Ant-20[bis]
When the ANT-20 was destroyed in May 1935, it was decided to start a production of a type as a strategic bomber. But only one ANT-20bis successor (board number L-760) was built in 1938. More powerful engines allowed to get rid of a tandem pair above the fuselage, what made 6-engine aircraft more aerodynamically clean. It was also used as a military transport until it crash-landed in December 1942.
In May 1935, the SNK USSR (Council of People's Commissars USSR) decreed: instead of killing the “mH”, to construct three aircraft of the same type and sizes - “Vladimir Lenin”, “Joseph Stalin”, “Maxim Gor'kiy”. They began collection of means in a short time composed the sum of 68,113,267 rubles and 14242 rubles in the foreign currency. This allowed the Council of Peoples Commissars of the USSR to supplement list with the nominal machines of the same class. In KB began the urgent work on the release of drawings for a series, which was embedded at the plant #124 finished building in Kazan.
Production aircraft obtained the designation Ant-20[bis]. Basic differences in the series machines were power plant and layout of fuselage. The appearance of more high-powered engines of modification M-34[frnv] made it possible to forego the tandem installation. Fuselage was re-equipped for the arrangement of 64 passengers. Responsibility for the program of the building of series Ant-20[bis] was entrusted on B.A.Saukke.
The first series machine, which received designation PS-124 (passenger aircraft of the plant of #124) was brought out to the airfield in spring 1939. On May 15, 1939. the crew of test pilot E.I.Shvarts raised the aircraft into air. Then PS-124 flew to Moscow, where it successfully underwent official tests and it was handed over to Aeroflot. Under the identification number L -760 the aircraft accomplished regular voyages until December 1940. Until November 1941, the machine was located in the squadron of the special designation of Moscow airport. After November 1941, the aircraft, re-equipped for AM-35 engines and assigned to Uzbek administration GVF, transported loads and passengers along the Central-Asian routes. On December 14, 1942 aircraft because of the disturbances by the crew of the rules of flight operations, suffered a catastrophe in 90 km from Tashkent.
The military version of aircraft was studied besides the agitational and passenger aircraft in KB. In November 1933. between KB and NII (Scientific Research Institute) VVS [air force] conducted the consideration of the possibility of use “mH” as landing aircraft and bomber. As a result negotiations it was decided to work the version of aircraft with the machine gun-cannon defensive and bomber armament, designed for the application of bombs of caliber to 2000 kg. project it was not realized.
The series Ant-20[bis] was stopped, and also stopped the works on military versions Ant-20. The reasons for the end of work were the following: as passenger machine, with the existed passenger flows in the USSR, it was simply not necessary, but as the heavy bomber and the assault-transport aircraft for [VDV], possessing large load capacity with the relatively low speeds and the flight altitudes, it, as its prototype Ant-16 (TB-4), became, beginning from the second-half of the 1930s, comparatively easy targets for the air defense weapons and the destructive front aviation of potential enemies.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
