Tupolev ANT-13 / I-8

Conceived to make use of new high-strength steels obtainable from Germany in the late 'twenties, the ANT-13 was a small unequal-span staggered biplane single-seat fighter. Utilising steel for the wing spars and the welded truss fuselage - the remainder of the structure being dural - the ANT-13 was fabric covered and powered by a 600hp Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror 12-cylinder water-cooled engine. Armament consisted of twin 7.62mm synchronised guns. Construction of the prototype, designated I-8, was threatened with cancellation in 1929 through the pressures of higher priority projects at the AGOS, but each worker donated 70 hours to completing the I-8, which was flown on 28 October 1930. Dubbed unofficially the Zhokei (Jockey), the fighter was the first aircraft to exceed 300km/h in the Soviet Union, but the decision not to licence manufacture the Conqueror engine militated against series production of the ANT-13.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1690 x 1230)