Designed at the KOSOS (Konstruktorski otdel opytnovo samolyetostroeniya, or Design Department for Experimental Aircraft Construction) within TsAGI by a brigade headed by Aleksandr A Arkhangel’sky, the ANT-21 MI (mnogomestnyi istrebitel – multi-seat fighter) was, by international standards of its day, very much state-of-the-art. Featuring all-metal stressed-skin semi-monocoque construction with partial flush-riveting and a retractable main undercarriage, the ANT-21, which was assigned the service designation MI-3, was powered by two M-17B (BMW VI) 12-cylinder water-cooled engines of 680hp. Proposed armament consisted of one 12.7mm machine gun or 20mm cannon on a pivoted nose mounting, two 7.62mm guns firing from a dorsal position and a single 7.62mm gun firing from a ventral tunnel. Three crew members were carried.

Work on the ANT-21 began on 18 January 1932, first flight taking place in August 1933. On 14 September, the starboard rudder suffered damage and separated as a result of violent flutter in a shallow dive. Arkhangel’sky elected to undertake major redesign as the ANT-21bis.

Retaining the wings, engines and undercarriage of the ANT-21, the ANT-21bis alias MI-3D (the suffix letter indicating dubler, or, literally, “understudy”) mated these elements with an entirely new fuselage, which provided enclosed cockpits for all crew members, and a single fin-and-rudder. Completed in April 1934, the ANT-21bis had provision for the same armament as that of the ANT-21, but the ventral tunnel was omitted, the gun being fired instead through a trap. During initial flight trials some tail oscillation at certain power settings led to the introduction of tailplane bracing struts. State acceptance trials were conducted between July and December 1934, but the results were somewhat academic as there was little official interest in an M-17B-powered aircraft which had, in any case, been largely overtaken by the ANT-29. Consequently, further work on the ANT-21bis was discontined.

ANT-21 / MI-3
Engines: two M-17B (BMW VI) 12-cylinder, 680hp
Max take-off weight: 5500 kg / 12125 lb
Empty weight: 3670 kg / 8091 lb
Wingspan: 20.76 m / 68 ft 1 in
Length: 11.70 m / 38 ft 5 in
Wing area: 55.10 sq.m / 593.09 sq ft
Max. speed: 359 km/h / 223 mph
Range: 1120 km / 696 miles

ANT-21bis / MI-3D
Engines: two M-17B (BMW VI) 12-cylinder, 680hp
Max take-off weight: 5260 kg / 11596 lb
Empty weight: 3800 kg / 8378 lb
Wingspan: 20.76 m / 68 ft 1 in
Length: 12.30 m / 40 ft 4 in
Wing area: 55.10 sq.m / 593.09 sq ft
Max. speed: 356 km/h / 221 mph

Unshaken by this official lack of confidence, Tupolev began planning the world’s largest aircraft and found support in Union of Soviet Writers and Publishers to celebrate the career of the writer Maxim Gorkii (or Gorky). Workers all over Russia donated money for the construction of not just one giant aircraft, but a whole Maxim Gorki Propaganda Squadron of them, for which 6,000,000 roubles were collected.

Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorki Article

This aircraft flew for the first time on 19 May 1934. When it appeared at Moscow’s Central Airport in the spring of 1934, Tupolev’s first ANT 20 Maxim Gorki spann¬ed 63 m (206 ft), with eight engines totalling 7200 hp, and a gross weight of 52.8 tonnes (52 tons). Within its fuselage and wings were seats for up to 80 passen-gers, a cinema, newspaper office, darkroom, printing press, radio station, buffet bar, toilets, sleeping quarters and an internal telephone exchange. Beneath its wings loud¬speakers and illuminated signs were installed to broadcast political slogans; engineers could walk through the inside of the struc¬ture to attend to its engines.

The six engines originally fitted were not enough and an extra pair were added on a pod above the fuselage. The giant ANT-20 toured the otherwise inaccessible areas of the USSR, bringing the communist message to the masses.

Four smaller auxiliary engines were required to drive various devices, including the giant sound system and a series of lights for displaying propaganda slogans at night. The crew is said to have been up to 23 people, although most of these were associated with the propaganda function. Between eight and 10 crew were involved in actually operating the aircraft.

In 1934 workers at the institute were invited to fly in the giant machine which they had designed and built. Thirty six passengers boarded, along with 11 crew, and Maxim Gorki took off, accom¬panied by a Polikarpov I-5 fighter which was to formate with it for air to air photographs. During the flight the fighter pilot, disorientated during a barrel roll, collided with the Gorki, which broke up in the air and exploded in a fire¬ball, throwing bodies and equipment out in full view of spectators at the airport. The fighter pilot, all 47 aboard the giant aircraft and three bystanders died. The Russians subscribed for three more ANT 20s, with just six engines of greater power, and eventually 16 were built, eight of which survived World War II.

A re¬placement aircraft for the ANT 20 Maxim Gorki, with only six engines but the same dimensions and an even ¬greater all up weight, was built as the PS 124 or ANT 20bis.

ANT-20
Engine: 6 x AM-34FRNV,
Max take-off weight: 44000 kg / 97004 lb
Wingspan: 64.0 m / 210 ft 12 in
Length: 34.1 m / 112 ft 11 in
Height: 7.0 m / 23 ft 12 in
Wing area: 486.0 sq.m / 5231.26 sq ft
Max. speed: 275 km/h / 171 mph
Cruise speed: 225 km/h / 140 mph
Ceiling: 5500 m / 18050 ft
Range: 900 km / 559 miles
Crew: 8
Passengers: 64

In May 1933 Tupolev’s TB 6 (ANT 16) six engined bomber succeeded the TB 3 as the world’s largest landplane. The Tupolev ANT-16 or TB-4 was a super-heavy bomber powered by six 619kW M-34 engines, two of them mounted in tandem above the fuselage. Armament comprised two 20mm cannon and 10 machine-guns, plus a maximum bombload of 10000kg.

First flown on 3 July 1933, performance was so poor that the Soviet government declined further support for Tupolev’s large aircraft. It did not go into production, but served as the prototype of the even larger eight engined ANT 20 Maxim Gorki, built to commemorate the great Soviet writer’s fortieth anni¬versary.

TB-4
Engines: 6 x AM-34R
Max take-off weight: 33280 kg / 73370 lb
Empty weight: 21400 kg / 47179 lb
Wingspan: 54.0 m / 177 ft 2 in
Length: 32.0 m / 105 ft 0 in
Height: 11.7 m / 38 ft 5 in
Wing area: 422.0 sq.m / 4542.37 sq ft
Max. speed: 200 km/h / 124 mph
Ceiling: 2750 m / 9000 ft
Range: 1450 km / 901 miles
Range w/max.payload: 775 km / 482 miles
Armament: 4 x 20mm cannons, 10 x 7.62mm machine-guns
Bombload: 4000kg
Crew: 12

Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev designed the ANT 14, a five engined airliner powered by Soviet built 358kW Bristol Jupiter radial engines: this spanned 40 m (132 ft) and could carry 42 people over 1200 km (745 miles), sufficient to fly in stages from Moscow to Vladivostock.

The one-off ANT-14 Pravda, served as flagship of the propaganda squadron. The ANT 14 was modestly successful, serv¬ing on the Moscow Berlin route and on scientific explorations in Siberia and the Arctic.

Pravda carried over 40,000 passengers before being grounded in 1941.

ANT-14
Engines: 5 x Gnome et Rhone Jupiter 9AKK
Max take-off weight: 17146 kg / 37801 lb
Empty weight: 10650 kg / 23479 lb
Wingspan: 40.4 m / 133 ft 7 in
Length: 26.5 m / 87 ft 11 in
Height: 5.4 m / 18 ft 9 in
Wing area: 240.0 sq.m / 2583.34 sq ft
Max. speed: 236 km/h / 147 mph
Cruise speed: 195 km/h / 121 mph
Ceiling: 4220 m / 13850 ft
Range: 1200 km / 746 miles
Crew: 4-5
Passengers: 36

The ANT-9 was created in AGOS TsAGI (the first was called the Tupolev Design Bureau however, in reality, this machine was originally created at the initiative of the military. The very idea of designing a large (by the then standards) passenger aircraft originated in the mid-1927 within the walls of the Office of Air Forces RKKA (Red Army UWS).

