Aviation 2nd world. Comparison of WWII fighters. Fighter that could fly at high altitudes

Many countries entered World War II 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 the initial stages of World War II.

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 performance characteristics (TTX), it was an easy prey for fighters and could only be used with strong fighter cover or against such 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In the same 1937, the production of TB-3 ceased, and in 1939 it was officially withdrawn from service with bomber squadrons.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-2s also performed well in the skies of China until 1942, although they could only be used under fighter cover - without it, they became easy prey for Japanese Zero fighters. 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 the machines of 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 the maximum speed of 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 aircraft, its combat qualities were brilliant, for the civil war in Spain, where the CR.32 fought for the Francoists, it 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.

Russian history

Contour maps will help in the study of the recent history of the XX - beginning of the XXI century. When completing assignments, you can use a textbook and a historical atlas. It is included in the educational and methodological complexes for the lines of history textbooks recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

Photo from en.wikipedia.org

The link of his fighters entered into battle with the German bombers in the first minutes of the war. In a battle with another group of Luftwaffe vehicles, Soviet pilots used up all their ammunition, barely enough fuel to reach the airfield, but stopping the German vehicles was much more important than surviving. Realizing this, I. I. Ivanov made the first air ram in the history of the Great Patriotic War.

Photo from pro-warthunder.ru

The legendary "Lavochkin" became a real workhorse of Soviet aviation: it was this aircraft that was most popular among Soviet aces - the most productive pilots of domestic aviation. Ivan Kozhedub, Nikolai Gulaev, Kirill Evstigneev fought on La-5 - the list goes on for a very long time! The famous Alexei Maresyev flew on this plane - a pilot who, due to a wound, lost both legs, but remained in the service.

The textbook gives an idea of ​​Russia's place in the world, of the main events in Russian and world history in the 20th and early 21st centuries. It will help schoolchildren learn to analyze the phenomena of the past, compare the features of the historical path of Russia and other countries, introduce them to new sources and opinions of scientists. The textbook is written in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Secondary (Complete) General Education.

Photo from zstg44.narod.ru

The Pe-2 dive bombers, which became the most massive bomber-class aircraft in the USSR, also contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany. All-metal, nimble and maneuverable, these winged vehicles became a real disaster for the German ground forces - the accuracy of bombing strikes turned out to be extremely high, and thanks to the high speed of the Pe-2, Soviet aces-bombers evaded the attacks of German fighter aircraft. Zholudev, Anpilov, Dolina and many more pilots at the helm of their favorite "pawns" - so affectionately they called the Pe-2 - made a huge contribution to the victory of the Soviet army in the Great Patriotic War.

Photo from the site aviaru.rf

Another legendary bomber of Soviet aviation, the Il-4, also proved itself well and even became famous during the bombing of Berlin in the summer and autumn of 1941. After the start of the war, in August, the aviation command of the Soviet Baltic Fleet developed a plan to bomb the German capital. After careful reconnaissance, the Air Force formed a special strike group of fifteen Il-4 aircraft. On the night of August 7-8, the link bombed Berlin. The Nazis were so dumbfounded that they could not react in time and shoot down the Soviet bombers with their air defense forces. All Soviet vehicles returned safely to the base.

On the cover of the article - a frame from the film "Heavenly slug" (1945).

The textbook, prepared in accordance with the IKS, covers the period of national history from 1914 to the beginning of the 21st century. The content of the textbook is aimed at developing the cognitive interests of students. The methodology of the textbook is based on a system-activity approach, which contributes to the formation of skills to independently work with information and use it in practical activities.

War creates a need never seen in peacetime. Countries compete to create the next most powerful weapon, and engineers sometimes resort to intricate methods for designing their killing machines. Nowhere else has this been shown more clearly than in the skies of World War II: daring aircraft designers have invented some of the strangest aircraft in human history.

