Airplanes of Victory. Invisible City

Soviet military aviation the beginning of the Great Patriotic War

When the Nazis attacked the USSR, Soviet aviation was destroyed at the airfields. And the Germans dominated the skies in the first year of the war, as well as in the second. What kind of fighter aircraft were in service? Soviet army Then?

The main one, of course, was I-16.

There were also I-5(biplanes) received by the Nazis as trophies. Modified from I-5 fighters I-15 bis, which remained after the attack on the airfields, fought in the first months of the war.

"Seagulls" or I-153, also biplanes, lasted in the skies until 1943. Their retractable landing gear made it possible to increase flight speed. And four small caliber machine guns (7.62) fired directly through the propeller. All of the above aircraft models were outdated before the start of the war. For example, the speed of the best fighter

I-16(with different engines) was from 440 to 525 km/h. The only good thing was its weapons, two ShKAS machine guns and two cannons SHVAK(latest issues). And the range that the I-16 could fly reached a maximum of 690 km.

Germany was in service in 1941 Me-109, produced by industry since 1937, of various modifications, which attacked the Soviet borders in 1941. The armament of this aircraft was two machine guns (MG-17) and two cannons (MG-FF). The fighter's flight speed was 574 km/h, which was the maximum speed that the 1,150 hp engine could achieve. With. The highest lifting height or ceiling reached 11 kilometers. Only in terms of flight range, for example, the Me-109E was inferior to the I-16, it was equal to 665 km.

Soviet aircraft I-16(type 29) made it possible to reach a ceiling of 9.8 kilometers with a 900-horsepower engine. Their range was only 440 km. The take-off run length of the “donkeys” was on average 250 meters. U German fighters designer Messerschmitt the takeoff run was approximately 280 meters. If we compare the time it takes the plane to rise to a height of three kilometers, it turns out that the Soviet I-16 of the twenty-ninth type loses to the ME-109 seconds 15. In general payload“Donkey” is also behind “Messer”, 419 kg versus 486.
To replace "donkey" was designed in the USSR I-180, all metal. V. Chkalov crashed on it before the war. After him, tester T. Susi fell to the ground on the I-180-2 along with the plane, blinded by the hot oil ejected from the engine. Before the war, the serial I-180 was discontinued as a failure.

Polikarpov OKB also worked on the creation I-153, a biplane with an engine power of 1100 hp. With. But its maximum speed in the air reached only 470 km/h, it was not a competitor ME-109. Other Soviet aircraft designers also worked on the creation of modern fighters. Produced since 1940 YAK-1, which can fly at a speed of 569 km/h and has a ceiling of 10 km. A cannon and two machine guns were installed on it.

And Lavochkin’s fighter LAGG-3, with a wooden body and a 1050 hp engine. s, showed a speed of 575 km/h. But it, designed in 1942, was soon replaced by another model - LA-5 with a flight speed at six-kilometer altitudes of up to 580 km/h.

Arrived under Lend-Lease "Aerocobras" or P-39, which had the engine behind the cockpit, were all-metal monoplanes. On turns they went around "Messers", getting behind them. It was on the Airacobra that ace Pokryshkin flew.

In flight speed, the P-39 also exceeded the ME-109 by 15 km/h, but was inferior in ceiling by one and a half kilometers. And the flight range of almost a thousand kilometers made it possible to carry out deep raids behind enemy lines. The foreign aircraft was armed with a 20-mm cannon and two or three machine guns.

Tupolevs: father, son and airplanes

The Great Patriotic War began at dawn on June 22, 1941, when fascist Germany, violating the Soviet-German treaties of 1939, attacked Soviet Union. Romania, Italy took her side, and a few days later Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and Norway.

The war lasted almost four years and became the largest armed conflict in human history. On the front, stretching from the Barents to the Black Sea, from 8 million to 12.8 million people fought on both sides at different periods, from 5.7 thousand to 20 thousand tanks were used and assault guns, from 84 thousand to 163 thousand guns and mortars, from 6.5 thousand to 18.8 thousand aircraft.

LaGG-3 was one of the new generation fighters adopted by the USSR just before the war. Among its main advantages was the minimal use of scarce materials in the aircraft design: LaGG-3 for the most part consisted of pine and delta wood (plywood impregnated with resin).

LaGG-3 - fighter made of pine and plywood

Il-2 - Soviet "flying tank"The Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 became the most popular combat aircraft in history. He took part in battles in all theaters of military operations of the Great Patriotic War. The designers called the aircraft they developed a “flying tank,” and German pilots nicknamed it Betonflugzeug—“concrete airplane”—for its survivability.

