First helicopter to fly in the Soviet Union, the brain-child of Prof Boris Nikolayevich Yur’yev, who had striven to build such machine since 1909, and under Zhukovskii has been the first employee of CAHI (Central Aerohydrodinamic Institute) and chief architect of its original test facilities. In 1925 he organised a vertolyet (helicopter) group and in 1927 tested a 6m two-blade rotor driven by 120hp engine. In 1928 the design for 1-EA (Eksperimentalnii Apparat) was picked from at least four project studies and machine was built at ZOK under G.Kh.Sabinin. Chief designer Aleksei Mikhailovich Cheryemukhin and Aleksandr Mikhailovich Izakson.
Technical data for TsAGI 1-EA:
Engine: 2 x M-2 air-cooled rotary engine, rated at 120hp, main rotor diameter: 11.0m, take-off weight: 1145kg, max speed: 20-30km/h.
Сheryemukhin has chosen to fly 1-EA himself, making first tethered run on August 1930. All the flights were performed at Ukhtomskiy aircraft testing field near Moscow. No disasters and by 1932 reliable flights of up to 12 min. In 1932 same pilot reached 160m, than 230m, 285m and, finally on August 14, 1932 A.M.Cheremukhin reached altitude 605m. Unfortunately, The USSR at the time was not a member of an International Aviation Federation (plus secrecy, yes!), and this record could not be formally registered. 1-EA continued to fly until at least 1934.
In 1988, in honor of the outstanding achievement of Soviet aviation engineers in this place, where previously was situated the Ukhtomskiy aircraft testing field, was built a memorial in the form of helicopter blade.
In the place of this air field now the "Kamov" helicopter factory is situated, and you can visit the extremelly interesting museum of Russian helicopter industry there freely (see an additional point). It's on the 5th floor and works on weekdays from 9 till 16, but it would be better to phone there 8(495)558-29-46 before your visit.
