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

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)