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Yakovlev UT-1 () was a single-seater
trainer aircraft used by the
Soviet Air Force from 1937 until the late 1940s.
Development
The UT-1 was designed as a single-seater advanced trainer and
aerobatic airplane by the team led by
Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev. The first prototype, designated the
AIR-14, was flown in early 1936. The AIR-14 was a small low-winged monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, with a welded steel fuselage and a wooden wing.
After some changes, the AIR-14 was accepted for production. Among other improvements, the 75 kW (100 hp)
Shvetsov M-11 radial was changed to the more powerful 86 kW (115 hp) M-11G. The plane received the designation
UT-1 (
uchebno-trenirovochnyi , primary/advanced trainer); despite this designation, it was not suitable for primary training.
The UT-1 was used as a transitional type between the
UT-2 and
fighter like the
I-16. It was not easy to fly, requiring precise piloting, thus forming an ideal intermediate between basic trainers and the maneuverable but tricky to fly I-16. In 1939 the plane was modified by moving the engine 26 cm (10 in) forward, which improved its handling. During production, the 112 kW (150 hp) M-11E engine was also used....
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