Aircraft of the Patriotic War 1941 1945. Fighters of the Second World War: the best of the best

There is a lot to be said about World War II. There are simply too many facts. In this review, attention should be paid to such a topic as the aviation of the Second World War. Let's talk about the most famous aircraft that were used in combat.

I-16 - "donkey", "donkey". Soviet-made monoplane fighter. It first appeared in the 30s. This happened in the Polikarpov Design Bureau. The first to fly a fighter into the air was Valery Chkalov. It happened at the end of December 1933. The aircraft took part in the civil war that broke out in Spain in 1936, in the conflict with Japan on the Khalkhin Gol River, in the Soviet-Finnish battle. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the fighter was the main unit of the corresponding fleet of the USSR. Most of the pilots began their careers with the service on the I-16.

Inventions of Alexander Yakovlev

Aviation of the Second World War included the Yak-3 aircraft. It should be understood as a single-engine fighter, the development of which was carried out under the leadership of Alexander Yakovlev. The aircraft became an excellent continuation of the Yak-1 model. The production of the aircraft took place from 1994 to 1945. During this time, it was possible to design about 5 thousand fighters. The aircraft was recognized as the best fighter of the Second World War, designed for low altitudes. This model was in service with France.

Aviation of the USSR has gained a lot since the invention of the Yak-7 (UTI-26) aircraft. This is a single-engine aircraft developed. It was used from the position of a training aircraft. Production began in 1942. About 6 thousand of these models took to the air.

More advanced model

Aviation of the USSR had such a fighter as the K-9. This is the most massive model, the production of which lasted about 6 years, starting in 1942. During this time, about 17 thousand aircraft were designed. Despite the fact that the model had few differences from the FK-7 aircraft, in all respects it became a more perfect continuation of the series.

Aircraft produced under the direction of Petlyakov

When discussing such a topic as the aviation of the Second World War, it should be noted the plane called the Pawn (Pe-2). This is a dive bomber, which is the most massive in its class. This model was actively used on the battlefields.

Aviation of the USSR of the Second World War included in its composition such an aircraft as the PE-3. This model should be understood as a twin-engine fighter. His main feature was an all-metal construction. The development was carried out in OKB-29. The PE-2 dive bomber was taken as the basis. V. Petlyakov supervised the production process. The first aircraft was designed in 1941. It was distinguished from the bomber by the absence of a lower hatch for a rifle installation. There were no brake bars either.

Fighter that could fly at high altitudes

The military aviation of the USSR during the Second World War was supplemented by such a high-altitude fighter as the MIG-3. This aircraft was used in a wide variety of ways. Among the main differences, one can single out the fact that he could rise to a height of up to 12 thousand meters. The speed at the same time reached a fairly high level. With the help of this, they successfully fought against enemy aircraft.

Fighters, the production of which was led by Lavochkin

Speaking on such a topic as World War II aviation, it is necessary to note a model called LaGG-3. This is a monoplane fighter, which was in service with the Red Army Air Force. It was used from the position of a fighter, interceptor, bomber, reconnaissance. Production lasted from 1941 to 1944. The designers are Lavochkin, Gorbunov, Gudkov. Among the positive qualities, one should highlight the presence of powerful weapons, high survivability, minimal use of rare materials. Pine and plywood were used as the main inputs in the creation of the fighter.

Military aviation had in its possession the La-5 model, the design of which took place under the leadership of Lavochkin. This is a monoplane fighter. The main characteristics are the presence of only one place, a closed cabin, a wooden frame and exactly the same wing spars. The production of this aircraft began in 1942. At the very beginning, only two automatic 20-mm cannons were used as weapons. Designers placed them in front of the motor. Instrumentation did not differ in variety. There was not even a single gyroscopic instrument. And if we compare such an aircraft with those aircraft that were used by Germany, America or England, it may seem that it lags far behind them in terms of technical terms. However, flight performance was high level. In addition, a simple design, no need for labor-intensive maintenance, undemanding to the conditions of the take-off fields made the model just perfect for that period. In one year, about one thousand fighters were developed.

The USSR keeps a mention of such a model as La-7. This is a single-seat monoplane fighter designed by Lavochkin. The first such aircraft was produced in 1944. He took to the air in February. In May it was decided to start mass production. Almost all the pilots who became Heroes of the Soviet Union flew the La-7.

Model produced under the direction of Polikarpov

The military aviation of the USSR included the U-2 (PO-2) model. This is a multi-purpose biplane, the production of which was directed by Polikarpov in 1928. The main goal for which the release of the aircraft took place was the training of pilots. It was characterized by the presence of good aerobatic qualities. When the Great Patriotic War began, it was decided to convert the standard models into light, night bomber aircraft. The load at the same time reached 350 kg. The aircraft was mass-produced until 1953. For all the time it was possible to produce about 33 thousand models.

high speed fighter

The military aviation of the Second World War included such a machine as the Tu-2. This model is also known as ANT-58 and 103 Tu-2. This is a twin-engine bomber that could develop a high flight speed. For all the time of its production, about 2257 models were designed. The bomber was in service until 1950.

flying tank

No less popular is such an aircraft as the Il-2. The attack aircraft also bore the nickname "humped". This was facilitated by the shape of the fuselage. The designers called this car a flying tank. German pilots called this model a concrete plane and a cemented bomber due to its special strength. Ilyushin was engaged in the production of attack aircraft.

What can be said about German aviation?

The German aviation of the Second World War included such a model as the Messerschmitt Bf.109. This is a low-wing piston fighter. It was used as an interceptor, fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. This is the most massive aircraft in the history of World War II (33984 models). Almost all German pilots started flying on this aircraft.

