History
Boris I. Cheranovsky was an outstanding Soviet aircraft designer whose highly unconventional
airplanes and gliders were always very advanced and often came ahead of time.
Most of his designes utilised the parabolic wing and the tailless layout.
The BICh-17 fighter was started in 1935 and designed around the unique
Kurchevsky APK recoilless cannon. Conceived as all-wooden airplane
it was to be powered with M-22 (480hp) engine and use the well proven
on the previous designes parabolic wing. Two APK cannon were installed within the
wing. Main landing gear was to be retractible towards the fuselage.
The prototype was 60% ready when all programme was cancelled in 1936 due to yet another Stalin's "purge".
BICh-17 dimensions:
Length.........5.0m
Span...........12.24
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