HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE []

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500380085-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2003
• Sequence Number: 85
• Publication Date: March 12, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENdiNAL INTLLUGENCE A(ji
INFORMATION REPORT
tTC r F I rter,p
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Tess ~> UNIVAI_UATED tv!(rlrvA;I;~r,
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OiiGITdS Jr' SoV_TI : i 0ittiii+FT
----------- --
";I)" `-ua1 histories :;f rot:trY vin rtircraft_ have
in thi; field Yet. under Imi~rial and Soviet ruler the ii2u sianslihave pa'rticipa!.1rr.=
the h deo opnr'n'. c:f actor: rni+. .
the tiplvres
This account covers helicopters, aut,,ri is':s and
HELI____ C~1P_I'ERS
2 "As with many o4hf,r n.3*1.:ns.
the 2311, Century days i; r.erest in rotary wind aircraft dares back
In those days most arria1 oxir-?riment had but
flight in a heavier than air craft, ech
noa1-
It was !c:_ man'
ai tin:~,7 t: ou
i
t Frun haUoor: fl.t =-ht r. , , -is flight by 'ms owcaL means' t,?,
:snoir a; rr1h i Ae_cne.itic, was coming into it,,; itts own as
a science
P vitics' . The word helicopter was still unknovn.. Clocksprings and
whalebones were considezed good sources of power for experiments, Late in the Centru-y
tr_'e1m etginr? cc>.cc into oein
the h the flying e ca es noer Ig. the took 200 p-unds to deliver one horsepower. Most
d
wee,: ,:rten advisk-d by their more. ^eiisiblebr~tlu?en3tocattachsone orntwoeba.Lloons to
trey,.
3? "In this setting the helicopter was introduced to Russia. The Soviet scientist,
t4ikhPin l v Lozaorosev was first to undertake investi ati
born in th
one on lifti
ng screws.
e year 1711 it
was
no a family of fishermen living in the coastal vil
eni
skovs, ne
ar Archangel I
d
h
lage
of
n his youth, he went to sea with his father. Subsequently
he entered the Slavonic Greek Latin Academy in Moscow, spending five years there.
~f~ !ri S
~l$F?nr,Sea,- itldlCafa.'CY ~ art of tha ~ n ~~ '~ _ __?_-~.-'.~.
~t SrhfC rtf4 -""?"
M>~3lraakf:l,~g !S TC? -partmcnts or
w. ..`~- - corxarrence of thi?
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OF F 1 :F I
?_ Sir f4c r;
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In his late 201's he had the opportunity to enter the Russian Academy of Sciences. As
one of its superior students, he was sent abroad to finish is education.. Abroad,
Lomonosov''s fields of study were chemistry, metallurgy, mining, and mathematics. In
1745 he, returned to Russia and was made professor at the Academy. There were no Soviet
scientists and foreigners were invited to establish schools d higher learning and
research. 'riiose who went to Russia included such men as Bernoulli and Euler.
5. "On being nazi d professor, Lomonosov became the first Soviet scientist to join the
Academy..i Thus he is considered. the father of Soviet science. Lomonosov did much to
establish scientific investigating in his land. In his investigations, he delved into
the fields of physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology and geography and at the meeting
of the l~caden,y in 1.754 Lomonosov presented details of a device for lifting thermometers
and oth=l
r instruments into the air. He submitted a drawing of the apparatus the
25X1 consideration of the members. In
July of that year. the following appeared in the proceedings-,
The honorable Advisor Lomonosov demonstrated his invention called AERODYNAMIC
to he used for the purpose of depressing the air by means of wings rotated
horizontal-1y in the opposite directions by the agency of a spring of the type
used ~n clocks in order to lift the machine into the upper layers of the air.'
6.. "The ap ,Fatus was suspended from a string and when the spring was wound, the device rose
in the . ,ir, It is on this event that present-day Russia claims priority in the field
of helicopte r?s . The following is a news dispatch relersed in 1949:
Ei ' :. , ~;ers today joined the Russian list of claimed "firsts','. The Moscow
Paf:;loiear"ri.ed a broadcast on a new book on aviation which says the world's
.?'.r helicopter was constructed in the middle of the 18th Century by a dussian.'
7. "In the Frenchmen Laurnoy and Bienvenue presented to the Academy of Sciences in
Paris their helicopter model., Bird feathers stuck in a cork were used for rotors. This
device has beer. considered the first successful helicopter model J
8.. "For ove2; a cern ury the work of Lomonosov was the only rotorcraft activity to come out
of hus6:i :, until 135q when the inventor, A N Ladygin, presented his idea for a heli-
copter pro jF ct to the Cent -c Engineering .agency. He called his apparatus 'h'lectroflier ' .
The fu5e1a6v:: resembled a long cylinder with a cone at one end and a hemisphere at the
25X1 !'then The hemisphere carried a propeller which was movable laterally for
propul :ion aa.na contra . c machine was supported by a lifting rotor. To power the
craft, hel proposed an elementary electric motor delivering 300 hp driv1rr the screws by
means of a geared transmission, The Electroflier weighed 500 poods /8,co0_bs7. Energy
for the motors was to come from storage batteries, which he failed to u.:.,..ribe.
9. "After consideration of Ladygin's project, one of the members of the Agency commented:
'Atterrrts to control an aerostat by means of propellers, sails, and wings, in
the r :nner of windmills have been made repeatedly and have led, to no useful
results for this purpose.' He concluded that the proposal was 'entirely
inapplicable in practice.'
10. "In l870,jI.adygin left Russia to' further his objective. He worked on his proposal for
many years. A few months after the start of World War I in 1914, he petititoned the
Soviet government for a five thousand ruble subsidy to enable him to produce a machine.
