High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Soviet research and development of rocket-powered aircraft began with Sergey Korolev`s GIRD-6 project in 1932. His interest in stratospheric flight was also shared by Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky who supported this early work. After a long series of unmanned tests of vehicles, Korolev`s RP-318-1 rocket plane flew on Feb 28, 1940. That Spring, the Zhukovsky Institute in Moscow (TsAGI) hosted a conference for aircraft chief designers on the subject of ramjet and rocket propulsion. On July 12, the Council of People`s Commissioners (SNK) called for the development of high-speed stratospheric aircraft.