Soviet Air Force (VVS)

[gekho]

Alexander Arkhangelsky was already second in command at the Tupolev OKB when Andrei Tupolev was imprisoned in one of Stalin's purges. During Tupolev's absence, he was authorised to append his name to the SB variants that were in the pipeline when he took over. The Ar-2 represented a final attempt to extend the useful lifespan of the SB design which had first flown in 1934. In early 1940, Arkhangelsky had worked on a refined SB, designated Arkhangelsky MMN', but this had proved disappointing, with performance no better than the original SB. The Ar-2 was therefore a greater departure from the Tupolev design, in the hopes of creating an aircraft that could attain a speed of 600 km/h (374 mph) at 6,500 m (21,300 ft), and incorporate the newly-developed PB-3 bombsight to give dive-bombing capability. The major airframe changes made on the Ar-2 were streamlining of the engine nacelles (which now housed engines with around 15% greater power), completely new outer wing panels of greater span and taper, and a new, glazed nose. The engine cooling system was moved inside the wings, with air inlets on the leading edges and exits on the underwings. Dive brakes were added to allow for the type's new role. Initially designated SB-RK, factory testing of two prototypes commenced in October 1940, and the following month, an example was delivered to the Soviet NII-VVS for evaluation. In December, the NKAP redesignated the aircraft to incorporate Arkhangelsky's name.

The results of the NII-VVS tests were encouraging. While the hoped-for top speed was not attained, the aircraft's handling was an improvement on the SB, and the dive-bombing adaptations worked very well. Weaknesses identified included major problems with engine cooling and lubrication and deficiencies in defensive armament (the latter a common problem with Soviet bombers of the period). The report concluded that the aircraft should be put into production and development continued to eliminate the remaining defects. Production started in late 1940, but already the machine had been superseded by the Petlyakov Pe-2 and the flight of the Tupolev Tu-2 prototype. Therefore, after only 190 Ar-2s had been constructed, Zavod 22 (the aircraft factory previously devoted to Ar-2 manufacture) was turned over to Pe-2 manufacture in early 1941.

Arkhangelsky OKB continued its attempts to refine the SB, creating a final development, the SBB in 1941. All further work in this direction was terminated at the outbreak of war with Germany and Alexander Arkhangelsky was reassigned to Zavod 156 to oversee maintenance and repair of operational SB aircraft. Beginning in 1940, Ar-2s were assigned to units already operating the SB, and the two types were operated side-by-side. At least half of all Ar-2s built were destroyed during the German offensive of 1941, with a small number still operating until about 1943.

 

[gekho]

Exigencies of the times precluding fundamental redesign of the MiG-1 to eradicate the fighter's less acceptable characteristics, a series of what were, in effect, palliatives were applied to the basic design to result in the MiG-3. Power plant and (initially) armament remained unchanged, but some structural simplification and strengthening was introduced. The engine was moved forward 10cm; dihedral of the outer wing panels was increased by one degree; a 250 l supplementary fuel tank was introduced beneath the pilot's seat; the aft fuselage decking was cut down; the radiator bath fairing was enlarged and extended forward; the supercharger intakes were revised; 9mm seat armour was provided, together with radio, and four wing points were introduced for a maximum external load of 220kg. The first MiG-3 left the factory in December 1940, 11 being completed by the end of the month; 140 were produced in January 1941, and, by June, production had peaked at 25 aircraft every 24 hours. The first MiG-3 was delivered to a VVS regiment in April 1941 - simultaneously with the MiG-1 - and production continued until 23 December 1941 with approximately 3,120 built, but 50 more were completed from component stocks in the early summer of 1942. Some MiG-3s had a supplementary pair of 12.7mm BK machine guns under the wings - raising take-off weight to 3510kg - and others were fitted with two UBK guns of similar calibre in the wings. Tests were also performed with two fuselage-mounted 20mm ShVAK cannon.

 

[Gnomey]

Interesting shots!

 

[tyrodtom]

Don't you wish you knew the stories behind some of those pictures.

