• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

ANT-9 (PS-9)

The development of the nine-seat mainline aircraft ANT-9 (PS-9) began in 1927, when Dobrolet society, together with the Air Force Directorate, issued technical requirements for the new aircraft. The prototype ANT-9 was made three-engined - with one nose and two wing motors. Due to difficulties with imported “titans”, production aircraft were equipped with two domestic M-17s. Under the brand PS-9, the monoplane was successfully used on relatively short lines in Central Asia and Transcaucasia.

AA Arkhangelsky was appointed the lead designer of the ANT-9. The wing was V.M. Petlyakov, the chassis was A.N. Putilov, the power plant was the E.I.I.I.Pogosskie brothers. The aircraft was an all-metal, high-performance, free-carrying, with a corrugated skin and a fixed chassis. In the development process, components and assemblies of previous aircraft designed at TsAGI were used: ANT-3, ANT-7 and ANT-8. According to the original project, 3 Gnome Ron engines of 230 hp each were installed on the ANT-9. Despite the civil specifics of the aircraft, the possibility of installing bomber and small arms was envisaged in advance.

In July 1928, the creation of the ANT-9 was one of the points of the five-year development plan for Soviet civil aviation. In October 1928, the model of the future airliner was approved, and by May 1, 1929, the construction of the prototype was completed. On May 5, 1929, at the Central Aerodrome of the capital, test pilot MM Gromov made the first flight on the ANT-9. After the factory tests, which showed ease of operation and high flight characteristics, the car was handed over to a commission from the Air Force Institute. The feedback from the experts was positive. It was noted that the aircraft was stable, efforts on the controls are small, there were no tendencies to stall and spontaneous turns.

On a May Day holiday, thousands of Muscovites and guests of the capital saw a three-engined monoplane designed by A. N. Tupolev over Red Square . The new aircraft was immaculately tested. On July 10, 1929, the pilots M. Gromov, I. Mikheev and the navigator I. Spirin successfully performed on the ANT-9 "Krylya Sovetov" two difficult flights at that time: Moscow - Odessa - Sevastopol - Kiev - Moscow and Moscow - Berlin - Paris - Rome - Marseille - London - Paris - Berlin - Warsaw - Moscow, covering 9037 kilometers in 53 flight hours. The average flight speed reached 177 km / h.

In the same year of 1929, the Civil Aviation Council decided to start mass production of the ANT-9. Mass production began in the summer of 1929 at the Moscow factory number 22 in Fili. Beginning in June 1930, the aircraft began to arrive at the disposal of the Soviet civilian fleet - by the end of 1931, 18 ANT-9s were used. The aircraft were operated in the Moscow, Central Asian, West Siberian, Transcaucasian and South Kazakh departments of the civil fleet. Served such important lines as Moscow - Kharkov, Moscow - Kazan, Novosibirsk - Kemerovo. The harsh climatic conditions of Siberia forced the designers to equip the individual machines with special metal skis to facilitate take-off and landing. In the winter of 1931, the ANT-9 crew carried out an urgent delivery of furs from Siberia to the international fur auction, confirming the excellent qualities of the new aircraft.

The use of imported engines was a temporary compulsory measure, therefore during serial construction the question of switching to engines of domestic production was constantly being worked out. Passed ANT-9 with M-26, the installation of the M-22 was considered, but the problem was finally solved with the transition to a power plant of two M-17 or M-17F engines. The power plant was almost completely taken from the serial R-6, along with the nacelles, water radiators and the engines themselves. Under the new power plant, most of the previously released machines are being reworked, further mass production continues with two M-17B engines, and then with the M17F. In operation in the Air Force and GVF aircraft come under the designation PS-9 2M-17 and PS-9 2M-17F.

In 1932, seven planes were purchased by the Soviet-German joint-stock company of air communications "Deruluft". ANT-9 became the first exported Soviet airliner. The aircraft were successfully operated by the airline until its liquidation in 1937.

One ANT-9 was transferred to the Agitation Squadron imeni M. Gorky [ Agi-Teskadrili] and named in honor of the famous satirical magazine - "Krokodil" [Crocodile], simultaneously changing the appearance with the help of the artist. To participate in the squadron, they identified one of the production aircraft PS-9 with 2PD M-17. All airplanes of the Agi-Teskadrili bore the names of famous newspapers and magazines. In honor of the satirical magazine the aircraft was named "Crocodile", and its appearance was decided to issue accordingly. The plane found a wheel fairing, a cute crocodile nose and two rows of teeth along the top of the fuselage. Design developments were performed by VN Ushakov and VB Shavrov; decoration - Boris Efimov. The plane was very popular with children and successfully exploited in the squadron. Artistic "refinement" practically did not affect the flight characteristics.

There were projects to install a float landing gear on the ANT-9, as well as aircraft fittings for transporting the wounded and accompanying medical personnel.

The first exercises of the Soviet airborne troops are associated with these aircraft. On August 15, 1931, two ANT-9s dropped 19 paratroopers in the area of Krasnoe Selo near Leningrad in order to capture the landing ground. Parachutes also landed heavy weapons, including machine guns, two dynamo-active (recoilless) guns, and ammunition. After the parachutists took up defensive positions, a squadron of TB-1 bombers arrived at the site of the village. In the same scenario, amphibious operations were organized at maneuvers of the Ukrainian Military District: on 10 and 14 September, combined parachute assault forces with three ANT-9s landed near Mogilyovka.

Great hopes were pinned on the ANT-9 as a military transport aircraft. According to one such machine, it was supposed to be included in the squadrons attached to each “special purpose battalion” (as the first airborne units were called). But in fact they got TB-1. Before the war, the ANT-9 only once participated in the landing of a combat landing force. In September 1931, in Central Asia, during the liquidation of the so-called Koymati grouping on two aircraft of the 95th transport detachment, they were transferred to the village besieged by the Basmachis with a machine-gun department with two maxims. One ANT-9 and one F-13 Junker were used.

The military version, the work on the production of the ANT-9 bomber variant was carried out from 1928 to 1932 and ended with the re-equipment of one of the ANT-9 with external bomb holders of turret and pivot machine guns.

A number of ANT-9 entered service with the Red Army Air Force. The aircraft was used as a military transport, carrying out the landing of troops, transportation of fuel and ammunition, bombardment of specified targets. ANT-9, despite its solid "age", managed to take part in the Great Patriotic War, not only carrying personnel, military goods, factory equipment and medicines, but also participating in the release of reconnaissance and sabotage groups in the enemy's rear.

The ANT-9 was for a long time the flagships of the Soviet civilian fleet. Compared with the larger and more spacious ANT-14 and ANT-20, which were built in single copies, the ANT-9 was released in a series of about 100 aircraft. The three-engine airliner was the largest aircraft operated on regular passenger lines.

One of the PS-9 serial aircraft in 1935 was handed over to the Gorky Agitation Squadron. On the car, they put the fairings of wheels and axes, made decorative “crocodile” nose and teeth along the fuselage. The aircraft was named in honor of the famous Soviet satirical magazine "Crocodile". On it was carried out many agitation flights. Thanks to a solid and reliable design, the PS-9 aircraft operated for a number of years on overhead lines. Some aircraft spent up to 5200 hours in the air, which was a record for military and transport aircraft of that time.