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[SIZE=5]Heavenly Pursuits February 1941: Latvian Edition[/size]

This month, in Heavenly Pursuits, we will be focusing on the Latvian aeronautical industry and Air Force. Too often within our pages, it seems that we spend our time focusing on the great achievements of Argentina, of France, of Italy, and of the other great aeronautical powers. This month, in a change from what has been seen before, we will be travelling to Latvia, an up-and-coming player in the aeronautical field. With rumors of modern designs in the pipelines, the inside scoop on this rapidly evolving scene is something you do not want to miss!

[Size=4]LAR: Signs of a Change[/size]

From September to December of 1940, a radical shift occurred in the Latvian aeronautical industry, as 4 companies shrunk into two. First, Cukurs, a relatively small company famed only for its pioneering designs in long range flight and tourism (having built the C-6, the first Latvian aircraft to visit Indochina, India, Japan, and China), scored two contracts for his C-6BIS training dive bomber, one with the Latvian Air Force and one with the Persian Navy. This granted Cukurs the capital to buy out Kristina Bakmane in September, a small aircraft builder licensed designs for light touring aircraft. Following this, VEF, a massive corporation encompassing everything from aircraft to spy cameras to telephone exchanges, bought out the government for control of LKOD, including its staff and equipment. The very next day, VEF announced plans to spin off its aircraft division, including the former LKOD, under the command of Karlis Irbitis as LAR (Latvijas Aeronaticis Rkpnieciba). When asked to comment on how these changes would affect LAR, Karlis Irbitis had the following statements.

“Pre-merger, back in December, the part of LAR that was formally VEF was busy in the design and testing of the I-19, our new revolutionary fighter, as well as continuing to build aircraft such as the JDA-10M, a utility aircraft, and the I-17, a trainer, for the air force and for civilians. This conflicted radically with the aims of the former LKOD, which was busy in the design work of a new bomber that had already been prototyped, as well as building trainers and liaison aircraft that were in direct competition with ours.

This merger has necessitated some changes to our combined building lineups. Whereas we were, at the time of the merger, building / large scale designing six types of aircraft total (I-19, I-17, JDA-10M, Sieremedres II, KOD-1, KOD-2) , that number has had to be cut drastically. We have already began the process of shutting down the KOD-1 production line, building enough parts and additional aircraft to serve as spares for those in service before shutting down that line. The Sieremedres II, although in advanced testing stages, has had the I-19 prioritized over it, and it is unlikely that we will be building any of that type, except for export, before mid-1942. The I-17 has gone to a lower production rate, enough only to fulfill civilian requirements, due to its unpopularity amongst the military.

Another issue that the merger has caused is the issue of concentrating production facilities. With half our workforce in Riga and half in Liepajas, effective communication between workers is difficult, as is the planned concentration of workers in Riga to build the I-19 fighter as it enters production. We plan to solve these issues by moving a majority of our workforce and production lines to the new air base in Ropazi as soon as it opens, hopefully somewhere around August of this year. We plan on keeping a small workforce in Liepajas, to continue investigations and designing of possible floatplanes, but our production facilities in Riga and Daugvpils will be pulled to Riga.

Our future plans, at the moment, at least, are to begin full scale production of the I-19 in May 1941, and to continue design work on the Sieremdres II; as well as continuing to build and maintain aircraft of the types we are already building. We hope to begin work eventually on an organic torpedo bomber and a floatplane; however, time will tell if this is but a lucid fantasy. Certainly, however, we will be commencing work on a crop duster soon, as the Department of Agriculture has offered us a tantalizing deal for them.”

[size=4]The I-19 Fighter: A “Revolution” in Latvian Aircraft Design[/size]



The I-19 “Revolution” fighter began development in November 1938, as results from Talons and results from practical experience showed that the I-16 was simply not going to be able to cut it in the modern world of aeronautical warfare. Chief Designer Karlis Irbitis (Also the head of LAR itself) was determined to make a modern fighter that would not be obsolete against fighters from larger, more established aeronautical industries. To this end, after initial sketches showed that wood design, as was planned, would be impossible due to the sheer stresses that would be encountered, VEF asked for assistance on designing with metal from Mikoyan-Gurevich in Russia in February 1939. (VEF had been designing with metal before, but only on smaller, slower, utility aircraft). With the steady, consistent help of designers from Mikoyan, a plan began to evolve where two types of aircraft would be built; the I-19A out of metal and fabric to test the feasibility of the design shape and engines, and the I-19B out of metal alone after the I-19A had been proven successful.

