Rafaelyants RAF-1
Rafaelyants · Soviet Union · first flew 1925 · light aircraft
The Rafaelyants RAF-1 was a Soviet single-seat, single-engine ultralight aircraft built and flown in 1925.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane
- Wood and fabric construction
- Wooden undercarriage
A wood-and-fabric low-wing cantilever monoplane with a span of 9.4 m and an 18 hp V-twin engine.
Specifications
- The Rafaelyants RAF-1 has a length of 5.5 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.4 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 105 km/h (65 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the first aircraft built by Aram Rafaelyants, then a student at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. Design began in mid 1923 and it first flew on 7 September 1925, powered by an 18 hp Blackburne Tomtit engine.
Variants
Only one RAF-1 was built.
Where you'll see it
It also made flights near Feodosia and Koktebel in a glider competition. Testing was complete by 23 March 1926 and its performance was comparable to the de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird.
Related aircraft
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