Like that next to last Mig 3 picture. Canopies open, parachutes laying on the wings, chocks set, like they're getting ready for a mission. Large group of men in the background, but not a formal military formation, and in the middle a platform, with a few people on it. Looks like a big, modern airfield, maybe Moscow.

 

[muscogeemike]

"It was in a Tupolev plane, the ANT-25, that three Russian fliers made their 1937 nonstop flight from Moscow to California over the North Pole, a flight of 6,750 miles (10,861km) completed in sixty-two hours and seventeen minutes. "

Thanks gekho, good post, much good information.
I lived for several years in San Jacinto, California, where there is a small monument in the field where these fliers landed in 1937. I have read recently that many details of the flight are now disputed - but I think that anyway you look at it these fliers and their aircraft are worthy of respect.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Another awesome thread!

 

[michaelmaltby]

"...Like that next to last Mig 3 picture. Canopies open, parachutes laying on the wings, chocks set, like they're getting ready for a mission. Large group of men in the background, but not a formal military formation, and in the middle a platform, with a few people on it. Looks like a big, modern airfield, maybe Moscow."

Likely a "photo op" for the local brass ..... no different than Cobra pilots flying with their medals ..... in what world.

MM

 

[tyrodtom]

In a photo op for the brass I don't think you'd have that mob of men, aircraft at different angles, very unmilitary.

 

[gekho]

The Russian heavy bomber program began life in 1934 as the ANT-42 and by December of 1936 a prototype was flying. There are a couple of unusual characteristics to this aircraft first being that while it appears to be a four engine bomber it is really a FIVE engine bomber, there is a fifth engine mounted inside the fuselage that feeds air to the four propulsion engines mounted on the wings. Another item of note is the prototype incorporated defensive machine guns in the aft sections of the engine nacelles. These were deleted in production models when the nacelles were redesigned to accommodate radial engines.

This aircraft was of equal performance and capacity to the American B-17 bomber. It had an operational ceiling in excess of 30,000 feet, a maximum speed of about 276 mph and could carry 8,800 pound of bombs. With a crew of eleven it sported only six defensive machine guns but two of them were 20mm turret guns. Originally the type was designed to have four inverted V-12 Mikulin AM-35A liquid cooled engines but production models usually had either Shvetsov M-82FN radial engines or sometimes diesel M-30s or M-40s. None of these later engines provided the performance level that the original V-12s did. The fuselage mounted engine was an M-100 ATsN-2 which acted as a central supercharger. The Russians never had any real plans for strategic bombing which is why this type never saw serious levels of production but the type was used to make nuisance bombing raids on Berlin during the war.

The Pe-8 initially equipped the 432nd special bomber regiment with the 433rd established as a reserve unit. Later the 433rd was reorganized into the 746th and 890th. During the Great patriotic War Pe-8s were used for limited strategic strikes on targets in German-held Eastern Europe and for tactical support during the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk. Probably the most notable service performed by the Pe-8 was the transport of Soviet foreign minister Molotov and his delegation from Moscow to London and Washington DC. During this trip the transport Pe-8 flew through German controlled airspace without incident which was probably just good luck than any credit to the design of the aircraft.

 

[gekho]

In order to improve the range of the La-9 to protect Tu-4 bombers during their missions a new long-range prototype was built. Initially named Aircraft "134" or La-9M the fighter made its maiden flight in May 1947. It was armed with three NS-23 guns. A few days later the second prototype — the "134D" was completed. The fuel capacity was increased from 825 to 1,100 liters. This required the introduction of a strengthened undercarriage with high-pressure tires. The fighter was named La-11 and serial production soon began. One of the most interesting chapters in the career of the La-11 was the so-called Northern Expedition. In 1948 the decision was made to establish an air force base near the North Pole. This was the only place to base Tu-4 Bulls so they could reach their targets deep in USA territory. Lavochkin fighters were intended to provide an air defense as well as to prevent American aircraft activity in this region. The support was provided by Li-2s of the 650th Transport Regiment, C-47s of the 1st Transport Regiment, and llyushin ll-12s of the 708th Transport Regiment. A Tupolev Tu-6 (the reconnaissance version of the Tu-2) would be employed as a pathfinder/leader aircraft. On 7 May 1948 one Tu-6 and three La-1 Is landed at the ice airstrip near the North Pole and the next day they flew several training missions from the unusual base. Several such expeditions were carried out by the fighters of the 1st Fighter Division and 53rd Fighter Regiment.

