Tupolev ANT-3
Encyclopedia
Tupolev
acquired much experience in building his first two aircraft, which he put into the next one, the ANT-3. By this time, Soviet Air Force
leaders were convinced that metal was a highly usable substance in the building of airplanes. So, Tupolev guided AGOS- TsAGI in creating the first Soviet all-metal aircraft. The ANT-3 was Tupolev’s first practical plane.
, where the lower wing is somewhat shorter than the upper one. Its first flight was on August 6, conducted by V. N. Fillipov, who tested planes for TsAGI until the upcoming October.
The Air Force ordered several ANT-3s after they were pleased with the results of tests led by Mikhail Gromov
. However, they could not have as many as they wanted due to a shortage of metal. Nonetheless, the Soviets used it for propaganda.
Because these ANT-3s were for military usage, they were designated R-3, the R standing for Razvedchik ("Reconnaissance").
, and after that, Factory No. 22. There were presumably 102 made in total.
and a gunner
. The latter was in a different cockpit
aft of the pilot. The wings had a support bar and cross bracing wires. As with the ANT-2, the outer covering was made from duralumin
, and the fuselage
had a triangular cross-section.
The ANT-3 was powered by one engine, and there were several engines it could use. The prototype used a 298 kW (400 hp) Liberty
, and the second one was powered by a 336 kW (450 hp) Napier Lion
. Production aircraft first used the 336 kW (450 hp) Lorraine-Dietrich
(79 used); one used a 373 kW (500 hp) BMW
V-1, and 21 aircraft used the 336 kW (450 hp) Mikulin
M-5.
Tupolev proposed an upgraded version, which he called the R-4, to the Soviet Air Force
. It would have had a range of about 966 km (600 mi), and would be powered by a 373 kW (500 hp) Mikulin
engine. One was built, but it had a Lorraine-Dietrich
engine. It was delivered to Aeroflot’s
Yakutsk
division. The aircraft was designated the PS-3 and was used as a mail plane until about 1930.
. Also, it traveled around Europe in the summer of 1926, piloted by Michel Arroshar. He started in Paris
and finished his journey in Moscow
.
Afterwards, TsAGI had Mikhail Gromov, assisted by mechanic Yevgeny Radzevich, visit important European capitals in an ANT-3. He started his expedition from Moscow at 3 a.m. on August 30, and headed west. After about 120 km (75 mi) were covered, an expansion tank with water for the Napier Lion
engine experienced three fatigue cracks. Water sprayed around the cockpit. Fortunately for him, Gromov did the sensible thing and returned home. Newspapers stated that he and Radzevich turned back due to poor weather. The incident caused Tupolev to recommend that the tank have a convex base, which was adopted. Gromov resumed his expedition. Yet another problem arose. The ANT-3 landed at present day Kaliningrad
, by which point the radiator
was leaking. Gromov toughed it out, continuing on to Berlin
. There, the mechanics were not able to fix the radiator. Moving on, he went to Paris, where a mechanic found that some putty sealant had come off. To solve the problem, he took another aircraft’s radiator, and adapted it to fit in the ANT-3. When the mechanic was finished with the problem, Gromov flew off to Rome
.
While rolling out, a black cat walked in front of the plane. According to Russian superstition, a black cat is bad luck
, but Gromov chose to believe the English version of the story, where the black cat is actually considered lucky. Weather was bad during take-off, but it had cleared by the time he was over Lyon
s, which permitted Gromov to go over the Alps
en route to Turin
, and onto Geneva
and afterwards, Rome. The refueling took longer than expected, and the twilight was nearing.
When the refueling was done, Gromov and Radzevich flew north to Vienna
. The sun started to set by the time they were 119 km (74 mi) away from their destination. (It was dark just 19 km/12 mi.) Gromov decided to do the brave thing and land in Vienna, where campfires were lit around the airport.
The take-off was scheduled for the following morning, where VIPs such as the Soviet Ambassador to Austria, were supposed to attend the departure. However, they did not arrive on time, and Gromov, anxious to make good time, flew on to Prague
.
The weather was too poor for them to be able to land in Prague, causing the pilot to decide to continue to Warsaw
. There, staff at the Soviet Embassy handed them flowers, which were requested to be dropped over Soviet territory. This act was duly noted, regardless of the superstition of ill fortune. He then flew back to where the journey started: Moscow. Mikhail Gromov and Yevgeny Radzevich flew 7,170 km (4,443 mi) in 34 hours and 15 minutes over the duration of their voyage.
