Polikarpov R-5

what is it?

The Polikarpov R-5 (Russian: Р-5) was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, some 7,000 being built in total.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · biplane · 15.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 228 km/htop speed
• range 800 kmwithout refuelling
• size 3,247 kgmax take-off weight
• built 7,000made 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 98 years ago, in 1928.
• 🏎️Top speed is 1.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 15.5 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1928

introduced

1930

retired

1944

status

retired

number built

7,000

role

reconnaissance/light bomber

makers

OKB

engines

1× Mikulin M-17B / Mikulin M-17

crew

2

length

10.6 m

wingspan

15.5 m

height

3.3 m

max take-off weight

3,247 kg

top speed

228 km/h

range

800 km

ceiling

6,400 m

wings

biplane

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