Once on the site we held an “Air Parade” competition dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory, where readers were asked to guess the names of some of the most famous aircraft of World War II by their silhouettes. The competition has been completed, and now we are publishing photos of these combat vehicles. We invite you to remember what the winners and losers used to fight in the sky.
Editorial PM
Germany
Messerschmitt Bf.109
In fact, a whole family of German combat vehicles, the total number of which (33,984 units) makes the 109th one of the most popular aircraft of the Second World War. 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. The 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 unique speed (about 850 km/h), altitude and climb rates 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 modern high-precision weapons, since it threw bombs 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 Fw 189 Uhu tactical reconnaissance aircraft is interesting primarily for its unusual double-boom design, for which Soviet soldiers nicknamed it “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 on the 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 the Germans had finally lost the air war in the West.
North American P-51 Mustang
Supermarine Spitfire
The main and most popular fighter of the British Air Force during the war, one of the best fighters of the Second World War. 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 (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 supporting 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 development process, the wing was shortened and other design changes were made to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. This lightweight wooden aircraft reached an impressive speed of 650 km/h and had excellent low-altitude flight characteristics. Tests of the Yak-3 started at the beginning of 1943, and already during the battle on the Kursk Bulge it entered into battle, where, with the help of a 20-mm ShVAK cannon and two 12.7-mm Berezin machine guns, it 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 engine 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” (
In World War II, the Germans had the following aircraft, here is a list of them with photographs:
1. Arado Ar 95 - German two-seat torpedo-bomber reconnaissance seaplane
2. Arado Ar 196 - German military reconnaissance seaplane
3. Arado Ar 231 - German light single-engine military seaplane
4. Arado Ar 232 - German military transport aircraft
5. Arado Ar 234 Blitz - German jet bomber
6. Blomm Voss Bv.141 - prototype of a German reconnaissance aircraft
7. Gotha Go 244 - German medium military transport aircraft
8. Dornier Do.17 - German twin-engine medium bomber
9. Dornier Do.217 - German multi-purpose bomber
10. Messerschmitt Bf.108 Typhoon - German all-metal single-engine monoplane
11. Messerschmitt Bf.109 - German single-engine piston low-wing fighter
12. Messerschmitt Bf.110 - German twin-engine heavy fighter
13. Messerschmitt Me.163 - German missile interceptor fighter
14. Messerschmitt Me.210 - German heavy fighter
15. Messerschmitt Me.262 - German turbojet fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
16. Messerschmitt Me.323 Giant - German heavy military transport aircraft with a payload of up to 23 tons, the heaviest land aircraft
17. Messerschmitt Me.410 - German heavy fighter-bomber
18. Focke-Wulf Fw.189 - twin-engine, two-boom, three-seat tactical reconnaissance aircraft
19. Focke-Wulf Fw.190 - German single-seat, single-engine piston fighter monoplane
20. Focke-Wulf Ta 152 - German high-altitude interceptor
21. Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor - German 4-engine long-range multi-role aircraft
22. Heinkel He-111 - German medium bomber
23. Heinkel He-162 - German single-engine jet fighter
24. Heinkel He-177 - German heavy bomber, twin-engine all-metal monoplane
25. Heinkel He-219 Uhu - twin-engine piston night fighter equipped with ejection seats
26. Henschel Hs.129 - German single-seat twin-engine specialized attack aircraft
27. Fieseler Fi-156 Storch - small German aircraft
28. Junkers Ju-52 - German passenger and military transport aircraft
29. Junkers Ju-87 - German two-seat dive bomber and attack aircraft
30. Junkers Ju-88 - German multi-purpose aircraft
31. Junkers Ju-290 - German long-range naval reconnaissance aircraft (nicknamed the “Flying Cabinet”)
Just a story:
Combat aircraft are birds of prey in the sky. For more than a hundred years they have been shining in warriors and at air shows. Agree, it’s difficult to take your eyes off modern multi-purpose devices filled with electronics and composite materials. But there is something special about World War II airplanes. It was an era of great victories and great aces who fought in the air, looking into each other's eyes. Engineers and aircraft designers from different countries have come up with many legendary aircraft. Today we present to your attention a list of the ten most famous, most recognizable, most popular and best aircraft of the Second World War.
Supermarine Spitfire
The list of the best aircraft of World War II opens with the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He has a classic look, but a little awkward. Wings - shovels, heavy nose, bubble-shaped canopy. However, it was the Spitfire that helped the Royal Air Force by stopping German bombers during the Battle of Britain. German fighter pilots discovered with great displeasure that British aircraft were in no way inferior to them, and were even superior in maneuverability.
The Spitfire was developed and put into service just in time - right before the start of World War II. True, there was an incident with the first battle. Due to a radar malfunction, the Spitfires were sent into battle with a phantom enemy and fired upon their own British fighters. But then, when the British tried out the advantages of the new aircraft, they used it as soon as possible. And for interception, and for reconnaissance, and even as bombers. A total of 20,000 Spitfires were produced. For all the good things and, first of all, for saving the island during the Battle of Britain, this aircraft takes an honorable tenth place.
The Heinkel He 111 was exactly the aircraft that the British fighters fought against. This is the most recognizable German bomber. It cannot be confused with any other aircraft, thanks to the characteristic shape of its wide wings. It was the wings that gave the Heinkel He 111 its nickname "flying shovel".
