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Aircraft pe 2 technical description. frontline bomber

The question of the accuracy of bombing attacks arose quite sharply immediately after the end of the First World War. This was facilitated by the constant increase in the speed of new combat aircraft, which led to a greater deviation of falling bombs from the aiming point. One solution to this problem was dive bombers, which delivered bombing strikes from a dive, achieving high accuracy in hitting the target. The most famous of these bombers, which became a symbol of the blitzkrieg, was the German Ju 87. In the USSR, before the war, they also worked on this direction. The main dive bomber of the Red Army Air Force during the war years was the Pe-2, which after the war was finally replaced by the more advanced Tu-2 bomber.

It should be noted that the Pe-2 became the most massive front-line dive bomber ever produced in the USSR. In total, 11,427 of these machines were produced from 1940 to 1945. During the war, Pe-2 aircraft took part in battles on all fronts, they were used not only in the land, but also in naval aviation. This aircraft was used as a bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and even a fighter. It is difficult to say how the future fate of this promising bomber would have developed if on January 12, 1942, its creator V. M. Petlyakov had not died in a plane crash.

Pe-2 dive bomber

State tests of the "weave" were completed on May 10, 1940, and on June 23 the aircraft was accepted for mass production. On the production model, the cockpit was shifted slightly forward. Behind the pilot's seat, slightly to the right, was the navigator's seat. The nose of the cockpit was glazed, which made it possible to carry out aiming at the time of the bombing. The navigator could also fire from a rear-firing ShKAS machine gun, which was mounted on a pivot mount. Behind the trailing edge of the wing of the aircraft was the place of the gunner-radio operator, who controlled the ventral "dagger" ShKAS installation.

Serial Pe-2 aircraft were equipped with M-105R engines, which had a takeoff power of 1100 hp. with driven centrifugal superchargers, as well as VISh-61P variable-pitch propellers. The aircraft engines were water-cooled, radiators were located in the wing of the aircraft to the left and right of each engine. Oil coolers were located directly under the motors. All aircraft fuel tanks were sealed and had an inert gas injection system - cooled exhaust gases from engines, which made it possible to reduce the possibility of a fire in case of damage to the fuel tank at the time of air combat.

For the first time in the USSR, the Pe-2 used an electric control system for many mechanisms. About 50 electric motors of 5 different types with power from 30 to 1,700 watts were used in the design of the aircraft. They were engaged in the maintenance of various units of the bomber: they changed the pitch of the propellers, opened and closed the radiator doors, put valves, pumps, shields into action. Also, these motors, at the command of the AP-1 dive machine, released or, on the contrary, removed the aerodynamic brakes, which were located under the wing consoles and were used during a dive.

The bomber provided various option s bomb load in the form of fragmentation, high-explosive and special bombs (for example, chemical, concrete-piercing, lighting) with a total weight of up to 1000 kg. At the same time, the largest bomb that a dive bomber could take was the FAB-500. The bomb load was distributed as follows: 600 kg. could fit inside a large bomb bay (400 kg), which was located in the central part of the fuselage, as well as two bomb bays in the tail section of the engine nacelles (100 kg each). Another 400 kg of bombs could be placed on an external sling. Small bombs were placed in special cassettes. At the same time, in the process of diving, it was only possible to drop bombs from an external sling. There were no devices for launching bombs from the bomb bay onto the aircraft.

Unfortunately, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, Pe-2s did not have time to fully pass either operational or military tests, the order to conduct which was given by the command of the Red Army Air Force only in April 1941. The situation was even worse with the retraining of pilots for a new machine. If in general for the Air Force this indicator for new technology was 10%, then in bomber aircraft it was only 5%. At the same time, pilot retraining programs were simplified to the limit. Dive bomber crews were not trained in dive bombing, nor were they trained to fly at high altitude. Only individual commanders could use "pawns" at altitudes up to 7 thousand meters.

Largely due to the combination of these factors, the activity of the Pe-2 in the first days of the war was low. Despite this, the "pawns" were able to prove themselves on the very first day of the war. 17 bombers from the 5th bomber regiment successfully bombed the Galatsky bridge across the river. Rod. Over time, their combat work at the front only increased. The value of the Pe-2 dive bombers was their speed, maneuverability, and survivability. Thanks to these qualities, this aircraft could operate in the daytime in the conditions of German air superiority in the air. At the same time, the "pawns", especially freed from the bomb load, could accept the battle or avoid interception. Aircraft operated especially effectively after the 13th series, which received large-caliber 12.7-mm offensive and defensive machine guns.

Shot down near Bobruisk, German sergeant major A. Mudin from the 51st fighter squadron (JG51) during interrogation stated that he considered the Pe-2 the best Soviet aircraft. According to him, this machine was distinguished by good fire protection and high speed, it was dangerous for enemy fighters. There is nothing surprising in his words, since he was shot down by a Pe-2 gunner, and in terms of its speed, the aircraft was not inferior to the Bf 109E fighter. Also, in the first months of the war, the Germans quite often confused the Pe-2 with their own Do 17Z and Bf 110 aircraft, which also had a two-fin tail, and did not attack these machines.

Tactical and technical characteristics Pe-2:

Dimensions: wingspan - 17.6 m, length - 12.6 m, height - 3.92 m.
Wing area - 40.5 square meters. m.
The takeoff weight of the aircraft is 7,550 kg.
Engine type - 2 M-105, power of each 1100 hp.
Maximum speed - 540 km / h.
Practical flight range: 1,200 km.

Practical ceiling: 8,700 m.
Crew - 3 people.
Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm UB machine guns, up to 4 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns
Bomb load normal - 500 kg, maximum - 1,000 kg.

Tu-2 dive bomber

The Tu-2 bomber project was developed back in 1939, and the first copy of the aircraft under the designation "103U" was built at the end of 1940. According to its scheme, the Tu-2 was a medium wing with a large bomb bay under the wing, as well as a spaced tail. The aircraft landing gear was retractable. The cockpit of the pilot, as well as the navigator-gunner sitting behind him, was located in the bow of the crew, in front of the wing of the aircraft. In the very nose, the cabin had glazing for better view pilot down and forward. The navigator was slightly shifted to the right for a better view. The cockpit of the gunner-radio operator was located behind the wing of the aircraft and had a view up and back. The hatch "dagger" installation for shelling down and back was serviced either by a radio operator gunner or a separate gunner.