By this time, his original proposal had been transformed into an ornithopter capable
of carrying one person. The proposal included four paddle wheels. Each paddle wheel
was driven by a separate motor. The motors were energized by means of generators driven
by a 20 hp engine. The craft had ,io rudders or elevators. Control was obtained by
variation in the power distribution to the paddles. A stabilizing feature consisted
of a mercury circuit which automatically varied the current to the motors if the craft
was disturbed by a gust of wind.
11. "Ladygin found a supporter in Professor N L Kirpichev. He concluded: ' . there is
no logical basis for assurance that his apparatus will not be capable of flying.'
However on 12 Nov 14 an Army Technical Board, ever hopeful for a new weapon and not
anxious to stick their necks out, reached the following conclusions:
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'l. If successfully realized, al flying apparatus of the type proposed by
the electrical engineer, Ladygin, could be of certain use to the-
cause of military aviation.,,
?2. Mr Ladygin's theoretical considerations and general calculations
relating to his apparatus cpntain no inconsistencies or errors.'
The Army failed to provide funds and the course of the War prevented him from advancing
his project, and shortly prior to the Russian Revolution he emigrated to the US,
where he died in 1923, 1'.
12. "In 1870, M A Rykachev, a member oflthe Academy of Sciences and Director of the Central
Physical Laboratory; conducted experiments on air screws to determine their efficiency
25X11 and in 1888 the scientist, E S Fedorov, published a paper in the
ocee ings o. the Russian Technological Society. It presented a mathematical analysis
of the possibilities of using air s revs in flying machines.
13. "An aerial velocipede was proposed in 1897 by I Bykov The craft was
2 5X1a monocycle supported and propelledlby means of a helica screw. wer was to be
obtained by pedalling the cycle. His proposal was presented to the Aviation Division
of the Electrotechnical Committee, but was rejected.
14. "In September 1899, Nikita Mironovich Mitreikin, an artisan from the Moscow district,
made public his design for an 'Aviation Bicycle'. The device consisted of two screws
driven by the operator's feet. The inventor claimed he succeeded in lifting the
machine one arshin r28 inches? and lying a distance of about 5 sazhens J5 feet7. He
offered his invention to the Ministry of War and pointed out that the apparatus 'can be
of great use in military action, asit will be possible to remove wounded quickly,,
without shaking or rocking?61
15. "The new century introduced a numbeniof rotary wing developments in Russia that were
comparable in scope to those undertaken in other countries. In the general 'field of
aeronautical engineering, Russia was progressive. its efforts in aerodynamic research
and unusual configurations were equal, if not superior, to the other European nations.
However,, in aircraft production, their machines and engines were copies of french,
UK or US designs. There were a few loutstanding Soviet designers, the most noted being
Igor Sikorsky.
16, "1n the early years of the 20th Cenfury, the leading aeronautical engineer was Nikolai
He came to be known as the 'Father of Soviet Aviation' but he was also
claimed by Poland under the name of Joukowski. He is known by the latter name in the
US, especially for his work on the analytical approach to developing Lrfoil sections.
In 1889, Zhukovskii net up in Russia the first aerodynamic laboratory as peat of
Moscow University. In 1902, he added a wind tunnel to the laboratory.
17, "On 22 Jan 04, he released a communication 'On the Useful Load Lifted by a Helicopter'.
He analyzed the main attempts to P- ve the problem of twin and multi-rotor helicopters.
Zhulovskii wrote, 'On the basis of U. that has gone before, it must be concluded that,
given the present proportionate weight of the engine, a twin-propeller helicopter
cannot lift into the air more than a definite useful load; as concerns multi-propeller
helicopters, it is clear that with an increasing number of propellers they can lift
any load. Moreover, multi-propeller,, helicopters designed for the same proportionate
engine weight and the same useful lo~d give lighter weight aircraft with less powerful
engines than do twin-propeller helicoopters.'
18. "In 1909, Zhukovskii gave a series oI lectures on the 'Theoretical Elements of Aviation'
at the Moscow Technical Institute. In 1914, a special course in aeronautics was
organized. Some of his students beclame leaders in the field of rotary wing aircraft.
Three of these were G K Shbinin, V P Wetchin':cin, and B N Yuriev. Little is known of
the helicopter work of Sabinin. Wet hinkin, in 1913, proposed a coefficient for
evaluation of a rotor in hovering. ~in the early years, several engineers proposed
coefficients, all involving thrust, power, and rotor diameter.
19. "In 1903, Renard in France was first proposing the 'qualite'a T3 whereas
HP~ 'xD
Wetchinkin calle,3 his coefficient 10t i eatcha' ti"dd it was expressed by T 3 2 . The
HPxD
concept is recognized in the US ? as t :'I'i ire , of rit' .
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:'c. "of the three early siu ent,. only Boris N Yuriev came to be well-known. uis association
ulth helicopter development has been long, and transcended the Czarist and Soviet
re imec Today he is looked upon as the patriarch of Soviet helicopter engineering
21. "Yuriev's helicopter activities beGan in 1909. In that year he proposed a coaxial
rotor helicopter design. In the central part of the fuselage was located a 70 hp Gnome
rotary engine vhich drove two two-bladed rotors of different sizes. The upper rotor was
29.5 feet in diameter and the lower one 9.85 feet. The machine incorporated a variable
pitch 'steering propeller' for directional control. Wheels were provided for a
running take-off. There were provisions for a parachute in case the engine failed. The
weight of the machine was 694 pounds. Late in 1909, a second version was designed.
Yuriev estimated 50 hp was required for take-off. The unavailability, locally, of
power plants of this size precluded the possibility of building a machine.
22. "A 25-30 tip Anzani engine was available at the Moscow Aviation Club and he designed a
modern looking helicopter around this power plant. II is a drawing of the
configuration) It consisted of a single two-blade lifting rotor and a tail rotor.