At the start of World War II, the German Imperial Air Ministry stimulated the development of a tactical reconnaissance aircraft to provide information support for army operations. Two companies responded to the task. Focke-Wulf modeled a fairly standard twin-engine airplane, while Blohm & Voss miraculously came up with one of the most unusual aircraft at the time, the asymmetric BV 141.

Although at first glance it may seem that this model was dreamed of by engineers in delirium, it successfully served certain purposes. By removing the skin from the right side of the aircraft, the “BV 141” gained an incomparable field of view for the pilot and observers, especially to the right and front, as the pilots were no longer burdened by the huge engine and rotating propeller of the familiar single-engine aircraft.

The design was developed by Richard Vogt, who realized that the then aircraft already had, in fact, asymmetrical handling characteristics. With a heavy engine in the nose, the single-engine airplane experienced high torque, requiring constant attention and control. Vogt sought to compensate by introducing an ingenious asymmetric design, creating a stable reconnaissance platform that was easier to fly than most of her contemporary airliners.

Luftwaffe officer Ernst Udet praised the aircraft during a test flight at speeds up to 500 kilometers per hour. Unfortunately for Blohm & Voss, Allied bombing severely damaged one of Focke-Wulf's main factories, forcing the government to dedicate 80 percent of Blohm & Voss's production space to building Focke-Wulf aircraft. Since the already tiny staff of the company began to work for the benefit of the latter, work on the “BV 141” was stopped after the release of only 38 copies. All of them were destroyed during the war.

Another unusual Nazi project, "Horten Ho 229", was launched almost before the end of the war, after German scientists improved jet technology. By 1943, the Luftwaffe commanders realized that they had made a huge mistake by refusing to issue a long-range heavy bomber, like the American B-17 or the British Lancaster. To rectify the situation, the commander-in-chief of the German air force, Hermann Goering, put forward the demand "3x1000": to develop a bomber capable of transporting 1000 kilograms of bombs over a distance of 1000 kilometers at a speed of at least 1000 kilometers per hour.

Fulfilling the order, the Horten brothers set about designing a "flying wing" (a type of aircraft without a tail or fuselage, like later stealth bombers). In the 1930s, Walther and Raymar experimented with gliders of this type, which showed excellent handling characteristics. Using this experience, the brothers built a non-powered model to reinforce their bomber concept. The design impressed Göring, who handed over the project to the Gothaer Waggonfaebrik aircraft manufacturer for mass production. After some refinement, the Horten glider acquired a jet engine. It was also converted into a fighter aircraft for the needs of the Luftwaffe in 1945. They managed to create only one prototype, which, at the end of the war, was placed at the disposal of the allied forces.

At first, "Ho 229" was considered simply as an outlandish trophy. However, when the similarly designed B-2 stealth bomber entered service, aerospace experts became interested in the stealth performance of its German ancestor. In 2008, Northrop Grumman engineers recreated a copy of the Ho 229 based on a surviving prototype held by the Smithsonian. By emitting radar signals at frequencies used during World War II, experts discovered that the Nazi aircraft was in fact directly related to stealth technology: it had much less visibility in the radar range compared to its combat contemporaries. Quite by accident, the Horten brothers invented the first stealth fighter-bomber.

In the 1930s, Vought engineer Charles H. Zimmerman began experimenting with disc-shaped aircraft. The first flying model was the V-173, which took to the air in 1942. He had problems with the gearbox, but in general it was a durable, highly maneuverable aircraft. While his firm was churning out the famous "F4U Corsair", Zimmerman continued to work on the disk-shaped fighter that would eventually see the light of day as the "XF5U".

Military experts assumed that the new “fighter” would in many ways surpass other aircraft available at that time. Equipped with two huge Pratt & Whitney engines, the aircraft was expected to reach a high speed of about 885 kilometers per hour, decelerating to 32 kilometers per hour on landing. To give the airframe strength while keeping the weight as low as possible, the prototype was built from "metalite" - a material consisting of a thin sheet of balsa wood coated with aluminium. However, various engine problems caused Zimmerman a lot of trouble, and World War II ended before they could be fixed.