As design work continued upon these aircraft, according to Irbitis, “We became aware of the pressing need to find a suitable engine for the aircraft. Whereas with the I-16, the JDA-10M, the I-15, and basically all our aircraft in the past, it was quite easy to find engines to meet the specifications, in the size of engine we were looking at, only a few options were available. We sent out a tender for an engine in the [1,500 hp] size range, however, only the Allison V-1710 and the Merlin were answers to this tender. After long, careful, deliberations, and a great offer by Rolls-Royce offering to maintain and give us a spares deal on the Merlin, we decided to pick the Merlin for our needs.”

The first aircraft, the I-19A with a smaller engine then would be used on the I-19B, took its first flight on November 18th, 1940, a historic day for the Latvian aeronautical industry. Over the next few weeks, testing with that aircraft and two others like it showed that the I-19A was not only much faster than those that came before it, but also had an edge in maneuvering, with a quick response. The armament was with guns twice the size of the old .303’’ Vickers guns on the I-16, and had two more attached, as well as retractable landing gear. It was proved that a 100 pound bomb or exterior fuel tank could even be fitted to the outside of the aircraft.

Korlon Duesta, a writer for Heavenly Pursuits, was on the scene on February 2nd as the first I-19B, with an up rated engine from the I-19A and fully made of metal, was flown for the first time. [He says that] “The I-19B is a significant achievement for the Latvian Aeronautical Industry and LAR. It has superb speed and climbing attributes, from what I could see that day; and it maintains all the good qualities of the I-19A, from what I saw during the press tour. It has a real attachment for bombs or fuel tanks, not the ad hoc ones we saw on the I-19A, and it maintains the heavy armament, the bombs, and retractable gear of the I-19A.”

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[size=3] I-19B[/size]
[SIZE=3]Specifications:[/SIZE]
Length: 30.2 ft
Wingspan: 36.1 ft
Height: 10 ft
Wing area: 240 ft²
Weight:
- Empty: 5,750 lb
- Loaded: 7,500 lb
Crew: 1
Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin VI, 1,280 hp

[SIZE=3]Performance:[/SIZE]
Speed: 391 mph
Rate of climb: 47 ft/s
Ceiling: 31,500 ft
Range: 515 miles with no external load
Remarks: Retractable landing gear and tailwheel, all metal construction. All-metal version of I-19A.

[SIZE=3]Armament:[/SIZE]
- 6x.5'' machine guns
- 100 lb external load

*OOC: For real stats, check the “Latvian Dilemma" thread under I-19B

[size=4]The Latvian Air Force; Change, Continuity, and “Revolution”[/size]

The Latvian Air Force evolved from humble beginnings; formed in 1919 from German and Bolshevik aircraft that could be salvaged from the Great War and the Latvian War of Independence, as well as a few donations given to the Latvian armed forces by the Royal Navy. This sorry state of affairs, with more types of aircraft then pilots, was allowed to continue uninterrupted until 1923, when 12 Ansaldo Bastillas and 8 Ansaldo SVA 10s were bought from Italy as part of a deal that also included the purchase of 6 Fiat 3000 tanks. These aircraft, along with assorted purchases from Britain, France and Nordmark for the navy, formed the base of the military until 1930, when a purchase of 21 Letov S.16 bombers from Czechoslovakia, followed by the purchase of 4 Hawker Hinds and 18 Gloster Gladiators in 1932.