"Messerschmitt Bf.110" is a heavy strategic fighter. Due to the fact that it could not be used for its intended purpose, the model was reclassified as a bomber. The aircraft has been widely used in different countries. He took part in the hostilities at various points. the globe. Good luck accompanied such an aircraft due to the suddenness of its appearance. However, if a maneuvering battle flared up, then this model almost always lost. In this regard, such an aircraft was withdrawn from the front already in 1943.

"Messerschmit Me.163" (Comet) - missile fighter-interceptor. First took to the air back in 1941 at the very beginning of September. It did not differ in mass production. By 1944, only 44 models had been produced. The first sortie took place only in 1944. In total, only 9 aircraft were shot down with their help, with the loss of 11.

"Messerschmit Me.210" - a heavy fighter that acted as a replacement for the Bf.110 model. He made his first flight in 1939. In its design, the model had several defects, in connection with which its combat value suffered quite a lot. All about 90 models were published. 320 aircraft were never completed.

"Messerschmit Me.262" - a jet fighter, which also acted as a bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. The first in the world to take part in hostilities. It can also be considered the world's first jet fighter. The main armament was 30-mm air guns, which were installed near the bow. In this regard, heaped and dense fire was provided.

British-made aircraft

The Hawker Hurricane is a British-made single-seat fighter aircraft produced in 1939. For all the time of production, about 14 thousand models were published. In connection with various modifications, the machine was used as an interceptor, bomber and attack aircraft. There were also such modifications that implied the take-off of the aircraft from aircraft carriers. Among German aces this aircraft was called the "bucket of nuts." This is due to the fact that he was quite heavy to manage and slowly gained altitude.

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British-made fighter aircraft that has a single engine and an all-metal low-wing monoplane. The chassis of this model could be removed. Various modifications made it possible to use the model as a fighter, interceptor, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. About 20 thousand cars were produced. Some of them were used until the 50s. They were mainly used only at the very beginning of the war.

The Hawker Typhoon is a single-seat bomber that was produced until 1945. He was in service until 1947. The development was carried out in order to use it from the position of an interceptor. It is one of the most successful fighters. However, there were some problems, of which the low rate of climb can be distinguished. The first flight took place in 1940.

Japanese aviation

The Japanese aviation of the Second World War basically copied the models of those aircraft that were used in Germany. A large number of fighters were produced to support ground forces in combat operations. It also implied local air supremacy. Quite often, World War II aircraft were used to raid China. It is worth noting that there were no strategic bombers in the Japanese aviation. Among the main fighters are: Nakajima Ki-27, Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki, Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu, Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien. also used transport, training, reconnaissance aircraft. In aviation, there was a place for special-purpose models.

American fighters

What else can be said on such a topic as World War II aviation? The United States also did not stand aside. The Americans, for quite understandable reasons, approached the development of the fleet and aviation quite thoroughly. Most likely, it was precisely such solidity that played a role in the fact that the production facilities were among the most powerful not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of capabilities. By the start of hostilities, the US was armed with models such as the Curtiss P-40. However, after some time this car was replaced by the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning. As strategic bombers, aircraft of such models as the B-17 FlyingFortress and B-24 Liberator were used. In order to be able to carry out strategic bombing of Japan, Americans designed B-29 Superfortress aircraft.

Conclusion

Aviation played a significant role in World War II. Virtually no battle took place without aircraft. However, there is nothing strange in the fact that states measured their strength not only on the ground, but also in the air. Accordingly, each country approaches both the training of pilots and the creation of new aircraft with a great deal of responsibility. In this review, we tried to consider those aircraft that were used (successfully and not so) in hostilities.

During the Great Patriotic War The main strike force of the Soviet Union was military aviation. Even taking into account the fact that about 1000 Soviet aircraft were destroyed in the first hours of the attack by the German invaders, all the same, our country very soon managed to become the leader in the number of aircraft produced. Let's remember the five best aircraft on which our pilots defeated Nazi Germany.

At altitude: MiG-3

At the beginning of hostilities, there were much more of these aircraft than other combat aircraft. But many pilots at that time had not yet mastered the MiG, and the training took some time.

Soon, the vast majority of testers still learned to fly the aircraft, which helped to eliminate the problems that had arisen. At the same time, the MiG was losing in many respects to other combat fighters, which were very numerous at the beginning of the war. Although some aircraft were superior in speed at an altitude of more than 5 thousand meters.

The MiG-3 is considered a high-altitude aircraft, the main qualities of which are manifested at an altitude of more than 4.5 thousand meters. He has proven himself as a night fighter in the air defense system with a ceiling of up to 12 thousand meters and high speed. Therefore, the MiG-3 was used until 1945, including for the protection of the capital.

On July 22, 1941, the very first battle took place over Moscow, where the MiG-3 pilot Mark Gallai destroyed an enemy aircraft. The legendary Alexander Pokryshkin also flew the MiG.

"King" modifications: Yak-9

During the 1930s of the 20th century, Alexander Yakovlev's design bureau produced mainly sports aircraft. In the 40s, the Yak-1 fighter was put into mass production, which had excellent flight qualities. When World War II began, the Yak-1 successfully fought against German fighters.

In 1942, the Yak-9 appeared in the Russian air force. The new aircraft was distinguished by increased maneuverability, through which it was possible to fight with the enemy at medium and low altitudes.

This aircraft was the most massive during the Second World War. It was manufactured from 1942 to 1948, more than 17,000 aircraft were produced in total.

The design features of the Yak-9 were also distinguished by the fact that duralumin was used instead of wood, which made the aircraft much lighter than numerous analogues. The ability of the Yak-9 to various upgrades has become one of its most important advantages.

Possessing 22 main modifications, 15 of which were mass-produced, it included the qualities of both a fighter-bomber and a front-line fighter, as well as an escort, interceptor, passenger aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, and a training flight machine. It is believed that the most successful modification of this aircraft, the Yak-9U, appeared in 1944. The German pilots called him the "killer".