The power plant was installed with its shaft vertical and slightly forward of the
main rotor shaft. The drawing shows a power plant much larger than the one contemplated
for use. The tail rotor was powered by means of a belt-drive system.
23. "In 1910, Yuriev applied for a patent on his device. A glorification of Soviet heli-
copter accomplishments in 'Ogonek' rsagazine, written by Yuriev, cites a Patent
Certificate No 45212, granted him in 1910. Soviet patents of that era had lower
numbers, less than 20 thousand. Evidently, he cites a patent application number. A
check at the New York Public Library's patents from Russia indicates that the pateht
was never .:rented. What is more significant, however, is the fact that Yuri ev a pears to
be the first to develop the modern configuration of a tail rotor heli_opter JI
:'4 "In 1910, Emile Berliner in the US proposed a 'Gyrocopter' which consisted of a single
.ifting rotor with an antitorque tail rotor. Thrust as varied in the tail rotor by
va i:.g its diameter. He soon abandoned this for the coaxial configuration. As a
rest:lt of his studies, Yuriev presented in 1911 a paper 'The Maximum Useful Load Lifted
by Airplane and'Helicopter with Engine of Given Fower'.
"With the support of the Ledentsow Society, Yuriev constructed a prototype in 1)12
25X1 designed around the Anzani engine.
The rotor diameter was 26.2 feet. He had devised a pitch change mechanism., but in order
to save weight it was not incorporated in the:prototype.
26. "It appears Yuriev understood the principle of *utoratation applicable to helicopters
for power-off descent. He writes, 'The student,, Strokovmovskii, proved that the blades
of a large rotor revolving in air, with the'arotor~f1l, serve as a fully reliable
parachute and can even be used to land at e& to the horizon. This was the
discovery of the phenomenon of rotor gliding.'# 27. "The prototype as constructed weighed 445 pounds. However, the forward compartment
for the pilot is not shown in the photograph. The craft was displayed at the Inter-
national Aeronautical and Automobile Exposition in Moscow in 1912. At that time, he
distributed a pamphlet, 'A Short Description of the Yuriev Helicopter'. For his hel.i-
cop_e. design, Yuriev was awarded an Exposition gold medal.
23. "The whine was ground tes:.ed and in the course of tests the z in rotor drive shaft
failed. Lack of funds forced Yuriev to discontinue the program. The onset of the first
World vier and the Russian Revolution prevented further development but after the lapse
of several years Yuriev resumed his position as a leader in helicopter development
under Soviet rule. This work will-be described: later.
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"While residing in Russia, Igor Sikorsky produced two coaxial rotor helicopters. The
first machine was built in 1908 when Sikorsky was a student at Kiev
Polytechnic Institute. This helicopter included two two-blade rotors and was powered
by-a 12 b.p 3-cylinder Anztni engine. The upper rotor was 15 feet in diameter and the
lower one was 16.5 feet. The rotors turned about 160 rpm. Tests showed that the engine
lacked sufficient paver tb - lift 'the maohine._.;jn 1910 a second helicopter was built.
This version was powered by a 25 hp Amami.. eieh i'otor.vas 19 feet in diameter and
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had three blades. The empty weight was about 400 pounds. This craft could hover
its own weight but could not carry the operator. Shortly thereafter Sikorsky turned
to fixed-wing aircraft. He produced a series of successful airplanes in Russia.
30, "There were other early century helicopter projects and proposals in Russia. In the
field of aeronautical engineering Dmitri Riabouchii,sky was a leader. Contemporaries
were Gassovskii and Antonov, who were more or less active with helicopter projects.
31. 'The work of Riabouchinsky is noteworthy because it represents the earliest record
of wind tunnel tests of a lifting screw under the influence of a horizontal wind.
These tests were conducted at the Koutchino (Tushino) Aerodynamic Institute near
Moscow. In one test? a 0.98 feet diameter rotor was subjected to a wind of 20 fps
at right angles to the axis. The resulting thrust was two and a half times that of a
screw without cross flow. His work was published in 1909 edition of the-Bulletin of
the aerodynamic Institute. Subsequently Riabouchinsky emigrated to France and in
recent years was involved in work on jet propulsion systems.
32. "In 1908 Gassovskii submitted a proposal for a helicopter to the Military Engineering
Department of the Army. The design featured a device for variable pitch control. The
proposal was reviewed by Col Naidenov and rejected.
33. "Konstantine A Antonov had been engaged in aerostat development until 1907 when he
turned to the problem of the helicopter. In June 1.909 he undertook a program to
2 5X1 produce a coaxial rotor helicopter. The craft was built at the Lessner Works at
St Petersburg and completed in January 110 J Later, Russian patent 21,172
was granted him on the device A rac or screw was included for propulsion.
25X1 Two mul.tiblade rotors were use The blades consisted of triangular pieces of
aluminum with one point at the hub. Each blade had pivot points at the hub and tip
where it was attached to a large ring. This permitted the blades to change, ,ph. By
lowering the pitch of the blades a disk was formed which was intended to safely
lower th:- craft in case of power failure. The prototype was fitted with a 35 hp
engine. i'he rotors were driven through a gear transmission system. Antonov conducted
lifting tests with the machine but with poor results. Convinced of the futility of
fu.rt?;ar research, the inventor destroyed the machine.
HELICOPMR DEVELOPKi1'!TS Ir USSR
34. "The or.;;et of the first World W r and the subsequent Revolution in Russia obviated
helicopter development; .it,iring this period. The Soviet aircraft industry was always
smaL. in comparison with other nations. To the beginning of 1917, the year of the
Revolution, Russia built about two thousand planes and less then six hundred engines.
Almost three-fourths of the designs were of French origin. The only nativ_ designer
of importance was Sikorsky.