In 1927, the British minister at the foreign office, Austin Chamberlain, brother of British Prime Minister Neville
, severed diplomatic ties with the USSR. In response, the next journey by an ANT-3 was a flight from Moscow to Tokyo
and back to Moscow, which took place between August 20 and September 1, 1927, and the plane was titled “Our Reply.” The flight was titled “The Great Eastern Overflight,” and was piloted by Semion Shestakov. The ANT-3 used was powered by a Mikulin M-5. The expedition covered about 22,140 km (13,500 mi) in 153 flying hours (today, it would take 18 hours), by going from Moscow- Sarapul- Omsk- Novosibirsk- Krasnoyarsk- Irkutsk- Chita- Blagovenshensk- Nanian- Yokohama- Tokyo, and then return. Though not the most direct possible, there were good propaganda opportunities.
R-3NL
R-3
R-3LD
R-7
PS-3
Tupolev
Tupolev is a Russian aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Basmanny District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. Known officially as Public Stock Company Tupolev, it is the successor of the Tupolev OKB or Tupolev Design Bureau headed by the Soviet aerospace engineer A.N. Tupolev...
acquired much experience in building his first two aircraft, which he put into the next one, the ANT-3. By this time, Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
leaders were convinced that metal was a highly usable substance in the building of airplanes. So, Tupolev guided AGOS- TsAGI in creating the first Soviet all-metal aircraft. The ANT-3 was Tupolev’s first practical plane.
Construction and Development
On August 1, 1924, design work started for the ANT-3. The following July, the prototype was finished and came out of the AGOS factory. It was a sesquiplaneBiplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
, where the lower wing is somewhat shorter than the upper one. Its first flight was on August 6, conducted by V. N. Fillipov, who tested planes for TsAGI until the upcoming October.
The Air Force ordered several ANT-3s after they were pleased with the results of tests led by Mikhail Gromov
Mikhail Gromov (aviator)
Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gromov was a famous Russian aviator and Hero of the Soviet Union.On 12-14 July 1937, Mikhail Gromov, A. B. Yumashev and S. A...
. However, they could not have as many as they wanted due to a shortage of metal. Nonetheless, the Soviets used it for propaganda.
Because these ANT-3s were for military usage, they were designated R-3, the R standing for Razvedchik ("Reconnaissance").
Production
The ANT-3 was produced between 1926 and 1929 at Gos Avia Zavod, or GAZ. The factory was later called Krasnyi OktiabrKrasny Oktyabr Closed Joint-Stock Company
Volgogradskiy Metallurgicheskiy Zavod Krasny Oktyabr Closed Joint-Stock Company is a Russian closed joint-stock company which maintains the Krasny Oktyabr factory, one of the largest Russian metallurgy facilities.-Krasny Oktyabr factory:...
, and after that, Factory No. 22. There were presumably 102 made in total.
Design
The ANT-3 could hold two people: a pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and a gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
. The latter was in a different cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
aft of the pilot. The wings had a support bar and cross bracing wires. As with the ANT-2, the outer covering was made from duralumin
Duralumin
Duralumin is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The main alloying constituents are copper, manganese, and magnesium. A commonly used modern equivalent of this alloy type is AA2024, which contains 4.4% copper, 1.5% magnesium, 0.6% manganese and 93.5%...
, and the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
had a triangular cross-section.
The ANT-3 was powered by one engine, and there were several engines it could use. The prototype used a 298 kW (400 hp) Liberty
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
, and the second one was powered by a 336 kW (450 hp) Napier Lion
Napier Lion
The Napier Lion was a 12-cylinder broad arrow configuration aircraft engine built by Napier & Son starting in 1917, and ending in the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day, and kept it in production long after contemporary designs had stopped production...
. Production aircraft first used the 336 kW (450 hp) Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissments de Dietrich and Cie branched into the manufacture of automobiles...
(79 used); one used a 373 kW (500 hp) BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
V-1, and 21 aircraft used the 336 kW (450 hp) Mikulin
Mikulin
Alexander Alexandrovich Mikulin was a Soviet aircraft engine designer and chief designer in the Mikulin OKB. His achievements include the first Soviet liquid-cooled piston aircraft engine Mikulin AM-34 and the Mikulin AM-3 turbojet engine for Soviet Union's first jet airliner Tupolev Tu-104...
M-5.
Tupolev proposed an upgraded version, which he called the R-4, to the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
. It would have had a range of about 966 km (600 mi), and would be powered by a 373 kW (500 hp) Mikulin
Mikulin
Alexander Alexandrovich Mikulin was a Soviet aircraft engine designer and chief designer in the Mikulin OKB. His achievements include the first Soviet liquid-cooled piston aircraft engine Mikulin AM-34 and the Mikulin AM-3 turbojet engine for Soviet Union's first jet airliner Tupolev Tu-104...
engine. One was built, but it had a Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissments de Dietrich and Cie branched into the manufacture of automobiles...
engine. It was delivered to Aeroflot’s
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
Yakutsk
Yakutsk
With a subarctic climate , Yakutsk is the coldest city, though not the coldest inhabited place, on Earth. Average monthly temperatures range from in July to in January. The coldest temperatures ever recorded on the planet outside Antarctica occurred in the basin of the Yana River to the northeast...
division. The aircraft was designated the PS-3 and was used as a mail plane until about 1930.
