Tag Archives: Russia/USSR

Bartini Stal-7: Daddy Cool (XXXIV).

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The Stal-7 was designed to fulfil a mid-1930s Aeroflot requirement for a 10/12 passenger airliner. Roberto L. Bartini intended to employ a truss steel structure fuselage in it, but in the end the prototype was built as a a light alloy monocoque equipped with a somehow drastic gull-shaped wing. First flown on 1937, the pretty prototype showed remarkable performances and efficiency. Meanwhile Bartini was accused, in the the middle of Stalin’s purges, of being a Mussolini’s Spy(!) and imprisoned. The Stal-7 continued to impress anyway with a series of long distant flights and a World Record (1939). So at the hand of Vladimir Yermolaev it became the basis of the latter’s family of WW2 long-range bombers.

Bartini, and a cute Stal-7 model, later in his life seems to be reminiscing about all that.

Zvezda S-10: April 12’s might have been.

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The S-10 was the startling precursor of the SK-1. Designed also by Zvezda, this slick suit was more advanced despite this prototype’s rough finish. It was conceived to operate autonomously thanks to is regenerative system. The cool-looking helmet was even equipped with an automatic closure visor system. The future of this suit was decided after some dithering with the real necessity of a pressure suit in a spaceship. In the end a middle path was chosen with the less advanced open-loop SK-1.

Esperar sentado.

Shavrov Sh-5: Neither with nor without.

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The Sh-5 was an aerial mapping photography aircraft designed under the leadership of Vadim B. Shavrov. At first it was to be two different aircraft, the FS-1 landplane and the FS-2 amphibian, but in the end the two requirements were fulfilled with just the amphibian Sh-5. Work began in 1929, and the single prototype flew for the first time on the Spring of 1934.  Powered by a pair of pylon mounted 480hp Shvetsov M-22s, this high-winged monoplane could carry 12 passengers in its generously glassed fuselage. Obviously outdated and redundant by mid-1930s, the prototype was quietly scrapped after a crash.



The two configurations of this awkward beast and its main eccentricity: its detachable “boat” bottom.

Zvezda SK-1 spacesuit: The Spanish Inquisition would have been proud.

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Stupendous “Technology-Youth” magazine cover.

Just hear the 2022 Space Foundation fundraiser “Yuri’s Night” has been renamed “A Celebration of Space: Discover What’s Next” because of the War in Ukraine. The level of stupidity and manipulation is on the rise. Let’s remember Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, among others, are behind that foundation.



By the way, Gagarin has always been quite popular in Ukraine.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 10: De Rechupete.

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Another Spanish Republican fighter pilot with a second helping. Not as dramatic as Fierro Menú’s, but certainly even more interesting. Arias commanded during the Guerra Civil the 4.ª Escuadrilla of Grupo n.º 21 equipped with 775hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-F54-powered Type 10s. Used as high altitude fighters, they had a rudimentary oxygen system. The “Escuadrilla del Chupete” (Pacifier Squadron) was their nickname.
By the way, the artist seems to have liked mutant hybrids. The “Super Mosca” has a lot of Seversky/Reggiane in it. And that “Messer” its fair share of M.C.202.

Ju 88D vs Yak-7: ¡TARÁN!

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The hazardous journey of a Spanish Republican fighter pilot during two wars. His semi-suicidal “Taran” ramming attack with a Yak-7 to a recon Ju 88D included (August, 25. 1944). I’m giving a review to the library I still have in my parents’ house. This one stands out among its kind. Such an interesting memoir, well-illustrated too. Specially considering that it’s a Spanish self-published book.

A cover like this could sell any book.

Artist: Isaac Montoya Salamó.