AKL-201705 AviaCollection 2017/5 Tupolev ANT-25 RD Record Aircraft and ANT-36 DB-1 Bomber. Photos, schemes, colour pictures. 32 pages, soft cover, text in Russian.

18 June 2017 will mark 50 years since the heroic flight of Chkalov's crew from Moscow to USA through the North Pole. This issue is devoted to the history of RD (ANT-25) plane, which carried out record flights. But this airplane was built not only as record plane but also as a military long-range bomber. the story of this modification are also discussed in the issue.
Contents:
The creation of a plane
... The flight on the closed route
... Southern routes
... Unsuccessful attempt of Levanevsky
... Flights to the Far East
... Over the North Pole
... World distance record
... DB-1 (RD-BB, ANT-36)
Mass production and modification
Technical details
Operation
Overall rating
Colouring and symbols

CREATING A PLANE
From the very inception of aviation, aircraft builders have been constantly chasing an increase in three parameters: speed, altitude and flight range. Non-stop flights were among the most highly regarded achievements. For the first time, the official record for non-landing range was set on February 3, 1925 by the French pilots Arrochard and Lemaitre, who flew in a Breguet 19 plane between Etampes and Villa Cisneros, covering 3166 km.
Following this flight, a continuous struggle began to break the range record. The International Aviation Federation (FAI) had to update its record holders at intervals of several months.
In the early 1930s, the Soviet Union joined this race, with its rapidly developing aviation industry. It should be noted that almost all the machines on which the range records were set were then modified serial aircraft. The potential for creating record aircraft in this way was already practically exhausted, it was necessary to design and build special record aircraft.
At the same time, the real successes of the aviation industry of the USSR stimulated the system of party-state propaganda to make repeated statements about the outstanding qualities of domestic technology. The best confirmation of these words could be the world records recognized by the FAI.
For the creation of a project of a record ultra-long-range aircraft, the designers of TsARI, led by A.N. Tupolev. But at the same time, not only propaganda, but also very pragmatic military goals were pursued: on the basis of proven technical solutions, it was supposed to create a long-range bomber.
For the aircraft named ANT-25. Tupolev adopted the design of a cantilever monoplane with a large wing aspect ratio and one engine.
The crew consisted of three people. According to preliminary calculations, when the new Soviet M-34 engine was installed, the flight weight was 10,000 kg. The fuel reserve made it possible to obtain a range of 12,000 km and a flight duration of up to 80 hours.
In August 1931, the chief of the Red Army Air Force Ya.I. Alksnis and A.N. Tupolev submitted to the RVS a joint memo with the attached draft design of the aircraft to break the range record, which could also be used as a long-range bomber.
On December 3, the issue of organizing long-distance flights and creating a special aircraft for this was considered at a meeting of the RVS. Tupolev, who spoke there, spoke about the project, estimating the practical range at 9,000-10,000 km. The RVS members decided that this was not enough.
The fact is that rivals have already approached these numbers. In June 1931, the French pilots Dore and Lebry flew about 10,500 km along the circular route in a special record-setting aircraft Dewoitine 33. They twice tried in the same plane to carry out a non-stop flight in a straight line from Paris to the East through the territory of the USSR, but in both cases they suffered accidents: the first time - in the Irkutsk region, the second - near Ufa. In July 1931, the Americans Bortman and Polando flew from New York to Istanbul, covering 8065 km.
Therefore, the RVS decree of December 4 said: "It is necessary to organize in the summer of 1932 (no later than August) a flight at a distance of 13 thousand km on an aircraft and engine of Soviet design and production." The same document approved the construction in two copies of a special aircraft equipped with an improved M-34R engine with a gearbox. The preparation of future flights was entrusted to the Air Force, and the manufacture of machines was assigned to YOU.
The next day, Deputy People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs (aka Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council) Ya.B. Gamarnik addressed the Defense Committee with a report. It reported about the same as in the previous documents, but mentioned the calculated range - 12,000 km and practical - 10,000 km. Gamarnik was supported by People's Commissar K.E. Voroshilov.
On December 7, 1931, the Defense Committee approved the proposal of the RVS to organize a flight to the maximum range in the summer of 1932 and to build an ANT-25 aircraft for this purpose under the M-34 engine. The decree specified a design range of 13,000 km "with a range guaranteed by TsAGI - 9,000 km with a motor without a gearbox and 10,000 km - with a gearbox."
To direct and coordinate work under the Council of People's Commissars, a government commission headed by K.E. Voroshilov, called the Committee for Long-Distance Flights, or the Committee of the RD.