The military was aware that the CAF – Air Force Reserve provided additional development of the aviation industry and related industries, the airfield network, and trained cadres of pilots and ground staff. In the event of war, civilian aircraft would join the military transport aviation. Moreover, in wartime, a passenger plane could turn into a battle plane. The question fot the Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) at UWS was whether it will be a bomber with the ability to transport passengers, or an airliner capable of carrying bombs and machine guns.

On October 27th, 1927 TsAGI specified the basic characteristics of the aircraft speed of at least 190-195 km / h, ceiling 4,500-5,000 meters, payload of 750 kg and a crew of three. The first task was to build a passenger ship used as a military transport plane, the second is the creation on its base bomber modification.

Tupolev found a compromise that allowed a fast and relatively cheap build. He proposed to build a passenger aircraft at the military base. On April 9 1928 at a meeting of the STC, Tupolev reported on the conceptual design of the new aircraft, named ANT-9. It was a three-engine all-metal monoplane with the wing overhead.

Tupolev prepared three options for the project with different engines. The first three engines would be the Gnome-Rhone “Titan”, the second and third – a combination of the two American “Wright” J4 and one French Gnome-Rhone “Jupiter.” The number of passenger seats variants differed in total payload, gross weight, as well as range and speed. The plane with the three Titans of 230 hp provided a small gain in speed and range. Tupolev emphasized the use in the project of components and assemblies of other aircraft that were created in the TsAGI – ANT-3 (R-3), ANT-7 (R-6) and ANT-8. Most borrowed from R-6. From it they took wing and tail.

Evaluation of the project considered the aircraft of modern western standard of the same weight carrying capacity. Tupolev was told that the fuselage was overly broad and could be narrowed to 10-15 cm, however, in general opinion was favorable.

A little later, the Commission on the organization of passenger aircraft, established by order of the UWS June 12, 1928 including representatives from the Air Force, TsAGI, Aviatresta, Osoaviahima and airlines’ Dobrolet. ” Chairman was appointed as deputy head of the UWS Ya.I.Alksnisa. Work on the ANT-9, and labor agreement were decided. Total allocated for the design was 100 thousand rubles. Half of this amount allocated Air Force, and others equally “Dobrolet” and Osoaviakhim. According to the agreement concluded with the TsAGI prototype ANT-9 was required to be presented on May 1, 1929

For the first machine of the three chosen engines were 230 hp Gnome-Rhône Titan. This five-cylinder radial air-cooled engine was developed in England by Bristol, while France produced them under license.

The lead engineer was A.A.Arhangelsky, who also designed the fuselage. Wing was engaged in VM Петляков, шасси – А.Н. Petlyakov, chassis – AN Путилов, оперением – Н.С.Некрасов, силовой установкой – братья Е.И. Putilov, feathers – N.S.Nekrasov, propulsion – the brothers E. и И.И.Погосские. and I.I.Pogosskie. September 24 completed the drawing of the general form.

In fact, re-done with the center fuselage, were landing gear and engines. The fuselage had a cross-section, close to rectangular, and made entirely of kolchugalyuminiya – the German equivalent of the Soviet duralumin. Corrugated sheathing was performed, and the closer to the tail, it took over some loads. Increased rigidity of the fuselage diagonal bands. In the nose housed the central engine. The cabin held two pilots and flight engineer. Inside, was a partition passenger compartment, two rows of the left and right of passage, with nine passenger seats. In the interior there were clothes, luggage room and two toilets (in the documents of that time wrote simply – “toilet”).

The center section was manufactured separately from the fuselage and was attached to its upper longitudinal members with four nodes. The fuselage was made entirely of imported special steel.

The engines frames had rubber bumpers to absorb vibration. Gasoline was placed in the wing tanks. The Titans had wooden fixed-pitch two blade props, specially designed to TsAGI. By November the building of the fuselage and wing of the prototype began. In March, proceeded to the strength tests.

Much of the new machine was bought abroad. From Germany, the entire lighting system, batteries, glass cockpit, fabric and artificial leather for the trim, even the mats. Tupolev liked the wicker chairs of “Merkur” from Dornier. Instruments were to be German and American.

Delays in imports is seriously hampered the assembly. The engines arrived late by three months, with no mufflers. The wheels were brought from France in time though, but smaller in diameter – in Paris trade mission members had mixed the size.

