A curious Soviet glider and its curious background

[Deleted]

By hazard I came across of this curious aircraft named A-5 and created by Alexander Belov on SurClaro website.





It was built in 1923 by Konstantin Artseulov, a former a Russian WWI pilot. It was the first glider in the Russia/USSR equipped with a complete set of controls. The glider flew for the first time in July, 1923 and participated the same year at the Coctebel glider contest.

Coctebel is an urban-type settlement and one of the most popular resort townlets in South-Eastern Crimea. In the 1920s a sports and glider airfield was built and used as a Soviet center for testing new ones.

Various wing profiles and positions were tested there, including flying wing and delta wing. From 1923 the Soviet All Union glider competitions were held at Coctebel. Some of later famous aviation designers took part with their often self-built gliders.

Among the participants where the then aircraft construction students like Sergei Ilyushin and Oleg Antonov, the unskilled worker (!) Alexander Jakowlew and the later rocket builder Sergei Koroljow - a truly illustrious society!

Later Artseulov became a talented artist gloryfing the Soviet achievements.




Bernard

[zswobbie1]

Thanks so much. Alexander Belov has done some great planes & scenery. Pity that they are scattered over a few sites.
Nice scenery & tractor.. Where can we find that scenery?

[Deleted]

Hi,

The scenery is handmade and partially fictious. The Afcad is based on what is shown at Google Earth. That's all what I could found. The glider flies as AI with the 'AI Duo Discus' aircraft.cfg file.

While working through this topic, I read that a certain 'L.A. Jungmeister' was also taking part in the championship. This name has more of a German connotation than Russian. I have not been able to find out, whether this pilot is somehow connected to the naming of the later 'Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister'.

Bernard