Editing DOSAAF (section)

=== OSOAVIAKhIM ===
{{unreferenced-section|date=July 2024}}
{{main article|Osoaviakhim}}
The precursor of DOSAAF was the '''OSOAVIAKhIM''' ({{Langx|ru|ОСОАВИАХИМ}}; full name: {{Lang|ru|Союз обществ содействия обороне и авиационно-химическому строительству СССР}}, 'Union of Societies of Assistance to Defense and Aviation-Chemical Construction of the USSR') created on 27 January 1927 by merging  the ''Society of Assistance to Defense'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество содействия обороне (ОСО)}}), ''Society of Friends of the Air Force'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество друзей Воздушного флота (ОДВФ)}}) and ''Society of Friends of Chemical Defense and the Chemical Industry'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество друзей химической обороны и химической промышленности (Доброхим СССР)}}).
[[File:Osoaviahim-1 aerostat 02.jpg|thumb|upright|The ''[[Osoaviakhim-1]]'' crew boarding their  flight in 1934]]
The goal of the society was preparation of [[Military reserve force|reserves for armed forces]]. It soon became a powerful [[paramilitary]] with its own airfields, radio clubs, parachuting towers, and firing ranges. It became prestigious and romantic among Soviet youth to earn badges such as "[[Voroshilov sharpshooter]]" ({{langx|ru|Ворошиловский стрелок}}), "Voroshilov horse rider" ({{langx|ru|Ворошиловский всадник}}) and "Distinguished Parachute Jumper".

OSOAVIAKhIM supported a number of professional [[research and development]] programs for airplanes, [[glider (aircraft)|glider]], airships and stratospheric balloons, some of which were later taken over by the [[Soviet Air Forces]]. In 1934, the organisation carried out the [[Highest manned balloon flight|record-setting]] mission of the [[high-altitude balloon|high-altitude]] [[Balloon (aircraft)|balloon]] ''[[Osoaviakhim-1]]''. Also in the 1930s, [[Sergey Korolev]]'s [[soviet space program|rocket research organization]], [[GIRD]], and [[Oleg Antonov (aircraft designer)|Oleg Antonov]]'s glider project, among other efforts, were part of the OSOAVIAKhIM.