On March 27, the Commission agreed that delays should no longer be tolerated, wanting domestic materials and not waiting foreign arrivals. On April 30th, a day ahead of time, the prototype was ready. In appearance the aircraft had woven reed chairs made a small factory near Moscow. For ventilation all the passenger cabin windows opened, as for heating, there was none.

May 1, 1929 saw the ANT-9 in the middle of Red Square, demonstrating the new Soviet aircraft. A huge cart slowly moved the plane to toward Khodynka, Central Airport, at night.

When at the entrance to the airfield the procession began to cross the tram tracks but from the morning mist suddenly popped a tram. The driver did not have time to brake and the car crashed into a plane. Bending the console and completely blew the roof off the tram, the wing is almost not affected.

Tupolev ANT-9 (URSS-309) was first flown by M.M. Gromov on May 7 (some sources say 5th), 1929 at Khodynka. Originally it had no registration and was painted in natural metal colors. In May 1929, it was registered as URSS-309.

Just a few days was spent piloted by Gromov for factory testing . The plane was very successful. After the first flight Tupolev brought to the airfield his family, and literally forced the pilots to carry the unplanned passengers.

May 16, 1929 started the state tests in the Air Force Institute. The aircraft was piloted by the same Gromov and Stoman for an engineer. The tests were until 28 May and it was noted that the aircraft is stable, the control force small, with no tendency to stall or spontaneously reverse.

Although the ANT- 9 did not meet the requirements to climb above 1,500 m, the practical ceiling and takeoff distance , an overall assessment of the Research Institute of the report was: ” the ANT -9 is a very good passenger aircraft and some quality is undoubted advantage over the best foreign similar power planes.”

Observations made in the Institute concerned secondary issues and were easy to handle : seizing vent in the cockpit, a high level of noise in the cabin. An important point was insufficient deflection angle of the stabilizer. In addition, employees of the Research Institute clearly seized n the process of refueling with gasoline. From a barrel with bucket into the filler neck. To prepare the machine to fly in such a way it took half a day .

Tests were completed by a small flight Moscow- Serpukhov – Kashira -Moscow . Already on June 6 Gromov, co-pilot Mikheev , Spirin navigator and mechanics Rusakov and Monakhov flew the ANT- 9 to Odessa. It was a kind of rehearsal before the tour on the capitals of Europe, scheduled for July. The appearance of the ANT- 9 in Odessa included a courtesy visit to a group of Italian pilots who arrived in flying boats S.55. Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force de Pinedo even a little fly on the Soviet machine.

On June 6, 1929 the aircraft left for Odessa. On July 10, 1929, with Tupolev on board taking a vacation in Odessa, with a group of his chief of staff and UWS PI Baranov, and Gromov, heading for Kiev. Approaching to the Dnieper, the plane entered rain. Suddenly the speed of the machine began to fall. When she approached the stall speed, they had to make an emergency landing. Swollen blisters on the props had reduced thrust. Remains of fabric were cut off with penknives. Since the area was too small to take off, a portion of gasoline was sent on foot to a nearby village with passengers. With Tupolev on the plane, Gromov took off safely.

On July 10 the aircraft went on an overseas tour. At this time the crew consisted only of Gromov and the mechanic Rusakov. ANT-9 was carrying a group of pilots and journalists. During the month of the “Wings of the Soviets’ they visited Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Marseilles and London. The aircraft behaved perfectly. On the Moscow-Berlin Gromov flew 10:00 against a strong wind. Returning on August 8.

The only unpleasant incident occurred over southern France. ANT-9 suddenly went into a dive, and then began to tremble. The pilot immediately landed on a small meadow. After inspecting the aircraft, he said quietly: “Well, I thought – a coffin.” Buffeting arose from the opened hatch on the center from a burst of vibration of a broken engine mount tube. The tube is welded by a local garage mechanics, and ANT-9 flew on.

The fact that the ANT-9 launch into production, was determined in advance. The plane actually did not exist, and it had entered into a five-year plan for development of civil aviation. In the first option plan, prepared in July 1928, three airlines, then existing in our country – “Dobrolet”, “Ukrvozduhput” and “Derulyuft” gathered over five years to put a total of 148 vehicles of this type into service.

