Polikarpov I-5

Polikarpov I-5 History

During the period before World War II (1939-1945), Polikarpov of Soviet concern managed to sell his new biplane fighter - "I-5" - to the Soviet Air Force. The aircraft first flew on April 29, 1930, and was introduced to the VVS (Soviet Air Force) in 1931. The series continued until 1942, when around 803 examples had been built.

The Soviet Navy was the only other key operator of this type.

When completed, the I-5 adopted a two-wing configuration, in which the upper wing elements spanned significantly more than the lower wing. The engine was attached to the nose section in the usual way, the stern contained a single fin with a low level. The landing gear rolls on the main legs, is fixed in flight and is placed under the front mass of the aircraft. The pilot's position is below the tail of the upper wing panel, with the headrest structure away from the fuselage spine.

Dimensions include a length of 22.2 feet and a wingspan of 33.6 feet. The kerb weight is 2,060 pounds and the MTOW is 3,000 pounds.

Power is provided by a single-row, air-cooled, 9-cylinder radial-piston engine of the Shvetsov M-22 series producing 480 hp. This is used to drive a 2-blade propeller unit on the nose that is nearly 9 feet in diameter. Features of this arrangement include a top speed of 173 mph, a range of up to 410 miles, and a service ceiling of up to 24,600 feet.

The plane can reach an altitude of 3,300 feet in 1.5 minutes.

Weapons are 2 x 7.62mm PV-1 machine guns, firing synchronously via rotating propeller blades. There is a limited bomb-carrying option, totaling only 2 x 22 lb conventionally dropped bombs.

The I-5 was in the hands of VVS pilots until late 1931, when about 66 had been delivered. With further deliveries in 1934, the stock replaced several aging fighter lines, including Polikarpov's own I-3 line.

However, back in the mid-1930s, the I-5 itself was officially replaced by the much-improved Polikarpov I-15 fighter.

Nonetheless, the I-5 continued to serve as a soldier into the early years of World War II, and remained in service until 1941 during Operation Barbarossa (Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union). The I-5 was past its heyday as a dedicated fighter, but a shortage of fighter mounts forced the VVS to include the I-5 in its plans.

Even some relegated to training service were upgraded to fighter jets, and many were used as light bombers in the early days. Eventually, after the Soviet Air Force met the war requirements, the I-5 was allowed to retire in early 1942 as more modern models entered service.

The I-5UTI is a two-seat trainer variant of the I-15 fighter, converted from the basic single-seat design. Fewer than two dozen of the planes are believed to have been completed. The main difference in design is the tandem layout with two cockpits.

As in the United States in the postwar period, the I-5 series was tested in the "parasite fighter" role. The concept involved a "mother ship" - in this case a Tupolev TB-3 bomber - and up to three I-5 fighter jets attached to the main aircraft. The entire system was blown up as a unit, and the fighter jets were landed in contested airspace.

Like the U.S. program, this parasite-control program achieved nothing.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes