I-180 - a design success or a design failure?

Soviet designer N.N. In the 1930s, Polikarpov bore the honorary title of “King of Fighters.” The I-16 fighter created under his leadership had no equal rivals during the war in Spain. The first alarm bell was the appearance of the German Bf-109, which had significant development potential. The answer to this threat was to be the I-180, which was a development of the previous model with a new power unit.

The first flight of the new machine ended in an accident that claimed the life of test pilot V.P. Chkalova. During state tests, another pilot died - T.P. Susie. Problems with the M-88 engine also played a role, due to which the vehicle was not included in the production plans for 1941, and then was completely recognized as an unpromising direction for fighter development.

Start of creation

In the course of work to improve the design of the I-16 aircraft, the chief designer of the design bureau realized the need to use powerful engines built according to a two-row “star” design. To obtain a speed of about 550 km/h, a motor with a power of at least 1000 hp was required.

The first aircraft project included the installation of the newest, at that time, M-85 engine. As the engine developed, so did the design of the new car. By the end of 1937, it turned into the I-165-11, which provided for the installation of an M-88 engine. The future I-180 fighter appeared on the basis of this machine.

The first mention of the aircraft dates back to March 1938. At the same time, D.L. was appointed to the post of project curator. Tomashevich, and the position of leading designer was held by A.G. Trostyansky.

The prototype of the I-180 aircraft was assembled by April 1938, and it did not have an imitation engine. This was due to the lack of information from the designers about the M-88 engine, which was developed in parallel.

Around the same time, the captured Messerschmitt Bf-109B arrived in the USSR, analysis of the design of which made adjustments to the I-180 design. The model commission approved the aircraft concept in the summer of 1938, which allowed the assembly of a flight prototype to begin.

Assembly of the prototype began at plant No. 156 in July 1938. The construction was accompanied by great technological and technical difficulties.

The progress of work was greatly accelerated by information about the appearance of the newest version of the Messerschmitt Bf-109C aircraft, equipped with powerful Daimler-Benz DB600/601 engines.

It was then that the idea was born to produce a simplified version of the I-180 fighter with an M-62 engine, which N.N. sharply opposed. Polikarpov. He was unable to prove he was right, but managed to delay the assembly of such a “hybrid” to a later date.

Since the M-88 engine was created primarily for bombers, it had a gearbox to drive propellers with a diameter of 3.2-3.5 m. Due to inconsistencies in plans, the development of a gearless version never began, which led to reworking project of the I-180 aircraft to be equipped with the M-88R geared power plant. The use of such a motor had a negative impact on the design parameters of the fighter - while the version with the gearless M-88 was supposed to reach a speed of about 572 km/h in horizontal flight, the version with the M-88R could only accelerate to 557 km/h.

The VISH-23E propeller was supposed to be used for the I-180 aircraft, but its production was delayed, and by the time the machine started running, there was a compromise option - a VISH-3E propeller with a diameter of 2900 mm. The motor did not have a synchronization device for firing machine guns through the propeller disk.

Due to the unavailability of the automatic pitch control system, a mechanical drive was used, which had two fixed positions. Because of this, it was necessary to increase the engine speed, which began to overheat. A design feature of motors of the M-87/88 type is the absence of an air supply fan; the cylinder fins are cooled only by the incoming flow, which is regulated by the blinds. To ensure intensive heat removal on the I-180-1 aircraft, the blinds had to be dismantled.

The assembly of the first vehicle was carried out in a hurry, since plant No. 156 was under pressure from the NKOP (People's Commissariat of the Defense Industry). This caused a large number of manufacturing defects, such as cracks in the wings. Eliminating the defects took about a month and only at the beginning of December 1938 the I-180-1 aircraft was rolled out onto the airfield.

Design and development [edit]

The I-180 represented a further development of the basic I-16 design to take advantage of the new radial engines entering service. It was designed to meet the January 1938 Soviet Air Force requirement for a new radial-engined interceptor aircraft. It was preceded by a series of projected variants of the I-16 with a more powerful Tumansky two-row radial engine M-88: I-161, I-162, I-163, I-164, I-165, I-166 and I-167. The I-180 was a single-engine low-wing monoplane of mixed construction with a duralumin frame covered with plywood and fabric. The pilot sat near the tailfin in an open cockpit with a windshield similar to the I-16. The landing gear was retracted pneumatically, including the tail wheel. The main visual difference between the I-180 and the I-16 was a new wing with a perpendicular straight leading edge and an aerodynamically improved fuselage with an elongated thin engine cowling. [1] The new fighter was to be powered by the 820 kW (1,100 hp) M-88 engine, a development of the license built Gnome-Ron Mistral Major (known as the M-85 in the USSR), and represented the next step in the evolution from prototype I-165-11 1937. The proposed armament consisted of four 7.62 mm (0.3 in) ShKAS machine guns and 200 kg (440 lb) bombs. Dmitry Tomashevich was appointed lead designer.

The ill-fated development of the I-180 began early. The only version of the M-88 available at the time used a gearbox requiring a very large propeller, at least 3.2 meters (10 ft 6 in) in diameter—massive for an aircraft that was similar in layout and size to the I-16 with engine. elongated nose. Even before leaving the drawing board, the fighter had to be converted to use the M-88R engine with reduction gears and a constant speed propeller. Projected top speed dropped from 572 km/h (355 mph) to 557 km/h (345 mph). However, the first prototype was eventually powered by a similar 950 hp M-87 engine, as the M-88R was not ready. [4] The prototype was built at plant No. 156 in Moscow.

Prototype disaster

The I-180 fighter began jogging in December 1938. During the first runs, it became clear that the M-88R engine was prone to overheating and sluggish speed. There have been cases of unexpected engine stops.

Clickable

During subsequent tests, the throttle valve drive rod was broken, which took two days to repair. The aircraft's first flight was scheduled for December 15. There are still disputes regarding the details of the departure, leading to versions of the deliberate elimination of V.P. Chkalova.

But the following facts are reliably known:

• the temperature on the night of December 15 dropped to minus 25 degrees;
• the flight sheet did not have a visa for the chief designer and project supervisor;
• the flight did not have approval from the military representative of plant No. 156.