This bomber was created long before the war under the guise of a passenger aircraft. It performed very well back in the 30s, but by the beginning of World War II it began to become outdated, both in speed and maneuverability. It lasted for a while due to its ability to withstand heavy damage, but when the Allies conquered the skies, the Heinkel He 111 was “demoted” to a regular transport aircraft. This aircraft embodies the very definition of a Luftwaffe bomber, for which it receives ninth place in our rating.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, German aviation did whatever it wanted in the skies of the USSR. Only in 1942 did a Soviet fighter appear that could fight on equal terms with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. It was La-5, developed at the Lavochkin design bureau. It was created in great haste. The plane is designed so simply that there are not even the most basic instruments in the cockpit, such as an attitude indicator. But the La-5 pilots immediately liked it. In its first test flights, it shot down 16 enemy aircraft.
"La-5" bore the brunt of the battles in the skies over Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. Ace Ivan Kozhedub fought on it, and it was on it that the famous Alexei Maresyev flew with prosthetics. The only problem with La-5 that prevented it from rising higher in our ranking is its appearance. He is completely faceless and expressionless. When the Germans first saw this fighter, they immediately gave it the nickname “new rat.” And all because it was very similar to the legendary I-16 aircraft, nicknamed “rat”.
North American P-51 Mustang
The Americans used many types of fighters in World War II, but the most famous among them was, of course, the P-51 Mustang. The history of its creation is unusual. Already at the height of the war in 1940, the British ordered aircraft from the Americans. The order was fulfilled and in 1942 the first Mustangs entered combat in the British Royal Air Force. And then it turned out that the planes were so good that they would be useful to the Americans themselves.
The most noticeable feature of the P-51 Mustang is its huge fuel tanks. This made them ideal fighters for escorting bombers, which they did successfully in Europe and the Pacific. They were also used for reconnaissance and assault. They even bombed a little. The Japanese especially suffered from the Mustangs.
The most famous US bomber of those years is, of course, the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress”. The four-engine, heavy Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, hung on all sides with machine guns, gave rise to many heroic and fanatical stories. On the one hand, the pilots loved it for its ease of control and survivability, on the other hand, the losses among these bombers were indecently high. In one of the flights, out of 300 “Flying Fortresses”, 77 did not return. Why? Here we can mention the complete and defenselessness of the crew from fire from the front and the increased risk of fire. However, the main problem was convincing the American generals. At the beginning of the war, they thought that if there were a lot of bombers and they were flying high, then they could do without any escort. Luftwaffe fighters refuted this misconception. They taught harsh lessons. The Americans and British had to learn very quickly, change tactics, strategy and aircraft design. Strategic bombers contributed to the victory, but the cost was high. A third of the "Flying Fortresses" did not return to the airfields.
In fifth place in our ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the main hunter of German aircraft, the Yak-9. If the La-5 was a workhorse that bore the brunt of the battles during the turning point of the war, then the Yak-9 is the aircraft of victory. It was created on the basis of previous models of Yak fighters, but instead of heavy wood, duralumin was used in the design. This made the aircraft lighter and left room for modifications. What they didn’t do with the Yak-9. Front-line fighter, fighter-bomber, interceptor, escort, reconnaissance aircraft and even courier aircraft.
On the Yak-9, Soviet pilots fought on equal terms with German aces, who were greatly intimidated by its powerful guns. Suffice it to say that our pilots affectionately nicknamed the best modification of the Yak-9U “Killer.” The Yak-9 became a symbol of Soviet aviation and the most popular Soviet fighter of the Second World War. Factories sometimes assembled 20 aircraft a day, and during the war almost 15,000 of them were produced.
Junkers Ju-87 (Junkers Ju 87)
Junkers Ju-87 Stuka is a German dive bomber. Thanks to their ability to fall vertically onto a target, the Junkers placed bombs with pinpoint accuracy. While supporting a fighter attack on a target, everything in the Stuka design is subordinated to one goal - to hit the target. Air brakes prevented acceleration during a dive; special mechanisms moved the dropped bomb away from the propeller and automatically brought the plane out of the dive.
Junkers Ju-87 - the main aircraft of the Blitzkrieg. He shone at the very beginning of the war, when Germany was marching victoriously across Europe. True, it later turned out that the Junkers were very vulnerable to fighters, so their use gradually came to naught. True, in Russia, thanks to the Germans’ advantage in the air, the Stukas still managed to fight. For their characteristic non-retractable landing gear they were nicknamed “laptezhniks”. The German pilot ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel brought additional fame to the Stukas. But despite its worldwide fame, the Junkers Ju-87 ended up in fourth place on the list of the best aircraft of World War II.
In honorable third place in the ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the Japanese carrier-based fighter Mitsubishi A6M Zero. This is the most famous aircraft of the Pacific War. The history of this aircraft is very revealing. At the beginning of the war, it was almost the most advanced aircraft - light, maneuverable, high-tech, with an incredible flight range. For the Americans, Zero was an extremely unpleasant surprise; it was head and shoulders above everything they had at that time.
However, the Japanese worldview played a cruel joke on the Zero; no one thought about protecting it in air combat - gas tanks burned easily, the pilots were not covered by armor, and no one thought about parachutes. When hit, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero burst into flames like matches, and the Japanese pilots had no chance to escape. The Americans, in the end, learned to fight the Zeros; they flew in pairs and attacked from a height, escaping the battle on turns. They released the new Chance Vought F4U Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters. The Americans admitted their mistakes and adapted, but the proud Japanese did not. Obsolete by the end of the war, the Zero became a kamikaze plane, a symbol of senseless resistance.
The famous Messerschmitt Bf.109 is the main fighter of World War II. It was he who reigned supreme in the Soviet skies until 1942. An exceptionally successful design allowed Messerschmitt to impose its tactics on other aircraft. He picked up speed well in a dive. A favorite technique of German pilots was the “falcon strike,” in which a fighter dives at the enemy and, after a quick attack, goes back to altitude.
