AIRCRAFT INSPECTIONS IN VVS UNITS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000300100008-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 1, 2013
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: June 30, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
I NFOR-MATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Aircraft Inspections in VVS Units
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED BY SOURCE
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS 0000MINT CONTAINS I ION AFFECTINO Till NATIONAL 0 EEEEEE
Of THE UNITED STATEN, WITHIN THE MEANINIEOF TITLE 1St 99471497 793
ANN 794, OF TWO U S COOS AS ISSION ON REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS to ON SECEIPT OV AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PNOIIINITEN SY LAW. TOE TTTTTT UCTION OF THIS FORS IS !TED
� DATE DISTR. 30 Jun 1953
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NO. OF PAGES
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NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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1. Eaeh air unit frOM a regiment up compiles s. Combat Training Measures Plan which is
to be, carried out during the following month. In addition to othermeasures, this
plan seta up aircraft inspections. The plan states: the measure's designation,
the time at which it is to be carried out, who is to carry it out, who is responsi-
ble for the particular measure (and the period for whieh this individual is respon-
sible) and, the place where it is to be carried out.
2. In accordance with the above plan, the regimental senior engineer compiles his OWn
detailed plan of how aircraft inspections are to be conducted. This plan deals
with all the aspects of aircraft inspections in the air squadrons. The regimental
senior engineer 'appointsan aircraft inspection commission from among the technical
personnel of the squadrons and the regimental command. He is the head (or chair-
man) of this commission. On the day appointed for the inspection, representatives
from the air squadrons' technical personnel report to the regimental senior engin-
eer who informs all of the commissions members.of.the purpose of the commission
and the work to be done in a specified period of time; furthermore, he briefs them
on the present day's assignments. After this, the commission leaves for the
squadrOn whose aircraft are to be inspected on that particular day.,
5TATE-
The squadron engineer makes a brief, verbal report on the general condition of
aircraft in his air squadron to the commission's-head ( the regimental senior
engineer).
Aft,er receiving the air squadron engineer's report, the commission's head informs
him of the purpose of the commission, and then the- commission proceeds to' the
given squadron's aircraft parking area and selects, at its own discretion, several
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aircraft which it inspects in the presence of each aircraft's aircraft mechanic, aircraft
technician, flight technician and squadron engineer (actually the squadron senior tech-
nician). The commission includes the following various specialists: armaments, special
equipment, and aircraft technicians and engineers.
5. All of the above specialists inspect the part of the aircraft which their specialty
covers; they note down any defects which they have discovered and inform the aircraft's
mechanic and technician of the defects. On each aircraft that is to be checked the
commission inspects the condition of the turbine (or engine) by means of a surface
examination - in other words, the turbine (or engine) is not removed from the fuselage
and is not stripped-down; the armaments which are partially stripped-down since, in the
case of the M1G-15 the armaments are easily removed and replaced; and the aircraft's
special equipment (such as the radio; instruments and electrical equipment).
6. Before the commission inspects a given aircraft, it familiarizes itself with the air-
craft's log; afterwards it notes down the results of the inspection in the log. After
all aircraft designated for inspection have been inspected, the regimental senior engin-
eer summons all of the technical command personnel of each air squadron to a conference
where all of the commission's inspection efforts are summed up, At this conference, the
regimental senior engineer directs the attention of the technical command personnel
towards the defects which were discovered during the aircraft inspection and points out
means of eliminating these defects. After the conference, the regimental senior engineer
compiles a plan for an order about the results of the aircraft inspection. In the order
he proposes punishing guilty individuals (those who are responsible for the eoor condi-
tion of the aircraft) and congratulating individuals whose aircraft is in an excellent
condition. He then presents the plan of the order to the regimental commander and
chief of staff for signature
7. After the senior regimental engineer's conference, the air squadron engineers (air
squadron senior technicians) conduct their own conferences which are attended by all of
the squadron's technical personnel (from the assistant mechanics to the air squadron
engineers).
8. The same matters are discussed at this conference as at the regimental senior engineer's
conference and similar instructions are given to the squadron technical personnel.
9. Air divisions plan aircraft inspections for their air regiments once every twe months;
air corps inspect once every three months and air arnies once a year. The above com-
missions consist of various specialists selected by the headquarters. For example:
if the corps is inspecting the condition of aircraft in a division, the commission will
consist solely of engineers from the given headquarters. However, *hen aircraft within
the division's units are being inspected, engineers from the air divisions will work
with the corps commission.