The I-180-1 aircraft was lifted into the air by V.P. Chkalov. First, the car passed over the airfield at a given altitude of about 600 m, but then the pilot took the car to climb. The second circle was completed at an altitude of about 2 km, which was not included in the task. Chkalov planned to land, but due to an incorrect calculation he needed to add gas. When trying to sharply apply gas, the fighter's engine stopped.

One of the common versions of the plane crash is that the cylinders and carburetor were overcooled, which led to the stop. An important fact is the general tendency of Soviet air-cooled aircraft engines to involuntarily stop working when the gas is suddenly applied. The third version is that the throttle actuators are jammed, but, according to the project curator, the actuators worked properly. D.L. Tomashevich was personally convinced of this upon arriving at the crash site.

Place of death of Valery Chkalov

V.P. Chkalov tried to land the plane among the buildings, but came across power lines. The pilot fell out of the cockpit and received severe injuries, from which he died several hours later. The death of the world-famous pilot caused a wave of arrests among the personnel of the design bureau and plant No. 156.

But work to improve the aircraft was not stopped. Arrested curator D.L. Tomashevich ended up in the special bureau TsKB-29, which worked under the auspices of the NKVD, in which A.N. worked. Tupolev, V.M. Petlyakov and others.

Attempts to enter the series

The second prototype of the I-180-2 aircraft was assembled at aircraft factory No. 156 at the end of winter 1939. The vehicle was equipped with a modified wing and an M-87A engine with a VISH-23A propeller was installed. The engine had a reduced degree of boost and more stable operation, although it was somewhat inferior to the M-88 in power. During the construction of the aircraft, multiple technological problems were noted, which is why a number of aircraft components were redesigned several times.

Taxiing of the I-180-2 fighter along the airfield was carried out by pilot E.G. Ulyakhin, until April 1939, when the first flights took place. Already on May 1, the plane was presented to the Soviet public.

This happened during a demonstration flight over Red Square. The car was piloted by test pilot S.P. Suprun. After the flight, cracks and deformations of the skin were discovered in the aircraft structure. The cause of the defects was manufacturing defects and non-compliance with the technological process.

During test flights of the aircraft, carried out after repair of the planes, a horizontal flight speed of 540 km/h was achieved, which was an excellent result at that time. But the extremely low resource of the M-87A engine was noted, which barely withstood 10 hours of operation. A little later it was replaced by the M-87B, which featured reinforced parts of the cylinder-piston group and supercharger.

I-180 accident in Moscow. Pilot - S.P. Suprun (escaped with minor injuries.)

As a result, the car received the green light for the construction of an installation series, which was supposed to use the M-88 engine, which had also passed tests by that time. To test the engine, construction began on the third prototype of the aircraft under the designation I-180-3. Assembly of the car began at the end of summer.

Simultaneously with the construction of the third aircraft, development began on a version of the aircraft equipped with an M-88 engine with TK-1 turbochargers. The use of supercharging was supposed to ensure a fighter speed of about 630 km/h at altitudes of 9-10 km.

But failures continued to haunt the new aircraft - during testing of the second prototype of the I-180 in the early autumn of 1939, pilot T.P. died. Susie.

The flight was carried out to reach the maximum altitude. The car suddenly went down sharply, reaching a height of 3 km, went into horizontal motion, and then went into a tailspin.

Having dropped to a height of several hundred meters, the plane leveled off, the pilot left the car, but did not use a parachute. The cause of the accident and this behavior of the pilot remained unclear. There were versions of loss of consciousness as a result of oxygen deprivation or blinding by hot oil from a burst line or radiator of an aircraft engine.

The further fate of the I-180 fighter

At first, the plant could not organize the assembly of the I-180 because the leading designers were busy fine-tuning the aircraft of their own construction (I-21), then, in August 1940, due to defects discovered during operation, the production of the M-88 engine was suspended. And although in October of the same year the long-suffering M-88 was finally brought to fruition, only 10 aircraft were assembled by the end of the year. And then, the I-180 was discontinued without explanation.

Formally, of course, there were reasons - the air-cooled engine was supposedly not suitable for fighters, and the characteristics of the I-180 no longer met the requirements of the new time... Which, however, did not prevent the LaGG- 3 , absolutely in no way superior to the I-180, and build excellent La-5 and La-7 with air-cooled engines.

Most likely, the problem was not in the plane at all, but in the person. Perhaps putting an end to the I-180, Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry A.S. Yakovlev simply wanted to show the “king of fighters” Polikarpov that there are no irreplaceable people. Be that as it may, none of Nikolai Nikolaevich’s new aircraft saw mass production at the end of 1940.

Soviet fighter I-180

Source: compilation based on publicly available information on the Internet

Discontinued

Since the I-180 aircraft had no obvious shortcomings, attempts to begin serial production at plant No. 21, located in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), continued. Designer M.K. was appointed responsible for the implementation of the fighter. Yangel.

The choice of production site turned out to be unsuccessful due to the production load with the production of modifications of the I-16 and lobbying by the management of the enterprise of its own design - the I-21 machine.

Click to enlarge

At the beginning of 1940, a special commission worked at the plant under the leadership of people from the People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry. The result was a decree on the immediate deployment of the I-180 fighter with the delivery of ten production aircraft in February.

The same commission came to the conclusion that it was necessary to urgently introduce into the series the next modernized I-180Sh, which was distinguished by the design of its landing gear. However, the severity of the regulations was compensated by the optionality of execution - work on assembling production vehicles continued extremely sluggishly.

All efforts were devoted to fulfilling the order for the production of a series of I-16 aircraft with an M-63 engine. Work in Gorky on the introduction of the I-180 fighter has actually stopped - there are only a few trainees left in the factory design bureau who have graduated from technical school.

Screenshot from the game

By this time, Plant No. 1 had completed the assembly of the third prototype, which took off in February 1940. The flights were conducted by E.G. Ulyakhin, and the aircraft was equipped with a ski chassis and a modular installation of machine guns: two 12.7 mm and two 7.62 mm. The first flights of the I-180-3 were successful, and the next cycle of factory test flights began, which ended after 2 months.

By the end of spring, the second cycle of tests of the I-180-3 prototype was carried out, on which a new annular oil cooler was used. The carburetor air intake was modified, and steel thermal shields were installed on the aircraft fuselage in the area where the exhaust pipes were installed. But the main novelty was the closed cockpit, which is why the visor had to be moved forward. The canopy moved backward along roller guides.

For future production aircraft it was planned to introduce a modified fuselage, adapted for the installation of a canopy.

By this time, Gorky had finally managed to assemble three production vehicles under the designation I-180S, which were tested at the Central Airfield in Moscow. During the flights, the vehicles reached a speed of 585 km/h.

One of the planes suffered a minor accident, after which it was repaired. The design difference of the production vehicles was the return to tubular wing spars. This was due to the lack of equipment and technology for the production of steel end spars at the manufacturer.

But in the summer of 1940, the third fighter prototype crashed in an accident caused by a pilot error. This time there were no casualties - pilot A.G. Proshakov managed to leave the car. But after another month, a ban on the operation of M-88 engines was issued.

Until mid-autumn 1940, the fate of the I-180 aircraft remained unclear. Since October, the production of M-88 engines has resumed, which again provides a chance for mass production. Designers are beginning to develop vehicles with the M-88A gearless engine, as well as the new M-89.

The estimated speed of the aircraft with the new power plant reached 650 km/h.

But the plans again did not come true - at the end of 1940, work on the I-180 aircraft was stopped due to the requirements of the People's Commissariat of Aviation to use liquid-cooled engines on fighters. Many researchers of domestic aviation blame the then Deputy People's Commissar of Aviation A.S. for the ban on the car. Yakovlev, who lobbied for his own development - the I-26 fighter (future Yak-1).

One of the arguments cited is the testing of the prototype I-26 aircraft by a commission under the command of the same A.S. Yakovleva. The aircraft is recommended for state tests, despite the second prototype being crashed due to design defects. The fighter itself passed the tests in three days and entered service as ordered.

Drawing of the I-180 fighter (clickable)

As for the I-180 aircraft, it was built in the amount of only 6 or 7 airworthy aircraft - three experimental and three or four production ones (with serial numbers 25211, 25212, 25213 and, presumably, 25218). The first production aircraft arrived at TsAGI, where it was tested for stability. Vehicle number 25213 was used for army weapons testing.

According to factory reports, at the end of the summer of 1940, another production I-180 aircraft was assembled, equipped with drop tanks (most likely with the number 25218, since there were no other fighters in the reserve). There were four more vehicles in the assembly - 25214, 25215, 25216 and 25217. But there is no official data on their delivery to the customer.

Three production I-180 vehicles were used for some time to improve the design. Based on one of them, in the spring of 1941, a prototype aircraft was built with an M-88A engine and an AV-6-1 propeller, which made it possible to increase flight characteristics. The second production aircraft was supposed to be equipped with a modernized cockpit canopy and a wing with a small sweep angle along the leading edge.

Another project was a hybrid of the tail section of the promising I-185 fighter with the engine part and wing from the I-180 aircraft. In this way, it was planned to circumvent the temporary shortage of engines of new models and ensure a smooth transition of production from I-180 to I-185.

At the beginning of the war, the production equipment of the I-180 machine was maintained at plant No. 21. Proposal by N.N. Polikarpov’s request to resume production of the aircraft that Soviet aviation needed did not receive a response.

One of the serial I-180 fighters was taken out during the evacuation of the Polikarpov Design Bureau in the fall of 1941. The further fate of the car is unknown, but a number of researchers of the history of the I-180 aircraft have discovered information that the car was seen at a front-line airfield for some time. There are no photographs or documentary evidence of the combat use of the aircraft.

Below are the flight parameters of the I-180 aircraft and its main competitors. It is clearly seen that with comparable engine power, Polikarpov’s plane provided the highest speed.

The performance of the LaGG-3 fighter was obtained on an aerodynamically polished specimen. Production cars had a speed of 30-50 km/h lower (for example, 4-series cars, even according to their passport, did not accelerate above 549 km/h). The Yak-1 had similar problems, but less pronounced.

An important advantage of the I-180 aircraft was the ease of retraining pilots who flew the I-16, the most popular fighter aircraft at the beginning of the war. According to testers, there was practically no difference between the controls.

Combat aircraft. I-180: is it so good or so bad?

When we talked about the Yak-1, Mig-3 and LaGG-3, many readers recalled this particular aircraft. They say that if I had gone into the I-180 series, the situation would have been completely different. And so - behind-the-scenes schemers ruined an excellent car and gave the opportunity to all sorts of mediocrities to supply our Air Force with, don’t understand what, under the guise of airplanes.

Let's think and reason. As befits smart and objective people.

Two mistakes of designer Polikarpov

Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov is, of course, a star in our history.

You can say whatever you want, but while Yakovlev, Lavochkin, Gurevich, Ilyushin were teaching their first gliders and airplanes to fly, Polikarpov’s fighters were covering our skies.

This is, as they say, a “drag” fact. This must not be forgotten. Just as we should not forget that the Russian man Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov could well have ended up in a well-fed and promising America in the 20s along with his teacher, the great Sikorsky.

But this is how it turned out, and the great Sikorsky continued his work in America, and the great Polikarpov... However, we will wait until the analysis of his personal case.

The fact is that our entire galaxy came later. And first there were Tupolev and Polikarpov. And these two giants, under the shadow of their wings, allowed us to raise a whole cohort of designers. But that's not the point.

The question is what the I-180 was. And what Polikarpov himself saw in this plane.

1937 Benefit, so to speak, Bf-109 in Spain. All Soviet aircraft designers rushed to create similar aircraft with water-cooled engines.

Everyone except Polikarpov.

The question of why he did this will remain a question for a long time. Most likely, Nikolai Nikolaevich initially decided to rely on more durable air-cooled motors. Well, the Slayer King had the right to do so. And end up being right...

What thought captured Polikarpov then? Improving the flight characteristics of aircraft by using two-row radial engines with a large number of cylinders. From 12 to 16.

The idea, as the practice of World War II showed, was good. It was the aircraft with two-row “stars” that became the best fighters (and not only) of that war.

Was there such a motor in the USSR? Of course not. There was another project. M-85.

The basis for the project of the new M-85 engine was the weak French engine “Mistral-Major”. The engine was not a Mistral, and it was very conditionally a major one, since it produced only 850 horsepower.

Nikolai Nikolaevich’s first mistake was relying on this particular engine. And as soon as the production of the M-85 was mastered in Zaporozhye, the I-180 began to be developed specifically for it.

