Cheranovsky BICh-3 (72)

Resin kit of this Soviet experimental aircraft 

History
This unusual experimental plane made its maiden flight in Februry 1926 with the well known Soviet test pilot B.N. Kudrin at the controls. Despite its unorthodox layout the plane handled very well in the air and performed several successful flights. The idea of the powered delta winged airplane was brilliantly approved!
The first successful glider, the BICh-2, was built by B.Cheranovsky in 1924. It performed 27 successful flights on the Koktebel Glider Contest the same year. The next step was the installation of the engine on the modified glider. The only available Blackburn "Tomtit" 18hp motor was fitted on the newly built BICh-3, but soon proved to be unreliable. Anyway the airplane managed to make a series of safe test flights.
B. Cheranovsky designed and built about 30 gliders and airplanes for his aviation lifetime. The BICh-17 was to be a delta fighter armed with two recoilless guns. The ultimate delta jet fighter design called BICh-26 was studied after the WWII, but was never built.

Length.........3.5m Span...........9.5m Wing area......20sq.m
Weight empty...140kg T/O weight.....230kg
Top speed......100km/h Landing speed..40km/h