IS-1

The IS‑1, created in the late 1930s by Soviet aeronautical engineer Vasily Nikitin, was a pioneering single‑seat, high‑performance glider that embodied the USSR’s ambition to master sail‑plane technology before World War II. Development began at the Moscow‑based Osoaviakhim design bureau in 1935, and the prototype first took to the skies in the spring of 1937. Built largely from a wooden frame with a smooth plywood skin, the aircraft featured a mid‑wing cantilever layout, a tapered elliptical planform and a narrow, streamlined nose that reduced drag while providing a spacious cockpit with excellent visibility for the pilot. Its 15‑meter wingspan and carefully engineered airfoil delivered an impressive glide ratio of 30:1, allowing the IS‑1 to set several Soviet distance and altitude records throughout the late 1930s.

Beyond its performance, the IS‑1 served as a testbed for aerodynamic innovations such as differential ailerons and camber‑adjustable flaps, influencing later Soviet glider designs and even powered fighters. Though production remained limited, the aircraft’s success demonstrated the feasibility of advanced wooden construction, contributed to the rapid growth of Soviet sport aviation, and helped train a generation of pilots who would later become combat aviators during the Great Patriotic War.

Vasily Nikitin

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification