IL-400

From OnAirpower.org

IL-400

Designation:	IL-400
Manufacturer:	Polikarpov
Nationality:	Soviet
First Flight:	August 15, 1923
Remarks:	Prototype monoplane fighter powered by the Liberty engine that was one of the earliest indigenous Soviet fighter designs, by Nikolai Polikarpov
See Also:	IL-400b, I-1

[edit] Notes

The IL-400 was an early Soviet fighter design powered by the Liberty 400 h.p. engine. Its name derives from the Russian word for fighter, "Istrebitel", and "L-400" for its engine. It was designed by Nikolai Polikarpov with assistance from I. M. Kostkin. Development began in March, 1923 and was finished by that summer with construction of a single prototype^[1].

The IL-400 was a monoplane, constructed mainly of wood and calculated to have a maximum speed of 260 km/hr, which was quite high when compared to the biplane fighters of the time. It had an unusually center of gravity located at 52% of the mean aerodynamic chord versus the more typical 20-30%, making it statically unstable and hence difficult to fly^[1].

The first flight of the IL-400 on August 15, 1923 by pilot K. K. Artseulov resulted in a crash. After the crash, the aircraft's design was changed, resulting in the IL-400b^[1].