Few had the desire to acquire the new aircraft. The aircraft factories Aviatrest was so overwhelmed with orders and flatly refused to release the ANT-9. At the beginning of 1929 Alksnis even appealed to the President of “Dobrolet” V.N.Ksandrovu with a proposal to build the plant themselves in Voronezh. But even if “Dobrolet” would agree to this, the construction would take a long time, and the ANT-9 were needed now.

Aviatrestu began to “twist arms” at all levels. As a result, its leaders surrendered in April and ordered to start commercial production at the plant 22 in Fili – the only one who has had experience in producing all-metal machines. During the summer of 1929 TsAGI had sent drawings to the plant.

Initially it was assumed that the production ANT-9 would also receive ” Titans”. A large batch was ordered from France, but the fall of 1929 in the U.S. a representative went to a Soviet delegation headed by the Chief UWS PI Baranov. There she was negotiating with “Curtiss-Wright” the corporation on the three types of air-cooled engines; the 165, 225 and 320 hp. The last of them, “Wright” J5, was proposed for use of the ANT-9 instead of “Titans.”

December 28, 1929 meeting of the UWS approved the decision to abandon the French engine and put the U.S. engines in all production machines.

The calculations showed that the more powerful, 320 hp Wright J6 would increase the speed and capacity, albeit at the expense of a decrease in range – the same amount of tanks, more “hungry” engines. Firm “Gnome and Rhonw” was sent a formal notice of termination of the contract. Baranov, in January 1930 ordered a small batch of Wrights.

As a prototype decided to use the prototype ANT-9, replacing motors on it. This operation was enacted to implement by 20 February 1930, but actually did not carry out adaptations. Experienced ANT-9 passed the “Dobrolet” with “Titans.” September 15, 1930 returned to TsAGI. January 29, 1931 is registered as a Soviet-L101, transferred to Aeroflot.

But the entire series of 10 planes, planted at the beginning of 1930 the plant ╧ 22, has already had to get the Wright. Half of the machines designed for the Air Force, the other – for civilian pilots. The first six ANT-9 planned to deliver by July 1. Thus, the “unplanned” trehmotornik went into a series of one year earlier than the P-6, on the basis of which it did.

By the summer of several ANT-9 have already collected, but the motors from the United States do not have time. Since the plant was to carry out the plan, and the supply of engines lay on the responsibility of the customers had to start a “conditional” acceptance cars without engines. One such aircraft was in June and two more – in July. “”Wright” also began to mount in August.

Externally, the ANT-9, “Wright” differed from the prototype only in the absence cooks on the screws and partial nosing engines. The screws have others – U.S. Steel bought the firm, “Steel Propeller Corporation.” By eliminating the shortcomings of the prototype, the course of the stabilizer increased. Empty weight increased slightly, mainly due to motoustanovki.

The three 172kW Gnome-Rhone Titan radials were replaced in series machines by domestic M-26s, which proved to be underpowered and were in turn replaced by imported Wright Whirlwinds of 224kW each. After the first batch of some 12 aircraft the design was revised to twin-engined configuration, with two 507kW M-17 engines raising maximum speed from 205km/h to 215km/h; this version was known usually as the PS-9, and about 70 were built.

The three-engined ANT-9s served with the Soviet-German airline Deruluft on the Moscow-Berlin service. Some were also operated by the VVS as troop or VIP transports.

The PS-9 was flown widely on passenger services, the most famous being the propaganda aircraft Krokodil, with a suitably decorated plywood nose complete with a set of sharp teeth.

Gallery

Engines: 3 x 172kW Gnome-Rhone Titan radial
Max take-off weight: 6200 kg / 13669 lb
Empty weight: 3353 kg / 7392 lb
Wingspan: 23.7 m / 78 ft 9 in
Length: 16.8 m / 55 ft 1 in
Wing area: 84.0 sq.m / 904.17 sq ft
Max. speed: 210 km/h / 130 mph
Cruise speed: 195 km/h / 121 mph
Ceiling: 3750 m / 12300 ft
Range: 1800 km / 1118 miles
Range w/max.payload: 1000 km / 621 miles
Crew: 2
Passengers: 9