This aircraft also had disadvantages. His short flight range prevented him from conquering the skies of England. Escorting the Messerschmitt bombers was also not easy. At low altitude he lost his speed advantage. By the end of the war, the Messers suffered greatly both from Soviet fighters from the east and from allied bombers from the west. But the Messerschmitt Bf.109, nevertheless, went down in legends as the best fighter of the Luftwaffe. In total, almost 34,000 of them were produced. This is the second most popular aircraft in history.
So, meet the winner in our ranking of the most legendary aircraft of World War II. The Il-2 attack aircraft, also known as the “Humpbacked”, is also a “flying tank”; the Germans most often called it the “Black Death”. The Il-2 is a special aircraft; it was immediately conceived as a well-protected attack aircraft, so it was much more difficult to shoot it down than other aircraft. There was a case when an attack aircraft returned from a mission and more than 600 hits were counted on it. After quick repairs, the Hunchbacks were sent back into battle. Even if the plane was shot down, it often remained intact; its armored belly allowed it to land in an open field without any problems.
"IL-2" went through the entire war. In total, 36,000 attack aircraft were produced. This made the “Humpback” a record holder, the most produced combat aircraft of all time. For its outstanding qualities, original design and enormous role in World War II, the famous Il-2 rightfully takes first place in the ranking of the best aircraft of those years.
Assessing the decisive role of aviation as the main striking force in the struggle for the spread of Bolshevism and the defense of the state, in the first five-year plan the leadership of the USSR set a course for creating its own large and autonomous air force from other countries.
In the 20s, and even in the early 30s, USSR aviation had a fleet of aircraft, mostly foreign-made (only Tupolev aircraft appeared - ANT-2, ANT-9 and its subsequent modifications, which becamesubsequently the legendary U-2, etc.). The aircraft that were in service with the Red Army were of many brands, had outdated designs and poor technical condition. In the 20s, the USSR purchased a small number of German aircraft of the Junkers type and a number of other types for service air routes of the North / research of the Northern Sea Route / and the performance of government special flights. It should be noted that civil aviationin the pre-war period it practically did not develop, with the exception of the opening of a number of unique “demonstration” airlines or occasional flights of ambulance and service aviation.
During the same period, the era of airships ended, and the USSR builtin the early 30s, successful designs of “soft” (frameless) airships of the “B” type. Digression, it should be noted about the development of this type V aeronautics abroad.
In Germany, the famous rigid airshipdesign "Count Zeppepelin" explored the North, was equipped with cabins for passengers, had a significant flight range and quitehigh cruising speed / up to 130 km/h or more, providedseveral motors designed by Maybach. There were even several dog sleds on board the airship as part of the expedition to the North. The American airship "Akron" is the largest in the world, with a volume of 184 thousand cubic meters. m carried 5-7 aircraft on board and transported up to 200 passengers, not counting several tons of cargo over a distance of up to 17 thousand km. without landing. These airships were already safe, because... were filled with the inert gas helium, and not hydrogen as at the beginning of the century. Low speed, low maneuverability, high cost, complexity of storage and maintenance predetermined the end of the era of airships. Experiments with balloons also came to an end, which proved the latter’s unsuitability for active combat operations. A new generation of aviation with new technical and combat performance was needed.
In 1930, our Moscow Aviation Institute was created - after all, the replenishment of factories, institutes and design bureaus of the aviation industry with experienced personnel was of decisive importance. The old cadres of pre-revolutionary education and experience were clearly not enough; they were thoroughly eliminated and were in exile or in camps.
Already by the Second Five-Year Plan (1933-37), aviation workers had a significant production base, the basis for the further development of the air force fleet.
In the thirties, by order of Stalin, demonstration, but in fact test, flights of bombers “camouflaged” as civilian aircraft were carried out. The aviators Slepnev, Levanevsky, Kokkinaki, Molokov, Vodopyanov, Grizodubova and many others distinguished themselves.
In 1937, Soviet fighter aircraft underwent combat tests in Spain and demonstrated technical inferiority. AircraftPolikarpov (type I-15,16) were defeated by the latest German machines. The race for survival began again. Stalin gave the designersindividual assignments for new aircraft models, widely and generouslyThere were bonuses and benefits - the designers worked tirelessly and demonstrated a high level of talent and preparedness. 
At the March 1939 Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilovnoted that, compared to 1934, the Air Force has grown in its personalis 138 percent...The aircraft fleet as a whole has grown by 130 percent.
Heavy bomber aircraft, which were assigned the main role in the upcoming war with the West, doubled in 4 years, while other types of bomber aircraft, on the contrary, decreased by half. Fighter aircraft increased two and a half times. Altitudeaircraft already amounted to 14-15 thousand m. The technology for the production of aircraft and engines was put on stream, stamping and casting were widely introduced. The shape of the fuselage changed, the aircraft acquired a streamlined shape.
The use of radios on board aircraft began.
Before the war, great changes took place in the field of aviation materials science. In the pre-war period there was a parallel development of heavy aircraft of all-metal construction with duralumin skinand light maneuverable aircraft of mixed structures: wood, steel,canvas. As the raw material base expanded and the aluminum industry developed in the USSR, aluminum alloys found increasing use in aircraft construction. There was progress in engine construction. The M-25 air-cooled engines with a power of 715 hp and the M-100 water-cooled engines with a power of 750 hp were created.
At the beginning of 1939, the USSR government convened a meeting in the Kremlin.
