VEF I-15
| Industry | Aerospace, Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 1, 1919 |
| Headquarters | Riga , Latvia |
| Products | Aircraft (including VEF I-15) |
The VEF I-15 was an advanced trainer aircraft developed in Latvia during the 1930s. Constructed as a compact, single-engine monoplane, two prototypes were produced by VEF based on the designs of Kārlis Irbītis. These aircraft subsequently served within the Latvian Air Force.
Development and design
In 1938, Kārlis Irbītis, a Latvian aircraft engineer employed at Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika (VEF) in Riga, initiated the design of a single-seat advanced trainer. This model was intended as a successor to his earlier creation, the VEF I-14. The I-15 featured a low-wing monoplane configuration constructed entirely from wood. It was equipped with an air-cooled de Havilland Gipsy Six engine and utilized a fixed tailwheel undercarriage with conventional landing gear.
The initial prototype, designated I-15a, completed its first flight in April 1939. It was powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Gypsy Six I engine paired with a two-bladed, fixed-pitch wooden propeller. Following this, the second prototype, named I-15b, was introduced; it incorporated a more powerful 220 hp (167 kW) Gypsy Six II engine driving a variable-pitch propeller and featured armament consisting of a single synchronized machine gun, resulting in enhanced performance.
Both prototypes were handed over to the Latvian Air Force for operational use as advanced trainers. Additionally, the Air Force placed an order for two further units, referred to as I-15bis, which were to be powered by Hispano-Suiza 6 Mb engines. However, on 17 June 1940, the Soviet occupation of Latvia led to the cessation of all aviation-related projects.
Specifications (I-15b)
Notes
References
- Davis, Chuck. "Latvia's Little Hawk". Air Enthusiast, Issue Forty-eight, December 1992 to February 1993. Template:ISSN. pp. 58–64.
- "Plane Facts: Latvian lightweight". Air International, January 1979, Vol. 16 No. 1. pp. 45–46.
External links
- VEF I–15 Latvian aircraft (Content in Latvian)