The crew of the aircraft usually included 4 people (could change from 2 to 5). The design of the Tu-2 was completely all-metal, countersunk riveting. The fuselage of the aircraft was a semi-monocoque with a frame. In the standard version, the bomber's armament consisted of 2 20-mm ShVAK-20 cannons, which were fixedly mounted in the center section near the sides of the fuselage. To protect the rear hemisphere, 3-5 ShKAS machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber were used, installed at 2-3 shooting points, which could subsequently be replaced by more powerful 12.7 mm UB machine guns.

In the summer of 1941, during state tests, the aircraft showed outstanding flight performance and was recommended for release. However, it was not possible to organize then the mass production of the machine, mainly for the reason that the AM-37 aircraft engines used by him had not yet been mass-produced. In this regard, it became necessary to develop a new version of the aircraft under the M-82 engine, which shortly before that had passed a series of state tests. Even before the start of the evacuation, A. N. Tupolev's design bureau had practically completed all the work on designing an aircraft for this engine. The M-82 differed from the AM-37 in that it had more power, a noticeably larger midsection and a lower altitude. The new version of the bomber received the designation "103B" and already in December 1941 began flight tests, which demonstrated that the "103M" maximum speed turned out to be significantly lower than that of the 103U, although at low altitudes the speeds of the dive bombers were commensurate. Even during the testing of "103V", preparations began for its serial production, which was deployed in Omsk in the summer of 1942.

In September 1942, the first serial Tu-2 dive bombers were sent to the front to undergo a series of military tests. Front-line pilots appreciated the quality of the new machine. They noted the ease of mastering the bomber, the increased survivability of air-cooled engines, the ability to continue flying on one engine, good scheme defensive fire. He showed the plane and a fairly outstanding speed, on tests the Tu-2 accelerated to 547 km / h. The ceiling of the car was 9,500 meters with a bomb load of 1 ton, while in overload the plane could take on board up to 3 tons of bombs.

It would seem that the plane should now go to mass production, but that did not happen. Moreover, it was decided to stop the production of the bomber, which had been so laboriously established, in order to organize production at the Yak fighter factory. Today, such a decision seems frankly illogical. Despite the fact that the production of the Tu-2 was stopped, it was clear and confirmed by combat tests on the Kalinin Front that such an aircraft as the Tu-2 would be indispensable to ensure further major offensive operations.

That is why, already in 1943, a decision was again made to start production of this aircraft, but already at other factories. As a result, serial Tu-2s reappear at the front only at the end of 1943. At the same time, the new aircraft differed significantly from the Tu-2 of the 1942 model. During this time, the design team led by Tupolev carried out serious work aimed at simplifying the design and production of their car. The result of this was that the cost of producing only one Tu-2 was reduced by approximately 20%, while its weight decreased, and reliability and survivability were further improved. In addition, the bomber received new ASh-82FN engines, which provided it with an increase in speed by 20-25 km / h. The defensive armament of the aircraft was also reinforced. In addition, the bomber, which was called the Tu-2S, could be used with minor alterations as a long-range bomber, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. At the same time, only a variant of the Tu-2S bomber was produced in the mass series.

The new dive bomber had the following important advantages over the Pe-2. He could lift 3 times more bombs into the air (3,000 kg versus 1,000 kg). In addition, on its internal suspension, it could even carry bombs weighing 1000 kg, while the Pe-2's internal bomb bay could only hold 100 kg of ammunition. In addition, the aircraft could drop bombs in a dive not only from the external suspension, like the Pe-2, but also from the internal one, and also had more powerful defensive weapons. Its flight range was almost twice that of the Pe-2 (2000-2200 km versus 1200-1300 km). At the same time, the car was distinguished by the best aerobatic qualities, but the speed characteristics of the aircraft were very close.

In all its variants and modifications, the design scheme remained unchanged. Changed equipment, weapons, engines. The dimensions of the aircraft changed slightly, with the exception of models with an increased flight range, in which the area of the tail and wing was noticeably increased. During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet industry was able to produce about 800 Tu-2 dive bombers, which proved to be excellent in battles. After the war, the aircraft was mass-produced for several more years, in total 2,527 of these machines were produced.

Tactical and technical characteristics of Tu-2S:

Dimensions: wingspan - 18.86 m, length - 13.8 m, height - 4.13 m.
Wing area - 48.8 square meters. m.
Aircraft take-off weight - 10360 kg.
Engine type - 2 ASh-82FN, power of each 1850 hp.
The maximum speed is 547 km / h.
Practical flight range: 2150 km.
Service ceiling: 9,500 m.
Crew - 4 people.
Armament: 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons, 3 x 12.7 mm UB machine guns.
Bomb load normal - 1,000 kg, maximum - 3,000 kg.

Information sources:
- http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/pe2.html
- http://www.airpages.ru/ru/pe2_1bp.shtml
- http://world-of-avia.narod.ru/tu2.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/

Soviet dive bombers

This popular science film tells about the Pe-2 - "Pawn". Pe-2 was the most massive front-line dive bomber produced in the USSR. In small bomber aviation, this type of weapon was the most productive. Production of the Pe-2 ceased in the winter of 1945-1946. More of these machines were built than any other Soviet bombers. After the end of the war, the Pe-2 was quickly withdrawn from service. Soviet aviation and replaced by more advanced Tu-2. About the Tu-2, as a worthy replacement for the "Pawn", we will also tell you in this film.

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Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter

It should be noted that the Pe-2 became the most massive front-line dive bomber ever produced in the USSR. In total, 11,427 of these machines were produced from 1940 to 1945. During the war, Pe-2 aircraft took part in battles on all fronts, they were used not only in land, but also in naval aviation. This aircraft was used as a bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and even a fighter. It is difficult to say how the future fate of this promising bomber would have developed if on January 12, 1942, its creator V. M. Petlyakov had not died in a plane crash.

Pe-2 dive bomber

The bomber provided for various bomb load options in the form of fragmentation, high-explosive and special bombs (for example, chemical, concrete-piercing, lighting) with a total weight of up to 1000 kg. At the same time, the largest bomb that a dive bomber could take was the FAB-500. The bomb load was distributed as follows: 600 kg. could fit inside a large bomb bay (400 kg), which was located in the central part of the fuselage, as well as two bomb bays in the tail section of the engine nacelles (100 kg each). Another 400 kg of bombs could be placed on an external sling. Small bombs were placed in special cassettes. At the same time, in the process of diving, it was only possible to drop bombs from an external sling. There were no devices for launching bombs from the bomb bay onto the aircraft.

Unfortunately, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Pe-2 did not have time to fully pass either operational or military tests, the order to conduct which was given by the Red Army Air Force command only in April 1941. The situation was even worse with the retraining of pilots for a new machine. If in general for the Air Force this indicator for new technology was 10%, then in bomber aviation it was only 5%. At the same time, pilot retraining programs were simplified to the limit. Dive bomber crews were not trained in dive bombing, nor were they trained to fly at high altitude. Only individual commanders could use "pawns" at altitudes up to 7 thousand meters.

The performance characteristics of the Pe-2:

Practical ceiling: 8,700 m.
Crew - 3 people.
Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm UB machine guns, up to 4 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns
Bomb load normal - 500 kg, maximum - 1,000 kg.

Tu-2 dive bomber

The Tu-2 bomber project was developed back in 1939, and the first copy of the aircraft under the designation "103U" was built at the end of 1940. According to its scheme, the Tu-2 was a medium wing with a large bomb bay under the wing, as well as a spaced tail. The aircraft landing gear was retractable. The cockpit of the pilot, as well as the navigator-gunner sitting behind him, was located in the bow of the crew, in front of the wing of the aircraft. In the very nose, the cockpit had glazing for a better view of the pilot down and forward. The navigator was slightly shifted to the right for a better view. The cockpit of the gunner-radio operator was located behind the wing of the aircraft and had a view up and back. The hatch "dagger" installation for shelling down and back was serviced either by a radio operator gunner or a separate gunner.

In the summer of 1941, during state tests, the aircraft showed outstanding flight performance and was recommended for release. However, it was not possible to organize then the mass production of the machine, mainly for the reason that the AM-37 aircraft engines used by him had not yet been mass-produced. In this regard, it became necessary to develop a new version of the aircraft under the M-82 engine, which shortly before that had passed a series of state tests. Even before the start of the evacuation, A. N. Tupolev's design bureau had practically completed all the work on designing an aircraft for this engine. The M-82 differed from the AM-37 in that it had more power, a noticeably larger midsection and a lower altitude. The new version of the bomber received the designation "103B" and already in December 1941 began flight tests, which showed that the "103M" maximum speed was significantly lower than that of the "103U", although at low altitudes the speeds of the dive bombers were commensurate. Even during the testing of "103V", preparations began for its serial production, which was deployed in Omsk in the summer of 1942.

In September 1942, the first serial Tu-2 dive bombers were sent to the front to undergo a series of military tests. Front-line pilots appreciated the quality of the new machine. They noted the ease of mastering the bomber, the increased survivability of air-cooled engines, the ability to continue flying on one engine, and a good defensive fire pattern. He showed the plane and a fairly outstanding speed, on tests the Tu-2 accelerated to 547 km / h. The ceiling of the car was 9,500 meters with a bomb load of 1 ton, while in overload the plane could take on board up to 3 tons of bombs.

It would seem that the aircraft should now go into mass production, but this did not happen. Moreover, it was decided to stop the production of the bomber, which had been so laboriously established, in order to organize production at the Yak fighter plant. Today, such a decision seems frankly illogical. Despite the fact that the production of the Tu-2 was stopped, it was clear and confirmed by combat tests on the Kalinin Front that such an aircraft as the Tu-2 would be indispensable to ensure further major offensive operations.

Tactical and technical characteristics of Tu-2S:

Information sources:
- http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/pe2.html
- http://www.airpages.ru/ru/pe2_1bp.shtml
- http://world-of-avia.narod.ru/tu2.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/

Soviet dive bombers

This popular science film tells about the Pe-2 - "Pawn". Pe-2 was the most massive front-line dive bomber produced in the USSR. In small bomber aviation, this type of weapon was the most productive. Production of the Pe-2 ceased in the winter of 1945-1946. More of these machines were built than any other Soviet bombers. After the end of the war, the Pe-2 was quickly withdrawn from service with the Soviet aviation and replaced by more advanced Tu-2s. About the Tu-2, as a worthy replacement for the "Pawn", we will also tell you in this film.

ctrl Enter

Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter

The Pe-2 aircraft exhibited at the Air Force Museum in Monino was assembled from the wreckage of three vehicles that served as targets during firing at the Krasnoarmeisky artillery range. It was delivered to the museum on July 14, 1959. 2.
Pe-2 (Pawn) (according to NATO classification: Buck), and in the Finnish Air Force received the unofficial nickname Pekka-Eemeli.

As always, I use information from sites
http://www.airwar.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
and other sources found by me in the internet and literature.

The development of the Pe-2 was started in the middle of 1938 by a group of designers led by V.M. Petlyakov at TsKB-29. This Central Design Bureau belonged to the Special Technical Department of the NKVD and was a unique organization - the entire backbone of the design bureau consisted of prisoners - enemies of the people, pests. All the actual heads of the bureau were also prisoners, including V.M. Petlyakov (NKVD employees were considered the formal heads of the Central Design Bureau).
general form

Vladimir Mikhailovich Petlyakov (1891-1942) until his arrest in 1938 was the director of the TsAGI experimental design plant. As one of the closest assistants to A.N. Tupolev, he participated in the creation of the ANT-2, TB-1, TB-3, ANT-20 aircraft (Maxim Gorky). In the second half of the 1930s, V.M. Petlyakov headed a team that designed a new heavy bomber TB-7 (later called Pe-8). Following Tupolev, together with many workers in the aviation industry, Petlyakov was arrested and after some time ended up in TsKB-29, which was practically led by the same A.N. Tupolev, but already as a prisoner.

At the end of the 1930s, a new tactic of dive bombing attracted serious attention from the leadership of the Soviet Air Force. The pilots of the American Navy were the first to use this tactic. It was in the United States that specialized carrier-based dive bombers were first built, designed to destroy enemy ships. The American fighter-bomber Hauk III became the prototype of the first German dive bomber Henschel Hsl23.