Vought did not cancel the project, but by the time the fighter was ready for testing, the US Navy decided to focus on jet aircraft. The contract with the military expired, and Vought employees tried to dispose of the XF5U, but it turned out that the metalite structure was not so easy to destroy: the demolition ball that hit the airplane only bounced off the metal. Finally, after several new attempts, the body of the aircraft caved in, and blowtorches incinerated its remains.

Of all the aircraft presented in the article, the Boulton Paul Defiant has been in service longer than others. Unfortunately, this resulted in many deaths of young pilots. The airplane appeared as a result of the delusion of the 1930s regarding the further development of the situation on the air front. The British command believed that the enemy bombers would be unprotected and mostly without reinforcements. In theory, a fighter with a powerful turret could penetrate the attack formation and destroy it from the inside. Such an arrangement of weapons would free the pilot from the duties of a shooter, allowing him to concentrate on bringing the aircraft to the optimal firing position.

And the Defiant did an excellent job during its first sorties of operations, as many unsuspecting German fighter pilots mistook the aircraft for a similar-looking Hawker Hurricane, attacking it from above or from the rear - ideal points for a machine gunner Defiant. However, the Luftwaffe pilots quickly realized what was happening, and began to attack from below and in front. With no frontal weapons and low maneuverability due to the heavy turret, the Defiant aviators suffered huge losses during the Battle of Britain. The Air Force of Foggy Albion lost almost an entire fighter squadron, and the Defiant gunners were not able to leave the plane in emergency situations.

Although the pilots were able to come up with various temporary tactics, the Royal Air Force soon realized that the turret fighter was not designed for modern air combat. The Defiant was demoted to a night fighter, after which he gained some success sneaking up and destroying enemy bombers on night missions. The rugged hull of the British was also used as a target for practice shooting and in testing the first Martin-Baker ejection seats.

In the period between the First and Second World Wars in various states, there was growing concern about the issue of defense against strategic bombing during the next hostilities. Italian general Giulio Due believed that it was impossible to defend against massive air attacks, and British politician Stanley Baldwin coined the phrase "a bomber will always break through." In response, the major powers have invested huge amounts of money in the development of "bomber destroyers" - heavy fighters designed to intercept enemy formations in the sky. The English "Defiant" failed, while the German "BF-110" performed well in various roles. And finally, among them was the American "YFM-1 Airacuda".

This aircraft was Bell's first foray into the military aircraft industry and featured many unusual features. In order to give the Airacuda the highest chance of destroying the enemy, Bell equipped it with two 37mm M-4 guns, placing them in front of the sparse pusher engines and propellers located behind them. Each gun was assigned a separate shooter, whose main duty was to manually reload it. Initially, gunners also fired weapons directly. However, the results were a disaster, and the design of the aircraft was changed, putting the control levers of the guns in the hands of the pilot.

Military strategists believed that with additional machine guns in defensive positions - in the main fuselage to repel side attacks - the aircraft would be indestructible both when attacking enemy bombers and when escorting B-17s over enemy territories. All these structural elements gave the aircraft a rather voluminous appearance, making it look like a cute cartoon airplane. The Airacuda was a real death machine that looked like it was made to be hugged.

Despite optimistic forecasts, tests revealed serious problems. The engines were prone to overheating and did not produce enough thrust. Therefore, in reality, Airacuda developed a lower maximum speed than the bombers it was supposed to intercept or protect. The original arrangement of the weapon only added to the complexity, since the gondolas in which it was placed were filled with smoke when fired, making it impossible for the machine gunners to work. On top of that, they couldn't get out of their cockpits in an emergency because the propellers were working right behind them, turning their attempt to escape into a meeting with death. As a result of these problems, the US Army Air Force only purchased 13 aircraft, none of which received a baptism of fire. The remaining gliders dispersed across the country to have the pilots add entries about the strange aircraft to their logbooks, and Bell continued to try (already more successfully) to develop a military aircraft.

