OBSERVATIONS IN TBILISI AIRCRAFT PLANT NO. 31

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R005100050001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 17, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 200909;1
25X1
COUNTRY USSR (Caucasus)
SUBJECT Observations in Tbilisi Aircraft
Plant No. 31
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
~Y0
4~0
25X1
DATE DISTR. 17 Oct., 1950
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS. 2
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUSIM CONTAINS INPOSMATtOM AFFCCTINGTNE NATIONAL DEFERS!
OF TN! UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT EO
0.. 6. C.. SI AND ST. AS ADENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OP MIS CONTENTS IN AMT MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PRO.
Mien= DT LAW. U!PUoUUCTION OF THIS PORN I6 PBONtNTEO.
25X1
25X1
e
rom
1 7
NAVY r NSR6 DISTRIBUTION
Ir 1 nteIIi nc to the
# _ _ ~f Qom. I FBI
L
he _!)
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25X1
25X1
25X1
1r; Production : (See sketches 1 through 3)
Light to 10 jet fighters per week. It took 31 days to
assemble one plane,
Descriptive data: Length about 7.6 : eter , wine span
meters.-7'
ULASbI -IUAI IUIV
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
acne e
r o use-
age at, mounting of cockpit about 1,75 meters. Cockpit:
Length abo.+t 1.35 meters, height 30 cm, two :Han crew, both
facing in t he sane direction. The cockpit was protected
by 1-cra armor ,.;rates. Only the front seat had a control
et?ck. For figuration of wings see sketch 2. jaing chord
about 3,3 meters, thickness of wings at root about 35 cm.
Landing flaps 2 ,etere long; and 20 to 50 cm widen Such land-
ing flaps were, allegedly, in the form of brake flaps at the
leading edge of the wings extending 3 meters, ~.eaeured Prom
the wi.ricy roots.
proba-
blv he :i,eans co.~ventional split flaps fitted at the trailing
edge of win,.; s,~
Jfter the removal of the turbine the wings were packed in
ne unit.
The shape of the elevator assembly was not remembered; for
adder assembly, see sketch 1.
['he craft was fitted with a none wheel (sketch 3), tile -ain
landing ,ear retracted inward. Trio wheels were about 3.5
meters apart, the shock--absorbing struts were riot' faired.
No array ent was seen but there was a hole 4 cm in diameter in
each wind; about. 1.5 meters from the fuselage. Radio e3quipa..nt
was not seen. The craft was fitted with a small antenna rod
This document Is hereby regraded to
h
CLASSIFICATION
Approved For Release 2004/0
f"'f"'N -flip
F1-471100050001-3
e
rdance With t
th
8 f
25X1
25X1
25X1
 Approved For Release 2004/01/21 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005100050001-3
25X1
CENTRAL INULLIGENCL AGENCY
frorz wh,ien -iri antenna led to the rudder Fassotubly (sketch 11.
The plane as fitted vriil-i or,c jet erglne. These engines
arrived only at ; ie,tat in boxes 400 x 1:1t? x 100 cm,. Tao en ine
was about 3 ;;ieters Ion :.rid ita ,t itaY.iinutt& ca3.aaietor of 30 cm,
the jets one of 20 e,.i. Lao air ict,.?.ke was covered by a red
plywood lid. F_ -1
the ,sir i i ake A curved device in trio shape of
a propeller hub. The turbine blades could only be partially
seen since the fairing of trio air intake: was arched.
the turbine was a copy of the Btfi turbine since
rim plates were seen in 1946 and the turbines installed
afterward exactly resembled t e 131;.: turbine, The turbine pro-
jected eith its upper section into the fu.sela :e and its front
section v:,: supported by a 30-cm steel belt.
The craft Lad to .fuel tanks above the turbine. The oil tank
was above the retracted nose wheel. Vie plane was an ail.-inet.al
plane. i)e-icini facilities were riot seen.
2. Observations at the disassembly of the p.Laaez
The disassembly was done by F; .our-ratan detail, i e d o wini,
tips were supported and the turbine r:uoveeie The Lront a41.a
rear ends of the f uselar o wer:: then Ifte;d so that the vin; s
were detachable. Trio elevator assembly was dismantled next.
The fuselage, via.--'s and tail a:.,sewbly were packee iri one ;sox
and tiie turbine in another.
Fin-1 asse:ibly procedure: (Sketch 4)
The assembly lineprocedure with prearranged work rzases was
used. in;;s and fueela;es were as^e.nbied separately kind tiles
asset ,,bled in a third phase. There were four ri-_s for eaci^d
of tae as yezmbly phases.
4. Ln ine test stand:
The delivered jet engines were riven a test run at an enLi.no
test stand .prior to installation.
5. I-erformaiice date.:
Soviets s id that the ,-,rxinium speed of tis. craft vas about
1,200 felt,/h. I I cru,a.sina., speed at 800/tuti/In
and the :r::PXirauui speed at 900 krn h.
Goauu,ent
a. .he report corifisms We production in trio Tbilisi. ~ la:it
i>,o 31 of a ti o-seater plane w thh on=.- jet e:ci,< s.ne fitted under
tao fuce1a;,e. However, its description varies in So,ie minor
details froir. previously known data,
b. In agreement with. a previous report
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/01/21 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005100050001-3
 Approved For Release 2004/01/21: CIA-RDP82-00457R005100050001-3
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
different from the hitherto assumed figuration of the Yak-15,
the jet engine was mounted below the center of the fuselage.
c. The report mentions that the landing gear retracted
inward while most other reports stated that it retracted
outwards This divergence, however, is not of great importance
since even a turn of the wheels in the process of retraction
may be taken for an inward retraction.
contrary to former reportsl the two
sea s were facing in the same direction. The armor pro-
tection of the cockpit and the equipment with one control
stick would indicate that the craft represented a combat
version. It is therefore possible that besides the two-seater
training version there was another version of this type fitted
as a reconnaissance or ground attack craft. This latter version
now seems to be replaced by a third version fitted with a
revolving seat and a weapon pointing to the rear.
e4 The estimated weekly output of 8 to 10 jet fighters may
be correct relative to the status of early 1948 but not for
August 1948 unless these figures refer to the production of
one version only,,- On the basis of numerous reports it is
believed that 120 to 150 planes of the above type were pro-
duced monthly in the Tbilisi Aircraft Plant in the summer
of 1948
f. The data on the assembly and dismantling procedure used in
Tbilisi are in agreement with previous information (Sketch 4)o
2Annexes: Jet Fighter produced in Aircraft Plant No. 31
in Tbilisi (4 sketches on two dittos)
_3_
Approved For Release 2004/01/21 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005100050001-3
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1