Reliable soldier: La-5

At the very beginning of the Second World War, German aircraft had a significant advantage in the sky of the Soviet Union. But after the appearance of the La-5, developed at the Lavochkin design bureau, everything changed. Outwardly, it may seem simple, but this is only at first glance. Even though this aircraft did not have such devices as, for example, the artificial horizon, the Soviet pilots liked the air machine very much.

The strong and reliable design of Lavochkin's latest aircraft did not fall apart even after ten direct hits by an enemy projectile. In addition, the La-5 was impressively agile, with a turn time of 16.5-19 seconds at a speed of 600 km/h.

Another advantage of the La-5 was that it did not perform a corkscrew aerobatics without a direct order from the pilot. If he did get into a tailspin, he immediately got out of it. This aircraft participated in many battles over the Kursk Bulge and Stalingrad, the famous pilots Ivan Kozhedub and Alexei Maresyev fought on it.

Night bomber: Po-2

The Po-2 (U-2) bomber is considered one of the most popular biplanes in world aviation. In 1920, it was created as a training aircraft, and its developer Nikolai Polikarpov did not even think that his invention would be used during the Second World War. During the battle, the U-2 turned into an effective night bomber. At that time, special aviation regiments appeared in the air forces of the Soviet Union, which were armed with the U-2. These biplanes flew over 50% of all combat aircraft sorties during World War II.

The Germans called the U-2 "Sewing Machines", these planes bombed them at night. One U-2 could carry out several sorties during the night and, with a load of 100-350 kg, it dropped more ammunition than, for example, a heavy bomber.

The famous 46th Taman Aviation Regiment fought on Polikarpov's planes. Four squadrons included 80 pilots, 23 of whom have the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The Germans called these women “Night Witches” for their aviation skills, courage and bravery. 23,672 sorties were made by the Taman air regiment.

11,000 U-2s were produced during World War II. They were manufactured in the Kuban at aircraft factory No. 387. In Ryazan (now it is the State Ryazan Instrument Plant), air skis and cabins for these biplanes were produced.

In 1959, the U-2, which was renamed Po-2 in 1944, completed its brilliant thirty years of service.

Flying tank: IL-2

The most massive combat aircraft in the history of Russia is the Il-2. In total, more than 36,000 of these aircraft were produced. The Germans nicknamed the IL-2 "Black Death" for the huge losses and damage caused. And the Soviet pilots called this aircraft "Concrete", "Winged Tank", "Humpback".

Just before the war in December 1940, the Il-2 began to be mass-produced. Vladimir Kokkinaki, the famous test pilot, made his first flight on it. These bombers immediately entered service with the Soviet army.

Soviet aviation in the face of this Il-2 gained its main strike force. The aircraft is a set of powerful characteristics that provide the aircraft with reliability and durability. This armored glass, and rockets, and rapid-fire aircraft guns, and a powerful engine.

The best factories of the Soviet Union worked on the manufacture of parts for this aircraft. The main enterprise for the production of ammunition for the IL-2 is the Tula Instrument Design Bureau.

Armored glass for glazing the Il-2 canopy was manufactured at the Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant. The engines were assembled at plant number 24 (Kuznetsov enterprise). In Kuibyshev, at the Aviaagregat plant, propellers for attack aircraft were produced.

With the help of the most modern technologies at that time, this aircraft turned into a real legend. Once, more than 600 hits by enemy shells were counted on an IL-2 returning from battle. The bomber was repaired and sent back to combat.

In World War II, the Russians had a large number of aircraft that performed various tasks, such as: fighters, bombers, attack aircraft, training and training, reconnaissance, seaplanes, transport and also many prototypes, and now let's move on to the list itself with descriptions and photos below.

Soviet fighter planes of World War II

1. I-5- Single-seat fighter, consists of wood metal and linen material. Maximum speed 278 km/h; Flight range 560 km; Lifting height 7500 meters; 803 built

2. I-7- Single Soviet fighter, light and maneuverable polutoraplan. Maximum speed 291 km/h; Flight range 700 km; Lifting height 7200 meters; 131 built

3. I-14— Single high-speed fighter. Maximum speed 449 km / h; Flight range 600 km; Lifting height 9430 meters; 22 built

4. I-15- Single-seat maneuverable one-and-a-half wing fighter. Maximum speed 370 km/h; Flight range 750 km; Lifting height 9800 meters; 621 built; Machine gun for 3000 rounds, bombs up to 40 kg.

5. I-16- A single-seat Soviet single-engine piston monoplane fighter, simply called "Ishak". Maximum speed 431 km / h; Flight range 520 km; Lifting height 8240 meters; 10292 built; Machine gun for 3100 rounds.

6. DI-6— Double Soviet fighter. Maximum speed 372 km/h; Flight range 500 km; Lifting height 7700 meters; 222 built; 2 machine guns for 1500 rounds, bombs up to 50 kg.

7. IP-1- Single-seat fighter with two dynamo-reactive guns. Maximum speed 410 km/h; Flight range 1000 km; Lifting height 7700 meters; 200 built; 2 ShKAS-7.62mm machine guns, 2 APK-4-76mm cannons.

8. PE-3— Twin-engine, two-seat, high-altitude heavy fighter. Maximum speed 535 km/h; Flight range 2150 km; Lifting height 8900 meters; 360 built; 2 machine guns UB-12.7 mm, 3 machine guns ShKAS-7.62 mm; Unguided missiles RS-82 and RS-132; Maximum combat load - 700kg.

9. MIG-1— Single high-speed fighter. Maximum speed 657 km / h; Flight range 580 km; Lifting height 12000 meters; 100 built; 1 machine gun BS-12.7 mm - 300 rounds, 2 machine guns ShKAS-7.62 mm - 750 rounds; Bombs - 100kg.

