Shavrov Sh-5

Sh-5
Role	Aerial mapping amphibian flying-boat
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Shavrov
Designer	Vadim Borisovich Shavrov
First flight	19 March 1934
Number built	1

The Shavrov Sh-5 was a Soviet civil amphibian flying-boat designed by Vadim Borisovich Shavrov as a photographic platform for aerial mapping. By the time it flew it was an outdated design and the type did not enter production.^[1]

Design and development

A special committee convened to investigate the use of special aircraft for photographic survey concluded that it was desirable. To fulfil the requirements Shavrov designed the Sh-5 amphibian as a large aircraft designed to carry cameras aa well as all the equipment and crew to develop and print the images. The committee envisaged two versions; the FS-1 landlplane and the FS-2 flying boat, (FS - Foto Samolyet – Photographic aircraft), the latter requirement was fulfilled by the Sh-5 amphibian as built in the former Richard OKB factory, GAZ-28 (GAZ - Gosudarstvenny Aviatsionnyy Zavod – state aviation plant/factory).^[1]

The Sh-5 was a cantilever high-wing monoplane amphibian flying-boat.^[2] Designed as a camera platform with glazed cabin areas it could also carry 12 passengers.^[2] It was powered by two 480 hp (358 kW) Shvetsov M-22 engines, (developed from license built Gnome-Rhône GR9ASB / Bristol Jupiter VI), mounted in nacelles, supported by struts, above the wing roots.^[2] It had a boat shaped fuselage bottom with a retractable landing gear and outrigger floats.^[2] Although the design work started in 1929 construction was slow, the prototype fitted with a skid landing gear first flew on 19 March 1934.^[2] With the use of military aircraft, particularly the Tupolev R-6 for aerial mapping and the fact it had become an outdated design by the time it had first flown meant the type did not enter production.^[2]

Variants

FS-1: Landplane version, not built.
FS-2: Flying boat version, not built
Sh-5: The amphibious aircraft designed by Shavrov and built at GAZ-29 to fulfil both roles. The sole prototype was in flight test when a main undercarriage strut failed. The aircraft was not repaired and later scrapped.

Specifications (Sh-5)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: Flight crew + 12 passengers / survey crew
Length: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 24 m (78 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 73.1 m² (787 sq ft)
Airfoil: MOS-27 16%
Empty weight: 3,470 kg (7,650 lb) (FS-1 landplane 3,150 kg (6,945 lb)
Gross weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
Fuel capacity: 500 kg (1,102 lb) fuel and oil, (FS-1 landplane 800 kg (1,764 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Shvetsov M-22 9-cyl air-cooled radial piston engines, 360 kW (480 hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed bladed ground adjustable metal propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 213 km/h (132 mph, 115 kn)
Range: 800 km (500 mi, 430 nmi) (FS-1 landplane 500 km (311 mi))
Service ceiling: 4,900 m (16,100 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in 5 minutes
Take-off distance: - 250 m (820 ft) / 16 seconds
Landing distance: - 240 m (787 ft) at 80 km/h (50 mph)

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875 - 1995. London: Osprey Publishing. pp. 324–325. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Nemecek 1986, p. 263.