35. "In 1918, the Air For,,e was taken over by the Soviet Republic. In December 1918 the
main aeronautical lab.tatory was reestablished as the Central Aero Hydrodynamic
Institute (ZAGI) in Assisting in the organization was A N Tupolev who was
to make a name for himself as the builder of giant airplanes. The laboratory is
comparable to the NACA but ZAGI also undertakes the development of new aircraft or
configurations including design and manufacturing of prototypes. When a ;MAGI machine
is accepted for production the fabrication in series is passed on to one of the many
production, ants scattered throughout the Soviet Union. Hence all ZAGI designated
aircraft an, experimental. This includes practically all the early helicopters built
in the USSR. The various aviation institutes, which are engineering schools, have
also produced aircraft prototypes which originated as design problems for students.
36. "In 1925 helicopter research began in earnest at ZAGI. The director of this group
was the pioneer B Yuriev. Until 1928 he presided over the group with the assistance
of Prof A Cheremukhin and A Izakson. Izakson took over in 1937 when Yuriev was
'transferred elsewhere.' Those were the days of the great purges when more than one
aeronautical. engineer fell out of favor with the NKVD. This included T?apol.ev. Other
helicopter engineers at ZAGI were:
K A Bunkin I?P Bratukhin V P La isov D T Masitski M S Abolduev
D I Antonov G I Solnsev IJ Nikitin B J 3cherebtsov A A Dokutchaev
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Concurrently another group was investigating the problems of the autogiro.
37. "Initial work at ZAGI consisted of rotor configuration studies and ground whirl tests.
The initial test investigated the characteristics of a two-blade cantilever rotor twenty
feet in diameter incorporating cyclic and collective pitch control. This type of
control was not new for it dated back to before first World rlar. The test stand
was driven by a 120 hp M-2 engine rated at 1250 rpm. The M-2 was the Soviet version
of the nine cylinder Gnome rotary of French origin.
38. "That the Soviets were no father ahead in solving helicopter problems than were other
nations is evidenced by an essay on the state of the art' in 1928 written by Izakson
and Cheremukhin;
' . . . all the methods of helicopter rotor action listed, simple in principle,
are difficult to carry out and require numerous experiments for ultimate
realization. Similarly the construction of apparatus for automatic slanting,
alteration of speed, transmission, etc. is so complicated that up to the
present no reasonable solution of these problems hasi been found.'
39. "In 1930 the first ZAGI helicopter appeared. It was designated 1-`:A experimental
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r1his t._licopter was under development during the period 1930 to 1934 under the super-
vision of Izakson.
40. "The ZAGI 3-EA was similar to the 1-EA, The following performance was claimed:
I-:aximum speed: 13 mph
Range. 2 miles
;`:aximum altitude flown: 400 feet
Endurance: l0-14 minutes.
best contemporary F A I records were 58 feet altitude and an endurance of 10 minutes.
The characteristics of the 1-IAA included the following:
Rotor diameter: 36 feet Four Blades
Engine M-2 rotary 120 hp at 1200 rpm
Rotor speed: 153 rpm
Rotor reduction: 7.84 to 1
Tail rotor reduction: 1200/1350
Apparatu!L. This one place craft carried a single four-blade lifting rotor and two
antitorque rotors, one forward and one aft on the fuselage The rotor
had cyclic and collective pitch control The p o s control was an
overhanging stick connected directly to the swashplate. It was reported in 1931 this
craft piloted by Professor Cheremukhin flew to an altitude of 328 feet and remained
in the air for 12 minutes. In August 1932 the helicopter was reported flown to an
altitude of two thousand feet. In descending the craft went out of control resulting
in a crash. These early Russian flights were never homologated by the F A I. The
41. "The 5-EA was a machine of I P Bratukhin under development during the period 1)33-37.
This craft had a single six blade lifting rotor. Three of the blades, 3ss.4 feet in
diameter, were fully articulated. The other three were 215.6 feet in diameter and
featured variable pitch control. The 5-EA configuration was similar to the other
models., the two rotors on the fuselage being retained. The pitch change mechanism in
the rotor head was developed by Yuriev, All these early machines displayed poor
flying qualities.
lit. "The 11-EA was a convertible type with a lifting rotor and tractor screws. A. smaller
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test version of the craft was built in the late 30's. This was designated j_1-L'.;-?V.
The PV added to the model indicated 'propulsive variant'.' A smaller powerplant was
used, This machine dispensed with the wing and hence became a gyrodyne configuration
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V P Lapisov. The 11-EA-PV was the forerunner of the rauchlpublicized (JMEGA helicopter
Design (.,n the 01,M-GA was initiated in 1939 by I P -~ratulrhin. The machine
was i.rst own in 1941 bar K J Ponomarev. This appears to be the fii: st successful
Soviet helicopter. The craft was a lateral rotor helicopter with powerplants
mounted outboard on outriggers. The engines were M-11 radials rated at 145 hp each.
Design values for the heiir_optcr were 112 mph maximum speed, and 1100 fpm maximum
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rate of climb,. The 0'1:EGA was first publically displayed at Tushino Airfield near
Moscow on Aviation Days 18 Aug 46. The craft was awarded the Stalin Prize and went into
production at plant 82 at Tushino. The OMEGAwas followed by a larger and improved
version also designed by Bratukhia, This machine was designed to carry a
crew of two and six passengers. Two 690 hp A-SCH-21 seen cylinder radial engines were
used. This version had an auxiliary wing and hence assisted in unloading the rotor.
The latest helicopter is the O142EGA-3, a 24 passenger machine., This helicopter is in the
prototype stage.
43, "In addition to the ZAGI programs there are other designs and projects of interest.
These include the early post Revolution work of Yuriev, the work of Kamov and Isacco.
44.. "In uriev obtained Soviet Patent No. 761 for a jet driven rotor helicopter.
II is a reproduction of. the patent illustrations]. Several variations are shown.
