As it is known, during the winter of 1929 - 30, BT-11 fighter, which later

"Prison" bomber /by M.Maslov/

became an I-5 prototype had been designed and built in the shortest possible term at the legendary ???-39 design bureau. OGPU authorities decided to continue the successful practice and in spring 1930 ordered to design a bomber within the penitentiary structure, again in the shortest time possible:

In early summer 1931 TB-5 was taken to the airfield. After checks and final developments it was decided to fly the plane. Pilot Benedict Bughgolz flew the maiden flight on June 30, in the Khodynsky airfield area. Before the flight certain fears of poor controllability of such a heavy aircraft were expressed, the behavior of a stabiliron being of particular interest. After landing Bughgolz dispersed all the fears, stating, literally, the following: "Air stability is good. It's unbelievably easily controlled. Control surface loads are extremely low:"

"Prison" bomber /from M.Maslov archiv/

Experimental TB-5 flights went on with the participation of the famous test pilot M.M.Gromov. He was the one who experienced an accident in May 1932. At the altitude of 800 meters suddenly a strong airframe buffeting started. The left rear engine got torn from its motor frame, got caught by the landing gear and hung there in a dangerous position. Mechanic Vasin saw that the air screw of that Jupiter tore a hole in the fuselage and was stopped by a mock-up of a bomb. At that time gas caught fire. Gromov at once ordered to shut the fuel off, and started the left sideslip, trying to blow the flame away. Finally, he succeeded in doing that and made a successful emergency landing at Aircraft Manufacturing Plant #22 airfield in Fili. Being on the ground they learned that at the moment the flame grew dangerous engineer A.V.Chesalov, who was in the compartment behind the wing, abandoned the plane with a parachute and landed safely.