Zvezda Plastic Model Kit Tupolev ANT-5 (I-4 / I-4Z) Soviet Fighter — 1:72

Manufacturer

Zvezda is a Russian manufacturer of plastic scale models covering aircraft, military vehicles, ships, figures and other subjects. Kit 7271 was added to specialist catalogues in 2005 and is one of Zvezda's earlier 1:72 aircraft subjects.

The kit represents the Tupolev ANT-5, also designated I-4, an important early Soviet fighter developed during the late 1920s.
Kit contents

The kit contains approximately 72 parts for one aircraft. Retail descriptions specify:

Injection-moulded plastic components

Fuselage and wing components

Detailed cockpit/pilot area

Engine and propeller

Landing gear

Tail assembly

Struts and interplane components

Clear/transparent components where applicable

Decals

Illustrated assembly instructions

The finished model is approximately 11 cm long. Paint, modelling glue and tools are not included.

The ANT-5 has an unusual sesquiplane arrangement, with the lower wing considerably smaller than the upper wing. This gives the finished model a particularly distinctive appearance.
History of the full-size aircraft

The Tupolev ANT-5, officially designated I-4, was an important Soviet fighter of the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was developed by the Tupolev design bureau, with Pavel Sukhoi participating in its development.

It was notable for being the first Soviet mass-produced all-metal fighter, marking an important transition away from the mixed wood-and-fabric construction common in earlier Soviet aircraft.

The aircraft was designed as a single-seat fighter and featured a distinctive sesquiplane layout. The upper wing was substantially larger than the lower wing, giving the aircraft a somewhat unusual appearance compared with conventional biplanes.
Development and production

The ANT-5's development took place during a period when Soviet aviation designers were experimenting with all-metal construction and more advanced aerodynamic configurations.

The aircraft entered series production in the late 1920s and remained in production into the early 1930s. Sources give the production period as approximately 1928–1934.

Approximately 370 aircraft were produced according to specialist historical references.
Construction

Unlike many earlier Soviet fighters, the ANT-5 made extensive use of metal construction.

This was significant because Soviet aircraft designers were increasingly interested in creating stronger, lighter and more durable airframes suitable for modern military aviation.

The aircraft's unusual wing arrangement also reflected contemporary aerodynamic experimentation.
Engine and performance

The ANT-5 was powered by a single-cylinder-bank radial engine driving a conventional tractor propeller.

Published specifications include approximately:

Crew: 1

Engine: 1 × radial engine

Maximum speed: approximately 250 km/h

Range: approximately 580 km

Armament: 2 × 7.62 mm machine guns

Performance varied somewhat according to production version and operating conditions.
Armament

The standard fighter armament consisted of two 7.62 mm machine guns mounted in the forward fuselage.

For an aircraft of the late 1920s, this represented a typical fighter armament, although the rapid development of aviation during the following decade would soon make heavier armament desirable.
Operational career

The I-4 served with Soviet military aviation during the early 1930s.

It was eventually superseded by more advanced fighters as Soviet aircraft design moved rapidly toward lower-drag monoplanes and more powerful engines.

The aircraft is also associated with Soviet aviation operations connected with the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, although references differ in how extensively they describe its involvement. Retail and modelling references specifically identify the ANT-5 as having participated in the conflict.
Historical significance

The ANT-5 is particularly interesting because it represents the transition between two eras of fighter development.

It retained the general appearance and configuration of an interwar biplane fighter while introducing all-metal construction and more advanced aerodynamic thinking.

The aircraft also provides a link between the early work of the Tupolev design bureau and the later Soviet aircraft industry that produced increasingly sophisticated fighters and bombers during the 1930s and Second World War.