The high accuracy of dive bombing allowed the bomber to hit relatively small targets on the battlefield and in its immediate vicinity - tanks, armored vehicles, pillboxes, etc. To some extent, dive bombers could even compensate for field artillery that could not keep up with tank columns. Before the start of World War II, the famous Junkers Ju.87 was mass-produced in Germany (nicknamed by us for the non-retractable landing gear in fairings).
rear chassis

In the light of these events, Petlyakov was given the command to convert his VI-100 fighter into a dive bomber. It only took a month and a half to complete the renovation. Initially, the designers really wanted to leave in the new car, called the PB-100, the main highlights of the former - a pressurized cabin and turbochargers. Only in the version of the bomber pressurized cabins there should have been two - front for the pilot and rear for the navigator and gunner-radio operator.

But all the novelties remained on paper. Therefore, PB-100 had a more traditional look. There were no pressurized cabins, and on the M-105R engines, instead of turbochargers, there were conventional superchargers driven by the engine itself.

The official state tests of the dive bomber took place only in January-February 1941. Then it corresponded to the generally accepted practice - not only in the USSR, but also in England, the USA, Germany, they often prepared for mass production of the machine, not yet finished their tests.

The characteristics of the Pe-2 for this period were considered very high. In terms of speed (without external bomb suspension), it was almost as good as the main German fighter of 1940, the Messerschmitt Bf.109E. It is most correct to compare the Pe-2 with the German Junkers Ju.88 machine of a similar purpose, designed for bombing from level flight and diving, and during the war it was used in the same way as a reconnaissance aircraft, torpedo bomber and heavy fighter. The Junkers Ju88A-4 of the 1940 issue differed from the Pe-2 in somewhat larger dimensions and weight; its bomb load reached 3 tons; it had more defensive machine guns (but also a 7.92 mm rifle caliber), was superior in range, but inferior to the Pe-2 in speed (by about 80 km / h) and flight altitude (the ceiling was 600 m less) and had significantly worse indicators of horizontal and vertical maneuver.
rear landing gear ski

By the beginning of the war, the Air Force received 458 Pe-2 aircraft.
By December 1, 1941, their number reached 1626 (including Pe-3 fighters).
main landing gear

On January 12, 1942, V.M. Petlyakov died in a plane crash. The Pe-2 plane, on which the designer was flying, fell into a heavy snowfall on the way to Moscow, lost orientation and crashed into a hill near Arzamas.
mik25 corrected me: January 12, 1942, 2:15 pm. Three kilometers from Kamkino Kazanskaya station railway PE-2 aircraft, factory N 14-11, piloted by the deputy squadron commander of the 2nd Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, senior lieutenant F. A. Ovechkin, who was paired with aircraft N 12-11, piloted by Lieutenant Ostapenko, deviated from the route, turned sharply to the left at 160-200 degrees and with a large angle of decline went to an emergency landing. Casual eyewitnesses saw that at an altitude of 50-100 meters he was engulfed in flames and dived at an angle of 60 degrees with a left bank. One kilometer from the village of Mameshevo, the car hit the ground. The explosion of gas tanks scattered the wreckage of the aircraft over an area of 150x50 meters. The crew and the only passenger, the chief designer of this aircraft, Vladimir Mikhailovich Petlyakov, died.

The place of the chief designer was briefly taken by A.M.Izakson, and then he was replaced by A.I.Putilov.
In 1943, V.M. Myasishchev, also a former enemy of the people, and later a well-known Soviet aircraft designer, creator of heavy strategic bombers, was appointed head of the design bureau.

Behind the trailing edge of the wing was the place of the gunner-radio operator who controlled the ShKAS ventral dagger installation.
tail unit

Behind the pilot, slightly to the right, was the navigator's seat. The bow was glazed from below, which made it possible to aim while bombing. The navigator had a ShKAS machine gun firing backwards on a pivot mount.
cockpit and control

The front cockpit, where the pilot and navigator sat, was well equipped with instruments, in particular, the ATP attitude indicator and the RPK-2 radio half-compass. There were few gyro instruments, and there was no autopilot at all, but in most cases this did not affect the tactical capabilities of the aircraft, since the Pe-2 had to operate in the frontline zone. The pilot was protected by an armored back plate 9 mm thick, and later, during the war, armor protection appeared and the navigator had a side sheet 6 mm thick.

steering wheel

Serial Pe-2s were equipped with M-105R engines with a take-off power of 1100 hp. with driven centrifugal superchargers and VISh-61P variable pitch propellers. Engine radiators (motors were water-cooled) were located in the wing, to the left and right of each engine, oil coolers - directly under the engines.
engine

Air exited the water radiators through louvres on the upper surface of the wing. Motors started compressed air. The fuel was in the main fuselage tank, in two tanks in the central part of the wing and in two tanks in the consoles behind the engines. All tanks were sealed and had an inert gas injection system - cooled exhaust gases from engines, which reduced the possibility of a fire when the tanks were shot through in battle.

From the 22nd series, improved M-105RA engines were installed on the Pe-2.
From the 179th series, the M-105RA engines were replaced with forced M-105PF engines with a take-off power of 1210 hp. The M-105PF engine was originally intended for fighters and was designed to install a gun. These engines were installed on the Yak-1, Yak-7 and LaGG-3. A feature of the M-105PF was that it was optimized for low and medium flight altitudes (by adjusting the boost), so after installing it, the maximum speed of the Pe-2 at altitudes up to 4000 m increased, and higher, on the contrary, fell. Altitude characteristics have also deteriorated somewhat. The situation was aggravated by the fact that from the 22nd series, the aircraft were equipped with VISH-61B propellers, matched to the operating modes of the M-105RA engine. After changing the motors, the propellers remained the same, which did not allow to fully realize the capabilities of the new engine. Nevertheless, the M-105PF installation can be considered progressive, since a gain was achieved in the most important altitude range for the Soviet-German front. Near the ground, the maximum speed of the aircraft increased by about 25 km / h.