What is worth understanding here is that Polikarpov had a reliable and fully mastered engine. M-25, also known as the Wright-Cyclone R-1820-F3, which was successfully installed in the same years on the I-15, I-15bis, I-16 and I-153.

But Polikarpov looked much further. And I saw the prospect that was clearly present. And in subsequent years, the line of engines progressed, the M-86 (900 hp), M-87 (950 hp), M-88 (1100 hp) appeared. But at the time work began on the I-180, there was only a very “raw” M-85 with all the ensuing consequences. And this was Polikarpov’s first mistake.

The mistake was forced, since the plane was needed both practically and politically. Both the country and Polikarpov personally needed it, because... because he had reasons for launching this aircraft into production.

And the second fatal mistake was precisely the haste with which work was carried out on the I-180. Literally a year after the start, the M-87 was fully operational, and it would be possible to build the aircraft. But alas, that same flight happened in 1938.

But we will not judge so much, since Polikarpov will be spoken for by the war in Spain, where the Bf-109 suddenly debuted, and the moves from place to place that fell on Polikarpov’s design bureau, and the very large workload of the design bureau, which participated in the creation of several projects in addition to the I-180 (VIT-1, VIT-2 and the future Su-2).

It’s generally easy to judge after many years... But Polikarpov had more than enough envious people. And even more so for those who want to oust him from the design Olympus.

The pangs of creativity in Soviet style

And in 1938, based on the 1937 project of the I-165 fighter with an M-88 engine, Polikarpov developed the I-180 project.

It was an aircraft very similar in design and layout to the I-16. The larger size of the engine entailed an increase in the entire structure, so that the plane was not a “donkey”, but something “thicker.”

It was planned to arm the I-180 with four synchronized ShKAS machine guns: two installed above the engine and two at the wing root. In the future, the wing machine guns could easily be replaced with cannons. The wing allowed such an operation; it is worth remembering that the I-16 fully allowed such a procedure, and in fact the planes were very similar in proportions.

The leading designer for the new machine was D. L. Tomashevich.

It should be noted that even the king of fighters did not escape the motor dancing. The I-165 project was postponed because... there was no engine for it! Very new, isn't it?

More precisely, there seemed to be a motor, but... But the existing M-88R differed from the simple M-88 in that it had a gearbox. And, accordingly, he required a propeller of at least 3.2 meters in size for his reduced speed.

It is clear what this threatened the fighter with. A raised nose, which worsens taxiing, higher (and therefore fragile) landing gear, and so on. But everything was not going well with the M-88R, thank God, so the project was postponed.

And they started designing a seemingly similar aircraft based on the I-165, but originally planned for the M-88R. Tomashevich decided to get out of the situation by using a new propeller model in the project, VISH-23E, which, according to calculations, was supposed to compensate for the use of the “wrong” motor.

And in the summer of 1938, construction of a prototype I-180 began. All this is nothing, but in the fall the assault began, caused by the Messerschmitts in Spain.

Here you need to understand this thing: the fighter was sent for construction to pilot plant No. 156 in Moscow. Everything seems logical, and only proves the importance of the project.

Not really.

And here’s the thing: pilot plant No. 156 was a really skillful and powerful team with an excellent base. But you just have to look at what this plant was doing! He was in the Tupolev Design Bureau system! And he built all sorts of giants such as “Maxim Gorky”, “Rodina”, RD aircraft for Chkalov and Gromov and so on. Class of large aircraft. And even giant ones.

And here - here's a fighter...

So everything is clear, we remember that in 1937 Tupolev, Petlyakov, Bartini, Myasishchev and many others ended up in the “Tupolev charaga”, or TsKB-29 of the NKVD. The plant, which remained ownerless, was transferred to the first project that came along with all the resulting consequences.

But there were consequences. Polikarpov repeatedly reported on the low quality of manufactured aircraft components, and could not help but report. But it was simply not realistic to do anything drastic.

And then what was supposed to happen happened. On from NKAP. The person, in my personal opinion, is completely unsuitable for this.

Semyon Ilyich Belyaykin. Participant of the Civil War, military commissar of the division school and head of the political department of the 7th Vladimir Rifle Division. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, but not for military merits, but in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Red Army.

From 1931 to June 1938 he worked at the Moscow Aviation Institute, reaching the position of director of the institute. And suddenly he was sent to an aircraft plant, deputy director. Strange, isn't it?

Since February 23, 1938 - Head of the 1st Main Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Defense Industry of the USSR. Supervised aircraft manufacturing...

There is, apparently, a strong desire to curry favor. However, in those days it was normal. Belyaikin began to “press” not only Polikarpov and Tomashevich, but also the entire plant staff. The goal, let’s say, is good: to speed up the production of the aircraft. It is also clear what methods the former commissioner used. As I understand it, the situation at the plant was still the same...

But Belyaykin paid dearly for everything. On December 20, 1938, he was arrested and eventually rightly declared one of the perpetrators of Chkalov’s death. Sentenced to 15 years in a forced labor camp. Died in custody.

But even Belyaykin’s screams and threats did not help. They did not have time to produce the aircraft in the allotted time. Another “gift” was the unavailability of the VISH-23E propeller. The manufacturer failed to do it on time. An automatic propeller pitch changer was also not received.

And in such a situation, what is today called a “collective farm” began.

Polikarpov decided to use a VISH-3E propeller for the aircraft for the initial stage of testing. He was... let's say, similar in characteristics. But there was no automatic propeller pitch changer for it either, so the propeller control was made manual. Management, let's say, was minimal. In fact, the propeller was set to takeoff mode, and it was possible to slightly change the angle of attack to achieve maximum speed. That's all the adjustments.

Naturally, this immediately led to a noticeable decrease in the efficiency of the propeller-motor group in general and overheating of the motor in particular. Plus, constant operation at high speeds could not have a positive effect on the service life of the engine.

They decided to deal with engine overheating by a simple action: they took and removed the engine cooling shutters.

Understandable in principle. Polikarpov, who was under pressure from Belyaikin, wanted to carry out all the tests on time, report back, and then, when the VISH-23E and automatic control system would appear at his disposal, return everything back and install the blinds. In principle, more than reasonable for such a situation.

But “I made him out of what was there” - this is still not for aviation.

In general, the somehow cobbled-together aircraft went into flight testing in December (we emphasize).