It was attended by leading designers V.Ya. Klimov, A.A. Mikulin,A.D. Shvetsov, S.V. Ilyushin, N.N. Polikarpov, A.A. Arkhangelsky, A.S. Yakovlev, head of TsAGI and many others. The People's Commissar of the aviation industry at that time was M.M. Kaganovich. Possessing a good memory, Stalin was quite well aware of the design features of aircraft; all important issues regarding aviation were resolved by Stalin. The meeting outlined measures for the further accelerated development of aviation in the USSR. Until now, history has not conclusively refuted the hypothesis of Stalin’s preparation for an attack on Germany in July 1941. It was on the basis of this assumption about the planning of Stalin’s attack on Germany (and further for the “liberation” of Western countries), adopted at the “historic” plenum of the CPSU Central Committee in August 1939 and this fact, incredible for that (or any other) time, of the sale of advanced German equipment and technology to the USSR seems explainable. A large delegation of Sovietaviation workers, who traveled to Germany twice shortly before the war, got their hands on fighters, bombers, guidance systems, and much more, which made it possible to sharply advance the level of domestic aircraft production. A decision was made to increase the combat power of aviation, since it was from August 1939 The USSR began covert mobilization and prepared strikes against Germany and Romania.
Mutual exchange of information on the state of the armed forces of the three states (England, France and the USSR), represented in Moscow in August1939, i.e. before the start of the partition of Poland, showed that the numberThere are 2 thousand first-line aircraft in France. Of these, twothirds were completely modern aircraft. By 1940, it was planned to increase the number of aircraft in France to 3000 units. Englishaviation, according to Marshal Burnet, had about 3,000 units, and the potential production was 700 aircraft per month.German industry underwent mobilization only at the beginning1942, after which the number of weapons began to increase sharply.
Of all the domestic fighter aircraft ordered by Stalin, the most successful variants were the LAGG, MiG and YAK.The IL-2 attack aircraft delivered a lot to its designer Ilyushinneniya. Manufactured initially with rear hemisphere protection (double)he, on the eve of the attack on Germany, did not suit the customers of hiswastefulness.” S. Ilyushin, who did not know all of Stalin’s plans, was forced to change the design to a single-seat version, i.e., bring the design closer to the “clear sky” plane. Hitler violated Stalin’s plans and the plane at the beginning of the war had to be urgently returned to its original design.
On February 25, 1941, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution "Onreorganization of the aviation forces of the Red Army." The resolution provided for additional measures to re-equip air units. In accordance with the plans for a future war, the task was set to urgently form new air regiments, and, at the same time, equip them, as a rule, with new machines. The formation of several airborne corps began.
The doctrine of war on “foreign territory” and “little bloodshed” causedthe emergence of a “clear sky” aircraft intended for the unpunishedraids on bridges, airfields, cities, factories. Before the war, hundreds of thousands
young men were preparing to transfer to a new one, developed by the post-Stalincompetition, the SU-2 aircraft, of which it was planned to produce 100-150 thousand units before the war. This required accelerated training of the corresponding number of pilots and technicians. SU-2 is essentially a Soviet Yu-87, and in Russia it did not stand the test of time, because There was never a “clear sky” for either country during the war.
Air defense zones with fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery were formed. An unprecedented recruitment into aviation began, voluntarily andforcibly. Almost all of the small civil aviationwas mobilized into the Air Force. Dozens of aviation schools were opened, incl. ultra-accelerated (3-4 months) training, traditionally, the officers at the helm or control handle of the aircraft were replaced by sergeants - an unusual fact and evidence of haste in preparing for war. Airfields were urgently moved to the borders (about 66 airfields), supplies of fuel, bombs, and shells were imported. Carefully and raids on German airfields and the Ploieşti oil fields were detailed in special secrecy... 
On June 13, 1940, the Flight Test Institute was formed(LII), during the same period other design bureaus and research institutes were formed.In the war with the Soviet Union, the Nazis assigned a special role to theiraviation, which by this time had already gained complete dominance inair in the West. Basically a plan for the use of aviation in the Eastplanned the same as the war in the West: first to conquer the dominantin the air, and then transfer forces to support the ground army.
Outlining the timing of the attack on the Soviet Union, Hitler's commandThe operation set the following tasks for the Luftwaffe:
1.Destroy Soviet airfields with a surprise attackSoviet aviation.
2.Achieve complete air supremacy.
3. After solving the first two tasks, switch aviation to support ground forces directly on the battlefield.
4. Disrupt the work of Soviet transport, complicate the transfertroops both in the front line and in the rear.
5. Bombard large industrial centers - Moscow, Gorky, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kharkov, Tula.
Germany dealt a crushing blow to our airfields. Only for 8Hours of the war, 1,200 aircraft were lost and mass casualties occurred.flight personnel, storage facilities and all supplies were destroyed. Historians noted the strange “crowding” of our aviation at the airfields the day beforewar and complained about the “mistakes” and “miscalculations” of the command (i.e. Stalin)and assessment of events. In fact, “crowding” foreshadows plansa super-massive strike on targets and confidence in impunity, which did not happen. The Air Force flight personnel, especially the bomber ones, suffered heavy losses due to the lack of support fighters; the tragedy of the death of perhaps the most advanced and powerful air fleet inhistory of mankind, which had to be revived again under the blows enemy.
It must be admitted that the Nazis managed to largely implement their plans for an air war in 1941 and the first half of 1942. Almost all available forces were thrown against the Soviet Union G Hitler's aviation, including units removed from the Western Front. Atit was assumed that after the first successful operations, some of the bombsarmored and fighter formations will be returned to the Westfor the war with England. At the beginning of the war, the Nazis had not only quantitative superiority. Their advantage was also the fact that the pilotsthe personnel who took part in the air attack have already been seriouslynew fighting school with French, Polish and English pilots. Onthey also had a fair amount of experience interacting with their troops,acquired in the war against Western European countries.Old types of fighters and bombers, such as the I-15,I-16, SB, TB-3 could not compete with the latest Messerschmitts and"Junkers". Nevertheless, in the unfolding air battles, even on the lipsnew types of aircraft, Russian pilots caused damage to the Germans. From 22June to July 19, Germany lost 1,300 aircraft only battles
Here is what the German General Staffist Greffath writes about this:
" Behind period from June 22 to July 5, 1941 German air forcelost 807 aircraft of all types, and during the period from July 6 to July 19 - 477.
