In 1920 Main Department of Air Fleet of Young Soviet Republic gave scientists the task to build lightweight and firm alloys foe aircraft. After hard work fulfilled by a team of specialists (including engineers I.Sidorov, V.Butalov, J. Muzalevskiy and others) the first ingots of said alloy were obtained at Gospromtsvetmet plant (in Kolchugino village Vladimir Region) which was named kolchugalumin. The alloy was light and firm enough. In autumn 1922 sheets and roll-formed sections were produced and in 1923 – channeled sheets. Special TsAGI Committee studied the alloy thoroughly and came to conclusion that it could be used in aircraft.
Simultaneously the Committee decided to use kolchugalumin in ANT-1 light sporting aircraft. It was designed in aircraft department of TsAGI starting from 1921 under direct management of A.N. Tupolev. This machine became the first of such type in ANT and TU- aircraft family. ANT-1 represented cantilever monoplane provided with Anzani engine of 35 H.P. Kalchugalumin was partially used in fuselage structure, wing and furthering. In spite of the fact that structure of this prototype was mainly build of wood and fabric tests of ANT-1 made it possible to appreciate advantages of the new material used in the aircraft trructure.
ANT-1 was being build from April, 1922 to October, 1923. 21 October, 1923 the aircraft performed its maiden flight. It was operated by pilot-engineer E.Pogosskiy. After a number of test flights and when the only available Azani engine failed the aircraft flights were terminated. Further up to 1937 the Tupolev DB firstling was in assembly shop of the plant No.156. In 1937 te single prototype was destroyed.
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