The Truth:
The
Kalinin K-7 was a real Russian Bomber designed in 1933 by WW-I
aviator Konstatin Kalinin.
According to The
World's Worst Aircraft - From Pioneering Failures to Multimillion Dollar
Disasters by Jim Winchester, the plane had a wingspan greater than
the American B-52.
The bomber was 91 feet
long and had seven 750HP engines, 6 on the leading edge of the wing and
one at the rear of the fuselage. The K-7 had a wingspan
of nearly 174 feet and could fly at a maximum speed of 145 miles per
hour. The aircraft was also designed for other functions
such as transporting VIP, paratrooper and heavy cargo such as
tanks.
According
to the Kharkov State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC) in the
Ukraine, the K-7
actually first took to the skies on August 19, 1933 and her final flight
was on November 23rd of that year.
Kalinin designed and
built several aircraft as director of the first Ukrainian air company called "Ukrvozdoukhput"
which means "Ukrainian Air Way."
Click for KSAMC web site
Winchester's book
noted that the prototype was plagued by vibrations and instability
problems caused by the massive propeller engines.
Kalinin and his team
of engineers tried to
overcome flaws by reducing the size of the tail boom. The eleventh
test flight proved to be fatal when he plane's elevator jammed causing
it plough into the ground below. The entire crew of 15 perished.
The Soviet government
under the command of Joseph Stalin terminated the project and in 1938 arrested and executed Kalinin for
espionage and sabotage.
Few photos exist of
this plane and the ones included in the email appear to be computer
created or enhanced.
updated 4/10/09
