A small monoplane-fighter, type 1-14, designed by P. O. Sukhoi,
was chosen to start aircraft production in 1934. If was
sufficiently modern for that time and offered such advantages
as the duralumin skin, retractable landing gear and enclosed
cockpit. The fighter was powered by one air-cooled 640-hp
engine, type M-25, built under the licence of Wright-Cyclone
Co. Notable for its good flight performance, the aircraft was
the predecessor of a whole family of fighters (1-15. 1-16)
adopted by the Air Forces of the country.
The Plant manufactured these aircraft in 1936 to 1937,
mastering the fundamentals of aircraft building engineering.
Introduced were new principles of tooling — assembly jigs,
mandrels, moulds, loft floors and many others unknown in other
branches of machine building. The aircraft was continue
modernized, to improve its performance.
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