In 1943, a Pe-2 variant was designed with M-82 radial engines with a power of 1540 hp. Big power propeller installation allowed to increase the maximum speed and ceiling of the aircraft, but not by much. At the same time, the transition to new engines could slow down mass production, so in 1944 they produced a relatively small series of these aircraft (135 pieces), after which they again returned to aircraft with M-105PF engines (at that time they were already called VK-105PF ).
On the 211 series, VISH-61P propellers began to be used.
wing

Modifications:
Pe-2 initial serial modification
Pe-2VI high-altitude fighter with pressurized cockpit.
Pe-2D three-seat version of the September 1944 bomber. with VK-107A engines.
Pe-2I two-seat bomber with a redesigned fuselage, increased wingspan, a larger diameter bomb bay with a capacity of 1000 kg, two 12.7 mm machine guns and VK-107A engines with 1650 hp.
Pe-2K model, which had wings, engine nacelles and landing gear designed for the Pe-2I aircraft, and VK-105PF-1 engines.
Pe-2M triple variant with VU-5-20 movable mount
Pe-2 M-1 variant with M-1 engine
Pe-2 M-82 variant with M-82 engine
Pe-2MV modification, armed with two 20 mm ShVAK cannons, two 12.7 mm machine guns located in the ventral gondola, and one 7.62 mm machine gun located in the dorsal turret.

Pe-2R(1) three-seat day reconnaissance variant with three/four cameras, three 12.7 mm machine guns and VK-105PF engines.
Pe-2R(2) three-seater daytime reconnaissance variant, 1944; similar to Pe-2R(1), but armed with three 20mm ShVAK cannons and VK-107A engines.
Pe-2RD is the only modification of the Pe-2 aircraft with a liquid rocket engine Glushko RD-1 with a thrust of 300 kg, installed in the tail section; tested in the period 1943-45.
Pe-2S two-seat training variant
Pe-2UT/U two-seat training variants retaining full bomb load, some with four machine guns: two 12.7mm and two 7.62mm; the Czech designation is SB-32.
Pe-2F variant with M-105F engine

Pe-2FT main production model from spring 1942; similar to the Pe-2MV model, but with brake flaps removed and with a second 7.62 mm machine gun for the gunner-radio operator.
The Pe-2FZ variant had a modified cockpit design, the navigator was located in a turret with two 12.7 mm machine guns.
Pe-2Sh designation for a modification of the PB-100 prototype aircraft with two 20 mm ShVAK cannons and one UBS 12.7 mm machine gun under the fuselage for firing at ground targets.
Pe-3 designation for interceptor aircraft, on which the brake flaps were removed, and the armament consisted of two 20 mm ShVAK cannons, two 12.7 mm machine guns, two 7.62 mm machine guns in the nose and one 12.7 mm machine gun in the dorsal turret.
Pe-3bis night fighter (about 300 built) armed with one 20 mm ShVAK cannon, one 12.7 mm machine gun and three 7.62 mm machine guns in the nose; in later models, armament consisted of two 20 mm ShVAK cannons, three 12.7 mm machine guns and two 7.62 mm machine guns; a compartment for three bombs weighing 100 kg and underwing launch rails for eight RS-82 missiles.

Pe-3M two-seat fighter 1943 with VK-105PF engines and armament consisting of two 20-mm ShVAK cannons, three machine guns of 12.7 mm caliber and a bomb load weighing up to 700 kg.
Pe-3R fighter or reconnaissance version with cameras.
Pe-6B the main serial bomber since 1944; with improvements in design and systems, the armament consisted of three 12.7 mm machine guns and one 7.62 mm machine gun.
Pe-27 bomber variant September 1944 with VK-107A engines, bomb load up to 2000 kg and armed with three 20-mm ShVAK guns.

dive braking grids

junction of the fuselage with the wing

Various variants of the bomb load were envisaged in the form of high-explosive, fragmentation and special bombs (concrete-piercing, chemical, lighting) with a total weight of up to 1000 kg. The largest bomb that the Pe-2 could take was the FAB-500. The bomb load was distributed as follows: 600 kg - inside the bomb bay (in the central part of the fuselage) and in small compartments; the tail section of the engine nacelles (where one bomb weighing 100 kg was laid), and the rest - on an external sling. Small bombs were placed in special cassettes. When diving, it was possible to drop bombs only from an external sling, since there were no devices for removing them from the bomb bay. In this case, the entire battle, the load was suspended on external bomb racks. A steep dive at an angle of up to 70 degrees was allowed. The use of pouring aviation devices for spraying poisonous substances, such as, for example, on an SB aircraft, was not envisaged.
armament hangers

It should be noted that until the end of the war, the “troika” remained in the Pe-2 formations, while the rest of the aviation switched to “pairs” [
What is this?

tank arrangement

For the first time in the USSR, electric control of many mechanisms was used on the Pe-2. This was due to the fact that the progenitor-fighter was planned pressurized cabins, from which it is difficult to withdraw moving rods. Electric remote control has caused numerous cases of spontaneous combustion of the aircraft in the air, sparks formed during operation could ignite gasoline vapors.

About fifty electric motors of five types with a power from 30 to 1700 W served the aircraft units: they opened and closed the radiator doors, changed the pitch of the propellers, actuated pumps, valves, shields, and also, at the commands of the AP-1 dive machine, they released: they removed the aerodynamic brakes - grilles and steel pipes suspended under the wing consoles. Thanks to these brakes, the dive speed did not exceed the permissible limits.
general scheme of the aircraft
Flight characteristics: Pe-2 modification Wingspan, m 17.60 Length, m 12.60 Height, m 3.42 Wing area, m2 40.50 Empty weight, kg 6200 normal takeoff 7775 maximum takeoff 8715 Engine type 2 PD M-105 Power, h.p. 2 x 1100 Maximum speed, km/h at an altitude of 540 near the ground 432 Cruising speed, km/h 412 Practical range, km 1500 Rate of climb: 9.8 m/s (calc.) Climb time: 5,000 m in 8.5 min. Practical ceiling, m 9000 Crew 3 Armament: two bow 12.7 mm UBK machine guns and up to four 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns bomb load - normal - 500 kg, maximum - 1000 kg

Production of the Pe-2 ceased in the winter of 1945-1946. In total, 11,247 Pe-2s of all modifications were built - more than any other Soviet bombers. For comparison, DB-3 and Il-4 of all modifications were produced 6784, Tu-2 -2527, and most of the Tu-2 - in the post-war period. After the end of the war, the Pe-2 was quickly withdrawn from service with the Soviet aviation and replaced by more advanced Tu-2s.

frontline bomber

OKB Petlyakova

During the war, the Pe-2 was constantly improved and improved. First of all, its armament was strengthened, then lower-altitude, but more powerful VK-105PF engines were installed and aerodynamics were improved. The labor intensity of its production has been significantly reduced.

