Kharkiv KhAI-1

what is it?

The Kharkiv KhAI-1 (ХАІ-1) was an airliner produced in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s, unusual in that it was designed (and the prototype built) by students. An exceptionally clean design, the KhAI-1 was the first European passenger transport aircraft to feature retractable undercarriage, and boasted a top speed better than the fighter aircraft in service at the time. Some 40 KhAI-1s were operated by Aeroflot, but while a dedicated military version, the KhAI-1VV was developed and flown in prototype form, this did not enter production.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 engine · 14.9 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 292 km/htop speed
• range 1,130 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 6passengers
• size 2,600 kgmax take-off weight
• built 43made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 94 years ago, in 1932.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 14.9 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,130 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.

spec sheet

first flight

1932-10-08

introduced

1934

number built

43

role

airliner

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Antonov Serial Production Plant

engines

1× M-22

crew

1

passengers

6

length

10.4 m

wingspan

14.9 m

max take-off weight

2,600 kg

top speed

292 km/h

range

1,130 km

ceiling

7,200 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.