Ref.: ICMM-72051
TupI-1(IL-400b), First Soviet Monoplane Fig The I-1 was a single-seat cantilever low-wing monoplane fighter of mixed construction, built mainly from wood it had aluminium alloy covering on the tailplane, forward part of the wings and the vertical tail. First flown in 1923, the initial prototype was known as the IL-400 due to the nose-mounted 198 kW (400 hp) Liberty engine. Following a crash during the first flight it was rebuilt with a redesigned tailplane and wing becoming the IL-400b prototype. After testing of the IL-400b, 33 production aircraft were ordered under the designation I1-M5 (later simplified to I-1)[3], although the production and prototype aircraft differed with minor design changes. The I-1 was prone to unintentional spinning and in June 1927 a pilot saved himself from an out-of-control aircraft to make one of the first recorded parachute escapes in the Soviet Union. The aircraft never entered operational service and only 18 were produced. [edit] Operators