10. MIG-3— Single high-speed high-altitude fighter. Maximum speed 640 km/h; Flight range 857 km; Lifting height 11500 meters; 100 built; 1 machine gun BS-12.7 mm - 300 rounds, 2 machine guns ShKAS-7.62 mm - 1500 rounds, machine gun under the wing BK-12.7 mm; Bombs - up to 100kg; Unguided missiles RS-82-6 pieces.

11. Yak-1— Single high-speed high-altitude fighter. Maximum speed 569 km / h; Flight range 760 km; Lifting height 10000 meters; 8734 built; 1 machine gun UBS-12.7 mm, 2 machine guns ShKAS-7.62 mm, 1 machine gun ShVAK-20 mm; 1 gun ShVAK - 20 mm.

12. Yak-3— Single, single-engine high-speed Soviet fighter. Maximum speed 645 km/h; Flight range 648 km; Lifting height 10700 meters; 4848 built; 2 machine guns UBS-12.7 mm, 1 gun ShVAK - 20 mm.

13. Yak-7- Single, single-engine high-speed Soviet fighter of the Great Patriotic War. Maximum speed 570 km/h; Flight range 648 km; Lifting height 9900 meters; 6399 built; 2 machine guns ShKAS-12.7 mm for 1500 rounds, 1 gun ShVAK - 20 mm for 120 rounds.

14. Yak-9— Single, single-engine Soviet fighter bomber. Maximum speed 577 km / h; Flight range 1360 km; Lifting height 10750 meters; 16769 built; 1 machine gun UBS-12.7 mm, 1 gun ShVAK - 20 mm.

15. LaGG-3- Single-seat single-engine Soviet aircraft monoplane fighter, bomber, interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft of the Great Patriotic War. Maximum speed 580 km/h; Flight range 1100 km; Lifting height 10000 meters; 6528 built

16. La-5- A single-seat single-engine Soviet monoplane fighter aircraft made of wood. Maximum speed 630 km/h; Flight range 1190 km; Lifting height 11200 meters; 9920 built

17. La-7- Single-seat single-engine Soviet monoplane fighter aircraft. Maximum speed 672 km/h; Flight range 675 km; Lifting height 11100 meters; 5905 built

Soviet bombers of the Second World War

1. U-2VS- Double single-engine Soviet multi-purpose biplane. One of the most massive aircraft produced in the world. Maximum speed 150 km/h; Flight range 430 km; Lifting height 3820 meters; 33,000 built

2. Su-2- Double single-engine Soviet light bomber with a 360-degree view. Maximum speed 486 km / h; Flight range 910 km; Lifting height 8400 meters; 893 built

3. Yak-2- Two and three-seat twin-engine Soviet heavy bomber reconnaissance. Maximum speed 515 km/h; Flight range 800 km; Lifting height 8900 meters; 111 built

4. Yak-4- Double twin-engine Soviet light reconnaissance bomber. Maximum speed 574 km/h; Flight range 1200 km; Lifting height 10000 meters; 90 built

5. ANT-40— Triple twin-engine Soviet light high-speed bomber. Maximum speed 450 km/h; Flight range 2300 km; Lifting height 7800 meters; 6656 built

6. AR-2— Triple twin-engine Soviet all-metal dive bomber. Maximum speed 475 km/h; Flight range 1500 km; Lifting height 10000 meters; 200 built

7. PE-2— Triple twin-engine Soviet most massive dive bomber. Maximum speed 540 km/h; Flight range 1200 km; Lifting height 8700 meters; 11247 built

8. Tu-2— Quadruple twin-engine daytime Soviet high-speed bomber. Maximum speed 547 km/h; Flight range 2100 km; Lifting height 9500 meters; 2527 built

9. DB-3— Triple twin-engine Soviet long-range bomber. Maximum speed 400 km/h; Flight range 3100 km; Lifting height 8400 meters; 1528 built

10. IL-4— Quadruple twin-engine Soviet long-range bomber. Maximum speed 430 km/h; Flight range 3800 km; Lifting height 8900 meters; 5256 built

11. DB-A— Seven-seat experimental four-engine Soviet heavy long-range bomber. Maximum speed 330 km/h; Flight range 4500 km; Lifting height 7220 meters; 12 built

12. Yer-2- Five-seat twin-engine Soviet long-range monoplane bomber. Maximum speed 445 km/h; Flight range 4100 km; Lifting height 7700 meters; 462 built

13. TB-3- Eight-seat four-engine Soviet heavy bomber. Maximum speed 197 km/h; Flight range 3120 km; Lifting height 3800 meters; 818 built

14. PE-8- 12-seat four-engine Soviet heavy long-range bomber. Maximum speed 443 km / h; Flight range 3600 km; Lifting height 9300 meters; Combat load up to 4000 kg; Years of production 1939-1944; 93 built

Soviet ground attack planes of World War II

1. IL-2- Double single-engine Soviet attack aircraft. This is the most massive aircraft produced in Soviet times. Maximum speed 414 km/h; Flight range 720 km; Lifting height 5500 meters; Years of production: 1941-1945; 36183 built

2. IL-10- Double single-engine Soviet attack aircraft. Maximum speed 551 km/h; Flight range 2460 km; Lifting height 7250 meters; Years of production: 1944-1955; 4966 built

Soviet reconnaissance aircraft of the Second World War

1. R-5- Double single-engine multi-purpose Soviet reconnaissance aircraft. Maximum speed 235 km/h; Flight range 1000 km; Lifting height 6400 meters; Years of production: 1929-1944; Built more than 6000 pcs.

