Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges

The purpose of this study is to highlight the peculiarities of the development of the Russian aviation industry during the First World War. The focus is on analyzing production programs and matching their quantitative and qualitative parameters to war requirements. The main methods used in our work...

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Main Authors: Pavlo Tkachuk, Andrij Kharuk, Ihor Soliar, Lilia Skorych
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: State University of Infrastructure and Technologies 2022-12-01
Series:Історія науки і техніки
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hst-journal.com/index.php/hst/article/view/546
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author Pavlo Tkachuk
Andrij Kharuk
Ihor Soliar
Lilia Skorych
author_facet Pavlo Tkachuk
Andrij Kharuk
Ihor Soliar
Lilia Skorych
author_sort Pavlo Tkachuk
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of this study is to highlight the peculiarities of the development of the Russian aviation industry during the First World War. The focus is on analyzing production programs and matching their quantitative and qualitative parameters to war requirements. The main methods used in our work are problem-chronological, used to describe the state of the Russian aviation industry, and comparative, used to compare the level of development of the Russian aviation industry with other countries that participated in the First World War. General scientific methods have also found their application ‒ primarily, analysis and synthesis. The research resulted in the following conclusions: First World War became a challenge for Russian industry that was in the developing stage, including aviation industry. Needs of the front demanded for increase in plane productions that was a complex task for Russia, taking into account its economic backwardness. Aviation industry, being represented by several big (in the scope of Russia) enterprises, demonstrated a dynamic of growth. For the war period the plane production capacity had increased only in 3 times while in Germany – in 10 times and in France and Great Britain the growth was much bigger. Leading enterprises of aviation industry, such as factory of Duks, Liebiediev, Anatra, Shchetinin – mainly copied foreign samples (French, and sometimes German). Efforts to establish the production of original samples were a complete failure. The most known example is fighter “Illia Muromets” that was a leading one in 1914 but became old-fashioned till 1917. Aviation engine production was also narrow and was far beyond plane production. Enormous investments made in the development existed and building of new enterprises of planes and aviation engines production in 1916‒1917 did not show any results, none of the enterprises started the production. We have analyzed some of these failures – building of Anatra factory in Simferopol and Matias factory in Berdiansk, and aero-motors factories Anatra in Simferopol and Deka in Aleksandrovsk. State police on controlling aviation industry based on providing subsidies and preferential loan, turned to be ineffective – it was vanished by basic purchasing prices that did not count on inflation. That is why Russian aviation industry appeared to be unable to face and respond to war challenges. Production plans of leading Russian aviation factories as well as qualitative and quantitative parameters of products have been analyzed in the article.
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spelling doaj.art-df8f235028a943f88ff91d937c10c62b2023-01-06T04:16:12ZengState University of Infrastructure and TechnologiesІсторія науки і техніки2415-74222415-74302022-12-0112238840710.32703/2415-7422-2022-12-2-388-407546Russian aviation industry and First World War challengesPavlo Tkachuk0Andrij Kharuk1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3459-1657Ihor Soliar2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0439-6957Lilia Skorych3Hetman Petro Sahaydachny National Army AcademyHetman Petro Sahaydachny National Army AcademyIvan Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of UkraineHetman Petro Sahaydachny National Army AcademyThe purpose of this study is to highlight the peculiarities of the development of the Russian aviation industry during the First World War. The focus is on analyzing production programs and matching their quantitative and qualitative parameters to war requirements. The main methods used in our work are problem-chronological, used to describe the state of the Russian aviation industry, and comparative, used to compare the level of development of the Russian aviation industry with other countries that participated in the First World War. General scientific methods have also found their application ‒ primarily, analysis and synthesis. The research resulted in the following conclusions: First World War became a challenge for Russian industry that was in the developing stage, including aviation industry. Needs of the front demanded for increase in plane productions that was a complex task for Russia, taking into account its economic backwardness. Aviation industry, being represented by several big (in the scope of Russia) enterprises, demonstrated a dynamic of growth. For the war period the plane production capacity had increased only in 3 times while in Germany – in 10 times and in France and Great Britain the growth was much bigger. Leading enterprises of aviation industry, such as factory of Duks, Liebiediev, Anatra, Shchetinin – mainly copied foreign samples (French, and sometimes German). Efforts to establish the production of original samples were a complete failure. The most known example is fighter “Illia Muromets” that was a leading one in 1914 but became old-fashioned till 1917. Aviation engine production was also narrow and was far beyond plane production. Enormous investments made in the development existed and building of new enterprises of planes and aviation engines production in 1916‒1917 did not show any results, none of the enterprises started the production. We have analyzed some of these failures – building of Anatra factory in Simferopol and Matias factory in Berdiansk, and aero-motors factories Anatra in Simferopol and Deka in Aleksandrovsk. State police on controlling aviation industry based on providing subsidies and preferential loan, turned to be ineffective – it was vanished by basic purchasing prices that did not count on inflation. That is why Russian aviation industry appeared to be unable to face and respond to war challenges. Production plans of leading Russian aviation factories as well as qualitative and quantitative parameters of products have been analyzed in the article.https://hst-journal.com/index.php/hst/article/view/546aviation industryaviation plantmilitary aviationmilitary aircraftrussian empirefirst world war
spellingShingle Pavlo Tkachuk
Andrij Kharuk
Ihor Soliar
Lilia Skorych
Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
Історія науки і техніки
aviation industry
aviation plant
military aviation
military aircraft
russian empire
first world war
title Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
title_full Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
title_fullStr Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
title_full_unstemmed Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
title_short Russian aviation industry and First World War challenges
title_sort russian aviation industry and first world war challenges
topic aviation industry
aviation plant
military aviation
military aircraft
russian empire
first world war
url https://hst-journal.com/index.php/hst/article/view/546
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AT ihorsoliar russianaviationindustryandfirstworldwarchallenges
AT liliaskorych russianaviationindustryandfirstworldwarchallenges