Despite the arms race, military gliders were an important part of World War II aerial technology. They were lifted into the air in tow and detached near enemy territories, ensuring the rapid delivery of supplies and troops as part of airborne operations. Among all the gliders of that period, the "flying tank" "A-40" of Soviet production, of course, stood out for its design.

The countries participating in the war were looking for ways to quickly and efficiently transport tanks to the front. Transferring them with gliders seemed like a worthwhile idea, but engineers soon discovered that the tank was one of the most aerodynamically imperfect machines. After countless attempts to create a good system for delivering tanks by air, most states simply gave up. But not the USSR.

In fact, Soviet aviation had already achieved some success in landing tanks before they developed the A-40. Small vehicles like the T-27 were lifted aboard huge transport planes and dropped a few meters from the ground. With the gearbox in the neutral position, the tank landed and rolled by inertia to a stop. The problem was that the tank crew had to be delivered separately, which greatly reduced the combat effectiveness of the system.

Ideally, the tankers should have arrived in a tank and be ready for battle after a few minutes. To achieve these goals, Soviet planners turned to the ideas of American engineer John Walter Christie, who first developed the concept of a flying tank in the 1930s. Christie believed that, thanks to armored vehicles with fitted biplane wings, any war would be instantly over, since no one could defend against a flying tank.

Based on the work of John Christie, the Soviet Union crossed the T-60 with an aircraft and in 1942 made the first test flight with the brave pilot Sergei Anokhin at the helm. And although due to the aerodynamic drag of the tank, the glider had to be taken out of tow before reaching the planned height, Anokhin managed to land softly and even brought the tank back to base. Despite the enthusiastic report compiled by the pilot, the idea was rejected after the Soviet specialists realized that they did not have aircraft powerful enough to tow operational tanks (Anokhin flew with a lightweight machine - without most of the weapons and with a minimum supply of fuel). Unfortunately, the flying tank never left the ground again.

After Allied bombing began to undermine the German war effort, Luftwaffe commanders realized that their failure to develop heavy multi-engined bombers was a huge mistake. When the authorities finally established the corresponding orders, most of the German aircraft manufacturers seized on this opportunity. Among them were the Horten brothers (as noted above) and the Junkers, who already had experience in building bombers. Company engineer Hans Focke led the design of perhaps the most advanced German aircraft of World War II, the Ju-287.

In the 1930s, designers came to the conclusion that a straight-wing aircraft had a certain upper speed limit, but at that time it did not matter, since turboprop engines could not get close to these indicators anyway. However, with the development of jet technologies, everything has changed. German specialists used swept wings on early jet aircraft, such as the Me-262, which avoided the problems - air compression effects - inherent in a straight wing design. Focke took this one step further and proposed to release an aircraft with a reverse swept wing, which, he believed, would be able to defeat any air defense. The new type of wing had a number of advantages: increased maneuverability at high speeds and at high angles of attack, improved stalling characteristics and freed the fuselage from weapons and engines.

First, Focke's invention passed aerodynamic tests using a special stand; many parts of other aircraft, including captured allied bombers, were taken to make the model. The Ju-287 proved to be excellent during test flights, confirming compliance with all the declared operational characteristics. Unfortunately for Focke, interest in jet bombers quickly waned, and his project was shelved until March 1945. By then, desperate Luftwaffe commanders were looking for any fresh ideas to inflict damage on the Allied forces - production of the Ju-287 was launched in record time, but two months later the war ended, after the construction of only a few prototypes. It took another 40 years for the popularity of the reverse swept wing to begin to revive, thanks to American and Russian aerospace engineers.

George Cornelius is a famous American engineer, the developer of a number of extravagant gliders and aircraft. During the 1930s and 1940s, he worked on new types of aircraft designs, among other things, experimenting with a swept back wing (like the Ju-287). His gliders had excellent stalling characteristics and could be towed at high speeds without much braking effect on the towing aircraft. When World War II broke out, Cornelius was brought in to develop the XFG-1, one of the most specialized aircraft ever built. In essence, the "XFG-1" was a flying fuel tank.