Fatal flight

Despite a number of breakdowns and identified defects, the I-180 stubbornly moved towards its first flight.
And this day has come. And at the same time it became a day of tragedy. It is still unclear who made the decision to fly. Much suggests that it was Chkalov himself. Polikarpov and Tomashevich did not approve the flight sheet, which actually saved Polikarpov.

No one signed the “Signature of the person responsible for releasing the aircraft” column. As follows from this document, the task ensured a safe landing even in the event of an engine stop: “...flight without retracting the landing gear, with a speed limit, according to the instructions of the chief designer of the plant, Comrade. Polikarpova N.N. Along the CA route. At an altitude of 600 m. Duration 10-15 minutes...”

The task was signed by leading engineer N. Lazarev, who, in principle, did not have the right to do this. From this we can conclude that Chkalov himself put pressure on Lazarev. The reasons that prompted Chkalov to take such an action, of course, we will never know; we can only assume that Valery Pavlovich was worried about the fate of the plane and simply wanted to help his design bureau with the plane at all costs.

Good intentions... Chkalov had the best intentions, and he was a specialist in “raw” aircraft, but nevertheless, the consequences were terrifying.

On December 15 it suddenly got colder to -25 degrees. Nevertheless, Chkalov took off on the I-180.

He made the first circle over the airfield, but on the second he went at a great distance, at an altitude of about 2000 m, which was a clear violation of the flight mission. The landing glide path turned out to be steeper than the pilot had originally expected, and the plane had to be pulled up a little by applying gas. Alas, the engine simply stalled, and Chkalov sat down among buildings and structures. Including an ill-fated power line support in the plane’s path.

In general, test pilots also died while testing machines of other designers. And nothing, the cars were produced in series and flew successfully. This is the fate of any tester - to walk on the edge of an abyss.

If Polikarpov’s regular tester had not been Chkalov, perhaps everything would have worked out fine. But the hero of the polar flight, the people's favorite and Stalin's favorite...

The cause of the disaster was identified by the government commission as stopping the engine due to its hypothermia due to the lack of those same frontal blinds. Now there are other opinions, of very different kinds, but to me stopping due to hypothermia in the frosty winter air seems quite obvious.

Causes and consequences

The consequences were the saddest.
Belyaykin, the director of plant No. 156 Usachev, the head of the testing service of the Paray plant, Polikarpov’s deputy Tomashevich (sent to Tupolev’s “sharaga”) and about a dozen other employees who were involved, according to the investigation, were arrested. In 1956, everyone was rehabilitated (Belyaykin and Paray - posthumously) after the work of an expert commission chaired by M.M. Gromova.

The most authoritative Mikhail Mikhailovich was directly involved in the causes of the disaster, and in his book “On Earth and in Heaven” he wrote the following about this:

"TO. E. Voroshilov appointed a commission to investigate the causes of the disaster. I was a member of this commission, its chairman was engineer Alekseev. The commission's opinion was unanimous: the propeller stopped due to overcooling of the motor. Who is guilty? There were so many “to blame” that you can’t count them... The government was also to blame for not issuing a directive: the aircraft must be completed to completion, and only then can it be tested in the air. Of course, the decision of this commission was not taken into account by Stalin. Quite a few years have passed. After the war, the engine designer and I were suddenly called again to explain the cause of the death of V.P. Chkalov and identify those responsible. We again, as then, confirmed our opinion, saying that if we talk about the culprits, then we can only blame the aircraft designer, who did not have time to install a system for regulating the engine cooling temperature and allowed such an aircraft to fly, and the test pilot, especially since the last was Chkalov, who had enough experience to understand the seriousness of the situation and abandon the flight, or fly with the expectation of landing at any moment at an airfield with a stopped engine.”

But Polikarpov did not give permission to take off. It is a fact. So the tragedy was the result of some kind of partisanship, based on the well-known principle “Winners are not judged.” But since there were no winners, everyone was judged.

Even after many years, Chkalov’s death haunts many researchers. There are, of course, stupid fantastic ones, and there are also more balanced ones. But it is Gromov’s version, who is more than knowledgeable in flying, that is considered more realistic.

But in general, Polikarpov got more than enough for this flight. It’s a shame to see Georgy Baidukov and Igor Chkalov among those who accused, but their opinion, the opinion of close people, can be considered justified.

But by and large: who that day could have stopped Chkalov himself, who decided to fly at any cost? Although all that was needed was either not to fly, or not to violate the flight assignment... Caution - that’s what Valery Pavlovich really lacked that day, seriously.

It is believed that the death of Chkalov was a turning point in the fate of Polikarpov. Many, including the already mentioned Georgy Baidukov, said so: “Polikarpov’s planes needed Chkalov.”

To be honest: either stupidity or just emotions. It turns out that the “king of fighters” needed a pilot like Chkalov? The calmer ones like Suprun, Gromov, Gallai were not suitable at all?

One thing is indisputable: such a chief pilot as Chkalov, and even enjoying such authority from Himself, was definitely a great help for Polikarpov. If Valery Pavlovich had stayed alive, there certainly wouldn’t have been many misadventures of the Polikarpov Design Bureau.

Move on, forward, to victory...

But even Chkalov’s death did not stop work on the aircraft. And this was also normal in those years. True, the second prototype was built at another plant - No. 1. It was there that the Polikarpov Design Bureau was transferred after Tupolev was returned to his “native” plant. More precisely, the expanding “sharaga” TsKB-29 swallowed up plant No. 156, and Polikarpov was once again evicted.

Nevertheless, the work went on. The M-88 was replaced by the less powerful, but seemingly more refined M-87A, and then by the M-87B. And in a calmer environment, the I-180-2 made its first normal flight on April 19, and on May 1, 1939, under the control of S.P. Suprun's plane took part in an air parade over Red Square.

During testing, the I-180-2 showed a speed of 540 km/h. Not God knows what, but the prospect was observed. The aircraft was recommended for mass production with the M-88 engine, which by that time had passed state tests. For testing, they decided to build a third prototype - I-180-3.

On September 5, 1939, during the completion of state tests of the I-180-2, test pilot T. P. Suzi died.

This was the 53rd flight with the task of reaching the “ceiling”. Even today, not everything is clear about the plane crash; reports say that the plane was either descending steeply or spinning from a great height. Upon reaching 3000 m, he switched to level flight, flew normally for some time, then went into a tailspin again. At an altitude of 300 m, the plane came out of a spin, and then for some reason the pilot left the plane, but did not use a parachute.