Engine. In the design bureau of V.Ya.Klimov, work was carried out to boost the M-105 engines by increasing the boost from 910 to 1050 mm Hg. Art. The forced engines were designated M-105PF (cannon, designed for fighters) and M-105RF (for bombers), but if the first of them was immediately put into production, the second turned out to be less successful. Despite the fact that the flight data of the Pe-2 with the M-105RF engines improved slightly (maximum speed increased by 16-21 km / h, the time to climb 5000 m decreased by 1.5 minutes, and the takeoff run by 40-50 m) , the M-105RF motors, due to insufficient reliability, did not become serial. When the M-105PF “fighter” engines were installed on the Pe-2, then along with a slight increase in speed near the ground, it noticeably decreased at altitude. This was due to a decrease in the efficiency of the VISh-61B propeller at full throttle due to the excessively high tip speed of the blades during the transition from a reduction of 0.59 to 0.667. I had to operate the "pawn" at low engine speeds.

It should be noted that the Air Force Research Institute objected to such a replacement of motors. The deputy head of the institute, Major General Fedorov, in a letter to the chief engineer of the Air Force Repin, stated: “Installing the M-105PF on the Pe-2 does not give any benefits ... The speed of the Pe-2 will be 40-70 km / h less than that of the Me-109 over the entire range of heights ... ". And yet, the decision to replace the M-105RA with the M-105PF took place. From the 179th series (at the beginning of 1943), they began to put the M-105PF on all bombers, the M-105RA remained on the reconnaissance aircraft for some time, and initially the VISH-61B propellers, optimized for the RA variant, remained on the serial Pe-2. Apparently, the main reason for the replacement was still the desire to reduce the range of engines produced, and thereby increase production.

In total, in 1942, two factories, No. 22 and No. 39, produced more aircraft than four factories a year earlier - 2392 copies. The labor intensity of manufacturing one machine was reduced to 13.2 thousand man-hours compared to 25.3 thousand in 1941. This was partly due to the simplification of the design individual nodes, removing part of the equipment (for example, since the fall of 1941, the RPK-2 was put on only one aircraft out of three, and then only on reconnaissance aircraft).

Combat use. As of November 19, 1942, 519 Pe-2s were operating near Stalingrad - almost half of all bombers. There were few of them in the 8th Air Army, but over 200 dive bombers from the reserve of the Supreme High Command were involved in the operation. Dive bomber strikes inflicted great damage on the enemy. For example, during the period when the Germans organized an "air bridge" to Stalingrad, Pe-2s were involved in the destruction of German transport aircraft at airfields. On December 30, 1942, six Pe-2s from the 150th bap, which returned to the front in October, burned 12 German three-engine Junkers Ju52 / 3m aircraft in the city of Tormosin. Female pilots also fought on the Pe-2 near Stalingrad. In December 1942, the crews of the 587th female bap (later the 125th guards bap) made their first sortie.

The general improvement in the situation favorably affected the losses of "pawns". The enemy was morally suppressed, the air defense system of his troops and objects was violated. As a result, units of the 2nd bomber air corps (tank) fighting in the Stalingrad area suffered, on average, about 4.4 times less losses than before. Pe-2s successfully defeated the Germans on other fronts as well. For example, in May 1943, 12 dive bombers from the 73rd BAP of the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet destroyed the Narva Bridge, making it difficult to supply German troops near Leningrad. The bridge was being restored for a month, since the new farm had to be brought from Germany.

In 1943, the Pe-2 dive bombers became the most mass-produced machine in the Soviet front-line bomber aviation. The surviving SBs have already been pushed into training and transport units, and the few Ar-2s and Yak-4s have been lost on the fronts. A serious test for the Pe-2 crews in the spring of 1943 was the use by the enemy of the new Focke-Wulf FW190A fighters, which had good armor protection and powerful cannon armament. The number of "Messerschmitts" of the G modification was constantly increasing at the front. Both of them had a significant advantage in speed over the Pe-2. At the end of February 1943, there were cases when out of the number of 8 Pe-2s from the 15th Air Army and 14 Pe-2s from the 1st Air Army that flew out on a combat mission, not a single crew returned home; The urgent question arose of urgently training gunners and navigators in active group defense against enemy fighters.

Despite a number of shortcomings due to the speed of converting the 100 aircraft into a bomber, the Pe-2 turned out to be a very effective weapon. Indicative review of Hero's aircraft Soviet Union pilot N.D. Kolosnikov, who fought on the Pe-2: "Of all the Soviet aircraft, as they say, I like the Pe-2. A miracle machine, not just a bomber, but high-speed, maneuverable, stable, easily controlled ... He was designed for "fine" work and coped with it perfectly. " The history of the war knows many examples of the exceptionally high efficiency of the Pe-2.

In general, the Pe-2 until the end of the war retained a high combat effectiveness and until the very end of the war remained the most common Soviet bomber. Pe-2s operated over the entire Eastern Europe, accompanying the offensive of the Soviet troops. The Pe-2 played an important role in combat operations in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. In January 1945, during the Vistula-Oder operation, they were used not only in their main role as front-line bombers, but also as transport aircraft, delivering fuel to the units of the 2nd Guards that escaped forward. tank army. In April 1945, these aircraft contributed to the assault on the city of Konigsberg and the Pillau naval base, when enemy air defense was already ineffective, and fighters were rare. Large-caliber bombs - 250 and 500 kg - were dropped from the Pe-2. For example, during the assault on the Kustrin fortress, Captain V.P. Melnik from the 96th Guards. The bap hit the FAB-500 on the first run at a large ammunition depot, causing a huge explosion.