2. R-Z- Double single-engine multi-purpose Soviet lightweight reconnaissance aircraft. Maximum speed 316 km/h; Flight range 1000 km; Lifting height 8700 meters; Years of production: 1935-1945; 1031 built

3. R-6— Quadruple twin-engine Soviet reconnaissance aircraft. Maximum speed 240 km/h; Flight range 1680 km; Lifting height 5620 meters; Years of production: 1931-1944; 406 built

4. R-10- Double single-engine Soviet reconnaissance aircraft, attack aircraft and light bomber. Maximum speed 370 km/h; Flight range 1300 km; Lifting height 7000 meters; Years of production: 1937-1944; 493 built

5. A-7- Double single-engine Soviet wing-type autogyro with a three-bladed rotor reconnaissance aircraft. Maximum speed 218 km/h; Flight range 4 hours; Years of production: 1938-1941.

1. Sh-2- Double first Soviet serial amphibious aircraft. Maximum speed 139 km/h; Flight range 500 km; Lifting height 3100 meters; Years of production: 1932-1964; 1200 built

2. MBR-2 Naval Middle Scout - Five-seater Soviet flying boat. Maximum speed 215 km/h; Flight range 2416 km; Years of production: 1934-1946; 1365 built

3. MTB-2— Soviet heavy naval bomber. It is also designed to carry up to 40 people. Maximum speed 330 km/h; Flight range 4200 km; Lifting height 3100 meters; Years of production: 1937-1939; 2 units built

4. GTS- Marine patrol bomber (flying boat). Maximum speed 314 km/h; Flight range 4030 km; Lifting height 4000 meters; Years of production: 1936-1945; 3305 built

5. KOR-1- Double deck ejection float floatplane (ship reconnaissance). Maximum speed 277 km/h; Flight range 1000 km; Lifting height 6600 meters; Years of production: 1939-1941; 13 built

6. KOR-2- Double deck catapult flying boat (near sea reconnaissance). Maximum speed 356 km/h; Flight range 1150 km; Lifting height 8100 meters; Years of production: 1941-1945; 44 built

7. Che-2(MDR-6) - Four-seater long-range reconnaissance aircraft, twin-engine monoplane. Maximum speed 350 km/h; Flight range 2650 km; Lifting height 9000 meters; Years of production: 1940-1946; 17 built

Soviet transport aircraft of World War II

1. Li-2- Soviet military transport aircraft. Maximum speed 320 km/h; Flight range 2560 km; Lifting height 7350 meters; Years of production: 1939-1953; 6157 built

2. Sche-2- Soviet military transport aircraft (Pike). Maximum speed 160 km/h; Flight range 850 km; Lifting height 2400 meters; Years of production: 1943-1947; 567 built

3. Yak-6- Soviet military transport aircraft (Duglasenok). Maximum speed 230 km/h; Flight range 900 km; Lifting height 3380 meters; Years of production: 1942-1950; 381 built

4. ANT-20- the largest 8-engine passenger Soviet military transport aircraft. Maximum speed 275 km/h; Flight range 1000 km; Lifting height 7500 meters; Years of production: 1934-1935; 2 units built

5. SAM-25- Soviet multi-purpose military transport aircraft. Maximum speed 200 km/h; Flight range 1760 km; Lifting height 4850 meters; Years of production: 1943-1948.

6. K-5- Soviet passenger aircraft. Maximum speed 206 km/h; Flight range 960 km; Lifting height 5040 meters; Years of production: 1930-1934; 260 built

7. G-11- Soviet landing glider. Maximum speed 150 km/h; Flight range 1500 km; Lifting height 3000 meters; Years of production: 1941-1948; 308 built

8. KC-20- Soviet landing glider. This is the largest glider during WWII. On board, he could take 20 people and 2200 kg of cargo. Years of production: 1941-1943; 68 built

I hope you liked the Russian planes of the Great Patriotic War! Thank you for watching!

Many countries joined the Second world war with obsolete types of combat aircraft. This concerns, first of all, the countries of the anti-fascist coalition, while the "axis" countries, which were the first to start active operations (Germany, Japan), re-equipped their aviation in advance. The qualitative superiority of the Axis aviation, which managed to gain air supremacy, over the aviation of the Western powers and the USSR largely explains the successes of the Germans and Japanese in early stages Second World War.

TB is short for "heavy bomber". It was created in the design bureau of A.N. Tupolev back in 1930. Equipped with four piston engines, the aircraft developed a maximum speed of less than 200 km / h. The practical ceiling was less than 4 km. Although the aircraft was armed with several (from 4 to 8) 7.62-mm machine guns, with its own performance characteristics(TTX) it was easy prey for fighters and could only be used with strong fighter cover or against an enemy that did not expect an attack. TB-3 at low speed and flight altitude and huge size was a convenient target for anti-aircraft artillery, including at night, as it was well illuminated by searchlights. In fact, it became obsolete almost immediately after it was put into service. This was shown by the Japanese-Chinese war that began already in 1937, where TB-3s fought on the Chinese side (some with Soviet crews).

In the same 1937, the production of TB-3 ceased, and in 1939 it was officially withdrawn from service with bomber squadrons. However, its combat use continued. So, on the first day of the Soviet-Finnish war, they bombed Helsinki and achieved success there, because the Finns did not expect an attack. By the beginning of World War II, more than 500 TB-3 remained in service. Due to the huge losses of Soviet aircraft in the first weeks of the war, ineffective attempts were made to use the TB-3 as a night bomber. In connection with the commissioning of more advanced machines, by the end of 1941, the TB-3 was completely retrained as a military transport aircraft.

