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The Grigorovich M-23bis was a Soviet biplane flying boat built during the 1920s.

Role	Biplane flying boat Type of aircraft
National origin	USSR
Manufacturer	Grigorovich Design Bureau
Designer	Dmitri Grigorovich
First flight	Failed to fly
Primary user	Soviet Naval Aviation
Number built	1
Developed from	Grigorovich M-9

Design

Dmitri Grigorovich developing the M-23 as a derivative of the Grigorovich M-9 with a more powerful engine. The first M-23 design was abandoned after the revolution and transformed into an improved design, the M-23bis, in 1922. The aircraft was completed at GAZ-3 "Krasnyj Letchik" (The Red Pilot) in mid-Summer 1923, but the unsuccessful hull shape meant that it failed to take off. The M-23bis was sent back for modifications, but in late 1923 was destroyed by a flood at the Krestovsky Island hangar.[1]

Specifications (M-23bis)

Data from Aircraft of the Soviet Union : the encyclopaedia of Soviet aircraft since 1917,[2] Russian Aviation Museum : M-23[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 45.8 m² (493 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,165 kg (2,568 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,615 kg (3,560 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.12 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 210 kW (280 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 165 km/h (103 mph, 89 kn) estimated
• Wing loading: 35 kg/m² (7.2 lb/sq ft)

References

Bibliography

• Kulikov, Victor (December 1996). "Le fascinante histoire des hydravions de Dimitry Grigorovitch" [The Fascinating History of the Seaplanes of Dimitry Grigorovitch]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (45): 20–33. ISSN 1243-8650.

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