25X1 The basic design is a pressure jet helicopter. Yuriev identified it as the Nernst
turbine cycle. Pressure was obtained by an engine-driven compressor or a centrifugal
25X1 compressor in the rotor head geared to the rotor. Fuel jets are located near the blade
tips Yuriev visualized th
e use of porcelain parts in the, region of the burners. In
2 5X1 the same year Yuriev was granted Soviet patent 1526 for a multirotor helicopter C
Q Each rotor was driven by a separate powerplant mounted on the fuselage frame.
The multiengine feature was for safety. Control was obtained by surfaces in the slip-
stream. One of the novel features of the device was a multi-throttle control mounted
on the pilot's stick. Motion of the stick regulated thei speed of the screws.
45. "N I Kamov was another pioneer who remained active underl the Soviet regime. He played
an important part in autogiro development in the USSR. His early work on helicopters
dates back to 1933 when he was engaged in a jet rotor project. In recent years Kamov
produced the K-17 which is a one place coaxial rotor h li
t
cop
er mounted on floats
25X11 The powerplant was a modified Aubier-Dunnelmotorcycle engine of about 17 hp
e engine was of French design. The Soviets named this lsmall craft 'vertolet' which
means 'vertical flyer'.
46. "Vittorio Isacco ' one of the world's foremost helicoptelr pioneers. During the 20's
and early 30's he constructed helicopters in France and the UK. His designs featured
blade mounted powerplants driving propellers. Advantages claimed for this arrangement
were the elimination of a transmission and the attainmentlof gyroscopic stability. In
1932 Isacco was called to the USSR to build a giant helicopter of his configuration.
The machine was constructed in Moscow at the Civil Aviation Institute under the direction
of Isacco with A Izakson representing Soviet interests. The six place craft was completed
in 1935 after three years work. The Helicogyre No 4 as it was designated, had blade
tip mounted engines and propellers and a tractor engine propeller unit mounted in the
25X1 nose of the fuselage The tip powerplants were 120 hp De Havilland Gipsy
3 engines. Each unit weighed about 350 lbs. The nose engine was a 300 hp Wright
radial. The rotor was 90 feet in diameter and the Plyinglweight of the machine was
7000 pounds. These characteristics yield a disk loading of 1.1 psf and a power loading
of 14.6 lbs per horsepower. The resulting figure of merit is .405 based or power to the
rotor only. Isacco contracted to build the ship but the flight test program was to be
strictly in the hands of the Soviets. In 1935 he 'was given what in the US would be
known as 'the bum's rush' and he left the USSR. To this day the designer does not know
the fate of his machine. By 1936 Isacco had built or assisted in build=ng nine heli-
copters. For many years his residence has been in Paris where his current achievement
is the development of a rotorchute with telescoping rotor blades.
47. "The most recently publicized helicopter has been that of N L Mil During
2 5X1 the 20's,, Mikhail Mil was one of the engineers who participated in autogiro development
at ZAGI. The Mil helicopter is intended for military use.l The craft has a three blade
fully articulated rotor incorporating friction dampers. The diameter is 44.5 feet..
This helicopter was publically displayed in Moscow on Aviation Day, 1951.
43? "Soviet writers have often made strong claims about Russian rotorcraft, Some of their
remarks are included here:
The USSR Information Bulletin. 'The first flying helicopters were
devised in the Soviet Union,, ;;V and his students1 Yuriev and Bratuknin
have found the correct forms of.`yjk-e helicopter and have elaborated the
theory of rotors, which hither'6o~'Yiave been faulty and, th,2refore, unable to
hol d the mach i ne
the air
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In an article in Ogone3:, B N Yuriev made some sweeping accusations: 'In 1925
. . Yoschel . copied in the most unscrupulous manner the designs
of a R rssian helicopter developed 15 years before and stole all our
calculations.. Sometime earlier,,in The Netherlands a similar lack of
restraint distinguished one Bauinhauer and a year later a Frenchran, by
the name of Oehmichen. In later years, Sikorsky, Piasecki, Hiller,
Bristol., Bell and others "appropriated" the former labors of Soviet
designers. All that 'JS technology can boast in the fi.el,d of helicopter
design is a long forgotten stage in our research.'
25X1 In an article on Soviet 'firsts' the Yuriev helicopter was also included
The latter was also for a Soviet periodical.
49. "There is no doubt the Soviets deserve recognition for their' historical achievements
but they we re not alone. The ideas of Yuriev on a tail rotor configuration and a
pressure je`t helicopter are particularly noteworthy. None of their rotor theories
have been used by other nations. Western nations as well aslthe USSR adopted and
expanded the early work of Cierva.
AUTOGIROS
50, "Autogiro development began in the USSR in the mid-20's with the official interest
of the Special Designs section of ZAGI. This was shortly after the first flights
by Cierva. Engineers associated with autogiro development were the following:
N I Kamov M L Mil A P Proskuryakov
V A Kunetsoi V G Petrunin V M Kvashin
N K Skrzhinski A N Mikhailov B V Bogatyrev
Autorotatiol tests were carried out during 1925-26. It subsequently became' dormant
at ZAGI due to projects of higher priority. During 1929-30 a' design group of the
Central Council of Osoaviakhim produced the USSR's first autogiro. The Osoaviakhird
is the All Union society for the promotion of aviation and chemical defense.' This,
organization carries Soviet youth through model building and' gliding to flying
powered aircraf?,. cart of its activities, is to encourage aircraft design and many
sportplanes i were developed under its sponsorship.
51. "The Osoaviakhim autogiro was designedlby Kamov and Skrzhinski. The prototype was ii
designated KASKR-1 and named 'Red Engineer'. The four bladed' autogiro was. built
-')unt1 an Avro fuselage with a 110 hp Rhone rotary engine. The craft re #mbled Q.