743 Pe-2 and Tu-2 dive bombers participated in the Berlin operation. Only one 3rd tank sent 156 Pe-2s to Berlin on the morning of April 25th. For example, on April 30, the targets of the "pawns" were the building of the Gestapo and the bridge across the river. Spree in Berlin. Bombs rained down on the city with the inscriptions "For Hitler", "For Goering", "In the lair of the beast." Apparently, the last Pe-2 sortie for bombing in Europe was made on May 8, 1945. Soviet pilots bombed the port in Liepaja, from where the Germans tried to escape to Sweden by sea. Reconnaissance flights in Czechoslovakia and Austria were made later. "Pawns" also participated in a short campaign on Far East. For example, dive-bombers of the 34th bap, during attacks on the ports of Rashin and Seishin in Korea, sank three transports and two tankers and damaged five more transports.

In June 1945, a decision was made to stop all work on combat variants of the Pe-2 and their serial production. Plant No. 22 from the 492nd series continued to produce only training UPe-2s. Their production continued until December 1945. During the year, 1634 "pawns" were made, including 232 after the war. In total for 1940-1945. according to official data, 11,070 bombers, reconnaissance and training Pe-2s were produced, of which the Air Force accepted 10,574 aircraft, including five Pe-2Is. Of this number, the main share - 10058 cars - was built by plant No. 22, 764 - by plant No. 39, 104 - by plant No. 124 and 144 - by plant No. 125.

Not a single Soviet bomber, either before or after the Pe-2, was produced in such quantities. For comparison: DB-3 and Il-4 of all modifications were made 6784, Tu-2 - only 2527, and most of the latter were made after the war. However, despite the mass production, after the end of hostilities, the Pe-2 quickly disappeared from the aircraft fleet of our Air Force. Many regiments were disbanded, and the rest were re-equipped with more advanced Tu-2s. By 1948, there were practically no "pawns" left in the ranks.

		Sat	Sat	Pe-2	Pe-2	Pe-2FT	Tu-2
frontline bombers
Crew, people		3	3	3	3	3	4
Year of issue		1936	1939	1941	1942	1945	1943
Geometry
Aircraft length, m		12.27	12.27	12.66	12.66	12.66	13.8
Wingspan, m		20.33	20.33	17.13	17.13	17.13	18.86
Wing area, m 2		56.7	56.7	40.5	40.5	40.5	48.8
Masses, kg
Takeoff weight	normal	5732	6175	7540	7775	8405	10360
Takeoff weight	maximum	6462	7750	8500	8715	8805	11360
Power point
Motor		M-100A	M-103	M-105R	M-105RA	M-105PF	ASh-82FN
Power, hp		2x860	2x950	2x1100	2x1100	2x1210	2x1850
flight data
Maximum speed, km/h	near the ground	371	375	452	434 **	468	482/509 *
	on high	423	450	540	515	527	547
	m	4000	4100	5000	4800	3900	5400
Practical ceiling, m		9560	9300	8800	8000	8200	9500
Flight range with normal bomb load, km		1900	1350	1300	1250	1220	2150
Armament
normal	500	500	600	600	600	1000
maximum	600	1600	1000	1000	1000	3000
Defensive weapons	machine guns	4	4	4	4	5	3
Defensive weapons	guns	-	-	-	-	-	2

* At 10 minute afterburner
** The decrease in flight data is due to the strengthening of defensive weapons

frontline bomber Pe-2. which played an outstanding role during the Great Patriotic War, was a somewhat unusual phenomenon in the Soviet aircraft industry. Conceived and designed as a high-altitude fighter, this aircraft was converted in less than six months into a combat vehicle of a completely different purpose - into a dive bomber. The Pe-2 replaced the SB bomber and during the war became the combat vehicle of the Soviet front-line bomber aviation.

The new machine, which Petlyakov began to design at the head of a team of 50 designers in KB-29, was to be a high-altitude fighter with a long range and powerful offensive weapons. In this work, a connection with Petlyakov's previous machine, the ANT-42 high-altitude bomber, is undoubtedly visible, about which a few words must be said. One of the central ideas underlying the ANT-42 project was to provide high speed flying at high altitudes. The developers of the future TB-7 sought to make sure that enemy fighters could not catch up with him in flight, which ensured the high survival rate of the machine in combat conditions. But the development and refinement of the ANT-42 was greatly delayed both due to problems with the power plant, and in connection with the repressions that bled the design bureau. Many supporters of the development of heavy bomber aviation in the leadership of the Air Force also suffered from them. Despite all the advantages of the ANT-42, it is impossible not to notice the contradiction inherent in the very idea of the machine: the high-altitude multi-seat bomber was deprived of pressurized cabins. Contemporaries recall that the reason for this was Tupolev's rather cool attitude towards pressurized cabins, which were no longer rare in the mid-30s. It should be recognized that at that time it was not possible to solve the problem of the security of a heavy bomber only due to high flight speed at high altitudes. The new fighters, which appeared in the second half of the 1930s, made a sharp jump in speed characteristics compared to the aircraft of the previous generation. Under these conditions, the idea of a long-range high-altitude escort fighter was born. The design team headed by V.M. Petlyakov was tasked with creating a high-altitude fighter with symbol "100".

At the end of 1939, the aircraft "100" was built, and in December its testing began. But it turned out that in the course of the development of the first, and then the second copy of "100", the attitude of the military to its purpose began to gradually change. Predictions about the high altitude of the bombers did not materialize. At the same time, the Air Force urgently needed a new type of combat aircraft - a high-speed dive bomber. At first, they tried to combine the functions of a high-altitude fighter and a dive bomber, but in the end this was abandoned and in May 1940 the designers were offered to convert the "100" into a dive bomber version in a very short time. The new aircraft, soon named Pe-2, was put to the test in the fall of 1940, and its mass production began in 1941.

Pe-2 was a cantilever all-metal low-wing aircraft with spaced vertical tail. M-105P liquid-cooled motors. The crew consisted of three people - a pilot, a navigator and a gunner-radio operator. Thanks to its excellent aerodynamics, the Pe-2 developed almost the same speed as the fighters of those years.

The gunner-radio operator was in a separate cabin in the F-3 section of the fuselage. He got into his cabin through the lower hatch. The review was provided by two large oval windows on the sides, small round side windows (where nests were later mounted under the flip ShKAS) and a rectangular transparent astro-hatch on top. On the aircraft of the first series, the gunner's cockpit was separated from the tail section by a hinged door. In the open position, it was the floor above the lower rifle installation. A table was attached to the left side of the cabin, on which the radio station's manipulation panel was located.