Or ANT-40 (SB - high-speed bomber). This twin-engine monoplane was also developed at the Tupolev bureau. By the time it was put into service in 1936, it was one of the best front-line bombers in the world in terms of its performance characteristics. This was shown by the civil war that began soon in Spain. In October 1936, the USSR delivered the first 31 SB-2s to the Spanish Republic, in total there in 1936-1938. received 70 of these machines. The combat qualities of the SB-2 turned out to be quite high, although their intensive combat use led to the fact that by the time the Republic was defeated, only 19 of these aircraft had survived. Their engines turned out to be especially unreliable, so the Francoists converted captured SB-2s with French engines and used them in this form as training until 1951. SB-2 also proved to be quite good in the skies of China until 1942, although they could only be used under fighter cover - without it they became easy prey Japanese fighters"Zero". The enemies had more advanced fighters, and by the beginning of the 40s the SB-2 was morally completely obsolete.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the SB-2 was the main aircraft of the Soviet bomber aviation- it accounted for 90% of cars in this class. On the very first day of the war, they suffered heavy losses even at the airfields. Their combat use, as a rule, ended tragically. So, on June 22, 1941, 18 SB-2s made an attempt to strike at German crossings across the Western Bug. All 18 were shot down. On June 30, 14 SB-2s, together with a group of other aircraft, attacked German mechanized columns while crossing the Western Dvina. 11 SB-2s lost. The next day, when trying to repeat the attack in the same area, all nine SB-2s participating in it were shot down by German fighters. These failures forced the same summer to stop the production of SB-2, and the remaining such machines were used as night bombers. The effectiveness of their bombing was low. However, the SB-2 continued to be in service until 1943.

Aircraft designed by N.N. Polikarpov was the main fighter of the Soviet Air Force in the first year of the war. In total, about 10 thousand of these machines were produced, almost all of which were destroyed or crashed before the end of 1942. The I-16 had many of the virtues that emerged during the war in Spain. So, he had a retractable landing gear, he was armed with automatic aircraft 20-mm guns. But maximum speed 470 km / h was already clearly insufficient to fight enemy fighters in 1941. I-16s suffered heavy losses already in the sky of China from Japanese fighters in 1937-1941. But the main drawback was poor handling. The I-16 was purposely made dynamically unstable, as it was erroneously assumed that this quality would make it difficult for the enemy to fire on it. This, first of all, made it difficult for him to control his pilots and made it impossible to purposefully maneuver in battle. The plane often fell into a tailspin and crashed. The clear combat superiority of the German Me-109 and the high accident rate forced the I-16 to be taken out of production in 1942.

French fighter Morane-Saulnier MS.406

The backwardness of the I-16 is clearly visible when compared with the MS.406, which formed the basis of French fighter aircraft by the beginning of World War II, but was already noticeably inferior in terms of its performance characteristics to the German Me-109. He developed a speed of up to 480 km / h and at the time of its adoption in 1935 was a first-class aircraft. Its superiority over Soviet aircraft of the same class was reflected in Finland in the winter of 1939/40, where, piloted by Finnish pilots, they shot down 16 Soviet aircraft, losing only one of their own. But in May-June 1940, in the skies over Belgium and France in battles with German aircraft, the loss ratio turned out to be the opposite: 3:1 more for the French.

Italian Fiat CR.32 fighter

Italy, unlike the major Axis powers, had done little to modernize its air force by the start of World War II. The Fiat CR.32 biplane, put into service in 1935, remained the most massive fighter. For the war with Ethiopia, which did not have aviation, it fighting qualities were brilliant, civil war in Spain, where CR.32s fought for the Francoists, seemed satisfactory. In the air battles that began in the summer of 1940, not only with the English Hurricanes, but also with the already mentioned French MS.406s, the slow-moving and poorly armed CR.32s were absolutely helpless. Already in January 1941, he had to be removed from service.

World War II was a war in which the air force played a key role in combat. Prior to this, aircraft could affect the results of one battle, but not the course of the entire war. A huge leap forward in the field of aerospace engineering has led to the fact that the air front has become an important part of the war effort. Since this was of great importance, the opposing nations constantly sought to develop new aircraft in order to defeat the enemy. Today we will talk about a dozen unusual aircraft from the Second World War, which you may not have even heard of.

1. Kokusai Ki-105

In 1942, during the fighting on pacific ocean, Japan realized that it needed large aircraft that could deliver the provisions and ammunition needed to conduct maneuver warfare against the allied forces. At the request of the government, the Japanese company Kokusai developed the Ku-7 aircraft. This huge twin-boom glider was large enough to carry light tanks. The Ku-7 was considered one of the heaviest gliders developed during World War II. When it became clear that fighting in the Pacific dragged on, the Japanese military leaders decided to focus on the production of fighters and bombers instead of transport aircraft. Work on the improvement of the Ku-7 continued, but at a slow pace.

In 1944, the Japanese war effort began to fail. Not only did they quickly lose ground to the rapidly advancing Allied forces, but they also faced a fuel crisis. Most of the Japanese oil industry facilities were either captured or were short of materials, so the military was forced to start looking for alternatives. At first they planned to use Pine nuts for the production of a substitute for petroleum raw materials. Unfortunately, the process dragged on and led to mass felling forests. When this plan failed miserably, the Japanese decided to supply fuel from Sumatra. The only way to do this was to use the long forgotten Ku-7 aircraft. Kokusai fitted the airframe with two engines, expansion tanks, essentially creating the Ki-105's flying fuel tank.

The plan initially had a lot of flaws. First, to get to Sumatra, the Ki-105 had to use up all of its fuel. Secondly, the Ki-105 aircraft could not carry crude oil, so the fuel had to be extracted and processed at the oilfield first. (The Ki-105 only ran on refined fuel.) Thirdly, the Ki-105 would use up 80% of its fuel on its return flight, leaving nothing for the military. Fourth, the Ki-105 was slow and unmaneuverable, making it easy prey for Allied fighters. Fortunately for the Japanese pilots, the war ended and the Ki-105 program was cancelled.

2. Henschel Hs-132

At the start of World War II, Allied forces were terrorized by the infamous Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber. The Ju-87 Stuka dropped bombs with incredible accuracy, resulting in huge casualties. However, as Allied aircraft reached higher performance standards, the Ju-87 Stuka proved unable to compete with the enemy's fast and agile fighters. Not wanting to abandon the idea of ​​picketing bombers, the German air command ordered the creation of a new jet aircraft.

