Russia's Tandem Wing Attack Aircraft

TheTandem MAI was an impressive design. This Russian aircraft was the first to utilise Tandem Wing configurations unfortunately it would be plagued by delays and ultimately the program would be killed by the IL-2 combined with other programs . Still one prototype was built and testing highlighted that the wings provided exelent lift for heavy payloads. However the aircraft never took off.

Sources:
– 'Ground Attack' by Christopher Chant. 'The Mechanics of War' series.
Almark Publishing Co Ltd London, 1976
– 'Notes of an aircraft designer' by Alexandre Yakovlev
– History of aircraft construction in the USSR", V.B.Shavrov