Tupolev ANT-9
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920s |
| Founder | Andrei Tupolev |
| Headquarters | Soviet Union |
| Products | Aircraft, including ANT-9 passenger aircraft |
The Tupolev ANT-9 (Russian: Туполев АНТ-9) was a Soviet-era passenger aircraft developed during the 1930s. Its creation was driven by the need for a domestically produced airliner, as at that period, Deruluft, a predecessor of Aeroflot, operated exclusively with foreign-made planes, primarily from Germany and the Netherlands.
Development commenced in December 1927. The initial prototype, called Krylia Sovietov (Wings of the Soviets), was equipped with three French Gnome-Rhone Titan radial engines. This model was unveiled to the public on 1 May 1929 at Red Square and subsequently underwent national flight trials, which concluded in June. The first production batch consisted of 12 units. During manufacturing, the original Titan engines were replaced by M-26 engines; however, due to reliability issues, these were later swapped for imported Wright Whirlwind engines. Starting in 1933, two of these aircraft were operated by Deruluft on the Berlin-Moscow route. Notably, Mikhail Gromov completed a European circuit flight aboard the Krylia Sovietov, covering Moscow – Travemünde – Berlin – Paris – Rome – Marseille – London – Paris – Berlin – Warsaw – Moscow from 10 July to 8 August 1929. This journey spanned 9,037 km (5,615 mi) over 53 hours of flight time, maintaining an average speed of 177 km/h (110 mph), and attracted significant attention.
By September 1930, testing of the Wright-powered ANT-9 variant was finalized. Several units served as executive transports within the Soviet Air Forces. Plans for a military version featuring both fixed and retractable turrets were underway but were discontinued before testing commenced. An ambulance variant was also explored but never materialized. In 1932, GVF engineer Sergei Ivanovich Komarov proposed modifying the ANT-9’s wing to support two M-17 engines, similar to the configuration on the R-6. Production resumed in 1933 under the designation PS-9 (ПС-9[lower-alpha 1]), resulting in approximately 70 aircraft constructed. These planes primarily operated on passenger and staff routes across Central Asia and the Caucasus until the onset of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, they were utilized as transport and medical aircraft until 1943.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] One PS-9 was converted into a propaganda plane named Krokodil (Crocodile), featuring a distinctive plywood nose shaped like a reptile.
Military operators
Civil operators
Accidents and incidents
- On December 6, 1936, a Deruluft ANT-9 bearing the registration CCCP-D311 crashed near Moscow as a result of pilot error, resulting in nine fatalities out of the 14 individuals on board.
Specifications (PS-9)
See also
Notes
- ↑ пассажирский самолёт, passazhirskiy samolyot, 'passenger airplane'
References
Further reading
- Duffy, Paul; Kandalov, Andrei (1996). Tupolev: the man and his aircraft. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-728-X.
- Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84176-096-4.