88 years ago, on January 30, 1930, the prototype of the Soviet multipurpose combat aircraft ANT-10 (R-7), developed by the design team under the leadership of A. N. Tupolev. The first stage of testing revealed a number of shortcomings, which, in general, is a common thing for almost any new car. The plane was sent for revision, which was completed by the summer. After that, ANT-10 successfully passed the state tests. However, it was not accepted into service and it did not go into production, and the prototype was sent to Central Asia and used for postage.
The thing is that by the fall of 1930, another aircraft of a similar purpose was already mass-produced - the Polikarpov R-5. And although Polikarpov himself at that time was sitting in the "sharashka" on charges of espionage and subversive activities, his car was preferred over the plane, which seemed to be in favor with the Tupolev Bolsheviks (his turn "to land" will not come soon). The reason is simple: the Tupolev car was all-metal, and the Polikarpov one was made of wood.
The difference in price and availability between wood and duralumin became a decisive factor, despite the fact that metal cars are much more hardy and durable than airplanes with a frame made of pine slats and sheathing made of plywood and calico canvas. Moreover, the wood in those days was not plasticized or impregnated with antiseptic compounds, which made it damp, warped and rotted.
But the Soviet leadership wanted to have more aircraft in a short time and at a minimal price, and the issue of durability was not particularly worried about it. After all, the country in 20-30 years constantly lived in anticipation of war, as early Christians from year to year and from day to day awaited the second coming. As a result, the R-5 was produced for seven years until it was completely obsolete. By the beginning of the second half of the 30s, it became the most massive Soviet aircraft, replicated in more than five thousand pieces, and the R-7 remained in a single copy.
Above - painting R-7 during the second stage of testing. Below are photographs of the prototypes R-5 and R-7.
