Polikarpov I-1

The Polikarpov I‑1 was the first indigenous fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union after the Revolution, produced at the Dux Factory in Moscow in 1923‑24. Designed by Nikolai Polikarpov, it was a single‑seat, single‑engine biplane intended to replace the obsolete foreign types that filled the Red Air Force’s inventory. Its wooden structure featured a braced, staggered wing layout, a 340 hp (254 kW) Hispano‑Suiza 8Fb V‑8 engine, and a fixed, split‑axle undercarriage. The pilot sat in an open cockpit with basic instrumentation, while armament consisted of two synchronized 7.62 mm PV‑1 machine guns firing through the propeller arc. Though modest in performance—top speed around 220 km/h (136 mph) and a service ceiling of 6 000 m—the I‑1 embodied the Soviet push for domestic aircraft production and provided valuable experience in metal‑to‑wood hybrid construction, engine integration, and armament synchronization. Only a handful of prototypes were built before the type was superseded by the more powerful Polikarpov I‑2. Nevertheless, the I‑1 marked the beginning of Polikarpov’s long career as the USSR’s leading fighter designer and demonstrated Dux’s capability to transition from licensed foreign builds to original Soviet designs, influencing later fighter development throughout the interwar period.

Dux Factory

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification