Tupolev I-12

I-12 (ANT-23)
Role	Fighter
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Tupolev
Designer	Viktor Chernyshov
First flight	1931
Status	Retired
Number built	One

The Tupolev I-12 (also known as ANT-23) was a prototype Soviet fighter aircraft that never reached production. I-12 was of unconventional design with twin booms made of water pipes containing recoilless rifles and two engines in a push-pull configuration. The aircraft first flew in 1931 but did not enter production due to disappointing performance and operational difficulties such as the inability for the pilot to escape the aircraft without hitting the propeller arc behind him. The second prototype, designated ANT-23bis was never completed.

Specifications

Data from Shavrov 1985

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 15.6 m (51 ft 2 in)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 30 m² (322.9 ft²)
• Loaded weight: 2,400 kg (5,291 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 9K radial engines, 392 kW (525 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h (162 kn, 186 mph)
• Wing loading: 80 kg/m² (16 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 326 W/kg (0.2 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2 × 76.2 mm (3 in) APK recoilless rifles

External links

• Airwar (in Russian)
• Tupolev