George's plans were to produce both manned and unmanned versions of his glider, both of which could be towed by the latest bombers at their cruising speed of 400 kilometers per hour, twice the speed of most other gliders. The idea of ​​using the unmanned "XFG-1" was revolutionary. The B-29s were expected to tow the glider, pumping fuel from its tank through connected hoses. With a tank capacity of 764 gallons, the XFG-1 would have acted as a flying gas station. After emptying the fuel storage, the B-29 would detach the airframe and it would dive to the ground and crash. This scheme would significantly increase the range of the bombers, allowing raids on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The manned "XFG-1" would have been used in a similar way, but more rationally, since the glider could be landed, and not just destroyed at the end of the fuel intake. Although it is worth considering what kind of pilot would dare to take on such a task as flying a fuel tank over a dangerous war zone.

During testing, one of the prototypes crashed, and Cornelius's plan was left without further attention when the allied forces captured the islands near the Japanese archipelago. With the new airbase layout, the need to refuel the B-29s to reach their mission goals was eliminated, taking the XFG-1 out of the game. After the war, George continued to pitch his idea to the US Air Force, but by then their interest had shifted to specialized refueling aircraft. And “XFG-1” has simply become an inconspicuous footnote in the history of military aviation.

The idea of ​​creating a flying aircraft carrier first appeared during the First World War and was tested in the interwar period. In those years, engineers dreamed of a huge airship carrying small fighters capable of leaving the mother ship to protect it from enemy interceptors. British and American experiments ended in complete failure, and the idea was eventually abandoned, as the loss of tactical value by large rigid airships became apparent.

But while American and British specialists were curtailing their projects, the Soviet Air Force was just getting ready to enter the development arena. In 1931, aviation engineer Vladimir Vakhmistrov proposed using Tupolev's heavy bombers to lift smaller fighters into the air. This made it possible to significantly increase the range and bomb load of the latter in comparison with their usual capabilities as dive bombers. Without bombs, aircraft could also defend their carriers from enemy attacks. Throughout the 1930s, Vakhmistrov experimented with different configurations, only stopping when he attached as many as five fighters to one bomber. By the time the Second World War began, the aircraft designer revised his ideas and came up with a more practical scheme of two I-16 fighter-bombers suspended from the parent TB-3.

The Soviet High Command was impressed enough with this concept to try to put it into practice. The first raid on the Romanian oil storage facilities was successful, with both fighters detaching from the aircraft carrier and striking before returning to the Soviet forward base. After such a successful start, another 30 raids were made, the most famous of which was the destruction of the bridge near Chernovodsk in August 1941. The Red Army tried for months to no avail to destroy it, until they finally activated two of Vakhmistrov's monsters. The carrier planes released their fighters, which began to bomb the previously inaccessible bridge. Despite all these victories, a few months later, the Link project was closed, and the I-16 and TB-3 were discontinued in favor of more modern models. Thus ended the career of one of the strangest - but successful - offspring of aviation in the history of mankind.

Most people are familiar with Japanese kamikaze missions using old aircraft loaded with explosives as anti-ship weapons. They even developed the MXY-7 special-purpose rocket glider. Less widely known is Germany's attempt to build a similar weapon by turning V-1 "cruise bombs" into manned "cruise missiles".

With the end of the war nearing, the Nazi high command was desperately looking for a way to interfere with Allied shipping across the English Channel. The V-1 shells had potential, but the need for extreme accuracy (which was never their advantage) led to the creation of a manned version. The German engineers managed to install a small cockpit with simple controls in the fuselage of the existing V-1, right in front of the jet engine.

Unlike ground-launched V-1 rockets, the Fi-103R manned bombs were supposed to be lifted into the air and launched from He-111 bombers. After that, the pilot needed to make out the target-ship, direct his plane at it, and then take off his feet.

