Development of a Magnificent Machine

On 15 March 1913 (Julian calendar — add 13 days to convert to the modern, Gregorian, calendar — same as western calen­dar from 1 January 1918) the Sikorsky Le Grand made its maiden flight at the Komendantsky airfield. Built of wood and fabric by skilled carpenters, it would eventually weigh 4,200kg (9,2401b) and carry a load of 700kg (1,6001b) at 80km/h (50mph). Because of its — for the time — awesome size, and with two extra engines fitted in tandem, it was soon called the Bolshoi Baltiskiy (Great Baltic). During that summer, the extra engines were moved to line abreast along the wing, and it was again renamed the Russkiy vityaz (Russian Knight). First flown in that form on 23 July (Julian), it was inspected by Tsar Nicholas II. Re-designed, the Il’ya Muromets, with four tractor engines mounted in line along the wings, first flew in October 1913 (Julian).

By February 1914, the four-engined giant was able to carry 11 tons — at that time more than any other aircraft’s total weight; in June, it stayed aloft for 61 hours, with six passen-

The cabin of the Il’ya Muromets was as comfortable as those of many a post-World War I passenger aircraft. It was adequately furnished, and featured electric lighting and a toilet in the rear, (photo: United Technologies)

gers aboard. The Il’ya Muromets was named after a legendary Russian folk hero, but it deserves an heroic place in the reality of aviation’s Hall of Fame.

The Myth

While reports of these events were published, so that the Il’ya Muromets was well known in Russia, the western European countries seemed not to believe the bulletins. The aircraft was even regarded as something of a freak, only one or two were thought to have been built, and that they were unsuccessful. While the French, German, and British aircraft manufacturers, engulfed in the demands of the Great War, paid little atten­tion to the obvious potential of the multi-engined aircraft so ably demonstrated in St Petersburg, Sikorsky forged ahead, and continuously improved the breed. Far from being a tran­sitory experiment, as many liked to think, the Il’ya Muromets was the greatest advance in aircraft technology since the Wrights; records indicate that at least 80 aircraft, and possibly more, came off the ‘production line’.