In the rear section of the fuselage, offset rudders were located for direction and depth. The control of the glider was carried out as in a conventional airplane. The elevator was linked to the lever by means of a square section wooden bar. For the control of the wing ailerons, a combined system made up of metal turnbuckles and ropes was used. The pedals were used to control the rudder, to which they were linked by ropes.

The “Buriviestnik” glider was built using an unstable scheme. The center of gravity of the empty glider was behind the center of pressure. Because the pilot’s seat was located in front of the center of gravity, the stability of the aircraft was neutral during flight. This was probably the main cause of the accident of the pilot Yungmeister during the competitions in Crimea, which resulted in the destruction of the landing gear and the subsequent overturning of the glider on the back.

The “Buriviestnik” was ready in time to participate in the First National Sailing Competitions, promoted by the ODVF and held between November 1 and 18, 1923 in the mountains. Uzun-Sirt, in the Crimea. Ten gliders appeared in this contest. During the glider construction process, two endurance tests were carried out. After the final assembly of the wings, support points were located at the midpoint of their wingspan and three people were located in the cabin.

On October 28, the planeristas’ camp was set up on the slopes of the Uzun-Sirt mountain, in the region of the Sultanovska village, and the Technical Committee began its work under the direction of Professor VP Vietchinkin of TsAGI. Static resistance tests were carried out between November 1 and 7 and 8 of the models presented were authorized to fly. On the 15th, the flight of the ninth of the aircraft would be authorized.

During the first flight tests the “Buriviestnik” glider achieved the second longest time in the air, reaching 49 seconds, preceded by the Tijonrarov AVF-1 Arap, which flew for 1 minute and 5 seconds.

The first competition flight took place on November 3 with pilot LA Yungmeister at the controls. After taking off from the top of the mountain with a 6.7 m / s wind, the rope used to give the tension in the launch did not come off and throughout the flight it kept dragging on the ground. The second flight of the “Buriviestnik” lasted 2 minutes and 2 seconds, but during the landing, probably due to centering problems, the glider climbed abruptly and ended up hitting the ground and breaking one of the wheels.

The “Buriviestnik” performed brilliantly in the competitions and took second place. Its builder was awarded.

The 26 of February of 1924 at the premises of the Council of the ODVF in Krasnopresnienskaya street in Moscow exhibition opened gliders participants in competitions in Crimea. This exhibition was organized by the circle “Flight in Thermal” under the direction of IN Vinogradov and in it the gliders A-5, Buriviestnik, “Korshun”, “Makaka” and “Maori” were exhibited.

In 1924 in Smolensk the glider “Smoleniets” was built, which basically repeated the scheme of the “Buriviestnik” and in Krasnodar the design was also repeated in the “Berkut”.

The “Buriviestnik” glider scheme was so effective that its author decided to motorize it into a light aircraft, which would serve as the basis for a whole family of airplanes of this type.

Nievdachin, Viacheslav Pavlovich

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Born in 1887, the first references to Viacheslav Pávlovich Nievdachin date back to 1913, when together with the aeronautical manufacturer VN Jioni, he installed his own built floats to a Farman IV biplane. This aircraft was used in Odessa by Jioni and AV Shiukov to carry out propaganda flights with a characteristic decoration, which included chains of small electric lamps powered by batteries, which, starting from the cockpit, ran the entire wing leading edge and the interalar supports. No evidence has been preserved on the later fate of this device.

During World War I he served as a department head at the Kacha Aviation School, Sevastopol. In 1920 he was one of the members of the Commission for Heavy Aviation / KOMTA).

At the beginning of the 1920s, he became a reference figure in the circles of lovers of aviation. Following a request from glider lovers, the Glavvozdujoflot management decided to approve the creation of a circle of gliders subordinate to the Air Fleet Scientific Office. At the organizational meeting held on October to November of 1921, at the request of Professor VP Vietchikin this circle was called “thermal flying” (Парящий полет). Its first president was AA Zhavrov, who would soon be replaced by KK Artseulov. Among its first members was VP Nievdachin.

In 1923 he was one of the 10 participants in the I National Sailing Competitions flying his “Buriviestnik” glider, being awarded and in the second edition he was part of the organizing committee.

Under his direction, between 1922 and 1929, using funding from the Friends of the Air Fleet Society (ODVF), a glider and four light aircraft were built. All his creations bore the name “Buriviestnik”, but with different indices. The glider was named P-5. The S-2, S-3, S-4 and S-5 light aircraft.

Between 1924 and 1925 the ODVF launched a competition for the development of low-power aircraft and aviation engines. The evaluation committee, which met between 5 and 23 June 1925 declared that none of the projects could be recommended for production without modifications. Despite this, the works of VP Nievdachin, SD Chernijovski, VL Alexandrov, brothers II and EI Pogoski and the project “Tri Druga” were valued positively.

In addition to his love for light aviation, Nievdachin dedicated part of his life to large-scale aviation, working in the propeller and engine group of the Aviation Factory No. 1 and since 1927 in No. 25, subordinate to the Department of Land Aircraft (OSS) under the direction of NN Polikarpov.

He was imprisoned during the great purge and worked on the infamous TsKB-29. At this stage he was responsible for the development of the wing center plane in the Myasichev DVB-102 (“102”) model, designed and built in this prison institution.

It is known that he kept working as a technologist in the aeronautical industry until his death in 1953.

Nieuport & General Aircraft

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UK
Formed to license-manufacture Nieuport fighter designs for the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Sopwith Camels and Snipes were also built under subcontract. In 1917 H. P. Folland joined the firm’s Cricklewood- based design team and produced the BN.1 fighter, followed by the Nieuport Nighthawk in 1919, which was produced by the Gloster Company when Nieuport & General closed down in 1920.