The NIAI-1 LK-1 was a blended wing four-seat cabin aircraft designed and built in the USSR from 1933. It wa also called the Fanera-2, which translates as "Plywood no.2", making it hard to search the 'Net for this plane. The design is somewhat unique in that it incorporates a blended wing so that the wing blended into the fuselage, forming the cockpit and cabin. Construction was all of wood/plywood, with a conventional single spar wing with plywood covering. The aircraft had seating for three passengers. It is unclear if the passengers sat three abreast behind the pilot, like galahs on a powerline, or in the usual 2 x 2 arrangement. In any case the blending of the wing into the fuselage, and the nose-mounted engine gave the pilot an asymmetrical view through the leading edge glazing. The engine was a 5-cylinder radial. The prototype was fitted with a Townsend Ring Cowling, similar in appearance to the USA's NACA cowling for radials. The Townsend Ring was the invention of Dr. Hubert Townsend of the British National Physical Laboratory in 1929. The patents were supported by Boulton & Paul Ltd in 1929. Flight trials at Leningrad and state acceptance tests at the NII GVF(Naoochno-Issledovatel'skiy Institoot Grazdahnskovo Vozdooshnovo Flota - "scientific test institute for civil air fleet"), in Moscow, were very successful and an order for twenty production aircraft with modified tails, spats removed, no Townend ring, and other modifications was placed, for use by Aeroflot inside the USSR and the Arctic. One example was fitted with floats, the NIAI-1P – (Poplavkoviy – with floats). is video is from a Russian film in which the plane made a cameo appearance. vie between timestamps 29:03 and 30:4
