Polikarpov VIT-1

The Polikarpov VIT‑1 was a Soviet twin‑engine, heavy fighter–bomber prototype developed in the late 1930s under the direction of designer Nikolai Polikarpov. Conceived to meet a 1937 requirement for a fast, all‑metal aircraft capable of both interception and ground‑attack, the VIT‑1 first flew on 19 March 1939 from the Khodynka airfield. Its compact, low‑wing monoplane layout incorporated a stressed‑skin fuselage, retractable under‑carriage and a dorsal gunner’s position, while the powerplant consisted of two 1,150 hp Shvetsov M-62 radial engines driving three‑bladed propellers. Armament comprised two 20 mm ShVAK cannons in the nose, a turret‑mounted 7.62 mm machine gun and the capacity to carry up to 600 kg of bombs beneath the wings. Although its performance—a top speed of 530 km/h and a service ceiling of 9,300 m—was competitive, the VIT‑1 was eclipsed by the more advanced Lavochkin La‑5 and the twin‑engine Ilyushin DB‑3 series, resulting in the termination of production after only two prototypes. Nonetheless, the VIT‑1 provided valuable data on high‑speed, all‑metal construction and informed later Soviet multi‑role designs, marking a brief but noteworthy step in the evolution of pre‑World‑War II Soviet aviation overall.

Nikolai Polikarpov

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Design & Classification