"Bill & Ange" wrote in news:xk0Yn.5993$cO.2240
@newsfe09.iad:

Did this thing ever fly?


"Mitchell Holman" wrote in message
30...






"It first flew on August 18, 1934, and became an object of
pride for the Soviet proletariat as it made demonstration
flights over Moscow and other cities using huge public
address speakers to make propaganda promulgations. Given
conditions within the Soviet Union at the time, the use of
such a grandiose platform to exhort the blessings of Stalin's
regime was reminiscent of the excesses of an egomaniacal
medieval despot. The big ship might have done some good for
Stalin's international image had it undertaken a world tour,
but it was never flown abroad."

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