SUVP

The SUVP was a utility aircraft designed and built in the early 1920s by Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, better known for his pioneering seaplanes. After the Russian Civil War, the Soviet government sought a platform for liaison, ambulance and light cargo duties across the vast territory, and Grigorovich’s team adapted the proven Grigorovich M-5 hull to a land configuration, creating the SUVP (Samolet Ustalnogo Vzletania po Polju – “fixed‑takeoff aircraft for the field”). First flight took place in 1923 at the Khodynka airfield, and a limited production run of 45 airframes was completed by 1926. The aircraft featured a 220 hp BMW IV V‑12 engine, a wooden fuselage with fabric covering, a fixed tailskid undercarriage and wheel or ski assemblies for operations. Its spacious cabin accommodated up to four passengers or a stretcher and medical attendant, while large wing area gave a low stall speed of 55 km/h, ideal for short strips. Although quickly superseded by designs, the SUVP demonstrated the viability of multipurpose land planes in the Soviet Union and provided experience that influenced transport types such as the Polikarpov R‑5. Its brief service highlighted Grigorovich’s adaptability beyond seaplanes and marked an early step toward a diversified Soviet aviation fleet.

Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich

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Design & Classification