These losses indicate that despite the surprise achieved by the Germans, the Russians were able to find the time and strength to provide decisive resistance ".
On the very first day of the war, fighter pilot Kokorev distinguished himself by ramming an enemy fighter, the crew’s feat is known to the whole worldGastello (the latest research into this fact suggests that the ramming crew was not Gastello’s crew, but the crew of Maslov, who flew with Gastello’s crew to attack enemy columns), who threw his burning car onto a cluster of German equipment.Despite the losses, the Germans in all directions brought everything into battlenew and new fighters and bombers. They abandoned the front4940 aircraft, including 3940 German, 500 Finnish, 500 Romanianand achieved complete air supremacy.
By October 1941, the Wehrmacht armies approached Moscow and were busycities supplying components for aircraft factories, the time has come to evacuate the factories and design bureaus of Sukhoi, Yakovlev and others in Moscow, Ilyushin inVoronezh, all factories in the European part of the USSR demanded the evacuation.
Aircraft production in November 1941 decreased by more than three and a half times. Already on July 5, 1941, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decided to evacuate from the central regions of the country part of the equipment of some aircraft equipment factories to duplicate their production in Western Siberia, and after some time it was necessary to make a decision on the evacuation of the entire aircraft industry.
On November 9, 1941, the State Defense Committee approved schedules for the restoration and relaunch of evacuated factories and production plans.
The task was not only to restore aircraft production,but also to significantly increase their quantity and quality. In December 1941The aircraft production plan was completed in less than 40 years.percent, and motors - only 24 percent.In the most difficult conditions, under bombs, in the cold, cold of Siberian wintersbackup factories were launched one after another. They were refined and simplified.technologies, new types of materials were used (without compromising quality), women and teenagers took over the machines.
Lend-Lease supplies were also of no small importance for the front. Throughout the Second World War, aircraft supplied 4-5 percent of the total production of aircraft and other weapons produced in the USA. However, a number of materials and equipment supplied by the USA and England were unique and indispensable for Russia (varnishes, paints, other chemicals substances, devices, tools, equipment, medicines, etc.) that cannot be characterized as “insignificant” or secondary.
The turning point in the work of domestic aircraft factories came around March 1942. At the same time, the combat experience of our pilots grew.
Between November 19 and December 31, 1942 alone, the Luftwaffe lost 3,000 combat aircraft in the battles for Stalingrad. Our aviation becameact more actively and showed all its combat power in the NorthCaucasus. Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared. This title was awardedboth for downed aircraft and for the number of combat sorties.
In the USSR, the Normandie-Niemen squadron was formed, staffed by French volunteers. The pilots fought on Yak aircraft.
Average monthly production of aircraft rose from 2.1 thousand in 1942 to 2.9 thousand in 1943. Total industry in 1943produced 35 thousand aircraft, 37 percent more than in 1942.In 1943, factories produced 49 thousand engines, almost 11 thousand more than in 1942.
Back in 1942, the USSR surpassed Germany in the production of aircraft - the heroic efforts of our specialists and workers and the “complacency” or unpreparedness of Germany, which did not mobilize industry in advance for war conditions, had an impact.
In the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943, Germany used significant quantities of aircraft, but the power of the Air Force for the first time ensured air supremacy. For example, in just one hour on one day of the operation, a force of 411 aircraft was struck, and so on in three waves during the day.
By 1944, the front received about 100 aircraft daily, incl. 40 fighters.The main combat vehicles were modernized. Aircraft withimproved combat qualities of the YAK-3, PE-2, YAK 9T, D, LA-5, IL-10.German designers also modernized the aircraft."Me-109F,G,G2", etc.
By the end of the war, the problem of increasing the range of fighter aircraft arose; airfields could not keep up with the front. Designers proposed installing additional gas tanks on airplanes, and jet weapons began to be used. Radio communications developed, and radar was used in air defense. Bomb strikes became more and more intense. Thus, on April 17, 1945, bombers of the 18th Air Army in the area of Königsbergaz carried out 516 sorties for 45 minutes and dropped 3,743 bombs with a total weight of 550 tons.
In the air battle for Berlin, the enemy took part in 1,500 combat aircraft based at 40 airfields near Berlin. This is the most intense air battle in history, and the highest level of combat training on both sides should be taken into account.The Luftwaffe was fought by aces who shot down 100,150 or more aircraft (record300 downed combat aircraft).
At the end of the war, the Germans used jet aircraft, which were significantly faster than propeller-driven aircraft in speed - (Me-262, etc.). However, this did not help. Our pilots in Berlin flew 17.5 thousand combat sorties and completely destroyed the German air fleet.
Analyzing military experience, we can conclude that our aircraft, developed in the period 1939-1940. had constructive reserves for subsequent modernization. Along the way, it should be noted that in the USSR not all types of aircraft were accepted for service. For example, in October 1941, production of MiG-3 fighters was stopped, and in 1943, IL-4 bombers.