The combat career of the La-11 began on 8 April 1950, when a flight of the 30th Guard Fighter Regiment intercepted and shot down a USAF RB-44 reconnaissance aircraft near Libava. The same year another American spy plane — the P-2V Neptune — fell victim to the La-11 lethal cannons. In summer 1950 some 60 La-1 Is of the 351 Night Fighter Regiment were delivered to China and took part in Chinese Civill war. On 2 April 1951 flight commander Guzhov and his wing man shot down two Cuomintang F-51 fighters. On 13 June 1951 the regiment was moved to Anshan and started operations against American bombers in North Korea. Soon Lt. Kurganov scored his first victory having destroyed a B-26 Invader. At the beginning of 1952 the regiment included two squadrons — one equipped with MiG-15s and another with La-1 Is. The United Air Army (Korean and Chinese pilots) also received a number of La-9 and La-11 fighters. The Lavochkin La-9 and La-11 became the last generation of Soviet piston fighters — the jet age had begun.

 

[gekho]

In spite of the fact that on the manoeuvrability and rate of climb I-15bis remained among the best airplanes of time, its speed became already insufficient. To the pilots struggled on I-15bis, it became difficult to struggle with more high-speed fighters - monoplanes, such as German Messerschmitt Bf-109 and Japanese I-97. air force more high-speed machine was required. As if anticipating such situation, Polikarpov in 1937 has developed the project of a new fighter - biplane I-153. It represented further development I-15bis, but had improved aerodynamics, a reinforced design and retractable landing gear. The upper wing again has got the form "seagull", the same name was received also with a fighter ("Chayka").

In 1938 on tests I-153 has shown fine flight performances (at the same motor speed was increased at 41-45 km/h). Since 1939 began series production I-153. In the same year a fighter have started to equip with more high-power both high-altitude motor M-62 and a variable-pitch propeller that has improved flight performances of this airplane. I-153 has not bad proved to be in air fights in Mongolia where had the superiority over the Japanese fighters. But nevertheless time of manoeuvrable biplanes has already passed. For the production fighters the scheme of a high-speed monoplane became prevailing. The Soviet aircraft industry has constructed 3437 fighters I-153 (1939-1941).

 

[gekho]

Intended originally as a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft, the Yakovlev Ya-22 prototype was powered by two M-103 engines and made its maiden flight on 22 February 1939. A two-seat low-wing monoplane with wooden wings and a fuselage of mixed construction, the Ya-22 had retractable tailwheel landing gear and a tail unit incorporating a twin fin-and-rudder assembly. Yakovlev was then instructed to modify the design to serve as a bomber, the aircraft being redesignated BB-22 (blizhnii bombardirovshchik or short-range bomber). This resulted in major revisions of accommodation, armament and fuel storage, plus the provision of an internal bomb bay. The first series BB-22 was completed on 31 December 1939 and flown on skis on 20 February 1940 . By that time two factories were in production and experimental variants - the R-12 photographic reconnaissance aircraft and I-29 (or BB-22IS) long-range escort fighter - were being prepared for test flights. The BB-22 was redesignated Yak-2 at the end of 1940, and as powered by two 716kW M-103 Vee engines had a maximum speed of 530km/h at sea level service ceiling of 8800m and range of 800km.

In 1940 the basic design was further refined to improve the crew positions, field of view and armour protection; the M-105 engine was introduced with better protection for the fuel system, and provisions were made for external bomb racks. Then redesignated Yak-4, the aircraft entered production in the autumn of 1940 and about 600 of both versions were built, the majority of them Yak-4s . They were not particularly successful in service, many of them being lost in the early days of the German invasion.

