The Little World

I think Junkers and Ford have a lot to answer for in what they did to aviation design. The Stuka and the Tri-Motor were certainly successful in themselves, when applied in the right way, but they must have led many others astray – Polikarpov amongst others.

The temptation of a monocoque skin in corrugated aluminium ( or iron, or asbestos… ) must have been tremendous. It helped other branches of transport greatly – see the Budd rail cars and coaches. It also tempted Budd into making a transport aircraft, but that is another story. Yet everyone who did corrugate paid a price in drag and airflow problems.

Perhaps that is why this Soviet fighter was speedily outclassed by later designs from the same bureau, and those featuring a sinuously blended form that seems totally at variance with the I-1. They fought several minor wars successfully.

Nevertheless, this is a gem for the collection. The wings were successfully assembled and do not look disjointed. Let us hope the Central Committee is satisfied long enough for the designer to get to the border and hide in the woods until after dark.