Engines: 3 x M-26

Engines: 3 x Wright Whirlwind, 224kW / 365 hp
Maximum speed: 205 kph

PS-9
Engines: 2 x M-17, 507kW
Maximum speed: 215km/h

The Tupolev ANT-7 prototype was a scaled-down version of the ANT-4. First flown on 11 September 1929, it was powered by two 544kW BMW VI engines. Production began in summer 1930 as the multi-purpose R-6 for the air force, with a total of 435 built by June 1934. The KR-6 version was a long-range reconnaissance aircraft with increased fuel capacity and no bombload, and the MR-6 was a naval floatplane variant. Many late production aircraft were delivered for civil use under the designation PS-7 or P-6; modifications were minimal, including a strengthened freight floor and elimination of gunners’ positions. The MP-6 was the civil floatplane version, and many P-/MP-6s and PS-7s had enclosed cockpits for Arctic use. The specially built R-6L was a one-off ‘limousine’ version incorporating a nine-passenger cabin.

R-6
Engine: 2 x M-17
Max take-off weight: 6470 kg / 14264 lb
Empty weight: 3855 kg / 8499 lb
Wingspan: 23.2 m / 76 ft 1 in
Length: 15.1 m / 50 ft 6 in
Height: 6.1 m / 20 ft 0 in
Wing area: 80.0 sq.m / 861.11 sq ft
Max. speed: 230 km/h / 143 mph
Ceiling: 4900 m / 16100 ft
Range: 800 km / 497 miles
Armament: 3 x 7.62mm machine-guns, 500kg of bombs
Crew: 3-5

The Tupolev TB-3 all-metal cantilever monoplane was the most advanced four-engined heavy bomber in service in the world in the early 1930s. First flown by M M Gromov on 22 December 1930, it was Tupolev’s first stake to the claim of having built the world’s largest landplane.

The first TB 3s closely resembled the TB 1, and carried the same bomb load, but were more powerful and more heavily armed. The 1936 version, powered by M 34FRN engines, established a number of weight lifting records for the USSR in that year, and in May 1937 four unarmed TB 3s airlifted the Schmidt Polar Expedition to the North Pole.

Production began at the end of 1931, continuing through many modifications until early 1937 when a total of 818 had been built.

For many years the TB-3 was the backbone of the VVS (Soviet air forces) heavy bomber units. A number retained the bureau designation ANT-6 and were used for transport. As the first four engine cantilever monoplane production bomber; it carried 4,410 pounds of bombs and became famous as the carrier craft in the world’s first mass paratroop exercises.

In 1938-39 TB-3s were used operationally against the Japanese, but by the time Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 most had been converted as paratroop or freight transports under the designation G-2. A squadron of six TB 3s, each carrying two fighter bombers, was used against the advancing Germans in 1941.

Other uses then consisted of night bombing and transport work of all kinds, including the carriage of vehicles or tanks between landing gear legs, and glider towing.

Experiments started with two I 16 fighters, and slowly worked up to five, four of which were rolled up ramps on to cradles fixed to the bomber’s wings, while a fifth joined up in flight, hooking on to yet another version of the trapeze gear used in British and American experiments. To help get this heavy formation airborne the engines of the wing mounted fighters were run up at take off, and once up, the TB 3 could just maintain altitude under its own power.

Use in parasite fighter experiments led in 1941 to Black Sea Fleet TB-3s being used to launch two Polikarpov SPB dive-bomber versions of the I-16 fighter, for raids on pinpoint targets in the Ukraine and Romania.

Variation
Grojovski G-52 Flying Battery

TB-3
Engines: 4 x M-17F
Max take-off weight: 17047 kg / 37582 lb
Wingspan: 39.5 m / 130 ft 7 in
Length: 24.4 m / 80 ft 1 in
Height: 8.5 m / 28 ft 11 in
Wing area: 230.0 sq.m / 2475.70 sq ft
Max. speed: 182 km/h / 113 mph
Ceiling: 3600 m / 11800 ft
Range: 2200 km / 1367 miles
Armament: 4 x 7.62 mm machine-guns, 3000kg of bombs
Crew: 8

ANT-6
Engines: 4 x AM-34, 830 hp
Wingspan: 132 ft 10.5 in
Max speed: 155 mph