 

[gekho]

During the final two years of the Second World War, the Yak-3 proved itself a powerful dogfighter. Tough and agile below an altitude of 13,000 feet, the Yak-3 dominated the skies over the battlefields of the Eastern Front during the closing years of the war. The first attempt to build a fighter called the Yak-3 was shelved in 1941 due to a lack of building materials and an unreliable engine. The second attempt used the Yak-1M, already in production, to maintain the high number of planes being built. The Yak-3 had a new, smaller wing and smaller dimensions then its predecessor. Its light weight gave the Yak-3 more agility. The Yak-3 completed its trials in October 1943 and began equipping the 91st IAP in July of 1944. In August, small numbers of Yak-3s were built with an improved engine generating 1,700-hp, and the aircraft saw limited combat action in 1945. Production continued until 1946, by which time 4,848 had been built.

The story of the Yak-3 did not end with the Second World War. In 1991, the Museum of Flying, in Santa Monica, California, asked Yakovlev to produce a new series of Yak-3s to be built at Orenburg, Russia. The new Yak-3s were built using the plans, tools, dies and fixtures of the original. They were powered by American Allison engines, and given the designation Yak-3UA. These aircraft are now available on the civilian market.

Source: Warbird Alley: Yakovlev Yak-3

 

[gekho]

It's December 1941. France is occupied by the Germans and the Soviet Army is desperately trying to stop the Nazi advance on Moscow. As the 'Free French' resistance builds, General de Gaulle meets with General Luguet in London to discuss the possibility of sending French pilots to fight the germans on the Russian front. The first 12 volunteers leave London on August 17th 1942 and on September 1st the "3rd Groupe de Chasse" or 3rd Fighter Group "Normandie" was Created. However, it wasn't until March 22nd 1943 that the unit was sent to the front and on April 5th Preziosi and Durand shared the units first 'kill' by shooting down a FW190. In May 1943, an order was signed by Keitel stating that all 'Normandie' prisoners are to be shot. On October 17th, General de gaulle awards the unit the "Companion of the Liberation" citation. Then on November 6th, with 72 victories (and 9 probables) to their credit, the group and it's 6 surviving original pilots is withdrawn to Toula for the winter.

It's 1944 and Stalin has added "Niemen" to their name in recognition of the Niemen river which the Soviet Army had just crossed with the help of the now, "Normandie-Niemen" squadron. On October 16th the Prusse Offensive begins and on this day, Normadie-Niemen pilots shoot down 29 enemy planes without a single loss to themselves. In June1945 the 'regiment' returns to France with 40 YAK 3's courtesy of Joseph Stalin. And finally, on the 20th of June 1945, the Regiment arrives at Bourget to a hero's return. The Normandie-Niemen pilots had racked up an impressive 273 confirmed victories and another 36 probables.

Source: Normandie-Niemen Aces

 

[gekho]

One of the great bombers of the war, the Ilyushin IL-4 has not unnaturally been overshadowed in Western thinking by the great British and American aircraft, yet well over 5,000 IL-4s were produced between 1937 and 1944, the vast majority in the last three years. The original prototype of this low-wing twin-engine bomber, designated the TsKB-26, flew in 1935, was developed through the TsKB-30, and entered production in 1937 as the DB-3B (DB being a Soviet contraction denoting longrange bomber). Early examples were powered by 571kW M-85 engines, but these were replaced by 716kW M-86s in 1938. Although a tough and relatively simple design, the aircraft suffered from a poor defensive armament of single nose, dorsal and ventral 7.62mm guns, and lost heavily to such aircraft as the Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gladiator and Fokker D.XXI during the Winter War against Finland in 1939-40. In 1939 a modified version with lengthened nose and more armour (the DB-3F) appeared, and in 1940, in conformity with changed Russian practice, the designation became IL-4 (denoting the designer, Sergei Ilyushin). Soon after the German attack on the USSR opened in 1941 it was decided to withdraw IL-4 production to newly opening plants in Siberia, at the same time replacing a large proportion of the metal structure by less strategically critical wood. IL-4s also entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation, and it was a naval- manned force of these bombers that first raided Berlin from the east on 8 August 1941. Thereafter the IL-4 paid frequent visits to the German capital and other targets in Eastern Europe. In 1944 production ended, although the IL-4 served until the end of the war and afterwards. Apart from increasing the calibre of its guns and giving it a torpedo- carrying ability, the IL-4 remained virtually unchanged between 1941 and 1944.

