MIG-8

The MiG-8 Utka (Russian: duck) was a Soviet experimental duck-type aircraft from the post-war period. The prototype flight took place in 1945, but the machine did not enter serial production. The drive was provided by a single engine M-11FM with a power of 110 HP. The length of the aircraft was 6.8 meters with a wingspan of 9.5 meters. The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament. The MiG-8 Utka was constructed in the Mikojan and Guriewicz design office in order to test the aerodynamic properties of the so-called layout of the duck. At that time, it was a very innovative structure. As the first in the history of aviation in the USSR, it used an oblique wing and, as the first machine of the MiG plant, a three-support chassis with a front wheel. Interestingly, a push propeller was also used, not a pull propeller as on most airplanes at that time, and almost the entire structure of the aircraft was made of wood. The MiG-8 Utka allowed for the collection of a lot of valuable experience, especially when it comes to the aerodynamics of the oblique wing, which was successfully used in the MiG-15 fighter.