10. In all cases, inspections of aircraft within the units of a division by divisional com-
missions and commissions from higher level headquarters are conducted during the period
of the combat training inspection. At this time the members of the commission will be
different from those mentioned above.
11. The divisional commiscion that inspects the state of combat training includes the
following individuals: the air division commander is the head of the commission; his
deputy or divisional chief of staff may also be the head of the commission; the members
are the divisional navigator, inspector of pilot proficiency, officers of the opera-
tions section, the chief of communications, deputy chief of staff, chief of the medical
service, and the divisional engineers.
12. The above members of-the commission include all aspects of combat training during their
inspection as well as the-condition of aircraft. Each specialist inspects his own ser-
vice. As a rule, such a combat training inspection lasts for two and three days. After
the commission's work is over, its bead summons a conference of all regimental command
personnel from a flight commander (or in some cases an air squadron commander) up. At
the conference, the head of the commission calls forth the various members of the com-
mission in the order of their service's importance and has them report on the condition
of the service which they inspected; in doing this, they must point out both the posi-
tive and the negative factors of the service and the reasons for these factors. After
all of the members of the commission have repbrted, thr head of the commission makes
his preliminary conclusions and instructs the regimental commander and chief of staff
on how to eliminate the above mentioned defects in a specified period of time. After
this the commission returns to its headquarters; the head of the commission directs its
members to turn-over all notes on the results of the combat training inspection to the
operations section where all of the datlais integrated and a detailed plan for a
divisional order is prepared. It is then turned over to the Air Division's Commander.
and Chief of Staff for signature. The order states all negative and positive factors
discovered during the inspection and the reasons for the negative factors as well as
the measures by which they may be eliminated in the specified period of time. After the
specified period of time has elapsed, the commission checks again to see if the order
listing defects discovered during the last inspection hss been carried out. For this
nernose, +he eemmi-ssion's personnel are the same as before and it checks only on defects
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listed in the order. If the defects are in respect to aircraft, the aircraft are once
again checked; however, at least two weeks must elapse between the two inspections.
13. The divisional commission inspects all of the regiments in order in one month, and in
some months, only one regiment will 15e inspected during the month; this will depend on
the schedule of the combat training measures plan,
-14. The corps' commission conducts its inspections on the same principle as the division; it
designates the division that it is going to inspect during the given period in its plan.
In this manner the corps commission., does not check the same division more than once or
twice a year on combat training questions. The corps commission inspects the divisions
headquarters and the air regiments.
15. When an air army commission inspects a corps, it inspects the aim corps headquarters, a
divisional headquarters, and the regiments of the division.
16. The inspection procedure, personnel of the commission, and formulation of the commission's
results are similar to those of the air division.
17. Furthermore, at the beginning of the summer and winter periods, the engineering service
of higher level headquarters inspects the preparation of aircraft for winter or summer
operation in-the units of an air division, the divisions of a corps, and the units and
joint units of an air army. For this purpose, the air army headquarters issues an order
to convert aircraft to winter or suer operations. This order designates which units
or joint units of the air army must complete the conversion of.-their aircraft to winter
or summer operations within a period of-time specified in the order; it also states that
this must be done without interrupting flight operations (in other words, without a can-
cellation of flights due to the conversion of aircraft to winter or summer operations).
In such-cases, the order will state that the preparation of aircraft for winter or summer
operations will be inspected by the air army commission. The air army commission does
not inspect all of a corps division, but selects one or two divisions of a corps for this
purpose; the remaining divisions are then inspected by a corps commission. Furthermore,
within each division a divisional commission inspects the preparation of aircraft for
winter or summer operations in each regiment. - All of the above commissions consist solely
of representatives from the engineering-technical service of the headquarters at which
the commission was formed. These commissions inspect all aircraft in a regiment and then
they sum up the results of the conducted inspection which are turned over in the form of
an order to thti headquarters at which the commission was formed, This order praises in-
dividuals and units which successfully carried out the preparation of their aircraft for
summer and winr operations and sets punishments for those who were negligent in pre-
paring their al.-craft,
18, Such a conversion to summer and winter operations occurs at different times in different
air armies and VVS Military Districts; conversion to summer operations occurs earlier and
to winter operations later in the southern regions. For this reason, the first order to
convert aircraft to winter or summer operations is issued at air army headquarters.
19. In addition to all aircraft inspections by commissions, each aircraft is checked by its
mechanic and technician, the aircraft mechanic and aircraft technician, before flights.
