The Yakovlev AIR-9 / AIR-9bis, an aircraft intended for sporting purposes, was developed and manufactured in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s.
In the year 1933, Yakovlev and his team of designers embarked on the development of a sport aircraft with a low-wing monoplane configuration and a seating capacity of two.
This particular aircraft featured open cockpits, wooden wings, and a fuselage constructed from welded steel tubes.
Its propulsion was provided by a Shvetsov M-11 engine.
Additionally, the AIR-9 design was equipped with landing flaps and automatic leading-edge slats.
Although this design was entered into a competition for safe aircraft designs, it did not progress further in the development process.
In 1934, the AIR-9 design underwent modifications that included enclosed cockpits while eliminating the automatic slats.
The tandem cockpits were equipped with sliding canopies, with the forward canopy sliding rearwards over the fixed centre canopy section and the rear canopy sliding forwards under the centre-section.
The AIR-9’s structure was similar to Yavovlev’s previous designs, featuring wooden plywood and fabric covered wings, welded steel tube fabric-covered fuselage, and Duralumin fabric covered tail surfaces.
The main undercarriage was fixed and spatted, supported by struts that were later fitted with trousers and spats, with a fixed tail-skid or tailwheel.
The AIR-9 was powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) Shvetsov M-11 five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine that drove a fixed pitch 2-bladed wooden propeller, which was variously fitted with individual exhaust stacks, collector ring, and Townend ring cowling.
The AIR-9bis made its debut at the 1935 Paris and Milan airshows, and in 1937, I.N. Vishnevskaya and Ye.M. Mednikova piloted the aircraft to establish a new women’s altitude record in the FAI Class C category. Variants AIR-9 The original open cockpit 2-seat low-wing monoplane sport aircraft design, with split flaps and automatic leading edge slats; not proceeded with. AIR-9 The original design reworked with closed cockpits and other refinements but without automatic slats. At least one built, at some stage seen with racing number 31. AIR-9bis Further modifications prompted re-designation to AIR-9bis, introducing a forward sloping windshield and undercarriage trousers. One converted from the AIR-9 or possibly several new built aircraft, seen wearing racing number 32. Specifications AIR-9bis Crew 2 Length 6.97 m (22 ft 10 in) Wingspan 10.2 m (33 ft 6 in) Wing area 16.87 m2 (181.6 sq ft) Empty weight 495 kg (1,091 lb) Max take-off weight 768 kg (1,693 lb) Fuel capacity 63.5 kg (140 lb) fuel
17.5 kg (39 lb) oil Powerplant 1 × Shvetsov M-11 5-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 75 kW (100 hp) Propellers 2-bladed wooden fixed pitch propeller Performance Maximum speed 215 km/h (134 mph, 116 kn) Landing speed 65 km/h (40 mph; 35 kn) Cruise speed 195 km/h (121 mph, 105 kn) Range 695 km (432 mi, 375 nmi) Service ceiling 6,080 m (19,950 ft) Time to altitude 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 48 seconds, 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 16 minutes 24 seconds Take-off run 80 m (260 ft) Landing run 90 m (300 ft) Sources Yakovlev Aircraft Since 1924 – Bill Gunston & Yefim Gordon. OKB Yakovlev, A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft-Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov & Sergey Komissarov. Soviet Aircrafts Illustrated-A.S.Yakovlev. The History of Soviet Aircraft from 1918-Vaclav Nemecek. Soviet AF Fighter Colours 1941-45-Erik Pilaeskii. Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War, Vol 1, Single Engined Fighters-Yefim Gordon and Dmitri Khazanov. Early Soviet Jet Fighters, The1940s and early 50s-Yefim Gordon. Soviet Secret Projects, Fighters Since 1945-Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon. Soviet Secret Projects, Bombers Since 1945-Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon. Soviet Aircraft of Today-Nico Sgariato. Modern Soviet Fighters-Mike Spick.