The Pe-2 radio equipment produced in 1941 consisted of the RSB-bis radio station, the SPU-3 internal intercom and the RPK-2 Chaika radio semi-compass. The radio station was in the rear cockpit behind the gunner-radio operator. Her antenna was attached at one end to the mast, and at the other - to the right keel washer. The radio semi-compass receiver was located under the pilot's seat. All Pe-2 bombers were equipped with a standard AFA-B camera used to monitor the results of bombing. It was mounted in the gunner's cockpit, and the shooting was carried out through a hatch in the lower skin of the aircraft. The device was removable and was placed on the plane only when necessary. For flights at an altitude of over 4500 m, the Pe-2 had oxygen equipment: cylinders, KPA-Zbis oxygen devices and masks for all crew members. Before the 40th series, six cylinders were installed, then only three. All cylinders stood vertically in a common stowage at the tail of the aircraft.

Armament. The armament of the Pe-2 included the fuselage and two small bomb bays in the engine nacelles, where one DZ-40 bomb rack was mounted. One 100 kg bomb could be placed on each of the internal hardpoints. Outside, on 4 DZ-40 holders, it was possible to hang 4 FAB-250 bombs, or 2 FAB-500 bombs, while the maximum weight of the bomb load was taken to be 1000 kg, and the normal one was 600 kg. Dropping bombs from the internal suspension could only be done in level flight. Dive bombing was carried out with the release of bombs only from the external sling. Pe-2 could carry all the main types of bombs that were in service with the Soviet Air Force. For aimed bombing, the navigator used the OPB-1M day sight and the NKPB-3 night sight. A pilot dropped a bomb from a dive, who had a PBL-1 sight.

Small arms of all early Pe-2s consisted of four ShKAS machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber. The navigator could fire from the ShKAS turret TSS-1 designed by S.K. Goryunov with 750 rounds of ammunition. Two fixed machine guns were mounted in the bow on the left and right along the axis of the aircraft; fire control and aiming at the target was carried out by the pilot. Nasal ShKASs had an ammunition load of 500 rounds per barrel. In the cockpit of the gunner-radio operator under the fuselage, a rifle installation of the MV-2 type was mounted, similar to those used on the SB and DB-ZF. The stock of cartridges for it was 750 pieces.

From April-May (from the 13th series) 1941, the hatch ShKAS was replaced with a large-caliber turret machine gun BT designed by Berezin with an ammunition load of 200 rounds. The right ShKAS in the bow mount was also replaced with a BK machine gun with an ammunition load of 150 rounds, but at the same time the supply of ammunition for the left ShKAS was reduced to 450 pieces. The second salvo of the Pe-2, armed only with ShKAS, was 1.152 kg, and with Berezin machine guns it almost doubled and became equal to 2.208 kg.

Starting from series 179, a DAG-10 holder was installed for 10 AG-2 grenades.

In February 1941, the 124th (in Kazan), 125th (in Irkutsk) and 450th (in Voronezh) aviation plants received assignments for the production of Pe-2. According to the plan for 1941, it was planned to produce 1700 dive bombers. During the first half of 1941, it was planned to build 525 new dive bombers, but according to the reports of the factories for the period up to the end of May, only 306 vehicles were commissioned, and plant No. 450 was generally reoriented to the production of other products.

In the first military winter, quite a lot of Pe-2s were put on skis: in January 1942 alone, the ski chassis was installed on 250 “pawns”. The retractable ski landing gear was first tested on the 100 prototype aircraft. The skis were pulled up to the engine nacelle and themselves actually became the doors of the landing gear compartment. Unlike the similar version of the Il-2, the Pe-2 retained the usual gondola from the wheeled chassis, on which additional panels were put on. They did the same with the retractable tail ski, which made it possible to put any Pe-2 on skis. Tests of the Pe-2 No. 16/11 with a retractable ski landing gear were completed at the Air Force Research Institute in early February 1942. They showed that the piloting technique of the aircraft had changed little. The reliability of the skis and the strength of the locks for fixing them in extreme positions were quite sufficient. Caused regret only a very large loss of speed - up to 34 km / h. Therefore, the ski chassis has not found wide application.

In total, in 1941, four production plants produced 1671 dive bombers and 196 fighters (respectively, plant No. 22 - 1120 Pe-2, No. 39 - 303 Pe-2 and 196 Pe-3, No. 124 - 104 Pe-2 and No. 125 - 144 Pe-2). This made it possible to introduce a new machine along the entire front from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. They were used not only by Air Force regiments, but also by aviation units of the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets.

Despite a number of shortcomings due to the speed of converting the 100 aircraft into a bomber, the Pe-2 turned out to be a very effective weapon.

		Sat	Sat	Pe-2	Pe-2	Pe-2FT	Tu-2
frontline bombers
Crew, people		3	3	3	3	3	4
Year of issue		1936	1939	1941	1942	1945	1943
Geometry
Aircraft length, m		12.27	12.27	12.66	12.66	12.66	13.8
Wingspan, m		20.33	20.33	17.13	17.13	17.13	18.86
Wing area, m 2		56.7	56.7	40.5	40.5	40.5	48.8
Masses, kg
Takeoff weight	normal	5732	6175	7540	7775	8405	10360
Takeoff weight	maximum	6462	7750	8500	8715	8805	11360
Power point
Motor		M-100A	M-103	M-105R	M-105RA	M-105PF	ASh-82FN
Power, hp		2x860	2x950	2x1100	2x1100	2x1210	2x1850
flight data
Maximum speed, km/h	near the ground	371	375	452	434 **	468	482/509 *
	on high	423	450	540	515	527	547
	m	4000	4100	5000	4800	3900	5400
Practical ceiling, m		9560	9300	8800	8000	8200	9500
Flight range with normal bomb load, km		1900	1350	1300	1250	1220	2150
Armament
normal	500	500	600	600	600	1000
maximum	600	1600	1000	1000	1000	3000
Defensive weapons	machine guns	4	4	4	4	5	3
Defensive weapons	guns	-	-	-	-	-	2

* At 10 minute afterburner
The decrease in flight data is due to the strengthening of defensive weapons

Aircraft pe 2 technical description. frontline bomber

frontline bomber

OKB Petlyakova

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