Two hours are allotted for this check and three hours for the post-flight check. These
cheeks are designated as "the aircraft preflight inspection" and "the aircraft post flight
inspectior," In addition, each aircraft receives a surface check- after each flight,
20. Besides these inspections, one or two days of each month are spent on aircraft maintenance.
During these days, the aircraft mechanic and aircraft technician check the aircraft's
engine and fuselage; all discovered malfunctions are repaired and a notation is entered
Into the aircraft and engine's log. Special services' mechanics also work on the air-
craft on these days. They check for malfunctions in the electrical equipment,, armaments,
and radio; any discovered defects are repaired by these individuals,
21. After logging twenty-five hours in the air, e ch aircraft has to undergo a periodic five
hour inspection regardless of whether the aircraft has developed any malfunctions.
22. All of this is carried out in accordance with NIAS-43 (The Engineering-Aviation Service
Manual of 1943)0
23. All aircraft and enginea,as well as other assembled units, that are produced at a factory,
have an established number of hours (their "resource") that they must operate before they
receive a medium or major overhaul, Each aircraft or aircraft engine has its own differ-
ent number of "resource" hours. This resource is divided in the following manner:
Aircraft Fusela,gs.
YAK - 9V - 400 bra
YAK - 11 - 350 bra
YAK - 9P - 400 bra
YAK - 17 - 400 hrs
LA e 9 , 3101 hrs
LA - 11. uu bra
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Aixeraft Engine
VK-105 PE - 2 - 180
ASH - 21 - 150
VK 107 A - 200
? 82 - 200
82 - 220
f M-107
RD - 45 F 0
RD - 45
NO.
- 200 bra
7 180 hrs
- 220 hrs
- 220 bra
- 20 hrs
hts ' �
-- 90 hrs
80 hts
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24. The resource times given above are fairly accurate, but it Should be kept in mind that
the resource times may increase in the various series (T N.That is in the more perfected
models Within the same engine Series) - especially in the case of jet engines. Resource
times for aircraft fuselages are more stable then for engines.
25. After the aircraft, aircraft engine, or assembled unit has been operated for the period
of time Specified in its-resource time, a comndssion inspects the engine, fuselage or
other assembled unit in the case of the motor, by partially stripping it without re-
moving it from the aircraft. This commission-consists-of the following engineering
technical personnelz ._the_air regimen f senior engineer, one air squadron engineer,
senior flight technician, the air division senior engineer or his assistant, and the air
corps_dhief engineer. The corps chief engineer is the commission's head; if he is
.absent� the air division senior engineer assunes this position.
26. Men the commission is inspecting armaments or special equipment, its composition is
different; it might be added that these parts are removed from the aircraft when being
Inspected in contrast with the engine.
27. After the inspection, the commission compiles a special report ("AKT") of the technical
Inspection in the form specified by the VVS Supreme Commanders Order No 70, issued in
1948 or 1949. This report describes the Complete history of the particular engine from
the time that is left the factory to just before the inspection, whatever was found '
during the inspection resulting from the resource' time being-up; and conclusions reached
by the commission pertaining to further utilization of the engine. The conclusions may
vary as for example : the commission may decide that the engine may be operated for
another sixty hours before a controlled overhaul in a shop or at the factory; this con-
clusion would be entered into the report which would be sent to the air army's main
engineer for authentication he can, authenticate it or make his own conclusion. ,If the
army main engineer authenticates it, the engine will be utilized from that day on, on
the new resource time; after the reaource time.has been exhausted, a commission of equal
composition will once again inspeet the engine, On other occasions, the commission may
decide to send immediately the engine to the shop or factory for-a controlled overhaul.
The report would be authenticated in the same manner as in the former example.
28. If an aircraft has been in an accident or has suffered a breakdown, a similar commis-
sion conducts an inspection and reaches conclusions as to its future utilization; the
commission may decide to scrap the aircraft and strip it for spare parts. Sometimes
a commission will Arrive at the following conclusion after it has inspected an engine
which has exhausted its second "resource" time "this engine is to be scrapped and
stripped for spare parts."
29. The average life duration of an aircraft which was not involved. in any flying accidents
is three years; another factor which influences the average life duration of an aircraft
is the way in which. it was taken care of (that is whether it was kept in hangars or in:
the open).
30. The Average life of an engine is two years if it does not receive a controlled overhaul
or repairs in a shop or at th factory,
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