Various assumptions about the causes of the disaster were made, but the true cause remained unclear.

Contrary to popular belief, the I-180 continued its journey further. Implementation work at plant No. 21 continued. The whole question is how.

Firstly, plant No. 21 (located in Gorky) had a large order for the I-16. And, I must admit, the plant management was, to put it mildly, not happy about the new aircraft. Moreover, the plant had its own design bureau, in which they created their own aircraft!

This was a version of the same I-16 performed by M. M. Pashinin. And the plant hoped that they would produce “their own” aircraft, much like the I-16, which did not cause any problems. The I-21 aircraft had a number of original solutions; during tests it showed a good speed of 573 km/h, but was not stable enough and had a number of other shortcomings. As a result, it didn’t go into production, but it slowed down work on the I-180 considerably.

Things got even worse in 1940, when instead of M.M. Kaganovich was appointed People's Commissar A.I. Shakhurin, and his deputy for science and experimental construction - A.S. Yakovleva.

On January 14, 1940, Polikarpov and his deputy and leading designer Yangel (yes, the same future rocket scientist) sent a letter to the NKAP: “The construction of the military series is proceeding extremely slowly, all previously given deadlines have been missed, the director of plant No. 21 Suren Ivanovich Agadzhanov almost all transferred designers from I-180 to I-21.”

In the end, Polikarpov was heard, and to consider issues related to the production of the I-180, a special commission of the NKAP and the Air Force Directorate, chaired by one of the deputy people's commissars, V.P., worked at plant No. 21. Balandina.

The commission decided to oblige the plant to produce a series of 30 cars within two months, but this did not help at all. All release deadlines were missed.

It cannot be said that no one listened to Polikarpov. Head of the Air Force Research Institute A.I. Filin, in a report to the Air Force Main Directorate, wrote:

“I report that the situation with the construction of the military series of I-180 M-88 aircraft ... is abnormal, the construction of the aircraft is actually being delayed indefinitely. I believe that the delay in the release of the military series is delaying the development of the aircraft necessary for the Red Army Air Force.”

And only in April the first three production I-180S were somehow ready. Again, they were shown at the parade, and it seemed like there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Moreover, by that time the factory tests of the I-180-3 had already ended. It must be said that, on its own initiative, the Polikarpov Design Bureau slightly modified the vehicle, first of all, by strengthening the armament.

Two 12.7 mm BS machine guns and two 7.62 mm ShKAS were assembled into one battery. The machine guns were placed on a carriage, which greatly facilitated operation (reloading, cleaning, repairs).

The aircraft showed very good results: the speed at an altitude of 3,000 m was 575 km/h, the time to climb to 5,000 m was 5.6 minutes. Test pilot Ulyakhin noted in his reports that the I-180 is very similar in parameters to the I-16, but is more stable and performs better in turns and landing.

Of course, there were also shortcomings. Lack of canopy, poor adjustment of the tail wheel retraction mechanism, unsatisfactory propeller design, poor surface finish. It was believed that treating surfaces with varnish should bring an additional 25-30 km/h.

The Polikarpovites worked, installed a canopy on the plane, designed and manufactured a new propeller, and increased the transverse V of the wing. In this form, the fighter was transferred to state tests at the Air Force Research Institute, which were generally successful.

But the I-180 was waiting for another blow of fate. You don't have to be a soothsayer to guess who is to blame. Yes, the engine is back!

Motor infarction

Numerous complaints about defects and failures led to the M-88 being discontinued!
At the same time, all aircraft with this engine, including the I-180, were banned from flying. Of course, engine builders did everything to solve the problems, but the Su-2, Il-4, I-180 remained on the ground. And only at the very end of 1940 (December) the M-88 was tested again and the ban was lifted. Work has resumed. Polikarpov Design Bureau constantly improved its aircraft. At the beginning of 1941, projects for the new M-88A and M-89 engines were ready. The RSI-4 radio station was permanently registered on the aircraft. According to calculations in the design bureau, the maximum speed of the I-180 with the M-89 engine should have reached 650 km/h.

Looking ahead, it is worth saying that in 1942 the M-89 was discontinued as an unreliable and unfinished engine. It was simply brushed aside in favor of the mastered M-88B. According to the laws of war, in principle, this is fair.

But at the beginning of 1941, the decision to discontinue production of the I-180 struck like thunder from the sky!

Long after the war, People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry Shakhurin, having served his time, after rehabilitation, recalled in his memoirs that the NKAP really got too carried away with water-cooled engines. It is clear that the Messerschmitt flew, and flew well, but this is absolutely no reason to copy everything down to the screw.

Although, it is worth admitting that they copied everything.

In general, star-shaped air-cooled motors were considered inappropriate for use. All programs were curtailed. In response to Polikarpov, Deputy People's Commissar AP Yakovlev wrote:

“The resumption of work on three I-180 aircraft, built as a standard for mass production at plant No. 21, cannot be permitted. Carrying out further work on development and testing of these aircraft is impractical in view of the existing decision on the plant’s program for 1941. At present, all attention must be paid to fulfilling the new task received by the plant.”

And at plant No. 21 they began to master the production of LaGG-3. An aircraft with completely different technology. I note that plant No. 21, which for a year could not squeeze out 10 I-180s, already a month later “drove” LaGG-3 as if nothing had happened.

Sabotage or envy?

Hard to tell.
I think that the I-180 would in any case be a “trial balloon”, followed by the I-185, a more promising aircraft. And here the technological chain I-16 - I-180 - I-185 was traced, the main value of which was the presence of continuity in production. We will talk about the I-185 in the next article; the aircraft is worthy of a separate discussion. At the turn of 1940, the I-185 was already ready, it was waiting, waiting for its engine.

Let's reason. If I-180 with an engine of 1100 hp. showed a speed of about 600 km/h, then for the more aerodynamically advanced I-185, and even with an engine of 1700-1900 hp. the estimated speed of about 700 km/h was quite realistic.

By the way, for the Germans this is 1945. If the Focke-Wulf had a 2200-2500 hp engine, it would be a terrible car...

If the I-180 had gone into production, then the MiG-1, LaGG-3, Yak-1 would not have been needed. Or they are needed, but not in such quantities. The MiG-3 was not a competitor in terms of weapons, the LaGG-3 was inferior in terms of performance characteristics, the Yak-1...

