ALEKSEYEV I-211

Description

The Alekseyev I-211 was a single-seat jet fighter first flown on October 13, 1947, and the first fighter aircraft to be produced by the Semyon Alekseyev OKB-21 established in September 1946. The plane configuration was similar to Gloster Meteor, with twin engines in wing nacelles. It was supposed to be an interceptor fighter, with heavy armament and a place for a future radar. The I-211 was intended to have been powered by two 3,010 lbf static (13.39 kN) Lyulka TR-1 axial-flow turbojets, but following trial flights it was discovered that the aircraft was severely underpowered, with the engines only producing 70% of their rated thrust. Engines were also troublesome. It was proposed that the second prototype be fitted with revised 3,318 lbf st (14.76 kN) TR-1A engines, but before these were cleared for flight testing Alekseyev was allocated two UK-export Rolls-Royce Derwent centrifugal-flow turbojets, so the aircraft was modified to take these instead and redesignated I-215. The I-211 was abandoned in favour of the I-215 when the TR-1A was discontinued. (Scale : 1/72e)