The VEF JDA-10M was a Latvian twin-engine, multipurpose aircraft built in 1939 by VEF. It remains the only twin-engine aircraft ever built in Latvia. The developer of JDA-10M was Latvian-American engineer Jānis Akermanis (John D. Akerman), a professor at the University of Minnesota, the aircraft was assembled at the State Electrotechnical Factory (Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika - VEF).
Design and development The VEF JDA-10M was of primarily wooden construction, with fixed conventional landing gear. Only one prototype was built.
Construction started in 1937, but the first flight of the JDA-10M was on September 4, 1939. Initially it was planned to be powered by two 153 kW (205 hp) inverted 6 cylinder inline de Havilland Gipsy Six II, yet latter two 261 kW (350 hp) 7 cylinder radials Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX were chosen.Astoņvietīga pasažieru lidmašīna, J.D.A. 10. 1937, LNA LVA, 754.f., 26.apr., 110.l., 1.lp., http://www.archiv.org.lv/vef100/?page_id=89
After the beginning of the Second World War it was planned to transform the airplane into a light bomber for military purposes. This work was halted by the Soviet occupation of Latvia in June 1940. Soviet authorities took over the aircraft, yet it was decided not to continue its development and the aircraft was scrapped before German invasion of 1941.VEF JDA-10M Учебно-боевой самолёт \ дневной бомбардировщик, Aviarmor.net.
Specifications (JDA-10M)
See also
References
Further reading