Bi Fighter-interceptor

In numbers  Through the lens  Photos

The Bi was a groundbreaking Soviet rocket-powered interceptor, developed by A. Bereznyak and A. I. Isayev. It was one of the first aircraft to use a liquid-fuel rocket engine, the D-1, which was mounted in the tail section.

During flight testing, the Bi experienced serious issues with engine stability.

On May 15, 1941, test pilot Bakhchivanzhi Grigoriy Yakovlevich, a Pontian Greek, successfully completed the first powered flight. However, during the seventh test flight on March 27, 1943, the aircraft, flying at maximum speed, suddenly transitioned from level flight into a steep vertical dive and crashed.

Bakhchivanzhi was killed in the accident. The cause was determined later: it resulted from aerodynamic phenomena associated with approaching the sound barrier, which occur at speeds of around 900 km/h when using conventional wing designs.

Following Bakhchivanzhi’s death, the program was terminated, and the remaining 30–40 aircraft were destroyed or scrapped.

Three-view drawing

Technical specifications