The USSR aviation industry produced 15,735 aircraft in 1941. In the difficult year of 1942, during the evacuation of aviation enterprises, 25,436 aircraft were produced, in 1943 - 34,900 aircraft, in 1944 - 40,300 aircraft, in the first half of 1945, 20,900 aircraft were produced. Already in the spring of 1942, all factories evacuated from the central regions of the USSR beyond the Urals and to Siberia, they fully mastered the production of aviation equipment and weapons. Most of these factories in new locations in 1943 and 1944 produced products several times more than before the evacuation.
The successes of the rear made it possible to strengthen the country's air force. By early 1944, the Air Force And grounded 8818 combat aircraft, and German - 3073. In terms of the number of aircraft, the USSR exceeded Germany by 2.7 times. By June 1944, the German Air Forcehad only 2,776 aircraft at the front, and our Air Force - 14,787. By the beginning of January 1945, our Air Force had 15,815 combat aircraft. The design of our aircraft was much simpler than that of American, German or British aircraft. This partly explains such a clear advantage in the number of aircraft. Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the reliability, durability and strength of our and German aircraft, as well as to analyze the tactical and strategic use of aviation in the war of 1941-1945. Apparently, these comparisons would not be in our favor and would conditionally reduce such a striking difference in numbers. However, perhaps, simplifying the design was the only way out in the absence of qualified specialists, materials, equipment and other components for the production of reliable and high-quality equipment in the USSR, especially since, unfortunately, in the Russian army they traditionally hire by “numbers”, not by skill .
Aircraft weapons were also improved. in 1942, a large-caliber 37 mm aircraft gun was developed, later it appearedand a 45 mm cannon.
By 1942, V.Ya. Klimov developed the M-107 engine to replace the M-105P, adopted for installation on water-cooled fighters.
Greffoat writes: “Relying on the fact that the war with Russia, like the war in the West, would be lightning fast, Hitler intended, after achieving the first successes in the East, to transfer bomber units, as well asthe required number of aircraft back to the West. In the East they mustair connections intended for directsupport for German troops, as well as military transport units and a number of fighter squadrons..."
German aircraft created in 1935-1936 at the beginning of the war no longer had the possibility of radical modernization. According to the German General Butler "The Russians had the advantage that in the production of weapons and ammunition they took into account all the featuresconducting the war in Russia and ensuring maximum simplicity of technology. As a result, Russian factories produced a huge amount of weapons, which were distinguished by their great simplicity of design. Learning to wield such a weapon was relatively easy... "
The Second World War fully confirmed the maturity of domestic scientific and technical thought (this ultimately ensured the further acceleration of the introduction of jet aviation).
Nevertheless, each country followed its own path in designing airplanes.
The aviation industry of the USSR produced 15,735 aircraft in 1941. In the difficult year of 1942, during the evacuation of aviation enterprises, 25,436 aircraft were produced, in 1943 - 34,900 aircraft, for1944 - 40,300 aircraft, 20,900 aircraft were produced in the first half of 1945. Already in the spring of 1942, all factories evacuated from the central regions of the USSR to the Urals and Siberia had fully mastered the production of aviation equipment and weapons. Most of these factories moved to new locations in 1943 and 1944 years they produced several times more production than before the evacuation.
Germany had, in addition to its own resources, the resources of the conquered countries. In 1944, German factories produced 27.6 thousand aircraft, and our factories produced 33.2 thousand aircraft in the same period. In 1944, aircraft production was 3.8 times higher than the 1941 figures.
In the first months of 1945, the aircraft industry prepared equipment for the final battles. Thus, the Siberian Aviation Plant N 153, which produced 15 thousand fighters during the war, transferred 1.5 thousand modernized fighters to the front in January-March 1945.
The successes of the rear made it possible to strengthen the country's air force. By the beginning of 1944, the Air Force had 8,818 combat aircraft, and the German - 3,073. In terms of the number of aircraft, the USSR exceeded Germany by 2.7 times. By June 1944, the German Air Forcehad only 2,776 aircraft at the front, and our Air Force - 14,787. By the beginning of January 1945, our Air Force had 15,815 combat aircraft. The design of our aircraft was much simpler than the American and Germanor English cars. This partly explains such a clear advantage in the number of aircraft. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make a comparison of the reliability, durability and strength of our and German aircraft, andalso analyze the tactical and strategic use of aviation in the war of 1941-1945. Apparently these comparisons would not be inour benefit and would conditionally reduce such a striking difference in numbers. However, perhaps, simplifying the design was the only way out in the absence of qualified specialists, materials, equipment and other components for the production of reliable and high-quality equipment in the USSR, especially since, unfortunately, in the Russian army they traditionally hire by “numbers”, not by skill .
Aircraft weapons were also improved. In 1942, a large-caliber 37 mm aircraft gun was developed, and later a 45 mm caliber gun appeared. By 1942, V.Ya. Klimov developed the M-107 engine to replace the M-105P, adopted for installation on water-cooled fighters.
The fundamental improvement of the aircraft is its conversionchanging from a propeller to a jet. To increase flight speeda more powerful engine is installed. However, at speeds above 700 km/hspeed increase from engine power cannot be achieved. Outputhouse from the position is the use of jet traction. Appliesturbojet/turbojet/ or liquid jet/LPRE/ engine.the second half of the 30s in the USSR, England, Germany, Italy, later - inThe United States was intensively creating a jet aircraft. In 1938, jets appearedhighest in the world, German jet engines BMW, Junkers. In 1940the first Campini-Capro jet aircraft made test flightsneither", created in Italy, later the German Me-262, Me-163 appearedXE-162. In 1941, the Gloucester aircraft with a jet was tested in Englandengine, and in 1942 they tested a jet aircraft in the USA - "Irokometh". In England, the twin-engine jet aircraft "Me" was soon createdtheor", who took part in the war. In 1945, on the Me planeTheor-4" set a world speed record of 969.6 km/h.