Il-2 - Soviet "flying tank"

The Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 became the most popular combat aircraft in history. He took part in battles in all theaters of military operations of the Great Patriotic War. The designers called the aircraft they developed a “flying tank,” and German pilots nicknamed it Betonflugzeug — “concrete airplane” — for its survivability.

From the first day of the war, "Junkers" took part in the bombing of the USSR, becoming one of the symbols of the blitzkrieg. Despite its low speed, vulnerability and mediocre aerodynamics, the Yu-87 was one of the most effective weapons of the Luftwaffe due to its ability to drop bombs during a dive.

Junkers-87 - a symbol of fascist aggression

I-16 - the main Soviet fighter at the beginning of the warThe I-16 is the world's first serial high-speed low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the aircraft was outdated, but it was it that formed the basis of the USSR fighter aviation. Soviet pilots called it “donkey”, Spanish pilots called it “mosca” (fly), and German pilots called it “rata” (rat).

I-16 - the basis of fighter aircraft of the USSR

The I-16 is the world's first serial high-speed low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the aircraft was outdated, but it was it that formed the basis of the USSR fighter aviation. Soviet pilots called it “donkey”, Spanish pilots called it “mosca” (fly), and German pilots called it “rata” (rat).

A video announcing a series of infographics about military aircraft of the 1940s,

Messerschmitt Bf.109

In fact, a whole family of German combat vehicles, total quantity of which (33,984 pieces) makes the 109th one of the most popular aircraft of World War II. It was used as a fighter, fighter-bomber, fighter-interceptor, and reconnaissance aircraft. It was as a fighter that the Messer earned its notorious reputation among Soviet pilots - at the initial stage of the war, Soviet fighters, such as the I-16 and LaGG, were clearly technically inferior to the Bf.109 and suffered heavy losses. Only the advent of more advanced aircraft, such as the Yak-9, allowed our pilots to fight the Messers almost on an equal footing. The most popular modification of the vehicle was the Bf.109G (“Gustav”).

Messerschmitt Bf.109

Messerschmitt Me.262

The plane was remembered not for its special role in World War II, but for the fact that it turned out to be the first-born of jet aircraft on the battlefield. Me.262 began to be designed even before the war, but Hitler’s real interest in the project awoke only in 1943, when the Luftwaffe had already lost its combat power. The Me.262 had speed (about 850 km/h), altitude and rate of climb that was unique for its time and therefore had serious advantages over any fighter of that time. In reality, for every 150 Allied aircraft shot down, there were 100 Me.262s lost. The low effectiveness of combat use was explained by the “crude” design, little experience in using jet aircraft and insufficient training of pilots.

Messerschmitt Me.262

Heinkel-111

Heinkel-111

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

The Ju 87 dive bomber, produced in several modifications, became a kind of forerunner of the modern precision weapons, since the bombs were thrown not from a great height, but from a steep dive, which made it possible to more accurately target the ammunition. It was very effective in the fight against tanks. Due to the specific nature of its use in conditions of high overloads, the vehicle was equipped with automatic air brakes to recover from a dive in the event of the pilot losing consciousness. To enhance the psychological effect, during the attack the pilot turned on the “Jericho trumpet” - a device that emitted a terrible howl. One of the most famous ace pilots to fly the Stuka was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who left some rather boastful memories of the war on the Eastern Front.

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

The tactical reconnaissance aircraft Fw 189 Uhu is interesting primarily for its unusual double-boom design, for which soviet soldiers They called him "Rama". And it was on the Eastern Front that this reconnaissance spotter turned out to be most useful to the Nazis. Our fighters knew well that bombers would arrive after the “Rama” and strike the scouted targets. But it was not so easy to shoot down this low-speed aircraft due to its high maneuverability and excellent survivability. When Soviet fighters approached, he could, for example, begin to describe circles of a small radius, into which high-speed vehicles simply could not fit.

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

Probably the most recognizable Luftwaffe bomber was developed in the early 1930s under the guise of a civilian transport aircraft (the creation of a German air force was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles). At the beginning of World War II, the Heinkel-111 was the most popular Luftwaffe bomber. He became one of the main characters in the Battle of Britain - it was the result of Hitler's attempt to break the will to resist the British through massive bombing raids on the cities of Foggy Albion (1940). Even then it became clear that this medium bomber was obsolete, it lacked speed, maneuverability and security. Nevertheless, the aircraft continued to be used and produced until 1944.

Allies

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The American “flying fortress” constantly increased its security during the war. In addition to excellent survivability (in the form, for example, the ability to return to base with one intact engine out of four), the heavy bomber received thirteen 12.7 mm machine guns in the B-17G modification. A tactic was developed in which “flying fortresses” flew over enemy territory in a checkerboard formation, protecting each other with crossfire. The plane was equipped with a high-tech Norden bomb sight at that time, built on the basis of an analog computer. If the British bombed the Third Reich mainly in the dark, the “flying fortresses” were not afraid to appear over Germany during daylight hours.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Avro 683 Lancaster

One of the main participants in the Allied bomber raids on Germany, the British heavy bomber of World War II. The Avro 683 Lancaster accounted for ¾ of the total bomb load dropped by the British on the Third Reich. The carrying capacity allowed the four-engine aircraft to take on board “blockbusters” - the Tallboy and Grand Slam super-heavy concrete-piercing bombs. Low security implied the use of Lancasters as night bombers, but night bombing was characterized by low accuracy. During the day, these planes suffered significant losses. Lancasters actively participated in the most destructive bombing raids of World War II - on Hamburg (1943) and Dresden (1945).

Avro 683 Lancaster

North American P-51 Mustang

One of the most iconic fighters of World War II, which played an exceptional role in the events of Western Front. No matter how well the Allied heavy bombers defended themselves when they went on raids on Germany, these large, low-maneuverability and relatively slow-moving aircraft suffered heavy losses from German fighter aircraft. The North American company, commissioned by the British government, urgently created a fighter that could not only successfully fight against Messers and Fokkers, but also have a sufficient range (due to drop tanks) to accompany bomber raids on the continent. When Mustangs began to be used in this capacity in 1944, it became clear that air war in the West the Germans finally lost.

North American P-51 Mustang

Supermarine Spitfire

The main and most popular wartime fighter of the British Air Force, one of the best fighters World War II. Its altitude and speed characteristics made it an equal rival to the German Messerschmitt Bf.109, and the skill of the pilots played a big role in the head-to-head battle between these two machines. The Spitfires performed well, covering the evacuation of the British from Dunkirk after the success of Hitler's blitzkrieg, and then during the Battle of Britain (July-October 1940), when British fighters had to fight both German bombers He-111, Do-17, Ju 87, as well as with Bf fighters. 109 and Bf.110.

Supermarine Spitfire

Japan

Mitsubishi A6M Raisen

At the beginning of World War II, the Japanese carrier-based fighter A6M Raisen was the best in the world in its class, even though its name contained the Japanese word “Rei-sen”, that is, “zero fighter”. Thanks to the drop tanks, the fighter had a high flight range (3105 km), which made it indispensable for participation in raids on the ocean theater. Among the aircraft involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor were 420 A6Ms. The Americans learned lessons from dealing with the nimble, fast-climbing Japanese, and by 1943 their fighter aircraft had surpassed their once dangerous enemy.

Mitsubishi A6M Raisen

The most popular dive bomber of the USSR began production before the war, in 1940, and remained in service until the Victory. The low-wing aircraft with two engines and a double fin was a very progressive machine for its time. In particular, it was equipped with a pressurized cabin and fly-by-wire control (which, due to its novelty, became the source of many problems). In reality, the Pe-2, unlike the Ju 87, was not so often used as a dive bomber. Most often, he launched bombing attacks on areas from horizontal flight or from a flat rather than deep dive.

Pe-2

The most massive combat aircraft in history (a total of 36,000 of these “silts” were produced) is considered a true battlefield legend. One of its features is the supporting armored hull, which replaced the frame and skin in most of the fuselage. The attack aircraft operated at altitudes of several hundred meters above the ground, becoming not the most difficult target for ground-based anti-aircraft weapons and the object of hunting by German fighters. The first versions of the Il-2 were built as single-seat aircraft, without a gunner, which led to fairly high combat losses among aircraft of this type. And yet, the IL-2 played its role in all theaters of war where our army fought, becoming a powerful means of support ground forces in the fight against enemy armored vehicles.

IL-2

The Yak-3 was a development of the Yak-1M fighter, which had proven itself in combat. During the revision process, the wing was shortened and other measures were taken design changes to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. This lightweight wooden aircraft reached an impressive speed of 650 km/h and had excellent flight characteristics at low altitudes. Tests of the Yak-3 started at the beginning of 1943, and already during the battle on Kursk Bulge He entered the battle, where, with the help of a 20-mm ShVAK cannon and two 12.7-mm Berezin machine guns, he successfully resisted the Messerschmitts and Fokkers.

Yak-3

One of the best Soviet fighters, the La-7, which entered service a year before the end of the war, was a development of the LaGG-3 that met the war. All the advantages of the “ancestor” came down to two factors - high survivability and maximum use of wood in the design instead of scarce metal. However, the weak motor and heavy weight turned the LaGG-3 into an unimportant opponent of the all-metal Messerschmitt Bf.109. From LaGG-3, Lavochkin OKB-21 made the La-5, installing a new ASh-82 engine and improving the aerodynamics. The La-5FN modification with a forced engine was already an excellent combat vehicle, surpassing the Bf.109 in a number of parameters. In the La-7, the weight was again reduced, and the armament was also strengthened. The plane became very good, even while remaining wooden.

La-7

The U-2, or Po-2, created in 1928, by the beginning of the war was certainly an example of outdated technology and was not designed as a combat aircraft at all (the combat training version appeared only in 1932). However, to win, this classic biplane had to work as a night bomber. Its undoubted advantages are ease of operation, the ability to land outside airfields and take off from small sites, and low noise.

U-2

At low throttle in the dark, the U-2 approached an enemy target, remaining undetected almost until the moment of bombing. Since the bombing was carried out from low altitudes, its accuracy was very high, and the “corn bombers” inflicted serious damage on the enemy.

The article “Air Parade of Winners and Losers” was published in the magazine “Popular Mechanics” (

Attack aircraft designed by S.V. Ilyushin became an indispensable attribute of the Great Patriotic War, making a huge contribution to the victory. At the same time, the Il-2 attack aircraft is officially the most produced combat aircraft in history; in total, more than 36,000 of these vehicles were produced. Soviet designers called the Il-2 a “flying tank,” German pilots called it a “concrete plane” for its attack aircraft’s ability to withstand damage, but the ground units of the Wehrmacht spoke about it more impartially, calling the plane “Black Death,” “Iron Gustav,” “Meat Grinder.” " The IL-2 and its further development, the IL-10 attack aircraft, were actively used in all major battles The Great Patriotic War and the Soviet-Japanese War, acting on all fronts.

Sturmovik Il-2

Acting as the main striking force of Soviet combat aviation, the Il-2 attack aircraft played a very important role during the war and had a noticeable impact on its outcome on the Eastern Front. Just before the war, Ilyushin Design Bureau managed to create an aircraft based on the most latest achievements Soviet science and technology. A powerful aircraft engine, stamped heterogeneous armor (which made it possible to produce armor parts with a complex surface), the aircraft had a streamlined armored hull, which was equipped not with mounted, but with “working” armor, and bulletproof glass was also used on the aircraft to protect crew members. The plane was equipped with rapid-fire aircraft guns and rockets. All these components in the future became the main components of the success of the Il-2 attack aircraft.

The first tests of the new aircraft designed by Ilyushin, which received the designation TsKB-55 or BSh-2 (the second armored attack aircraft), took place in 1939. The first flight on the new machine was made by the famous Soviet test pilot V.K. Kokkinaki. The BSh-2 aircraft was a two-seat cantilever monoplane with an AM-35 liquid-cooled engine (power 1350 hp) and a semi-retractable landing gear. All vital components and assemblies of the attack aircraft (gas tanks, engine, cooling systems), as well as the crew, were located in an armored hull.

IL-2 single seat

After passing tests, which were considered successful, the aircraft underwent a number of changes. In particular, it was equipped with a lower altitude, but at the same time more powerful AM-38 engine, which was created at the A.A. Design Bureau. Mikulin specifically for this aircraft. The layout of the cabin and cooling systems have also undergone changes. The crew was reduced to 1 person - the pilot. An additional fuel tank was placed in place of the shooter, and the armament and armor were strengthened. In this form, the aircraft passed factory tests in 1940.

The first production attack aircraft, which received the designation Il-2, began to leave the factory floors in 1941, and the first combat units that were armed with these machines were created just before the war. The appearance of the Il-2 on the fronts came as a complete surprise to the Germans. Despite the fact that the tactics of using armored attack aircraft had not yet been fully developed, they immediately began to inflict serious damage on the enemy, demoralizing his units. WITH great success Il-2 attack aircraft units were used against enemy mechanized and armored units.