These aircraft formed the Latvian Air Force until 1936, when it was realized by the Latvian military that the Air Force was woefully obsolete, especially after what happened in the Wilno Crisis in 1935 (and the subsequent upgrade of the Lithuanian military with 68 modern fighters, more than the entire Latvian Air Force). Because of these factors, in 1936 joint development began by LKOD and Aero on the Sieremdres, and VEF began the design and testing of the I-16, based off the already in production I-15. These efforts began to pay off in 1938, when 36 Sieremdres aircraft were delivered to the Latvian military to form tactical support squadrons, replacing the old bombers, while 36 I-16 fighters were built, allowing the old fighters to be replaced.

The Latvian Air Force was not idle while waiting for these aircraft to be delievered. For example, in late 1937, in coordination with the Navy, 12 Latecoere 298 floatplanes were purchased delivered, while in early 1938 4 Grumman Geese were purchased from America. The massive overhaul of the training branches also continued, with 48 I-12s built to serve as primary trainers, and 48 I-15s built to serve as advanced trainers.

By 1939, several flaws in the new air force had become apparent. First, there were no bombers at all, and even though there was no pressing need for them, it was still a matter of concern to the army, which expressed concerned over an inability to hinder enemy supplies and logistics. Secondly, although the I-16 had been built, and was an improvement over previous fighters, it was still woefully outclassed compared to fighters from other nations. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly; there was a shortage of suitable airfields that were not dreadfully exposed from bombardment right from the sea; older voices still remembered how the Royal Navy had bombarded Splive in 1919, and did not wish a repeat of the situation.

Solutions to these problems were found, however. In September of 1939, the Bulgarian Air Force agreed to transfer 68 fighters, 36 Fokker G.1a and 32 Bf-109B fighters to the Latvian Air Force, which would cover for the weakness of the I-16 until the I-19 “Revolution” could be placed into service. A new airfield was begun at Ropazi in January of 1940, which was far away enough from the sea so that it couldn’t be crippled by naval bombardment. Finally, development of the JDA-10A, a light bomber/utility aircraft, and the C-6BIS, a private development used as a training dive bomber, was completed. These aircraft allowed the Air Force to temporarily relieve concerns from the Army while paying LKOD to develop the Sieremdres II, a dive bomber evolved from the Sieremdres.

As for the Latvian Air Force’s future, spokesman Colonel Tojis Lovord had the following words for us. “Current tentative plans, at the moment at least, are to replace those fighters active in service with the I-19. Beyond that, there is still considerable debate; there has, however, been a strong push by the Latvian Navy for its own organic air wing. Only time will tell the direction that the Latvian Air Force shall take.”

[size=4]Cukurs [/size]

Herbert Cukurs did not always run an aircraft builder that was capable of producing advanced dive-bomber trainers in mass scales. In fact, his designing started off on a rather smaller foot, as he home-built and tested many of his aircraft, gaining fame in Latvia in the process, before finally designing to mass produce them in quantities of more than one apiece.

Herbert Cukurs started out in 1925 by homebuilding the C-1 after retiring from the Latvian Air Force as a captain. Following this, in 1928 he began to build a more advanced model, the C-2, which he flew to Petrograd in the first flight of a Latvian made aircraft outside of the country. Following this success, in 1933 he built the C-3, a notable aircraft by which Herbert Cukurs flew to the formerly Latvian Gambia in, stopping in locales such as Paris, Barcelona, and Tagiers, and earning a “Aviation Medal” from the Latvian government for “outstanding accomplishments.” He built his C-4 and C-5 next, but they were relative failures, the C-4 crashing in its first flight and the C-5 being optimized for travel around Latvia.

The C-6, however, was a revolutionary accomplishment. Strong and sturdy, it was the first Latvian aircraft ever to fly from Latvia and do a loop around the Far East, stopping in Persia, India, Siam, China, Japan, and Russia during its 28,000 mile journey in 1937. It opened up the Far East to the prowness of Latvian designs, and might have been a factor in the later ordering of 9 C-6BIS aircraft by Persia. During the journey, several aviation engineers from China and Japan noted that the aircraft could be transformed into a superb [very] light dive bomber with a few modifications, modifications that Cukurs carried out upon his return. Over the next two years, Cukurs formed a company that produced the C-6BIS, as it was known; building 12 aircraft for the Latvian Air Force in 1939, and 9 aircraft for the Persian Air Force in 1940.

In 1940, Cukurs bought out Kristina Bakmane, another small aircraft building company, so that it could fulfill the Persian order. We had a rare opportunity to speak with Herbert Cukurs, during which he conceded to tell us somewhat about his future plans.

“We’re looking at developing a light bomber at the moment; however, nothing could possibly be made into a prototype until 1942. We are still considering our options at the moment; we are in a solid position with our massive, compared to the size of our company, sales from last year, and we will continue to attempt to export the C-6BIS across the world.”

[size=4]Latvian Civil Aviation [/size]

Latvian Civilian Aviation was almost non-existant in the years following the Latvian War of Independence, as the nation was too concerned about attempting to heal itself from the ravages of that war and the Great War to focus much attention towards civilian aviation of any sort, from pleasure rides to air transport services. Even when investments by the Department of Transportation lead to there being two large, modern hangers available for exclusive civilian and airline use, attention was too riveted on the ongoing Russian-Latvian crisis for those to be of much use. This began to change in 1925, when the airline Deruluft, an airline providing transportation mainly from Germany to Russia, built an administrative office and began offering Riga to Berlin and Riga to Petrograd routes. For the first time, wealthy Latvians could begin to see what non-military aviation could be, and became excited by the potentials. In 1928; for example, after the successful flight from Riga to Petrograd by Herbert Cukurs in the C-2, over 20 aircraft were purchased by the Latvian public for simply public use.

In 1931, the Lidotaju Biedriba, a society of aircraft pilots, was formed in Riga. Suddenly, being a pilot carried a significant social rank that linked people from the middle and upper classes together. This was quickly followed by the formation of other flight clubs in other cities, such as Liepajas, Daugvpils, Ludza, Tukums, and more. In addition, the Aizgardi was formed; the national guard equivalent of the National Guard. Many of the members of the flight clubs chose to serve in the Aizgardi, in exchange for serving for the last weekend in a month, membership allowed a member to proudly wear a Latvian military uniform, and receive special tax immunities on certain items, such as aircraft.

Painfully aware of the need to quickly connect the ever richer nation, in 1935 the Latvian government authorized the setting up of the Valsts Gaisa Satiksme, the national Latvian Airline, and negotiated the purchase of 2 DH.89 Dragon Rapids from de Havilland to service this airline. The airline operated, at this point in time, on routes from Riga to Liepajas, Liepajas to Daugavpils, and Daugavpils to Riga.

The Latvian civil aviation programme has continued to expand. In 1937, Herbert Cukurs flight to the Far East excited Latvian civilians again, encouraging even more aircraft to be bought, mainly by the aviation clubs. It has become a popular thing in Latvia for banks to donate aircraft to the Aizgardi, with 4 LAR I-12s and 6 LAR KOD-2s having been donated to date. The Ministry of Agriculture has began an aggressive campaign to get LAR to design and build crop dusters for them, and for the first time in 1940, the numbers of Latvian built aircraft owned by civilians exceed the number of foreign aircraft owned by civilians. Latvian civilian aviation continues to expand at a rapid pace, and only time can tell for how long.

Contact your local Latvian Air Force officer or consul for a complete listing of Latvian aircraft for sale.

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[SIZE=4]Riga Philharmonica; 1941[/SIZE]

January 4th - Dvorak Op. 95, Symphony #9 in E minor, "From the New World"

January 11th - Mahler, Symphony #5 in C minor

January 18th - Tchaikovsky Op. 74, Symphony #6 in B minor, "Pathétique"

January 25th - Shostakovich Op. 47, Symphony #5 in D minor

February 1st - Holst Op. 32, The Planets

February 8th - Dvorak Op. 46 and Op. 72, Slavonic Dances

February 15th - Rachmaninoff Op. 27, Symphony #2 in E minor

February 22nd - Rachmaninoff Op. 13, Symphony #1 in D minor

March 1st - Dvorak Op. 88, Symphony #8 in G major

March 8th - Stravinsky, The Firebird Suite (In conjunction with the Riga Ballet)

March 15th - Mahler, Symphony #8 in E major, “Symphony of a Thousand”