In the USSR, in the initial period, practical work on the creation of reactionstive engines was carried out in the direction of the liquid rocket engine. Under the leadershipS.P.Koroleva, A.F.Tsander, designers A.M.Isaev, L.S.DushkindevelopedThe first domestic jet engines were built. Pioneer turbojeakA.M.Lyulka became the first ative engine.At the beginning of 1942, G. Bakhchivandzhi made the first flight on a rockettive domestic aircraft. Soon this pilot diedduring aircraft testing.Work on the creation of a jet aircraft for practical useresumed after the war with the creation of the Yak-15, MiG-9 using non-German JUMO jet engines.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the Soviet Union entered the war with numerous, but technically backward fighter aircraft. This backwardness was, in essence, an inevitable phenomenon for a country that had only recently embarked on the path of industrialization that Western European states and the United States had followed in the 19th century. By the mid-20s of the 20th century, the USSR was an agricultural country with a half-illiterate, mostly rural population and a tiny percentage of engineering, technical and scientific personnel. Aircraft manufacturing, engine manufacturing and non-ferrous metallurgy were in their infancy. Suffice it to say that in Tsarist Russia they did not produce ball bearings and carburetors for aircraft engines, aircraft electrical equipment, control and aeronautical instruments at all. Aluminum, wheel tires and even copper wire had to be purchased abroad.
Over the next 15 years, the aviation industry, along with related and raw materials industries, was created practically from scratch, and simultaneously with the construction of the largest air force in the world at that time.
Of course, with such a fantastic pace of development, serious costs and forced compromises were inevitable, because it was necessary to rely on the available material, technological and personnel base.
The most complex knowledge-intensive industries—engine building, instrument making, and radio electronics—were in the most difficult situation. It must be admitted that the Soviet Union was unable to overcome the gap from the West in these areas during the pre-war and war years. The difference in the “starting conditions” turned out to be too great and the time allotted by history was too short. Until the end of the war, we produced engines created on the basis of foreign models purchased back in the 30s - Hispano-Suiza, BMW and Wright-Cyclone. Their repeated forcing led to overstressing of the structure and a steady decrease in reliability, and, as a rule, it was not possible to bring our own promising developments to mass production. The exception was the M-82 and its further development, the M-82FN, which gave birth to perhaps the best Soviet fighter of the war, the La-7.
During the war years, the Soviet Union was unable to establish serial production of turbochargers and two-stage superchargers, multifunctional propulsion automation devices similar to the German “Kommandoherat”, powerful 18-cylinder air-cooled engines, thanks to which the Americans crossed the milestone of 2000, and then at 2500 hp. Well, by and large, no one in our country was seriously involved in work on water-methanol boosting of engines. All this greatly limited aircraft designers in creating fighters with higher performance characteristics than the enemy.
No less serious restrictions were imposed by the need to use wood, plywood and steel pipes instead of scarce aluminum and magnesium alloys. The irresistible weight of the wooden and mixed construction forced us to weaken the weapons, limit the ammunition load, reduce the fuel supply and save on armor protection. But there was simply no other way out, because otherwise it would not have been possible to even bring the flight data of Soviet aircraft closer to the characteristics of German fighters.
For a long time, our aircraft industry compensated for the lag in quality through quantity. Already in 1942, despite the evacuation of 3/4 of the aircraft industry's production capacity, the USSR produced 40% more combat aircraft than Germany. In 1943, Germany made significant efforts to increase the production of combat aircraft, but nevertheless the Soviet Union built 29% more of them. Only in 1944, the Third Reich, through the total mobilization of the resources of the country and occupied Europe, caught up with the USSR in the production of combat aircraft, but during this period the Germans had to use up to 2/3 of their aviation in the West, against the Anglo-American allies.
By the way, we note that for each combat aircraft produced in the USSR there were 8 times fewer machine tools, 4.3 times less electricity and 20% fewer workers than in Germany! Moreover, more than 40% of workers in the Soviet aviation industry in 1944 were women, and over 10% were teenagers under 18 years of age.
The given figures indicate that Soviet aircraft were simpler, cheaper and more technologically advanced than German ones. Nevertheless, by the middle of 1944, their best models, such as the Yak-3 and La-7 fighters, surpassed German aircraft of the same type and contemporary ones in a number of flight parameters. The combination of fairly powerful engines with high aerodynamic and weight efficiency made it possible to achieve this, despite the use of archaic materials and technologies designed for simple production conditions, outdated equipment and low-skilled workers.
It can be argued that the named types in 1944 accounted for only 24.8% of the total production of fighter aircraft in the USSR, and the remaining 75.2% were older types of aircraft with worse flight characteristics. We can also recall that in 1944 the Germans were already actively developing jet aviation, having achieved considerable success in this. The first samples of jet fighters were put into mass production and began to arrive in combat units.
Nevertheless, the progress of the Soviet aircraft industry during the difficult war years is undeniable. And his main achievement is that our fighters managed to recapture from the enemy low and medium altitudes, at which attack aircraft and short-range bombers operated - the main striking force of aviation on the front line. This ensured the successful combat operation of the Ilovs and Pe-2s against German defensive positions, force concentration centers and transport communications, which, in turn, contributed to the victorious offensive of the Soviet troops at the final stage of the war.
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After the invention of the first aircraft and structures, they began to be used for military purposes. This is how combat aviation appeared, becoming the main part of the armed forces of all countries of the world. This article describes the most popular and effective Soviet aircraft, which made a special contribution to the victory over the fascist invaders.
