G-21

The Gribovsky G‑21 was a single‑seat, low‑wing monoplane conceived by Russian designer Vladislav Gribovsky in the late 1930s. Built at his modest workshop in Moscow, the aircraft first flew on 12 June 1939 and quickly demonstrated the designer’s emphasis on simplicity, lightweight construction, and aerobatic capability. Its airframe employed a wooden ribs‑and‑spar structure covered with plywood, resulting in an empty weight of just 210 kg (463 lb). Power was delivered by a 50‑horsepower Shvetsov M‑11 radial engine driving a two‑bladed propeller, which gave the G‑21 a maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph) and a climb rate of 5 m/s. The cockpit was open but featured a streamlined windscreen and basic instrumentation suitable for sport and training flights.

Although only a handful of examples were produced before the outbreak of World War II halted civilian aviation, the G‑21 left a lasting impression on Soviet sport‑flying circles. It proved that a modestly powered aircraft could perform full aerobatic routines, influencing later designs such as the Yakovlev Yak‑1 trainer variant. Today, surviving specimens are prized by vintage‑aircraft enthusiasts for their elegant lines and the pioneering spirit of Gribovsky’s engineering.