 

[gekho]

The Soviet Union's first high-speed rocket plane. Developed during World War II, it used a liquid-fueled engine built by Aleksei Isayev (1908–1971) with a thrust of 1.5 tons. The maiden flight of the BI-1, following accidents in ground runs of the rocket engine, came on May 15, 1942, lasted three minutes, and reached a speed of 400 km/h. Problems with corrosion, caused by the acid fuels, slowed testing. On its seventh flight, in March 1943, the aircraft reached 800 km/h (unofficially breaking the world speed record) but then experienced a previously unencountered tendency to pitch down and crashed, killing the pilot. Plans to put the plane into production were abandoned, and rocket plane development in the Soviet Union only resumed with the testing of German designs after the war.

 

[Wurger]

Great stuff as usually. Just a short note to the first picture in the post #33 for Yakovlev Yak-3. It shows Yak-1M methinks.

 

[gekho]

The Polikarpov I-16 was the last of Nikolai Polikarpov's fighter designs to enter production, and was the most important fighter aircraft in the Red Air Force by 1940. It was also the first monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage to enter front line service anywhere in the world, but a lack of suitable replacement aircraft meant that it remained in production until 1941, by which time it was virtually obsolete. The first sketches of the new aircraft were produced in 1932, when Polikarpov was working as Sukhoi's deputy at Brigade No.3 of the TsKB (Central Design Bureau). This was originally the cover name for a team of designers who were working while interned, after being charged with a wide range of crimes as part of an attempt by the Secret Police to gain control of the aircraft industry. Polikarpov himself had been charged with sabotage in 1929. The TsKB designation continued to be used long after the designers had been freed. Serious work began in 1933, when Polikarpov was head of Brigade No.2. Polikarpov wanted to build his new fighter around the 700hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine which was expected to enter licensed production in the Soviet Union. The negotiations proceeded very slowly, and so alternative engines had to be used for the two prototypes. The first received a 480hp M-22 engine, a Soviet-built version of the Bristol Jupiter VI, while the second was powered by a 600hp Wright Cyclone 1802-F-2 that Polikarpov had acquired.

The prototypes were given the designation TsKB-12 as the twelfth aircraft to be designed by the Central Design Bureau (TsKB). Work on the prototypes began in June 1933, and both were ready for their maiden flights by the end of the year. The first prototype (M-22 engine) made its maiden flight on 30 December 1933, with skis instead of the wheeled retractable undercarriage. The Cyclone-powered second prototype made its maiden flight in January 1934. The high regard in which Polikarpov was held at this date was demonstrated in November 1933, when the Soviet Council for Labour and Defence decided to put the new aircraft into series production at zavod 21 at Gor'ky. A small number were also to be built at zavod 39, the factory attached to the design bureau. Both prototypes took part in state trials from 16 to 27 February 1934. The first prototype reached a top speed of 190mph at sea level and 175mph at 16,400ft. The second prototype was faster, with a top speed of 215mph at sea level and 195mph at 16,400ft.

In March the first prototype underwent trials with the retractable wheeled undercarriage. This time its top speed rose to 223mph at sea level and 201mph at 16,400ft. These were good figures for 1934, and suggested that the Cyclone powered I-16 would be on a par with the best foreign fighters of the period. The standard German fighter of 1934 was the 186mph Arado Ar 65, while in Britain the Gloster Gladiator biplane made its maiden flight on 12 September 1934, and had a top speed of 236mph at 10,000ft. When the second I-16 prototype received a Cyclone F-3 engine later in 1934 its top pseed rose to 271mph. Development was briefly held up when the second prototype was damaged in a crash, but it was rebuilt with a new cowling, the Wright Cyclone F-3 and some other minor changes and tests resumed in September 1934.

