single seat primary soviet fighter introduction standard advanced trainer following operation destroyed surviving equipped machine guns bomb racks pressed service light ground attack aircraft night bombers retired early soviet aircraft production began recover modern ground attack aircraft like available total built including prototypes development year plan ordered design bureau develop mixed construction metal wood fabric fighter powered vii engine prototype completed september new fighter designated fighter internal designation concurrently group tasked creating wood construction aircraft designated specification design begun supervision bureau preoccupied large bombers result projects unified leadership project met specified completion date arrested september crime industrial sabotage failures sentenced death years imprisonment labor camp december gathered number aircraft engineers prison including formed leadership transferred quarters grounds factory moscow early shortly replaced head designer concept approved scale mock approved march prototype designated internal prison completed month later flight april fitted imported horsepower vii painted silver red cheat line red superimposed red star rudder second prototype known engine took air bearing prototypes differed minor details shape tail construction landing gear meant slight difference weight performance prototypes present second slightly heavier faster slight range advantage higher service ceiling prototype designated inscribed gift congress party powered horsepower soviet built engine proved unreliable production second prototype passed state acceptance trials august ordered production month later september problem noted trials tendency turn landing light winds shortening landing gear moving cured problem engineer suggest change awarded order red star pre production aircraft ordered assembled august october imported engines fitted small improvements production aircraft included cooling introduction tube static vent starboard upper wing pilot metal propeller pitch adjusted ground design single seat wings configuration fixed landing gear aircraft mixed construction fuselage framework steel tubes covered fabric skin rear fuselage fuselage section covered panels far rear cockpit panels allowing easy access shock fabric skin laced covered bulkhead separated litres imp gal gal fuel tank engine fire fitted outlets fuel pump inlet pipe conventional landing gear connected piece axle aircraft fitted shaped covering wheels initially fixed later aircraft smaller moved concert rudder rubber rings shock landing gear wings built upper wing parts middle section outer ones wood wooden lower wings built single sections profile type separated wings attached upper wing fuselage profile reinforced steel wires laced fabric covered wings roots lower wings covered leading edges wings skinned fitted upper wing control surfaces tail section built fabric metal framing wires tail fitted prototypes production aircraft replaced lower wires horizontal tail offset port compensate engine adjusted ground early production aircraft imported engines metal bulk production aircraft license built copy horsepower ring early aircraft usually fixed pitch wooden propeller diameter meters replaced meters propeller spinner pitch adjusted ground synchronized millimeter machine guns fitted fuselage rounds apiece sight hoped fit pair extra weight adversely affected aircraft performance tests small bomb racks fitted carry kilogram bomb apiece beam type bomb racks evaluated carry pair kilogram bombs adverse effects performance rejected service use tests racks aircraft diving target example dive bombing soviet_union evaluate accuracy rocket known aircraft service called emergency converted use fighter bombers adding machine guns aircraft fitted heavy bombs rejected earlier ground attack version referred test pilot described flying qualities flying convinced handful aircraft careful controls machine rough actions depart controlled flight operational history delivered october end year aircraft began deliveries following year delivered delivered beginning production delivered units ukraine military districts comprised fighter force end deliveries began units comprised fighter strength end year end replaced deliveries begun began replaced completely phased line use end continued employed advanced trainer following german invasion soviet_union june heavy losses line aircraft endured disruption aircraft production resulted removed training units returned combat service ground attack aircraft night bombers early fighter regiments defence moscow night bombers february 2nd ground attack regiment raised september october thirty hand attrition reduced sixteen total dozen aircraft october served february regiment withdrawn conversion redesignated 11th raised air_force september october mustered eighteen reduced aircraft november kept service february regiment reorganized variants involved tests project heavy bomber carried parasite fighters carried wing fuselage ramps wing mounted aircraft places fuselage mounted aircraft lifted hand generally solely extra powerplant later program aircraft trials longer landing gear smaller tires originally prototypes seat conversion trainer designated built factories believed built cockpit moved second inserted users soviet_union naval aviation specifications data gordon general characteristics crew length upper wingspan lower wingspan wing area weight gross weight fuel capacity powerplant cylinder single row radial engine propellers bladed diameter performance maximum speed mph sea level range nmi service ceiling time altitude minutes metres horizontal turn time sec armament guns machine guns bombs
Polikarpov I-5