NPO Molniya Molniya-1
| Molniya-1 | |
|---|---|
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| Role | Three surface utility aircraft |
| National origin | Russia |
| Manufacturer | NPO Molniya |
| First flight | 18 December 1992 |
| Number built | 2 by 2000 |
The Molniya-1 is a six-seater utility aircraft designed and built in Russia during the 1990s.
The Molniya-1 six-seat aircraft is a three surface design with a forward balanced canard surface and a square section fuselage with a Vedeneyev M14P nine cylinder radial engine in the rear. Twin booms carry fins with balanced and trim tabbed rudders and a high set tailplane, similarly tabbed and balanced.
It was intended to cover a wide range of tasks including touring, cargo/mail carrying, business flights, aerial photography, patrol and air ambulance services. The three-surface configuration was intended to provide improved safety and fuel efficiency over conventional types, with the rear-mounted engine lowering cabin noise and vibration. It flew for the first time on 18 December 1992.
A Westernised version with a 260 kW (350 hp) Continental TSIO-550-B flat six engine and another, the Moliniya-3 with an Allison 250 turbopop, were proposed. More broadly, the company were considering a number of larger types based on the three surface configuration.
In 1993 the design received a gold medal at the Eureka-93 World Inventors, Scientific Research and Know-How Salon in Brussels. It was demonstrated at the Le Bourget aero show in 1995. Only two Moliniyas had been built by about 2000.
Data from Simpson 2001
General characteristics
Performance
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