The design of the bomber proposed by Henschel was quite simple. Henschel's engineers managed to create an aircraft that was incredibly fast, especially when diving. Due to the emphasis on speed and dive performance, the Hs-132 had a number of unusual features. The jet engine was located on top of the aircraft. This, along with the narrow fuselage, required the pilot to take a rather odd position while flying the bomber. The Hs-132 pilots had to lie on their stomachs and look out the small glassed-in nose to see where to fly.

The prone position helped the pilot counteract the force that created the g-force, especially when he quickly climbed to avoid hitting the ground. Unlike most of the German experimental aircraft produced at the end of the war, the Hs-132 could have caused a lot of problems for the Allies if produced in large numbers. Fortunately for ground forces Allies, Soviet soldiers seized the Henschel factory before the construction of prototypes was completed.

3. Blohm & Voss Bv 40

Efforts played a key role in the Allied victory Air force United States and British Bomber Command. The air forces of these two countries carried out countless raids on German troops, in fact, depriving them of the ability to wage war. By 1944, Allied aircraft were bombing German factories and cities almost unhindered. Faced with a significant decrease in the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe (the air force of Nazi Germany), German aircraft manufacturers began to come up with ways to counter enemy air attacks. One of them was the creation of the Bv 40 aircraft (the creation of the mind of the famous engineer Richard Vogt). The Bv 40 is the only known fighter glider.

Given the decline in the technical and material capabilities of the German aircraft industry, Vogt designed the glider as simply as possible. It was made of metal (cabin) and wood (the rest). Even though the Bv 40 could be built even by a person without special skills and education, Vogt wanted to make sure that the glider would not be so easily shot down. Since it did not need an engine, its fuselage was very narrow. Due to the recumbent position of the pilot, the front of the glider was significantly reduced. Vogt hoped that the high speed and small size of the glider would make it invulnerable.

Bv 40 was lifted into the air by two Bf 109 fighters. Once at the appropriate height, the towing aircraft "released" the glider. After that, the Bf 109 pilots began their attack, to which the Bv 40 later joined. To develop the speed necessary for an effective attack, the glider pilot had to dive at an angle of 20 degrees. Given this, the pilot had only a few seconds to open fire on the target. The Bv 40 was equipped with two 30mm guns. Despite successful tests, for some reason the glider was not accepted into service. The German command decided to focus its efforts on creating interceptors with a turbojet engine.

4. Rotabuggy by Raoul Hafner

One of the problems that military commanders faced during World War II was the delivery of military equipment to the front lines. To address this issue, countries have experimented with different ideas. British aerospace engineer Raoul Hafner had the crazy idea to equip all vehicles with helicopter propellers.

Hafner had many ideas on how to increase the mobility of British troops. One of his first projects was the Rotachute, a small autogyro that could be dropped from a transport plane with one soldier inside. This was an attempt to replace parachutes during an airborne landing. When Hafner's idea didn't catch on, he took on two other projects, Rotabuggy and Rotatank. The Rotabuggy was eventually built and tested.

Before attaching the rotor to the jeep, Hafner first decided to check what would be left of the car after the fall. To this end, he loaded the jeep with concrete objects and dropped it from a height of 2.4 meters. The test car (it was a Bentley) was successful, after which Hafner designed the rotor and tail to make it look like a gyroplane.

The British Air Force became interested in the Hafner project and conducted the first test flight of the Rotabuggy, which ended in failure. Theoretically, the autogyro could fly, but it was extremely difficult to control them. Hafner's project failed.

5 Boeing YB-40

When the German bombing campaigns began, the Allied bomber crews faced a fairly strong and well-trained enemy in the face of Luftwaffe pilots. The problem was further aggravated by the fact that neither the British nor the Americans had effective long-range escort fighters. Under such conditions, their bombers suffered defeat after defeat. The British Bomber Command ordered night bombing while the Americans continued their daytime raids and suffered heavy losses. Finally, a way out of the situation was found. It was the creation of the YB-40 escort fighter, which was a modified model of the B-17, equipped with an incredible number of machine guns.

To create the YB-40, the US Air Force signed a contract with the Vega Corporation. The modified B-17 aircraft had two additional turrets and twin machine guns, which allowed the YB-40 to defend itself against frontal attacks.

Unfortunately, all these changes significantly increased the weight of the aircraft, which caused problems during the first test flights. In combat, the YB-40 was much slower than the rest of the bombers in the B-17 series. Due to these significant shortcomings, further work on the YB-40 project was completely discontinued.

6.Interstate TDR

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes, sometimes highly controversial, is hallmark military conflicts of the XXI century. While drones are generally considered a new invention, they have been in use since World War II. While the Luftwaffe command invested in the creation of unmanned guided missiles, The United States of America was the first to put into service remotely piloted aircraft. The US Navy has invested in two projects to build unmanned aerial vehicles. The second ended with the successful birth of the "flying torpedo" TDR.

The idea to create unmanned aerial vehicles arose as early as 1936, but was not realized until the Second World War began. The engineers of the American television company RCA have developed a compact device for receiving and transmitting information, which made it possible to control the TDR using a television transmitter. The leadership of the US Navy believed that accurate weapons would be crucial in stopping Japanese shipping, so they ordered the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle. In order to reduce the use of strategic materials in the manufacture of the flying bomb, the TDR was built primarily from wood and had a simple design.

Initially, the TDR was launched from the ground by the control crew. When he reached the required height, he was taken under control by a specially modified TBM-1C Avenger torpedo bomber, which, keeping a certain distance from the TDR, directed him to the target. One squadron of Avengers flew 50 TDR missions, landing 30 successful strikes against the enemy. The Japanese troops were shocked by the actions of the Americans, as they turned out to have resorted to kamikaze tactics.