.-.?poraryl UK machines. The KASKR-1 accomplished several brief take-os but it
?layed marginal performance. It ultimately crashed. The machke was re d
25X1 as KASKR-2 with a larger engine, a Rhone Titan static radial of 206 hp
During 1,)30 satisfactory flights were made and this miachine became the first to
den'nstrate the autogiro to the USSR. The take-off distance was comparatively
long, maximum speed was 63 mph and 'the maximum altitude flown was 1500 feet.
Flights. in this machine were discontinued in 1931.
52. "Toward the er.d of 1930 ZAGI reactivated its autogiro program. About a year later
the 2-EA autogiro appeared This two place craft resembled the Cierva
25X1 C-19 III with a four'
our blade rotor, fixed wing, and aerodynamic rotor starter. The
rotor was started by deflecting the propeller slipstream against the tail. The
2-EA used a 2130 hp Titan engine and had the following characteristics:
i:otor diameter: 39.5 feet
Gross weight: 2130 lbs
Useful load: 520 lbs
Endurance: 1 hour, 45 minutes
The rotor 'blades were conventional consisting of a steel spar, wood ribs and a
fabric cover. The machine was flown during 1931 and 1932 making a total of .8 flights
logging about 18 hot of flying time. Performance of this machine with a speed
propeller as f ws:
Maximum speed. 100 mph *inimum'speed without losing altitude 34.2 mph
Ceiling:11,000 feet T o climbs 10,000 feet: 26 minutes
Take-off distance: 165-200 Landing run a proximately zero
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With an altitude propeller the ceiling was 13,800 feet but the top speed was reduced
to 90 mph. With this. machine ZA:GI estab].i;hed the flight polar for an ,autogiro.. In
early 1933 the 2-EA. 'was .a.dded to the Maxim:Gory propaganda group which toured the
country spreading the gospel.
53. "In early 1932 the Special. Designs Section engineered. the A-4.which.was built b the
experimental. design plant of ZAGI. Theauto$iro. was gon4Pleted late that.year
25X1 I This two place machine was intended for liaison and reconrsissance duties in the
e Army. The A?-4 was a. four blade rotor autogiro with an auxiliar- fixed wing.
25X1 Lateral control was. obtained by ailerons on the wing. A mechanical rotor starter was
incorporated replacing the clumsy aerodynamic starter of the previous model. This
machine was a copy of the contemporary European and US. autogiros. The blades consisted
of . a chrome..moly spar tube, wood ribs and a leading, edge covered with aluminum. The
aft end was fabric covered. This was the first Soviet gyro to be put in production.
.The A-4 was built for the Red Army and served. through .1934. Its characteristics:
Rotor diameter: 42>6 feet
Solidity' .097
Wing Span: 22 feet
Wing area: 66.5 square feet
Weight empty: 2343 lbs
Gross weight: 3000 lbs
Blade. weight: 92 lbs .
Blade pitch'setting: 2.5 degrees
Stops. flap: 25,degrees; droop: 7 degrees; lag: 1 degree half amplitude
Blade airfoil Gotti
42
ngen
9
Powerplant:. 300 hp at 1800 rpm M-26 radial
Propeller thrust axis tilt: 4.5 degrees downward
Maximum speed at S L: 106 mph
Minimum speed.- 25 mph
Climb to 3220.feet: 6 minutes
Rate of descent: 18 fps at 31 mph
Takeoff Run: 120 feet in 10 fps wind
Ianding.run: 35 feet
Takeoff speed:..--4A:mph at 110 rotor rpm
Time to turn 360 degrees: 15 second.:1
Maximum L/D: 6 at 2.5 degrees angle of attack.
[., "The A-6 autogiro was designed for Army liaison work in 1932 by V A Kuznetsov. The
i.c' type. appeared in May 1933 'This two place machine featured a three
25X1 olade folding rotor and folding wings. A mechanical starter and rotor brake were also '
provided. This machine was powered by a 110 hp M-11 radial. engine. The rotor diameter
was 36 feet and the solidity .085. The gross weight was 1790 the and it weighed 1230
lbs empty. Performace was low, the top speed was 84 mph and the minimum speed was.
34 mph. The take-off run was 214 feet. Presumably Jump take-off was not a feature of
this machine.
55. "The A-7 series autogiros were designed by N I Kamov. The A-7 Ligure 257 was a two
place machine with a three blade rotor and tricycle landing gear. The M-22 powerplant
was a Soviet built Gnome-Rhone radial rated 480 hp at 2000 rpm. The normal gross weight
was 4300-lbs and the useful load was 1340 lbs. The horizontal speed range was 25-137
mph. This craft was in Red Army service and: was used in the Tien-Shan area for
exploring and forest patrol. It was perhaps the. first rotorcraft used in war. The A-7
was reported to have served in the private', war in Mongolia between the USSR and Japan
during 1938 and 1939. The A-7-3a was an improved version. The rear cockpit carried
a machine gun mount. In 1941 at the start; of World War II, the autogiro performed
liaison duties for the Red Army.
6. "ZAGI began the development of the A-8 autogiro around 1934. This two place craft
Included a fixed wing and featured a tilting hub and mechanical starter. The powerplant
was a 100 hp radial. engine. The maximum speed. of .the A-8 was 94 mph.
25X1
57. "The ZAG "_ was a high powered machine designed by Skrzhinski and built
in 1937. hegjro was aone place direct corlt.ol type with a 670 hp Russian Wright
Cyclone radial-engine. The speed range was reported to be 25?-192 mph. The take-off run
.-was.82 feet and the-landing run about 30 feet. The ceiling was 2300 feet.. The A-12
appears to be a.Soviet attempt to produce & fighter autogiro. The stubby fuselage is
similar ~?tb ? thosew?,Xthe -fighters used in t1 a Spanish Revolution. ''here in turn wer'
modelled froth the US' Gee "Bee racers -of t'he' early '301
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"The p.?-1L was a project of Kuznet'sov utilizing the same rotor system as the A-8. The
craft was test flown by Capt Kochitz in 1936
A
,
special feature of this model was the
high endurance of seven hours, ''his we.s obtained by the use of auxiliary fuel tanks.