The aircraft's glider was a single-engine monoplane of mixed design with a lower wing. Main feature aircraft was the inclusion of its armor in the power circuit of the airframe. The attack aircraft's hull armor replaced the frame and skin of the entire nose and middle parts of the fuselage. The supporting armored hull was riveted and made of homogeneous AB-1 steel armor. This armored hull covered the engine, radiators, cockpit and a number of vehicle components (on the prototype it also protected the gunner). The transparent frontal armor of the pilot's cockpit visor was 64 mm thick. and could withstand a hit from a 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullet when fired at point-blank range.

IL-2 double

Faced in 1941 with big losses Il-2 attack aircraft, which did not have defensive weapons, representatives of the Air Force turned to Ilyushin with a demand to make the plane a two-seater, as it was intended. As a result, by the end of 1942, a gunner reappeared on the plane. At the same time, it was no longer possible to change the armored hull, so the shooter was outside it and was protected only by a 6-mm sheet of armor on the tail side of the aircraft. The armored hull, which would protect both crew members, reappeared only on the next modification of the attack aircraft - the Il-10, which was produced since 1944.

The attack aircraft was equipped with an AM-38 piston engine. It was a 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled aircraft engine. Its power in various flight modes ranged from 1620 to 1720 hp. The engine was created at the Mikulin Design Bureau. The total fuel supply on models without an air gunner was 470 liters.

The armament of the Il-2 attack aircraft was as follows:
- 2 guns installed in the wing consoles (first 20-mm ShVAK, then in the main series - 23-mm VYa, in the anti-tank version 37-mm guns were installed), a sample with 45-mm guns was also tested.
- 2 ShKAS machine guns (wing-mounted)
- aerial bombs, containers with PTAB
- rockets RS-132 or RS-82
- a 12.7-mm UBT machine gun was used as a defensive weapon on the two-seat version of the attack aircraft.

The Il-2 attack aircraft was produced in single-seat (pilot only) and two-seat versions (pilot and air gunner). Various design and technological changes were made to the aircraft regularly. For example, at the end of 1941, due to a lack of materials, a tail made of wood with additional external stiffeners began to be installed on a number of copies. The vehicle's armor and armament composition also changed.

Performance characteristics IL-2 (double) 1942:

Dimensions: wingspan – 14.6 m, length – 11.6 m, height – 4.17 m.
Wing area – 38.5 sq. m.
The weight of the equipped aircraft is 6,060 kg.
Engine type – 1 PD AM-38, power 1665 hp.
Maximum speed– 411 km/h.
Practical flight range: 685 km.
Service ceiling: 6,000 m.
Crew – 2 people.
Armament: 2x23-mm VYA cannons, 2x7.62-mm ShKAS machine guns, 1x12.7-mm UBT machine guns, 4 RS-132 or RS-82, 400-600 kg. bombs.

Sturmovik Il-10

Il-10 (according to NATO classification Beast - “Beast”) is a Soviet attack aircraft of the final period of the war. It was created in 1944 by the Ilyushin Design Bureau through a deep modernization of the Il-2 attack aircraft. The new aircraft made its first flight on April 18, 1944, piloted by V.K. Kokkinaki. Serial production of the attack aircraft was established at 3 aircraft factories: No. 1, No. 18 and No. 64 and continued for 5 years. In 1945, 2,556 Il-10 attack aircraft were assembled; a total of 4,475 combat aircraft and 280 training variants of the Il-10 were produced. From the end of December 1951 to 1955, this attack aircraft was produced under license in Czechoslovakia at the Avia plant, the vehicle was designated B-33. Czech-made attack aircraft were supplied to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. A total of 1,200 B-33 attack aircraft were produced in Czechoslovakia.

Sturmovik Il-10

Created in 1944, the Il-10 AM-42 armored attack aircraft most fully embodied the concept of a “flying infantry fighting vehicle,” which had a significantly increased integral coefficient of combat effectiveness when solving tasks of direct air support of troops. It was possible to increase the efficiency of the attack aircraft due to the higher mobility of the vehicle over the battlefield, as well as partial strengthening of the armament while maintaining the armor mass at the level of the main attack aircraft of the Red Army Air Force - Il-2.

Il-10 is a two-seat all-metal monoplane with a lower wing. The main difference from the Il-2 was, in particular, that taking into account the existing recommendations, which were based on statistical studies of the lethality of the Il-2 gunner and pilot, the attack aircraft gunner’s cockpit was completely included in the armored hull. The thickness of the engine hood armor on the sides and bottom was also increased to 8 mm. instead of 4 mm. on IL-2. The caliber of defensive weapons was increased from 12.7 to 20 mm.

The improved Il-10 attack aircraft with an AM-42 engine and an AV-5l-24 propeller began state tests in July-August 1944 and successfully passed them. According to the decree of August 23, 1944, the aircraft was put into mass production. The empty weight of the Il-10 attack aircraft, which was submitted for state testing, was 4,650 kg. In this case, the normal flight weight load was 1,650 kg. and included: crew: 2 people - 180 kg, gasoline - 535 kg, oil - 65 kg, weight of small arms and cannon weapons (2x23-mm VYA cannons with 150 rounds per barrel, 2x7.62-mm ShKAS machine gun total ammunition is 1500 rounds, defensive machine gun UBK - 150 rounds) - 420 kg, bomb load weight - 400 kg, weight of 10 AG-2 grenades - 20 kg, weight of removable equipment - 30 kg. The aircraft also allowed reloading options for bomb loads. For example, two FAB-250 aerial bombs on an external sling or 600 kg. small bombs in compartments.

Sturmovik Il-10

The flight performance data of the Il-10 attack aircraft, which passed state tests, turned out to be very good. With a flight weight of 6,300 kg. (400 kg of aerial bombs without RS) at nominal engine operating mode, the maximum speed of the vehicle at an altitude of 2300 meters was 550 km/h, which was almost 150 km/h more than that of the Il-2 attack aircraft with the AM-38F engine. The maximum speed of the Il-10 near the ground was 500 km/h, the time to climb to an altitude of 1,000 meters was 1.6 minutes, to a height of 3,000 meters was 5 minutes. The service ceiling of the attack aircraft also increased and amounted to 7270 meters.

Performance characteristics of the IL-10:
Dimensions: wingspan – 13.4 m, length – 11.12 m, height – 4.18 m.
Wing area – 30 sq. m.
Normal take-off weight – 6,300 kg.
Engine type – 1 PD AM-42, power 1770 hp.
Maximum speed – 551 km/h.
Practical flight range: 800 km.
Service ceiling: 7,250 m.
Crew – 2 people.
Armament: 2x23-mm VYa or NS-23 cannons, 2x7.62-mm ShKAS machine guns, 1x12.7-mm UB machine gun or 1x20-mm UB-20 cannon, 8 RS-132 or RS-82, 400-600 kg. bombs.

Sources of information:
-http://www.airpages.ru/ru/il2_1.shtml
-http://www.airwar.ru/enc/aww2/il2.html
-http://www.airwar.ru/enc/aww2/il10.html
-http://ru.wikipedia.org/

Soviet attack aircraft

This film tells the story of the deadliest part of the Soviet Air Force of World War II - the attack aircraft. This story will consist mainly of the Il-2 (“Flying Tank” - that’s what our designers called it) and its modifications. German pilots called it the “Concrete Airplane” for its ability to withstand damage. The aircraft earned several unpleasant nicknames from the Wehrmacht ground forces, such as “Butcher”, “Meat Grinder”, “Iron Gustav” and “Black Death”. The film will also describe the further development of the Il-2 attack aircraft, the Il-8 and Il-10 aircraft. The film examines the aircraft that, according to the designers' plans, was to form the basis of a fifteen thousand air anti-tank army - the Pegasus aircraft.

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From the moment airplanes went from one-off designs of enthusiasts to more or less mass-produced and suitable for practical application aircraft, aviation has earned the closest attention of the military, eventually becoming an integral part of the military doctrine of most developed countries.

All the more difficult were the losses in the first days of the Great Patriotic War, when the vast majority of aircraft were destroyed before they even took off from the ground. However, the current situation has become the best incentive to develop aircraft manufacturing in all classes, it was necessary not just to replenish the Air Force fleet. In the current critical situation, with an acute shortage of time and resources, to create fundamentally different aircraft that could at least fight on an equal footing with Luftwaffe aircraft, and ideally surpass them.

Combat teacher

One of the most recognizable Soviet aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, which made a huge contribution to the Victory, was the primitive U-2 biplane, later renamed Po-2. This two-seater airplane was originally conceived for primary piloting training, and practically could not carry any payload - neither the dimensions of the aircraft, nor its design, nor the take-off weight, nor the small 110-horsepower engine allowed. But the U-2 coped with the role of a “study desk” all its life remarkably well.

However, completely unexpectedly for the U-2 they found quite combat use. Equipped with suppressors and holders for light bombs, the aircraft became a lightweight, miniature but stealthy and dangerous night bomber, firmly established in this role until the end of the war. Later I even managed to find some free weight for installing a machine gun. Before this, pilots made do with only personal small arms.

Air Knights

Some aviation enthusiasts consider the Second World War to be the golden age of fighter aviation. No computers, radars, television, radio or heat-seeking missiles. Only personal skill, experience and luck.

