Maksimov SPS-89 fast passenger aircraft of 1937

[hesham]

Hi,

the Maksimov SPS-89 was a fast passenger aeroplane of 1937 and it
was intended to replace the PS-89,it had a low-wing,twin fins and
tailwheel landing gear powered by two M-100 or M-103 engines,the
89 was for GAZ-89,and in 1940 Yermolayev took the GAZ and after
study the project it was abandoned.

 

[borovik]

SPS-89
High-speed passenger aircraft. In 1937-1939 he was at the repair plant Aeroflot passenger plane, a draft of SPS for 17 seats in the three-member crew, twin-engined F-100 or M-103. Scheme of the plane normal, with a tail wheel, spaced vertical tail surfaces.
Authors of the project, engineers Dmitry Maksimov, Ivan Drakin (aerodynamics), previously participated in the design and construction of aircraft Сталь-7/Steel-7. After completion of the Stal-7 whole team was switched to SPS. Development of the project and drawings was the end of 1937 until the spring of 1940, but before the building is not reached. In April 1940, the entire composition of KB (about 70), except for the D.S. Maximov, was transferred to the new bureau, V.G. Ermolaev's.
It is thought that the development and implementation at the same time, the license plane DC-3 (Li-2), with the same parameters stopped work on the SPS-89.

VB Shavrov. "History of aircraft construction in the USSR 1938-1950 "

picture from "Aviamaster" № 2- 1999

 

[redstar72]

In the "Aviamaster" magazine, No.2/1999 (this issue is actually the Yer-2 monograph) there is not only a profile but also a little piece of text regarding this project. The translation to English is mine.

(In 1939) Yermolaev was appointed as chief designer of the new OKB-240, established at the GU GVF factory No.240 (former ZOK GVF – Civil Airfleet’s plant of experimental constructions). The factory was rather small and poorly equipped. The OKB was also very modest by its membership, not matching to the importance of its task. It was necessary to supplement it considerably with skilled design engineers.

At that time, the designers of ZiG-1 (PS-89) aircraft had not their best days. After finishing of PS-89 little series (7 aircraft) the TsKB GVF (Civil Airfleet’s Central Design Bureau) nominally worked on the new aircraft called SPS. But this task already lost its actuality, when the license for production of legendary DC-3 (designated PS-84 in the USSR, later renamed into Li-2) was bought in the USA. The American aircraft was considered very successful from the beginning, and it matched completely to the Aeroflot’s requests. Lack of perspectives in continuing the work on the SPS became clear for everybody, as on the war's threshold the capacities of aircraft industry were redirecting to produce military aircraft. One of the team’s employees, A.K. Aronov later recalled that all their collective literally pined with idleness at that time. In May 1939, after the Government’s order, almost all specialists from the TsKB GVF excepting three leaders were transferred to OKB-240 and joined to work on the new long-range bomber; thus TsKB GVF itself practically stopped its existence.

P.S. It seems that many design features of the SPS were adopted for the DB-240/Yer-2 bomber. If the color profile (posted by borovik) represents SPS-89 correctly, then it resembles Yer-2 even more than the “official” progenitor – the Stal-7. For example, twin-fin empennage looks almost identical to that on the Yer-2.

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dears Borovik and Redstar.

 

[borovik]

It seems that many design features of the SPS were adopted for the DB-240/Yer-2 bomber. If the color profile (posted by borovik) represents SPS-89 correctly, then it resembles Yer-2 even more than the “official” progenitor – the Stal-7. For example, twin-fin empennage looks almost identical to that on the Yer-2.

What's interesting: IIRC, in March 1944, when several aircraft design bureau/OKB
(Plus a few aircraft designers who joined the competition in volunteering / a total of only a dozen projects /) - have the task to develop passenger aircraft to transport small high-level government delegations. The aircraft was to be transported in conditions of increased comfort and maximum safety of approximately 10 people.
At this time in the OKB-240 back to the forgotten draft SPS-89, using the old developments in the new conditions and requirements have created a project passenger aircraft based on bomber Yer-2. (On an interim version of the
Yer-2 ON / special purpose / -know well enough.)
source:Aviation & Cosmonautic #4-1998

 

[Stargazer]

It just occured to me that the projected SPS bore more than passing resemblance to the Curtiss CW-20 prototype in its first twin-tail version (although the Soviet type is more handsome):

 

[Jemiba]

Indeed, compressingthe Curtiss vertically by about 20 to 30 % and removing the lower row
of cockpit windows is enough. Today we would assume a faulty copy ! ;D
Sorry for that and not to start a discussion again about "... just copied by the Russians !"