The I-16 would soon be left behind by more modern aircraft. In Germany the prototype Bf 109 made its maiden flight in September 1935. The Hawker Hurricane first flew on 6 November 1935, and its prototype reached 315mph, while the Spitfire made its debut on 5 March 1936, and had a top speed of 349mph. Production standard I-16s didn't break 300mph until the introduction of the I-16 tip 24 in 1940, and even then most standard aircraft failed to reach their full potential. The main limit would prove to be the single row radial engines used to power the aircraft. These were soon outclassed, first by the inline engines of the Spitfire or Bf 109, and then by the multi-row radial engines that powered later American fighters. Early trials revealed that the I-16 was fast and very manoeuvrable for a monoplane, but also somewhat difficult to fly and not suitable for novices. As a result a two-seat trainer, the UTI, was ordered into production for use as a conversion trainer, and new monoplane basic trainers were eventually needed. Over time many of its bad habits were eliminated, and the later versions were considered to be rather easier to fly.

 

[gekho]

The I-16 saw combat on the border between Mongolia and Manchuria, during the Khlakhin Gol or Nomohan Incident of 11 May-15 September 1939. At the start of this undeclared war the Red Air Force has a small number of I-16 tip 5s in the Far East, and these were rather outclassed by the Japanese Nakajima Ki-27 Army Type 97 Fighter. The situation changed as both sides flooded reinforcements into the area. The Soviets eventually deployed 311 I-16s to the area, mainly the more heavily armed tip 10s and tip 17s. With a larger number of more modern aircraft and more experienced pilots the Red Air Force recovered from its poor start, and by the end of the fighting both sides had lost around 200 aircraft. Perhaps the most notable incident of the air war over Manchuria was the use of unguided rockets as an air-to-air weapon for the first time. Thirteen victories were claimed for the rockets before the fighting came to an end.

The Soviet Union entered the Second World War in 1939 as an ally of Nazi Germany, taking part in the invasion and dismemberment of Poland. I-16 equipped fighter units were involved in the Soviet invasion of eastern Poland, but the Soviets had delayed their invasion for long enough to make sure that just about every Polish aircraft was fighting the Germans, and there are no records of any clashes between Soviet and Polish fighters. By 1941 the I-16 was slowly being replaced by the LaGG-3, MiG-3 and Yak-1 fighters, but it was still present in large numbers when the Germans invaded, representing around 40% of the fighter force, and 38% of the 4,226 fighters facing the German invasion. As with every type of Soviet aircraft vast numbers of I-16s were lost on the ground in the immediate assault, but after that it just about held its own, suffering a similar rate of losses to the more modern fighters that were replacing it.

I-16 pilots found themselves in roughly the same position as biplane pilots when faced with the Bf 109. The German fighter was faster but less manoeuvrable than the I-16, and so could choose when and where to fight. If the German pilot could be lured into a dogfight then the superior manoeuvrability of the I-16 would come into play, although the German could use his superior speed to escape combat. By early in 1942 the Red Air Force was recommending the head-on attack, something of an act of desperation given that by 1941 the Bf 109 was better armed than most I-16s (apart from the small number of cannon armed aircraft). The I-16 was used in several roles during the first two years of fighting on the Eastern Front. The standard machine gun armed versions were used as fighter aircraft. When flown by an experienced pilot the more powerful I-16s could almost hold their own against the Bf 109E, but not against later versions of the aircraft. The I-16 saw most use early in the war, when Soviet fighter tactics (involving large numbers of fighters in tight formations) gave the Germans a massive advantage, so losses were inevitably heavy. The Naval Air Arm also used the I-16 against the Germans, most famously during the siege of Leningrad, where they were used to protect transport aircraft bringing supplies into the beleaguered city. The naval fighters were also used during the defence of Odessa at the other end of the long front line.