At the end of the 30s, the USSR came close to a qualitative breakthrough in the production of fighter aircraft. No matter how beloved and mastered the capricious “Donkey” I-16 was, if it could resist the Luftwaffe fighters, it was only due to the heroism of the pilots, and at an unrealistically high price. At the same time, in the depths of the Soviet design bureaus, despite the rampant repression, fundamentally different fighters were created.

The first-born of the new approach, the MiG-1, quickly transformed into the MiG-3, which became one of the most dangerous Soviet aircraft of the Second World War, the main German enemy. The plane could accelerate over 600 km/h and climb to a height of more than 11 kilometers, which was clearly beyond the capabilities of its predecessors. This is what determined the niche for the use of the MiG-a - it showed itself excellently as a high-altitude fighter operating in the air defense system.

However, at altitudes up to 5000 meters, the MiG-3 began to lose speed to enemy fighters, and in this niche it was supplemented first by the Yak-1, and then by the Yak-9. These light vehicles had a high thrust-to-weight ratio and sufficient powerful weapon, for which they quickly earned the love of pilots, and not only domestic ones - fighters of the French regiment "Normandie - Neman", having tested several models of fighters different countries, chose the Yak-9, which they received as a gift from the Soviet government.

However, these are relatively light soviet planes had a noticeable drawback - weak weapons. Most often these were machine guns of 7.62 or 12.7 mm caliber, less often - a 20 mm cannon.

The Lavochkin design bureau's new product was devoid of this drawback - two ShVAK guns were installed on the La-5. Also on the new fighter, a return to engines was carried out air cooling, which were abandoned during the creation of the MiG-1 in favor of liquid-cooled engines. The fact is that the liquid-cooled engine was much more compact - and, therefore, created less drag. The disadvantage of such an engine was its “tenderness” - it only takes a small fragment or a random bullet to break a pipe or radiator of the cooling system, and the engine would immediately fail. It was this feature that forced designers to return to bulky air-cooled engines.

By that time, a new high-power engine had appeared - the M-82, which subsequently became very widespread. However, at that time the engine was frankly crude, and caused many problems to aircraft designers who used it on their machines.

However, the La-5 was a serious step in the development of fighters - this was noted not only by Soviet pilots, but also by Luftwaffe testers, who eventually received a captured aircraft in good condition.

Flying tank

The design of aircraft during the Great Patriotic War was standard - a wooden or metal frame that acted as a power structure and took on all the loads. On the outside, it was covered with sheathing - fabric, plywood, metal. An engine, armor plates, and weapons were mounted inside this structure. One way or another, all World War II aircraft were designed according to this principle.

This plane became the first-born new scheme design. The Ilyushin Design Bureau realized that such an approach noticeably overloads the design. At the same time, the armor is quite strong and can be used as an element of the aircraft’s power structure. The new approach has opened up new opportunities for rational use weight. This is how the Il-2 came into being, an aircraft that was nicknamed the “flying tank” because of its armor protection.

IL-2 was an unpleasant surprise for the Germans. At first, the attack aircraft was often used as a fighter, and in this role it showed itself far from brilliantly - its low speed and maneuverability did not allow it to fight the enemy on equal terms, and the lack of any serious protection for the rear hemisphere quickly began to be used by Luftwaffe pilots.

And for the developers, this aircraft did not become problem-free. Throughout the war, the aircraft's armament was constantly changing, and the addition of a second crew member (the aircraft was originally a single-seater) shifted the center of gravity so far back that the aircraft threatened to become uncontrollable.

However, the efforts paid off. The original armament (two 20 mm cannons) was replaced with a more powerful caliber - 23 mm, and then 37 mm. With such armament, almost everyone began to fear the aircraft - both tanks and heavy bombers.

According to the recollections of the pilots, when firing from such guns, the plane literally hung in the air due to recoil. The tail gunner successfully covered the rear hemisphere from fighter attacks. In addition, the plane could carry several light bombs.

All this was a success, and the Il-2 became an indispensable aircraft on the battlefield, and not only the most popular and recognizable attack aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, but also the most popular combat aircraft - more than 36 thousand of them were produced. And if you consider that at the beginning of the war there were only 128 of them in the Air Force, then there is no doubt about its relevance.

Destroyers

The bomber has been an integral part of combat aviation almost from the very beginning of its use on the battlefield. Small, large, super-large - they have always been the most technologically advanced type of combat aircraft.