Usage
The R-3 was used by the military for reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
. Also, it traveled around Europe in the summer of 1926, piloted by Michel Arroshar. He started in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and finished his journey in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Afterwards, TsAGI had Mikhail Gromov, assisted by mechanic Yevgeny Radzevich, visit important European capitals in an ANT-3. He started his expedition from Moscow at 3 a.m. on August 30, and headed west. After about 120 km (75 mi) were covered, an expansion tank with water for the Napier Lion
Napier Lion
The Napier Lion was a 12-cylinder broad arrow configuration aircraft engine built by Napier & Son starting in 1917, and ending in the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day, and kept it in production long after contemporary designs had stopped production...
engine experienced three fatigue cracks. Water sprayed around the cockpit. Fortunately for him, Gromov did the sensible thing and returned home. Newspapers stated that he and Radzevich turned back due to poor weather. The incident caused Tupolev to recommend that the tank have a convex base, which was adopted. Gromov resumed his expedition. Yet another problem arose. The ANT-3 landed at present day Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, by which point the radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
was leaking. Gromov toughed it out, continuing on to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. There, the mechanics were not able to fix the radiator. Moving on, he went to Paris, where a mechanic found that some putty sealant had come off. To solve the problem, he took another aircraft’s radiator, and adapted it to fit in the ANT-3. When the mechanic was finished with the problem, Gromov flew off to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
While rolling out, a black cat walked in front of the plane. According to Russian superstition, a black cat is bad luck
Omen
An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...
, but Gromov chose to believe the English version of the story, where the black cat is actually considered lucky. Weather was bad during take-off, but it had cleared by the time he was over Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s, which permitted Gromov to go over the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
en route to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, and onto Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and afterwards, Rome. The refueling took longer than expected, and the twilight was nearing.
When the refueling was done, Gromov and Radzevich flew north to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The sun started to set by the time they were 119 km (74 mi) away from their destination. (It was dark just 19 km/12 mi.) Gromov decided to do the brave thing and land in Vienna, where campfires were lit around the airport.
The take-off was scheduled for the following morning, where VIPs such as the Soviet Ambassador to Austria, were supposed to attend the departure. However, they did not arrive on time, and Gromov, anxious to make good time, flew on to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
The weather was too poor for them to be able to land in Prague, causing the pilot to decide to continue to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. There, staff at the Soviet Embassy handed them flowers, which were requested to be dropped over Soviet territory. This act was duly noted, regardless of the superstition of ill fortune. He then flew back to where the journey started: Moscow. Mikhail Gromov and Yevgeny Radzevich flew 7,170 km (4,443 mi) in 34 hours and 15 minutes over the duration of their voyage.
In 1927, the British minister at the foreign office, Austin Chamberlain, brother of British Prime Minister Neville
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
, severed diplomatic ties with the USSR. In response, the next journey by an ANT-3 was a flight from Moscow to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and back to Moscow, which took place between August 20 and September 1, 1927, and the plane was titled “Our Reply.” The flight was titled “The Great Eastern Overflight,” and was piloted by Semion Shestakov. The ANT-3 used was powered by a Mikulin M-5. The expedition covered about 22,140 km (13,500 mi) in 153 flying hours (today, it would take 18 hours), by going from Moscow- Sarapul- Omsk- Novosibirsk- Krasnoyarsk- Irkutsk- Chita- Blagovenshensk- Nanian- Yokohama- Tokyo, and then return. Though not the most direct possible, there were good propaganda opportunities.
Variants
ANT-3- Prototype. 298 kW (400 hp) Liberty L-12Liberty L-12The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
engine
R-3NL
- Second prototype. Powered by 336 kW (450 hp) Napier LionNapier LionThe Napier Lion was a 12-cylinder broad arrow configuration aircraft engine built by Napier & Son starting in 1917, and ending in the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day, and kept it in production long after contemporary designs had stopped production...
engine.
R-3
- Original production Military reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by Liberty (12 aircraft) or M-5 (18 aircraft)
R-3LD
- 79 production aircraft fitted with the 336 kW (450 hp) Lorraine Dietrich engine.
R-7
- Improved derivative of the R-3, powered by a BMW VI engine. Also known as the ANT-10. Prototype only.
PS-3
- Passenger version of R-3. One converted.