Fjodorow DF-1

The Fjodorow DF‑1 was the first aircraft produced by Russian designer Dmitri Dmitrijewitsch Fjodorow in the early 1920s. After serving as a test‑pilot in World War I, Fjodorow founded his own workshop in Moscow in 1921 and set out to create a light, single‑engine monoplane that could serve both civil and reconnaissance roles. The prototype flew for the first time on 14 June 1923, demonstrating an innovative welded‑steel tube fuselage covered with fabric, a cantilever wing of spruce ribs and plywood skin, and a 150 hp Hispano‑Suiza 8Ab V‑8 engine driving a two‑bladed wooden propeller. Its high aspect‑ratio wing gave a maximum speed of 210 km/h and a service ceiling of 6 500 m, while the side‑by‑side cockpit provided excellent visibility for pilots and observers. Only twenty‑four DF‑1s were built, but the type was adopted by the nascent Soviet Air Force for border‑patrol duties and by several civilian airlines for mail transport. The aircraft’s blend of robust construction, efficient aerodynamics and low operating costs proved a benchmark for subsequent Soviet light aircraft, influencing designs such as the Polikarpov Po‑2 and establishing Fjodorow’s reputation as a pioneer of interwar aviation.

Dmitri Dmitrijewitsch Fjodorow

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification