VEF I-19
Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika (VEF) · Latvia · first flew 1939 · light aircraft
The VEF I-19 was a light touring and training monoplane produced by Latvia's state electrical factory just before Soviet occupation ended Latvian independent aircraft production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.6 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Sleek low-wing Latvian lightplane of the late 1930s
- Enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating
- Fixed spatted main undercarriage, clean cowled inline engine
Clean low-wing monoplane with a relatively long nose housing an inline engine, spatted fixed undercarriage, and an enclosed two-seat cabin — typical of late-1930s European touring designs but rare as a Latvian national product.
Specifications
- The VEF I-19 has a length of 7.6 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.4 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 225 km/h (140 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 + 1 passenger.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
VEF diversified from electronics into aircraft manufacturing in the 1930s, producing a series of I-designated lightplanes. The I-19 was the most capable of these, refined from the I-16 and I-17 designs. Only a handful were completed before the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 terminated the programme.
Variants
I-19 (sole known variant); earlier VEF I-12, I-16, I-17 form the design lineage.
Where you'll see it
Operated briefly by Latvian civil aviation in 1939–1940. Fate of individual aircraft under Soviet occupation is unknown.
Related aircraft
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