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I love to research obscure types, but I'll admit this one was quite a challenge as information is scarce and sparse. It was developed in Moscow by Vladimir Makhov, a driver by profession, assisted by Sergey Belikov, a local celebrity in the field of amateur construction. Together, they mated a new fuselage with wings and empennage snatched from a Kazan KAI-12 Primorets glider to create a brand new type.
Designated the M-3, it was first flown in 1986. Despite its light weight and slow speed, it initially proved difficult to handle, as it turned out that the large wing span, combined with an excessively low specific load factor, caused a sluggish reaction to the actions of the rudders - especially in roll. The test pilots also attributed the disadvantages of the machine to poor visibility and the presence of a tail crutch without a wheel, which made taxiing difficult. Nevertheless, the M-3's problems were addressed, and Vladimir Makhov and his friends at the amateur flying club regularly performed training flights at one of the airfields near Moscow. On an rally in Tushino, the M-3 flew under its own power, covering more than a hundred kilometers.
The M-3 was formally introduced the following year at SLA-87, the bi-annual meeting that was kind of the Soviet Oshkosh, by Belikov and fellow amateur pilot Yuri Klimov. With a large M-3 in red letters on its white flanks, the aircraft also sported the name "MM-3 Kommunar - MAI" on its engine cover, which suggests the team probably received some help from the MAI (Moscow Aeronautics Institute). The aircraft participated in the 1990 Moscow-Crimea-Moscow flight, along with four other types, accompanied by an Antonov An-2, then its track was lost for a while, though it apparently stood at Khodynka for a while. It was seen again during the 2000s, being used for towing gliders in Belarus. The aircraft was now based is Khozhevo, near Molodechno airport, where it received the nickname "Bobik".
Designated the M-3, it was first flown in 1986. Despite its light weight and slow speed, it initially proved difficult to handle, as it turned out that the large wing span, combined with an excessively low specific load factor, caused a sluggish reaction to the actions of the rudders - especially in roll. The test pilots also attributed the disadvantages of the machine to poor visibility and the presence of a tail crutch without a wheel, which made taxiing difficult. Nevertheless, the M-3's problems were addressed, and Vladimir Makhov and his friends at the amateur flying club regularly performed training flights at one of the airfields near Moscow. On an rally in Tushino, the M-3 flew under its own power, covering more than a hundred kilometers.
The M-3 was formally introduced the following year at SLA-87, the bi-annual meeting that was kind of the Soviet Oshkosh, by Belikov and fellow amateur pilot Yuri Klimov. With a large M-3 in red letters on its white flanks, the aircraft also sported the name "MM-3 Kommunar - MAI" on its engine cover, which suggests the team probably received some help from the MAI (Moscow Aeronautics Institute). The aircraft participated in the 1990 Moscow-Crimea-Moscow flight, along with four other types, accompanied by an Antonov An-2, then its track was lost for a while, though it apparently stood at Khodynka for a while. It was seen again during the 2000s, being used for towing gliders in Belarus. The aircraft was now based is Khozhevo, near Molodechno airport, where it received the nickname "Bobik".
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