March 22nd - Beethoven Op. 92, Symphony #7 in A major

March 29th - Schumann Op. 97, Symphony #3 in E flat major, “Rhenish”

April 5th – Brahms Op. 90, Symphony #4 in E minor

April 12th – Mendelssohn Op. 90, Symphony #4 in A major, “Italian”

April 19th – Mahler, Symphony #1 in D major, “Titan”

April 26th – Mozart K. 551, Symphony #41 in C major, “Jupiter”

May 3rd – Haydn, Symphony #44, “Trauer”

May 10th – Mahler, Symphony #6 in A minor, “Tragic”, and Barber Op. 11, Adagio for Strings

May 17th – Tchaikovsky Op. 17, Symphony #2 in C minor, 1872 version, “Little Russian, and Tchaikovsky Op. 49, 1812 Overture

May 24th – Stravinsky, Symphony in C major, European Première (Conducted by Igor Stravinsky)

May 31st – Prokofiev Op. 47, Symphony #4

June 7th – Tchaikovsky Op. 58, Manfred Symphony in B minor

July 5th – Mozart K 622, Clarinet Concerto in A major, and Beethoven Op. 27, Piano Sonata # 14, “Moonlight Sonata”

August 2nd – Bruckner WAB 108, Symphony #8 in C minor

September 6th – Beethoven Op. 67, Symphony #5 in C minor, “Fate”

September 13th – Balakirev, Symphony #1 in C major

September 20th – Raff Op. 153, Symphony #3 in F major, “Im Walde”

September 27th – Tchaikovsky Op. 64, Symphony #5 in E minor

October 4th – Bach BMV 1,046, Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F major

October 11th – Tchaikovsky Op. 29, Symphony #3 in D major, “Polish”

October 18th – Schubert D. 417, Symphony #4 in C minor, “Tragic”

October 25th – Saint-Saens Op. 78, Symphony #3 in C minor, “Organ Symphony”, and Saint-Saens Op. 167, Sonata for Clarinet in E flat major

November 1st – Tchaikovsky Op. 13, Symphony #1 in G minor, “Winter Daydreams”, and Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet

November 8th – Lachner Op. 100, Symphony #8 in G minor

November 15th – Mendelssohn Op. 56, Symphony #3 in A minor, “Scottish”

November 22nd – Tchaikovsky Op. 36, Symphony #4 in F minor

November 29th – Borodin, Symphony #2 in B minor

December 6th – Rimsky-Korsakov Op. 35, Scheherazade

December 13th – Meisel, The Battleship Potemkin, performed live with a showing of the movie The Battleship Potemkin.

December 20th –Saint-Saens Op. 12, Oratorio de Noel, “Christmas Oratorio”

[size=3]Highlights of the Year -[/size] The Riga Philharmonic will be conducted by Igor Stravinsky in the European Première of his Symphony in C on May 24th. In addition, throughout the year, the Riga Philharmonic will be undergoing the recording of all seven of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies.

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[size=5]

Riga State Opera; 1941

[/size]

January - Mozart, Don Giovanni

February - Tchaikovsky, The Oprichnik

March – Verdi, Don Carlos

April – Rossini, William Tell

May – Bizet, Carmen

June – Smetana, The Bartered Bride (performed only during the first two weekends of June)

July – Borodin, Prince Igor (performed only during the last two weekends of July)

August – Donizetti, La Fille du Regiment (performed only during the first and last week of August)

September – Rossini, The Barber of Seville

October –Carl Maria von Weber, Der Freischütz

November – Saint-Saens, Samson and Delilah

December – Tchaikovsky, Cherevichki (performed only during the first two weeks of December, and on Christmas Eve, the fourth Wednesday of the month)

[size=3]Highlights –[/size] The Riga State Opera will be recording, for movie and video presentation, Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”

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December 13th – Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky, performed live with a showing of the movie Alexander Nevsky

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Originally posted by TexanCowboy
Aww....that was one of my favorite Soviet movies of all time. I might just commission it as a historical epic....

I'll change it.

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy
"How is that the most junior of us is getting the first test flight?"