In general, everything was sad with Yak. I spoke about this quite specifically in the material on this aircraft. More than 7 thousand changes in the design are serious.

Let's look, look with all our eyes!

LaGG-3. The most successful of the triad, in my opinion (La-5 and La-7 are proof of this), but expensive to manufacture due to delta wood and with a very weak motor.

But Gorbunov worked as the head of the 4th department of the First Main Directorate of the NKAP. It is clear that not Yakovlev, but still. Lavochkin and Gudkov were his subordinates who oversaw the aircraft factories.

Probably, here you can find the answer to the question why LaGG-3 began to be produced at as many as five factories, but not a single one was left for Polikarpov. The designer’s brother, Sergei Petrovich Gorbunov (1902-1933) was one of the organizers of the Soviet aircraft industry, director of Europe’s largest aircraft manufacturing plant No. 22 in Fili.

MiG-3. Not a bad plane, but a perfect “iron” at low altitudes. Attempts to lighten the aircraft led to the fact that the weapons became the weakest of all.

But Artem Mikoyan was the younger brother of Anastas Mikoyan himself. No comments.

Yak-1. The most undeveloped aircraft of all. Also, by the way, he took the lives of test pilots to heaven. And if the state tests of the MiG and LaGG went more or less normally, then with the Yak-1 the situation was much more complicated.

But Yakovlev was deputy people's commissar of AP Shakhurin.

Coincidences? Don't know. Today it is very difficult to judge. But it’s difficult to comment, especially knowing that Polikarpov had nothing behind him other than what he had. And he had absolutely no support.

Everything is possible. For many, an aircraft launched into production means recognition, awards, immunity (possibly). But first of all, the opportunity to live and work. And others (like Polikarpov) could receive a pardon. You are a fighter for the country, it gives you 10 suspended years instead of real ones.

As an example, it is worth citing the same Yak-1. The plane claimed the life of Yakovlev Design Bureau test pilot Yulian Piontkovsky, but the second flight prototype (I-26-2), which began flying even before the crash of the first and had the same defects, was considered suitable for transfer on May 29 by the NKAP commission chaired by A.S. Yakovlev for state tests. And just three days later, the Air Force Research Institute recognized the vehicle as having passed state tests.

Questions? Comments? So I don’t have one. However, we have already talked a lot about the Soviet triad of the early 40s. There are more than enough strange moments and dark spots on reputations.

In principle, I have no questions left. Could Polikarpov resist the cohort of “young and zealous” designers rushing to the top?

Not of proletarian origin, a student of the emigrated Sikorsky, with a suspended sentence behind him and the prospect of playing “sharaga” at any moment?

So I think I couldn’t. And even confront such people. With what they would call now “garters.”

Polikarpov could only design airplanes and build them if he was allowed to do so. NKAP support? Objectivity? Absolutely not.

At least, I would not call the removal from serial production of the I-180 six months before the war and the launch in its place at plant No. 21 of the LaGG-3, which was inferior in many respects to it, an act in favor of the state.

And today it becomes clear why three models began to be produced at once. Who can, so to speak. It is clear that the MiG and LaGG were a kind of safety net for the completely unsuccessful Yak.

Again, why was it necessary to start assembling LaGGs at five factories, depriving Polikarpov of his only factory?

I'll say something seditious. I can imagine how happy Yakovlev, Gorbunov and Mikoyan were when Polikarpov lost his shield - Chkalov. It really was a gift of fate...

It is very difficult to say how good a car the I-180 could have become. Very difficult. But considering that royal titles are not given out for nothing, I think that the plane could have been no worse than the triad. Perhaps it's better.

But there is another point. If the comrades (who are sometimes worse than the masters) designers would not have been in such a hurry to drown Polikarpov, at the time of June 22, 1941, the Red Army Air Force could have had such a number of modern and powerful fighters that an instant blitzkrieg might not have taken place.

But these are arguments exclusively in favor of the losers. But we will discuss this topic later in the conversation about the I-185.

Sources: Shavrov V.B. History of aircraft designs in the USSR 1938-1950. Maslov M. Fighters I-180 and I-185.

Design

When developing the design of the I-180 aircraft, the chief designer was guided by solutions tested on the I-16 fighter.

Significant external changes appeared only in 1940, when the I-180-3 version began to use a closed canopy equipped with a sliding section.

Fuselage

The fuselage of the I-180 aircraft had a monocoque design with a frame covered on top with birch veneer skins 0.2-2.5 mm thick. The sheathing is installed using casein glue, nails and screws.

The fighter's fuselage load-bearing frame included 11 solid frames, three sectional frames, four spars and a set of stringers. At the installation sites of the units there were reinforcing frames made of bakelite plywood. The spars were beams made of pine; the cross-section of the parts varied along the length. The transitions from the wing to the center section are equipped with transition elements that improve aerodynamics.

The center section of the aircraft was a single part with the fuselage.

The open version of the cockpit of the I-180 fighter had small flaps on the sides, which facilitated pilot access. The standard equipment included an oxygen device KPA-3. A PAK-1 aircraft sight was mounted in front of the visor.

Wings

The wings of the I-180 fighter had a detachable design. The two wing spars had a welded structure made of pipes. Starting with the third prototype, steel stamped parts with end flanging began to be used.

The outer skin was made of aluminum sheets. On the rear part there are flaps, which were initially equipped with a pneumatic drive.

Starting with the third prototype, the flap drives became mechanical.

The aircraft's ailerons had uncontrolled trim tabs.

The first prototype featured a smaller wing. Starting with the I-180-2, an enlarged wing with a modified profile began to be used. On the I-180-3 they tried to introduce an enlarged horizontal stabilizer.

But after the test flight, such a solution was not used. The elevators and directional rudders were equipped with controlled trim tabs.

Chassis

The vehicles use a chassis consisting of two main struts and a tail wheel. The release and cleaning were controlled by a pneumatic system. The supply of compressed air was in cylinders behind the pilot's seat.

The supply was renewed from the compressor at the airfield. The first two prototypes of the I-180 fighter were equipped with pyramidal struts, which consisted of three sections. Starting with the third aircraft, they planned to use a single-section strut.

But the development of the design was delayed, and implementation was transferred to the 31st production aircraft. The tail wheel was also retractable, but due to the unfinished kinematic design, it was often fixed during flight in its extended form.

On production vehicles, a wheel with an increased diameter was installed, which improved the performance of the chassis on unpaved airfields. Because of this, an enlarged section of the tail fairing was introduced.

To reduce mileage and test the engine, mechanically driven brakes are installed on the main struts of the vehicle.

Engine

The propulsion system on some I-180 vehicles consisted of a two-row geared radial engine M-88R, equipped with a carburetor and a mechanical two-speed supercharger.

Depending on the boost pressure, the power was 1000-1100 hp. The engine was cooled by the incoming air flow and with the help of oil. To cool the liquid, the early version of the I-180-1 fighter used a ring radiator, which was changed several times as the aircraft project developed.

The motor rotated a three-bladed propeller VISH-23E with a diameter of 3000 mm, equipped with a pitch change system.

Subsequently, it was planned to install modernized M-89 engines equipped with a fuel injection system and three-speed superchargers on I-180 aircraft. The most powerful version of the engine was supposed to develop power of at least 1560 hp. The engine never reached production due to overheating of the cylinder heads and vibrations during operation.

The experimental fighter I-180-2 used a carburetor engine with a similar design to the M-87A/B model, which was equipped with an oil radiator of the original design.

The radiator was located in the engine compartment. Subsequently, this scheme was abandoned in favor of the usual ring design. At the same time, the supercharger air duct, which previously stood on the end part of the wing center section, was also removed under the hood. Some engine parameters are shown in the table.

Adjustable louvres located at the hood inlet were used to supply cooling air. The blinds on the I-180 fighter consisted of a movable and a fixed disk.

When the disk rotated, seven slots opened. The disk rotated on a roller support located along the outer radius.

The engines ran on leaded aviation gasoline of grades 3B-78, 4B-74 or B-95. The fuel supply was located in the central tank, installed in the fuselage between the engine and the pilot's cabin.

The tank of the I-180 aircraft is made of aluminum alloy and covered on the outside with a rubber protector; it holds 200 kg of gasoline (approximately 270-290 liters). Options were being explored for installing drop tanks under the wings, which would allow the I-180 to be used as an escort vehicle. The outboard tanks had a design unified with the I-16 fighter and each held about 93 liters of fuel.

Fuel supply is forced, performed by a pump located on the engine. The tank of the I-180 fighter is equipped with a drain valve with a pipe located on the lower part of the fuselage. The amount of fuel is measured by a mechanical sensor with information displayed on the instrument panel.

Armament

The first experimental vehicles were armed with four 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns equipped with synchronizers. Two machine guns were located in the fuselage above the engine, and two more in the center section.

Starting with the I-180-3 prototype, two 12.7 mm BS machine guns began to be used, replacing the shooting points in the center section. All machine guns were combined with the engine into a quick-detachable module, which was attached to the fuselage at four points. The machine gun cartridge boxes were located in the space between the engine and the fuel tank.

The bomb armament of the I-180 aircraft consisted of bombs with a total weight of 40 kg, installed under the wing. Overload was allowed, but not more than 200 kg, and there were strict restrictions during flight. Instead of bombs, they could install external fuel tanks similar to those used on the I-16 fighter.

Links[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b Green 1973, p. 165.
2. Abanshin and Gut 1994, p. 52.
3. ↑
   Gordon and Khazanov 1998, p. 111.
4. ^ a b c d e Maslov 2003
5. Gunston 1995, p. 307.
6. Gunston 1995, p. 308.
7. Google and Ivanov
8. Abanshin and Gut 1994
9. Gladniker, David. "An Incomplete Guide to Using an Airfoil". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu
   . Retrieved April 16, 2022.

Bibliography[edit]

• Abanshin, Mikhail E. and Nina Gut. Polikarpov Fights, Eagles of the East No. 2
  . Lynnwood, WA: Aviation International, 1994. ISBN 1-884909-01-9.
• Gordon, Efim and Dmitry Khazanov. Soviet Combat Aircraft of World War II, Volume One: Single-Engine Fighters
  . Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85780-083-4.
• Gordon, Efim and Kate Dexter. Polikarpov's I-16 fighter: its predecessors and descendants (Red Star, volume 3)
  . Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-85780-131-8.
• Green, William. Combat Aircraft of World War II, Volume Three: Fighters
  . London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers), 1961. ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
• Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. World War II Aircraft Facts: Soviet Air Force Fighters, Part 2
  . London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers, 1978. ISBN 0-354-01088-3.
• Google, Yu.A. and V.P. Ivanov (Guglya, Yu.A., Ivanov, V.P.). "Fatal I-180" ("Fatal I-180") ("Fatal I-180"). Aerohobby No. 1/94
  , 1994.
• Gunston, Bill. Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1975–1995
  . London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
• Copenhagen, U., ed. Das große Flugzeug-Typenbuch
  (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Transpress, 1987. ISBN 3-344-00162-0.
• Leonard, Herbert. Les avions de chasse Polikarpov
  (in French). Rennes, France: Editions Ouest-France, 1981. ISBN 2-85882-322-7.
• Leonard, Herbert. Les chasseurs Polikarpov
  (in French). Clichy, France: Éditions Larivière, 2004. ISBN 2-914205-07-4.
• Maslov, Mikhail (Maslov, Mikhail). I-180 / I-185 (I-180 / I-185
  ). Moscow: Tekhnika-Molodezhi; Eastern Horizon, 2003.

A trace in the history of aircraft manufacturing

Despite the failure with the I-180 aircraft, N.N. Polikarpov continued to develop the concept. The result of the work was the I-185 fighter, which had excellent flight characteristics.

Suffice it to mention that, according to official data, the car accelerated to 667-680 km/h at an altitude of 6100 m. According to unofficial data, in some runs the car reached 708 km/h. But due to a number of circumstances, this car did not reach series production.

The mistake of abandoning air-cooled engines in fighter aircraft was recognized already in 1941, when a shortage of liquid-cooled engines began to be felt.

So, on the basis of the LaGG-3, a fighter with an M-82A engine was created, called the La-5. Subsequently, the cars began to use a forced engine with a fuel injection system, which led to a change in the index to La-5FN. Since 1942, these aircraft were actively used in the USSR Air Force, unlike the I-180, which never entered the series, although it was no worse.