Summary
- Soviet civil aviation began in the 1920s with foreign aircraft operations.
- Tupolev and Yakovlev designed early passenger aircraft in the 1920s.
- Dobrolet combined with the Civil Air Fleet to become Aeroflot in the 1930s.
More than a century ago, Soviet civil aviation began to take shape. With early aircraft, the Bolshevik government connected people, supplies, and mail through air routes. Spanning over 12 time zones, it required a convoy of surplus military aircraft to serve the purpose. With the required equipment and manpower, a series of air routes emerged in 1921.
This article explores the history of Soviet civil aviation and the types of routes and aircraft that initially connected people and supplies across extensive lands, as highlighted by the United States Centennial of Flight Commission.
Foreign connections
- November 1921: German-Soviet airline Deruluft
- 1922: A series of routes linking Moscow and Europe using Dutch and German aircraft
- 1923: Deruluft flew 338 passengers
- 1930: Deruluft flew over 3,000 passengers
The US Centennial of Flight Commission notes that as the government's Main Administration of the Aerial Fleet launched civil routes, Soviet pilots were using surplus military aircraft from World War I. Namely, aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky's Ilya Muromets were modified and filled with passengers and mail between Soviet cities.
Despite the promising start, there was a lack of funds to keep the progress going. So, the government had to put an end to these operations. Nonetheless, with a little help from Germany, passenger activity soon got going again.
5 Soviet & Russian-Built Airliners That Have Defined The Country's Commercial Aviation Sector Over The Years
The long history of Soviet and Russian-produced airliners continues today.Deruluft was a joint German-Soviet airline tracing its formation back to November 1921. The carrier launched its first permanent aerial link between Moscow and Königsberg, with stops in Kaunas and Smolensk, in 1922 and formed a series of other vital routes during the remainder of the 1920s. However, during this decade, it flew mainly foreign aircraft, predominantly Dutch and German types.
The company primarily conducted mail and cargo operations, but it did dip into passenger services, which grew in demand yearly. In 1923, Deruluft flew 338 passengers. However, this figure grew by nearly 10-fold by the time the 1930s approached. Thus, there was now a requirement for new passenger operations.
Looking closer to home
Andrey Tupolev, a pioneer in Soviet aviation, made waves with other influential experts during this period. These innovators laid the foundations for what was to come.
“During 1916-1918 Andrey Tupolev, in cooperation with Nikolay Zhukovsky, worked on the development of aerodynamic tunnels. Graduating with honors from the university in 1918 young Tupolev with professor Zhukovsky founded TsAGI (the Central Aero Hydrodynamic Institute). Tupolev was the head of the aviation department.
“One of the major innovations brought by Tupolev to the Soviet aircraft manufacturing industry was replacing wooden parts of the planes with duralumin. This upset the wood producing industries. But Tupolev overcame the wood lobby and insisted on using duralumin in aircraft construction,” RT shares.
“On 22 October 1922 the famous OKB Tupolev (Tupolev design bureau) was founded. It was also known as OKB-156, with the design office prefix Tu. It was home to more than 300 different projects. More than 100 of them were built. About 70 were in serial production. Among these were world known civil and military aircrafts such as Tu–95, Tu-160, Tu-154 and Tu-144. More than 78 world records were set with these planes.”
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Local innovations
- Tupolev ANT-1 featured boats and aerosleds
- First flight: October 1923
- Operational range: 291 NM (540 km)
While many of the aforementioned aircraft are well known, they were introduced much later in the timeline. The Tupolev ANT-1 was Tupolev OKB's first plane, based on the engineer's work with boats and aerosleds. The aircraft performed its first flight on October 20th, 1923, but did not enter passenger service.
The ANT-2 was the first all-metal aircraft designed by the bureau. This small passenger plane could carry two passengers and a pilot. However, despite conducting its first flight on May 26th, 1924, it would remain an experimental aircraft.
The ANT-9 would be the civil model to grab the public's attention for Tupolev. This nine-passenger plane was developed in response to the demand for domestic aircraft. It performed its first flight on May 5th, 1929, before being introduced in the 1930s. The tri-engine airliner began flying with Deruluft on its Berlin-Moscow service in 1933, marking the start of operations with a Soviet-produced plane for the airline.
Soviet Postwar Transport Aircraft: The Story Of The Ilyushin Il-12
Soviet aircraft design was more about ruggedness and dependability than high-tech. During the 1940s, the Il-12 was developed to be a rugged flyer.Even though it was a viable business, Dereluft's life was cut short in the spring of 1937 amid tensions between Germany and the Soviet Union.
Tupolev wasn't the only bureau working on passenger aircraft in the 1920s. Notably, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Yakovlev designed and built the AIR-1, a two-seat light biplane. The type conducted its first flight on May 12th, 1927, and over six units would be built. The AIR-1 prototype was fitted with an ADC Cirrus engine. The aircraft was also developed into the AIR-2 - an improved model.
The AIR-3 would also go on to make a name for itself. The two-seat monoplane hit the skies for the first time on August 17th, 1929.
Another shakeup
In March 1923, the authorities formed the Volunteer Association of the Aerial Fleet, also known by the name of Dobrolet. This outfit was the union's first major civil air group, and it introduced regular air service with Junkers F-13s between Moscow and Nizhnii Novgorod.
Passengers often suffered on these flights amid poor conditions, including cold weather and loud noise, but the organization expanded, reaching far into eastern regions such as Outer Mongolia and Siberia. Yet, Dobrolet would not reach its full potential. The Soviet Union's communist officials grew weary of large organizations and were eager to have greater control over these operations.
Subsequently, in October 1930, Dobrolet was combined with the Main Administration of the Civil Air Fleet into one state-owned outfit, which would soon be known as Aeroflot.
A lasting impact
Civil aviation was now showing its maturation at the turn of the 1930s. The Soviet Union had its own passenger aircraft developed and in the air. The 1930s would go on to absolutely shake up aviation, not only within the Soviet Union but across the globe. New technological advances would shape the direction of the industry heading into World War II.
Overall, several key names mentioned in this article are still recognizable today. Aeroflot, Tupolev, and Yakovlev are titles of companies that presently form an integral part of the Russian aerospace scene. While plenty has changed across the industrial spectrum of the land, the impact of the early days of Soviet aviation can still be felt around a century later.
What are your thoughts about the early history of civil aviation in the Soviet Union? What do you make of these developments? Let us know what you think in the comment section.