The I-16 was of limited use against German bombers, as it was slower than the Ju 88 (as were many other fighter aircraft in service at the time), while its limited machine gun armament meant that the sturdy He 111 could often survive being attacked. The cannon and 12.7mm armed versions of the I-16 were used as ground attack aircraft until enough Il-2s were available to replace them. The aircraft could also carry six unguided rockets, which gave it quite a powerful punch in this role, but the I-16 was at best lightly armoured, and so losses were high. Although the Red Air Force lost huge numbers of I-16s, the Luftwaffe also suffered heavy casualties in the early part of the fighting, many of them inflicted by pilots flying the I-16.

The I-16 quickly faded from the front line. Production of the single seat fighter stopped in 1941, and so losses could only be replaced until stocks ran down. By the end of 1941 the number of I-16s with units on the front had dropped from just over 1,600 at the time of the German invasion to only 240, and by 1 July 1943 only 42 were still in operational use. The I-16 remained in use with units away from the front line for a little longer, but only 42 were still in use in the western part of the Soviet Union at the end of 1943 and in 1944 the aircraft was withdrawn in the west. They remained in use in the east almost to the end of the war, and the 888th IAP operated the type until August 1945, but none were used during the brief but effective Soviet invasion of Manchuria in the last few days of the war against Japan.

Source: Polikarpov I-16

 

[gekho]

Arriving in small numbers in the ranks of the V-VS to witness the mass devastation of the summer of 1941, the Petlyakov Pe-2 was destined to become the best Soviet light bomber of World War II. The aircraft was derived from V.M. Petlyakov's VI-100 pressurized high-altitude twin-engined interceptor, which displayed a phenomenal top speed of 623km/h at 10,000m, had a crew of two and was powered by 820kW M-105R V-12 engines. The VI-100 first flew on 7 May 1939. With the approach of war in Europe the V-VS made urgent requests for dive-bomber aircraft, and to this end the design bureau adapted the VI-100 fighter by removing the TK-3 high-altitude turbo-chargers, fitting standard M-105R engines, lattice type dive-brakes, and giving the tailplane pronounced dihedral to increase stability. Two prototype PB-100 (pikiruyushchn bombardirovshchik, or dive-bomber) aircraft were built with these items installed in addition to an extensively glazed nose and defensive armament. This type became the Petlyakov Pe-2 light bomber and dive-bomber. The crew of three (pilot, bombardier and air-gunner) sat under a long glazed canopy with 9mm armour protection. Initial armament consisted of two fixed 7.62mm ShKAS guns in the nose, one in the dorsal station, and a fourth in the ventral aimed by a 120° vision periscope.

The M-105R engines drove three-bladed VISh-61 propellers. The aircraft proved to be fast, highly manoeuvrable, but was guite demanding to novice pilots under asymmetric conditions. By the time of the German invasion in June 1941 some 458 Pe-2s had been produced from the factories, but it is suspected that deliveries to service units was tardy. Certainly, even by September 1941 the numbers of Pe-2s in front-line units were few. Colonel General I.S. Konev's Western Front had only five in commission with which to stem the German assault on Moscow, and the establishment of Pe-2s with the Bryansk and Kalinin Fronts was even lower. Although limited in numbers, Pe-2s contributed to the victories of the Soviet winter offensive of 1941-2, and were seen in increasing numbers during the defensive battles at Leningrad, Kharkov, Rostov, and in the Stalingrad campaign. Late in 1942 came the improved Pe-2FT with 940kW Klimov M-105PF engines, and a 12.7mm UBT machine-gun in a dorsal turret. The Pe-2I and Pe-2M were fighter-bombers, powered by 1208kW VK- 107A engines. The reconnaissance version was the Pe-2R, whilst a dual-control trainer was termed the Pe-2UT. The aircraft saw distinguished service in every major Soviet campaign from 1941 to 1945, including operations in Manchuria against the Japanese in September 1945. A total of 11,427 Pe-2s and Pe-3s (the fighter version) was produced.