5). "Emphasis on autogiro development was indicative of relatively poor results with the
helicopter. This was typical of other countries interested in the problem. By 1938
.the helicopter was becoming a practical machine. This could be attributed in no small
way to the experience with the autogiro. By the beginning of World War II the autogiro
lost out to the helicopter. With the current interest in rotor gliders and converti-
planes the autogiro may return in a slightly different form.
60. "A recent Soviet rotor glider competition was sponsored by DOSAV in 1949. DOSAV is a
voluntary society for assistance to aviation. Two designs were chosen for development.
25X1 One was the design of V I Bir?yulin, the other, called 'Smolensk' was designed by M A
l:aupfer of Moscow A 1. This design had a three blade rotor about 19 feet in
diameter. The one place craft is towed into the air by means of a jeep. The rotor is
started by a cable and drum at the rotor hub. The cable is staked to the ground, towing
the glider starts the rotor.
CONVERTIPLANES
IV
6:L.,. "The atory of convertible aircraft dates back to the conceptic:, of tl: sucr_,> i'u1
airp?lane?. It was natural for inventors to add rotors to the airplane to increase
its versati.lity? USSR has claimed to be the creator of the first successful airplane
antedating the Wright Brothers by many years. They base their claim on the work of
25X1 'ozhaiskii in the latter part of the 19th Century. He had proposed a design
around 1877. The craft was to weigh 57 poods (2050 lbs) and to be powered wi lun a
hp engine. In that year a reduced model was flown for short periods of time. This
encouraged him to petition the government for a subsidy to build a full scale prototype.
?'he proposal was rejected and no full scale tests were ever made.
6 `,One of the earliest ideas for a convertiplane was proposed by Grokhovskii in 1891.
tie lifting screws were two eight-blade propellers. These turned in opposite
directions. The wing consisted of two balancers which were flat plates attached to
the airframe. Propulsion was to be by means of an electric motor. The proposal was
submitted to a government official, one Kovanko, who summarily dismissed it.
63, "A more active convertiplane exponent was V P Konovalov, a foreman at the arsenal in
Sestroretsk near St Petersburg (Leningrad). ?Ko-novalov had been familiar with the
work of Maxim and "'angley, In 'Octoi;er 1895, he submitted drawings and calculations for
25X1 his machine to tt"e-Min:. of Communications, Prince Khilkov. This design
consisted c:i two propellerwheel.s in tandem rotating in a horizontal plane, a es
were made of steel and set at a slight pitch angle. Surrounding the rotors were
inclined circumferential tents set at an angle with the horizontal. The fixed surface
area of each tent was 1080 square feet. The lenticular fuselage consisted of steel
tubes covered with wire net. In the, central part of the fuselage was a lifting surface
324 sc]uare feet in area. Two four-stroke cycle gasoline engines were intended for
power., Each engine was rated 18.5 hp at 240 rpm. They weighed 217 lbs each. Fuel and
oil tanks were centrally located and of sufficient capacity for two hour's flight. The
weight of the proposed machine was 1320 lbs. Longitudinal control was to be achieved by
slightly changing the incidence of the tents. Konovalov estimated the cost of a
prototype to be 24,000 rubles but he was without funds. As many a successor did, he
,.:rote to the Minister but received no assistance,
64. "During the 190U's in the reign of the last Czar., Nicholas II, a helicopter-airplane
.project was undertaken by Tatarinov. The proposed craft was cal 'Aerornobile'. It
25X1 consisted of four lifting propellers and a fixed plane
carrying the powerplant and operator was slung below the rotor system. Theawing area
wns 31?4 square feet. It was to be made of aluminum and featured a variable incidence.
The wing way Irovided with four recess holes for the lifting screws, The ;,;asoline
engine drove the scre'.13 through cardan jointed shafts. The weight of the craft was
1. 300 lbs. The Ministry of 'r,ar alloted funds for the construction of a prototype, By
August 1909 the craft was partly complete. it was powered by a 20 hp Kott water-cooled
engine. The transmission included a flywheel with friction clutch raid a gear drive.
A centrifugal propeller was mounted in the nose.. Development of the prototype was slot,,
The c.ll.oted time for construction was running out. The Ministry instructed Capt
Antoiiov II to examine the nvichine and submit a report, Tatarinov pleaded for eight
more months time but the Ministry had decided the machine was 'technically impractical.'
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 25X1
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w c?ccidc3 *_~ ^.>r c.i~^.1 : hi or.. ...h'ut oi'. iIial a ,ai;:* .ncc .n3 tcunu
i~. vet. ~1t''.Ortt'1'-, . _ .. _,..- . i '~ fit; _ :.. _:t. j .: L1aC ., t:) tti!?. p.? 1':e. :'t " .: r
:,.Oi Ri:, (' gin 1 or .,n ,,' hi.a : 'Q,. Ci.' acti: hi'. 1.a c..irc 47,E vas
lto e cd in hi: ;.`
'ho.inl1-d .he 1. .u ,. c., _f1cz' :;.ilir :r. .1i ti"y the
re . ~ h.s d'..jr, c day'., a ';c ; Tat- ir,, v ' en, into action. :{e se: fire to his.
1;eor.zt,~r ^rt 3c , _ 15 I,3catu,.