Despite the success of the strikes, the US Navy became disillusioned with the idea of ​​unmanned aerial vehicles. By 1944, the allied forces had almost complete air superiority in the Pacific theater of operations, and the need to use complex experimental weapons disappeared.

7. Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

At the height of the Second World War, the famous American aircraft manufacturer "Douglas" decided to start developing a revolutionary bomber aircraft in order to bridge the gap between light and high-altitude heavy bombers. Douglas focused its efforts on building the XB-42 high-speed bomber capable of outrunning Luftwaffe interceptors. If the Douglas engineers had managed to make the aircraft fast enough, they could have given most of the fuselage to the bomb load, reducing the significant number of defensive machine guns that were present on almost all heavy bombers.

The XB-42 was equipped with two engines, which were located inside the fuselage, and not on the wings, and a pair of propellers rotating in different directions. Given the fact that speed was a priority, the XB-42 bomber accommodated a crew of three. The pilot and his assistant were inside separate "bubble" lights located next to each other. The scorer was located in the bow of the XB-42. Defensive weapons were reduced to a minimum. The XB-42 had two remote-controlled defensive turrets. All innovation paid off. The XB-42 was capable of speeds up to 660 kilometers per hour and contained bombs with a total weight of 3600 kilograms.

The XB-42 turned out to be an excellent front-line bomber, but by the time it was ready for mass production, the war was already over. The XB-42 project fell victim to the changing desires of the US Air Force command; he was rejected, after which the Douglas company began to create a jet-powered bomber. The XB-43 Jetmaster was successful, but did not attract the attention of the United States Air Force. Nevertheless, it became the first American jet bomber, paving the way for other aircraft of its kind.

The original XB-42 bomber is stored at the National Air and Space Museum and in this moment awaiting its turn for restoration. During transport, his wings mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again.

8 General Aircraft G.A.L. 38 Fleet Shadower

Before the advent of electronics and high-precision weapons, aircraft were developed in accordance with a specific combat mission. During World War II, this need led to a number of absurd specialized aircraft, including the General Aircraft G.A.L. 38 Fleet Shadower.

At the start of World War II, Great Britain was threatened by the huge German navy (Kriegsmarine). German ships blocked the English waterways and interfered with logistics. Since the ocean is large, it was extremely difficult to scout the positions of enemy ships, especially before the advent of radar. In order to be able to track the position of the Kriegsmarine ships, the Admiralty needed surveillance aircraft that could fly at night at low speed and high altitude, reconnaissance of the positions of the enemy fleet and reporting them by radio. Two companies - "Airspeed" and "General Aircraft" - simultaneously invented two almost identical aircraft. However, the "General Aircraft" model turned out to be more strange.

Aircraft G.A.L. 38 was technically a biplane, despite the fact that it had four wings, and the length of the bottom pair was three times less than the top. The crew of the G.A.L. 38 consisted of three people - a pilot, an observer, who was in the glazed nose, and a radio operator, located in the rear fuselage. Since planes move much faster than battleships, G.A.L. 38 was designed to fly slowly.

Like most specialized aircraft, the G.A.L. 38 eventually became unnecessary. With the invention of radar, the Admiralty decided to focus on patrol bombers (such as the Liberator and Sunderland).

9. Messerschmitt Me-328

The Me-328 aircraft was never accepted into service because the Luftwaffe and Messerschmitt could not decide on the functions that it was supposed to perform. Me-328 was a conventional fighter small size. Messerschmitt presented three Me-328 models at once. The first was a small non-powered fighter glider, the second was powered by pulse jet engines, and the third was powered by conventional jet engines. All of them had a similar fuselage and a simple wooden structure.

However, as Germany was desperate to find a way to turn the tide of the air war, Messerschmitt offered several Me-328 models. Hitler approved the Me-328 bomber, which had four pulse jet engines, but it was never put into production.

Caproni Campini N.1 looks and sounds very similar to a jet aircraft, but in fact it is not. This experimental aircraft was designed to bring Italy one step closer to the jet age. By 1940, Germany had already developed the world's first jet aircraft, but kept this project a closely guarded secret. For this reason, Italy was mistakenly considered the country that developed the world's first jet turbine engine.

While the Germans and the British were experimenting with the gas turbine engine that helped create the first true jet aircraft, the Italian engineer Secondo Campini decided to create a "motorjet engine" (English motorjet), which was installed in the forward fuselage. By the principle of work, it was very different from the present gas turbine engine.

It is curious that the Caproni Campini N.1 aircraft had a small space at the end of the engine (something like an afterburner) where the fuel combustion process took place. The N.1 engine was similar to a jet front and rear parts, but otherwise fundamentally different from it.

And although the design of the engine of the Caproni Campini N.1 aircraft was innovative, its performance was not particularly impressive. The N.1 was huge, bulky and unmaneuverable. Big size"motor-compressor air-jet engine" proved to be a deterrent for combat aircraft.

Due to its massiveness and the shortcomings of the “motor-compressor air-jet engine”, the N.1 aircraft developed a speed of no more than 375 kilometers per hour, much less than modern fighters and bombers. During the first long-range test flight, the N.1 afterburner "ate" too much fuel. For this reason, the project was closed.

All these failures did not inspire confidence in the Italian commanders, who by 1942 had more serious problems (for example, the need to defend their homeland) than wasted investments in dubious concepts. With the outbreak of World War II, testing of the Caproni Campini N.1 was completely stopped, and the aircraft was put into storage.

The Soviet Union also experimented with a similar concept, but air-jet powered aircraft were never put into mass production.

Somehow, the N.1 prototype survived World War II and is now a museum piece showing interesting technology that, unfortunately, proved to be a dead end.

The material was prepared by Rosemarina - based on an article from listverse.com

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