One of the most recognizable Soviet aircraft of the Second World War of this type is the Pe-2. Conceived as a super-heavy fighter, the aircraft evolved over time, becoming one of the most dangerous and effective dive bombers of the war.

It is worth saying that the dive bomber, as a class of aircraft, made its debut precisely in World War II. Its appearance was due to the evolution of weapons: the development of air defense systems forced the creation of higher and higher altitude bombers. However, the higher the height at which bombs are dropped, the lower the bombing accuracy. The developed tactics for using bombers implied breaking through to targets at high altitude, descending to bombing altitude, and leaving again at high altitude. It was only a matter of time before the idea of dive bombing emerged.

The dive bomber does not drop bombs in horizontal flight. It literally falls on the target, and resets with minimum height, literally hundreds of meters. The result is the highest possible accuracy. However, at low altitude the aircraft is maximally vulnerable to anti-aircraft guns - and this could not but leave its mark on its design.

It turns out that the dive bomber must combine the incompatible. It should be as compact as possible to minimize the risk of being shot down by anti-aircraft gunners. At the same time, the plane must be spacious enough, otherwise there will simply be nowhere to hang the bombs. Moreover, we must not forget about strength, because the loads on the aircraft structure during a dive, and especially during recovery from a dive, are enormous. And the failed Pe-2 fighter coped well with its new role.

“Pawn” was complemented by its relative in the Tu-2 class. The small twin-engine bomber could “operate” both from a dive and using the classic bomber method. The problem is that at the beginning of the war the plane was very, very rare. However, the machine turned out to be so effective and successful that the number of modifications created on its basis is perhaps the maximum for Soviet aircraft of the Second World War.

The Tu-2 was a bomber, attack aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, interceptor, torpedo bomber... In addition to all this, there were several different variations that differed in range. However, these machines were far from truly long-range bombers.

To Berlin!

This bomber is perhaps the most beautiful of the wartime aircraft, making the Il-4 impossible to confuse with anyone else. Despite the difficulty in control (this explains the high accident rate of these aircraft), the Il-4 was very popular among the troops and was used not only as a “land” bomber. Despite its excessive flight range, the aircraft was used by the Air Force as a torpedo bomber.

However, the Il-4 left its mark on history as the aircraft that carried out the first combat missions against Berlin. This happened in the fall of 1941. However, soon the front line shifted to the East so much that the capital of the Third Reich became inaccessible to the Il-4, and then other aircraft began to “work” on it.

Heavy and rare

During the Great Patriotic War, this aircraft was so rare and “closed” that it was often attacked by its own air defenses. But he performed, perhaps, the most complex operations war.

Although the Pe-8 long-range bomber appeared in the late 30s, it for a long time was not just the most modern aircraft of its class - it was the only one. Pe-8 had high speed(more than 400 km/h), and the fuel reserve made it possible not only to fly to Berlin and back, but also to carry large-caliber bombs, up to the five-ton FAB-5000. It was the Pe-8s that bombed Koenigsberg, Helsinki, and Berlin when the front line was dangerously close to Moscow. Due to its “operating range” the Pe-8 is sometimes called strategic bomber, and then this class of cars was just emerging.

One of the most specific operations performed by the Pe-8 was the transportation of the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs V.M. Molotov to the UK and the USA. The flights took place in the spring of 1942, the route crossed the occupied territories of Europe. The People's Commissar traveled on a special passenger version of the Pe-8. A total of two such aircraft were built.

Nowadays, airplanes operate several dozen intercontinental flights daily, carrying thousands of passengers. However, in those years, such a flight was a real feat not only for pilots, but also for passengers. The point is not even that there was a war going on, and the plane could be shot down at any moment. In the 40s, comfort and life support systems on airplanes were very, very primitive, and navigation systems, in the modern sense, were completely absent. The navigator could only rely on radio beacons, the range of which was very limited, and there were none over the occupied territories, and on the navigator’s own experience and special instinct - after all, on long-distance flights, he, in fact, became the main person on the plane. It depended on him whether the plane would arrive at given point, or will wander over poorly oriented and, moreover, enemy territory. Whatever you say, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov had no shortage of courage.

Concluding this brief overview Soviet aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, it would probably be useful to remember all those who, in conditions of hunger, cold, lack of the most necessary things (often even freedom), developed all these machines, each next of which was a serious step forward for the entire world aviation. The names of Lavochkin, Pokryshkin, Tupolev, Mikoyan and Gurevich, Ilyushin, Bartini will forever remain in world history. Behind them will forever be all those who helped the chief designers - ordinary engineers.