^i:r =, = rcveit?~r, a 2:.uor,r in the 't 1e:~t furnace
,; ..:ctbe -i ..
rcrc o.' t t 10_ c', 'zlLr_ pl>nt. le .'repo sea t rachin?_ consistin-
7 ^r. ' 2 r and win s eiis, reit_ion
25X1 -' t.1 h. r:. aite:l im_nto_ L.s , ea for zinancisl Rid
L !? `, n un,:.?r t :e rcI-i, a au? a =?o , al F V
I7raay=het the cr'ift t.- In :;acie: ?rte t 1;'9 /Siure The
confiLuration featured til.'-itcl One. en ire and roto sy tc Fr e the
rudders -jerc l:ounte.] on tho tr;r.'r suri'ace of the vine in the rv ac:l
elevators were locwted on the viat a,?, en`,. ei zLe 4 of the :-stmt #hcv-t the cntrel
.
system with the wings v^rti Ft'_.
68. "Another Soviet eonvertiv-.ane i is ner ,:as U 0 crs t? i, tt The croft is ?l in
Soviet Patent No, 2955 a`rpli" d C'r In l 2? 1 -- . I he clc si n ,:c.on:~ stet f a
25X1 sinfle lifting screw ana a fixed win,_-. .\ trtetor I-ropeiler =Quid alra to fitted.
The screws were driven by a j~esr trant^:iasion syste-. ftie vin_ -is foru'?d of
spanvise rotitsble surfaces vhteh could b., turn---3iO deereec, to r f.r .it air to rags
through it.
69. L ),rin1o^r- t haul :.n xc-tlve con?^,rtit?lanc pr,ilect, the it-:A J This
e ,,
machine weed the same r,.tcr rst-" its th^ -: f+ and rnll:se3 a fire ii~hi inrertalxdcs
25X1 trs.ctor propellers. The r. t^he had rt u xin zn dia eter of 50.5 feet.
had a dlaaeter of =0.? fe--t . Th machine -ss desi0ned to is.-.e a mJX) bp Curtiss
Conqueror er ine- At an e~t._u\e ai:e d of Z- -x0 rpo, the rotor ' irned 1'' rpz. A
reduced exrer irx'ntal version vq-~ built. 'finis beca-le the 11-3A-PV r.,>', i,')pter. The
propulsive sere'-s were out the vim. was o. i.tted.
70, "mhF more recent Gee e i -' hrlicorter a,ay ue ciass.`d as a cenv;rtin:i.ne oy virtue of
its fixed vinL. That convertible nircrnft rra~oets :re active it, the U'``` ersft.^
evidenced by the re .z t o the wide rcr. e reps: ted on sc-e Scv_et ,i
71. tFn c ::iGE5
1. Losonos. kussian :b nde,:ty of Sciences, .inutes 4 Feb 1751.
2. Lononosov. A History of the USSii, by A aan~ratuva, aditer, Part 2, :.oscow,1948.
Lotsonosov: cZussian Acadeny of Sciences, ?ante:, 1 Jul 1754.
4. ;tussie.n First: International Nees Strvice, Dateline London 1 Sep 49.
5. Ladyrin? on the Flying Apparatus Proposad by it LadyHin. 1370 LL%ninCrad
Archives sv 7 d 48 pp 69-72.
6. Ladygin: Analysis of Flyin, Apparatus. Invention of Honorary Electrical
Engineer State Councillor Ladygin. Journal of the Technical Committee of the
Ar,..;,` Technical Department No 337. Moscow Archives d 13462 pp 364-365.
7. Bykov: Minutes of Sessions of Electrotechnical Committee, Aviation Division.
1 irsy 1897. Leningrad Archives d 2113 p 13.
8. ;%.itreikin. hitreikin's Petition of 2 Oct 1699. Moscow Archives f.GIU svy30
d 2 p36.
9. Zhukovskii: N E Zhukcvskii, Complete Works Vol IV, ',,,scow, 1937 p4o
25X1
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10. Les helicopteres by Wi?'rirgoulis, Gauthier-Villars et Cie, Paris. 1922 F32.
11. Istoria Vozdukoplavania I Aviatsie V SSSR, Moskva, 1944.
12. Yak Ipochemu Avtoshir, I?:oskva, ca 1936.
13. The Flying Sores, B N Yuriev, Ogonek.
14. Letectvi, Prague, 12 Dec 49.
15. ~a-, aai51 1 os+"t~rr,,`, v [ems 3?3 , z' ; 260 U `Y3- s ]*U.
16. Bulletin of the Aerodynamic Institute of Koutchino by D Riabouchinski,
Moscow, 1909.
17. The Theory of Air Propellers, S D-..hevetskii, 1910.
18. Antonov: Vestnik Vozdukoplavania, 3ussia ca 1910.
19. Sovetake Helikoptery by J Schniftnayer, Letectvi 12 Nov 49.
20. "Helicopter", Russian Encyclopedia 1928 edition.
21. New Helicopter by S Berman, USSi Information Bulletin, Nashingtor, D C. 26 Feb 46
22. The Paths and Prospects of Sovi..,t Autogiro Building by A K It kson.
23. !nWenila Vozdushnogo Flota, hoseov, No 5. P1, 1933-
24, Experimental Autogiro A-4 conat:?ueted by SKI, by N K Skrzhinski and A, L Mil.
Tekhnika Vozdushnogo Flota 1934.
25. ZAGI A-4. L'Aerophile, 'Maria April 1935.
26. Our Autogiros by I Bronin, Sa,x?let, No 10, Vol 11-12, 1-934-35-
27. Y;rasnc,n.Zv'_ zda, 14 Au4 34.
28. La Liberte. 20 Oct 36.
2x9. Konovalov: Letter from Forcrw,n V P Konovalov to Prime r;inistor 'hilkov,
20 October 1895. 1 nintrad Archives,
30. Tatarinov: Minutes of Session of Commission of Engineering Administration.
31 July 1909. Boccow Archives f.GIU d 40, pp 162-163.
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