Kalinin K-4
Kharkov Aviation Factory · Soviet Union · first flew 1928 · airliner
The Kalinin K-4 was an airliner built in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s, also adapted as a photographic survey aircraft and an air ambulance. It was a development of the K-1.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.35 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strut-braced high-wing monoplane
- Separate enclosed cabin and cockpit
- Single water-cooled V-8 piston engine in the nose
A conventional high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with a separate enclosed cabin and cockpit. It had a variable-incidence horizontal stabiliser.
Specifications
- The Kalinin K-4 has a length of 11.35 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.72 m (55 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Konstantin Kalinin designed it to offer a locally produced alternative to the Dornier types flown by Ukrvozdukhput. It first flew in June 1928, and the structure was of mixed wood and metal construction.
Variants
The passenger version was joined by survey machines with a ventral camera hatch and a darkroom, and by an air ambulance version. Thirty-nine were built.
Where you'll see it
Ukrvozdukhput and Dobrolyot operated it. In 1929 a K-4 flew from Kharkiv to Moscow to Irkutsk and back, covering 10,400 km. Its safety record was poor, and hot conditions in Central Asia deformed its wooden structures.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.