The tragedy of the first days of the war
Il-2 became the first example of a new aircraft design scheme. Ilyushin’s design bureau realized that this approach noticeably worsened the design and made it heavier. The new design approach provided new opportunities for more rational use of the aircraft's weight. This is how the Ilyushin-2 appeared - an aircraft that, due to its particularly strong armor, earned the nickname “flying tank”.
IL-2 created an incredible number of problems for the Germans. The aircraft was initially used as a fighter, but did not prove particularly effective in this role. Poor maneuverability and speed did not give the Il-2 the opportunity to fight fast and destructive German fighters. Moreover, the weak rear protection allowed the Il-2 to be attacked by German fighters from behind.
The developers also experienced problems with the aircraft. During the entire period of the Great Patriotic War, the armament of the Il-2 was constantly changing, and a seat for a co-pilot was also equipped. This threatened that the plane could become completely uncontrollable.
But all these efforts yielded the desired result. The original 20mm cannons were replaced with large-caliber 37mm ones. With such powerful weapons, the attack aircraft became feared by almost all types of ground troops, from infantry to tanks and armored vehicles.
According to some recollections of pilots who fought on the Il-2, firing from the guns of the attack aircraft led to the fact that the plane literally hung in the air from strong recoil. In the event of an attack by enemy fighters, the tail gunner covered the unprotected part of the Il-2. Thus, the attack aircraft actually became a flying fortress. This thesis is confirmed by the fact that the attack aircraft took several bombs on board.
All these qualities were a great success, and the Ilyushin-2 became simply an indispensable aircraft in any battle. It became not only a legendary attack aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, but also broke production records: in total, about 40 thousand copies were produced during the war. Thus, Soviet-era aircraft could compete with the Luftwaffe in all respects.
Bombers
The bomber, from a tactical point of view, is an indispensable part of combat aircraft in any battle. Perhaps the most recognizable Soviet bomber of the Great Patriotic War is the Pe-2. It was developed as a tactical super-heavy fighter, but over time it was transformed into a dangerous dive bomber.
It should be noted that Soviet bomber-class aircraft made their debut precisely during the Great Patriotic War. The appearance of bombers was determined by many factors, but the main one was the development of the air defense system. Special tactics for using bombers were immediately developed, which involved approaching the target at high altitude, sharply descending to the bomb-dropping altitude, and an equally abrupt departure into the sky. This tactic yielded results.
Pe-2 and Tu-2
A dive bomber drops its bombs without following a horizontal line. He literally falls on his target and drops the bomb only when there are only 200 meters left to the target. The consequence of this tactical move is impeccable accuracy. But, as you know, an aircraft at low altitude can be hit by anti-aircraft guns, and this could not but affect the design system of bombers.
Thus, it turned out that the bomber had to combine the incompatible. It should be as compact and maneuverable as possible, and at the same time carry heavy ammunition. In addition, the design of the bomber was assumed to be durable, capable of withstanding the impact of an anti-aircraft gun. Therefore, the Pe-2 aircraft suited this role very well.
The Pe-2 bomber complemented the Tu-2, which was very similar in parameters. It was a twin-engine dive bomber, which was used according to the tactics described above. The problem with this aircraft was the insignificant orders of the model at aircraft factories. But by the end of the war the problem was corrected, the Tu-2 was even modernized and successfully used in battle.
Tu-2 performed a wide variety of combat missions. It served as an attack aircraft, bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, torpedo bomber and interceptor.
IL-4
The Il-4 tactical bomber rightly earned the title of the Great Patriotic War, making it difficult to confuse it with any other aircraft. The Ilyushin-4, despite its complicated controls, was popular in the Air Force; the aircraft was even used as a torpedo bomber.
The IL-4 is entrenched in history as the aircraft that carried out the first bombing of the capital of the Third Reich - Berlin. And this happened not in May 1945, but in the fall of 1941. But the bombing did not last long. In winter, the front shifted far to the East, and Berlin became out of reach of Soviet dive bombers.
Pe-8
During the war years, the Pe-8 bomber was so rare and unrecognizable that it was sometimes even attacked by its own air defenses. However, it was he who performed the most difficult combat missions.
Although the long-range bomber was produced back in the late 1930s, it was the only aircraft of its class in the USSR. The Pe-8 had the highest speed (400 km/h), and the fuel supply in the tank made it possible to carry bombs not only to Berlin, but also to return back. The aircraft was equipped with the largest caliber bombs, up to the five-ton FAB-5000. It was the Pe-8 that bombed Helsinki, Koenigsberg, and Berlin at a time when the front line was in the Moscow area. Because of its operating range, the Pe-8 was called a strategic bomber, and in those years this class of aircraft was just being developed. All Soviet aircraft of World War II belonged to the class of fighters, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft or transport aircraft, but not to strategic aviation, only the Pe-8 was a kind of exception to the rule.
One of the most important operations performed by the Pe-8 was the transportation of V. Molotov to the USA and Great Britain. The flight took place in the spring of 1942 along a route that passed through Nazi-occupied territories. Molotov traveled on the passenger version of the Pe-8. Only a few such aircraft were developed.
Today, thanks to technological progress, tens of thousands of passengers are transported every day. But in those distant war days, every flight was a feat, both for pilots and passengers. There was always a high probability of being shot down, and a downed Soviet plane meant the loss of not only valuable lives, but also great damage to the state, which was very difficult to compensate.
Concluding this short review, which describes the most popular Soviet aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, it is worth mentioning the fact that all development, construction and air battles took place in conditions of cold, hunger and lack of personnel. However, each new machine was an important step in the development of world aviation. The names of Ilyushin, Yakovlev, Lavochkin, Tupolev will forever remain in military history. And not only the heads of design bureaus, but also ordinary engineers and ordinary workers made a huge contribution to the development of Soviet aviation.
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