Polikarpov VIT-1

{{Infobox Aircraft Begin

| name=Polikarpov VIT-1

| image=PolikarpovVIT-1.jpg

| caption=Note the long barrels of the 37 mm guns

}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type

| type=ground attack

| national origin=Soviet Union

| manufacturer=Polikarpov

| designer=

| first flight=1937

| introduced=

| retired=

| status=cancelled

| primary user=

| number built=1

| developed from=

| variants with their own articles=Polikarpov VIT-2

}}

The Polikarpov VIT-1 ({{langx|ru|Vozdooshny Istrebitel' Tahnkov}}— Flying Tank Destroyer) was a Soviet twin-engined multi-purpose aircraft developed before World War II. One prototype was built in 1937, with an extremely heavy armament for ground attack duties. That was the only example built as it was decided to revise the design with more powerful engines as the VIT-2.

Development

The Polikarpov design bureau (OKB) was ordered, in 1936, to begin development of a fast twin-engined aircraft that could be used for ground attack duties and as a heavy fighter. It delivered the ground attack version the following year for evaluation, although it could be modified as necessary for other roles. The VIT-1 was reasonably successful, but it was decided to give it more powerful engines and modify its structure. The improved aircraft was designated as the VIT-2.Gordon, p. 281

The VIT-1 was a low-winged, twin-engined aircraft with a mixed structure. The monocoque fuselage was made in halves of 'shpon', molded birch plywood. The wing and tail structures were built from a mix of steel tubes and duralumin with a duralumin skin. The VIT-1 had the first metal-skinned control surfaces in the USSR.Gunston, p. 305 The main legs of the conventional landing gear retracted aft into the engine nacelles, but the tailwheel was fixed. The nose was extensively glazed to give the bombardier/navigator good visibility and he was armed with a {{convert|20|mm|abbr=on}} ShVAK cannon with 10° of vertical travel. The rear gunner/radio operator sat behind the pilot in a manually operated turret armed with a {{convert|7.62|mm|abbr=on}} ShKAS machine gun. Two {{convert|37|mm|abbr=on}} Shpitalnyi Sh-37 cannon were mounted in the wing roots with very prominent barrels. Up to {{convert|600|kg|abbr=on}} of bombs could be carried internally in the fuselage or a pair of {{convert|500|kg|abbr=on}} FAB-500 bombs could be carried under the wings. It used a pair of {{convert|716|kW|abbr=on}} Klimov M-103 inline engines driving 3-bladed propellers.

Specifications

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Gordon, Soviet Airpower in World War 2

|prime units?=met

|crew=3

|capacity=

|length m=12.7

|length ft=

|length in=

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|span m=16.5

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|wing area sqm=40.4

|wing area sqft=

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|airfoil=Clark YH

|empty weight kg=4013

|empty weight lb=

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|gross weight kg=6453

|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=

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|more general=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Klimov M-103

|eng1 type=liquid-cooled V12 engines

|eng1 kw=716

|eng1 hp=

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop note=

|max speed kmh=530

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at {{convert|3000|m|0}}

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|range km=1000

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=8000

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|sink rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|guns=

2 x 37 mm Sh-37 cannon
1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon
1x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun

|bombs= up to a total of {{convert|1000|kg|abbr=on}}

|avionics=

}}

References

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

Gordon, Yefim. Soviet Airpower in World War 2. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing, 2008 {{ISBN|978-1-85780-304-4}}
Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London, Osprey, 1995 {{ISBN|1-85532-405-9}}

External links

[http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/RAM/vit-1.html VIT-1, SVB, MPI-1 by N.N.Polikarpov] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190510/http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/RAM/vit-1.html |date=2016-03-03 }}

VIT-1

Category:1930s Soviet attack aircraft

Category:Abandoned military aircraft projects of the Soviet Union