German pilots did not follow the example of their Japanese colleagues and did not lock themselves in the cockpits of aircraft, but tried to escape. However, with the engine roaring just behind the cabin, the escape would probably be fatal anyway. These ghostly chances for the survival of the pilots spoiled the impression of the Luftwaffe commanders from the program, so not a single operational mission was destined to take place. However, 175 V-1 bombs were converted into Fi-103Rs, most of which ended up in Allied hands at the end of the war.

At the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), almost 900 Soviet aircraft were destroyed by the fascist invaders. Most of the aviation equipment, not having time to take off, was burned at the airfields as a result of a massive bombardment by the German army. However, in a very short time, Soviet enterprises became world leaders in terms of the number of aircraft produced and thereby brought the victory of the Soviet Army in World War II closer. Consider which aircraft were in service with the Soviet Union and how they could resist the aircraft of Nazi Germany.

Aviation industry of the USSR

Before the start of the war, Soviet aircraft occupied a leading position in the world aircraft industry. I-15 and I-16 fighters took part in the fighting with Japanese Manchuria, fought in the skies of Spain, attacked the enemy during the Soviet-Finnish conflict. In addition to fighter aircraft, Soviet aircraft designers paid great attention to bomber technology.

Transport heavy bomber

So, just before the war, the TB-3 heavy bomber was demonstrated to the world. This multi-ton giant was capable of delivering deadly cargo thousands of kilometers away. At that time, it was the most massive combat aircraft of the Second World War, which was produced in unprecedented quantities and was the pride of the USSR Air Force. However, the model of gigantomania did not justify itself in the real conditions of the war. The massive WWII combat aircraft, according to modern experts, was significantly inferior to the Luftwaffe attack bombers of the Messerschmitt aircraft manufacturing company in terms of speed and quantity of weapons.

New pre-war aircraft

The war in Spain and Khalkhin Gol showed that the most important indicators in modern conflicts are the maneuverability and speed of aircraft. The Soviet aircraft designers were tasked with preventing the backlog in military equipment and creating new types of aircraft that could compete with the best examples of the world's aircraft industry. Emergency measures were taken, and by the beginning of the 1940s, the next generation of competitive aircraft appeared. Thus, the Yak-1, MiG-3, LaGT-3 became leaders in their class of combat aircraft, the speed of which at the estimated flight altitude reached or exceeded 600 km/h.

Start of serial production

In addition to fighter aviation, high-speed equipment was developed in the class of dive and assault bombers (Pe-2, Tu-2, TB-7, Er-2, Il-2) and the Su-2 reconnaissance aircraft. During the two pre-war years, aircraft designers of the USSR created attack aircraft, fighters and bombers that were unique and modern for those times. All military equipment was tested in various training and combat conditions and recommended for mass production. However, there were not enough construction sites in the country. The pace of industrial growth of aviation equipment before the start of the Great Patriotic War lagged far behind world manufacturers. On June 22, 1941, the entire burden of the war fell on the planes of the 1930s. Only since the beginning of 1943 did the military aviation industry of the Soviet Union reach the required level of production of combat aircraft and achieve an advantage in the airspace of Europe. Consider the best Soviet WWII aircraft, according to the world's leading aviation experts.

Educational and training base

Many Soviet aces of the Second World War began their journey into aviation with training flights on the legendary U-2 multi-purpose biplane, the production of which was mastered in 1927. The legendary aircraft faithfully served the Soviet pilots until the very Victory. By the mid-30s, biplane aviation was somewhat outdated. New combat missions were set, and the need arose to build a completely new flying training apparatus that met modern requirements. So, on the basis of the design bureau of A. S. Yakovlev, a training monoplane Ya-20 was created. The monoplane was created in two modifications:

• with an engine from the French "Renault" in 140 liters. with.;
• with aircraft engine M-11E.

In 1937, three international records were set on a Soviet-made engine. And a car with a Renault engine took part in air competitions along the Moscow-Sevastopol-Moscow route, where it won a prize. Until the very end of the war, the training of young pilots was carried out on the aircraft of the Design Bureau of A. S. Yakovlev.

MBR-2: flying boat of war

During the Great Patriotic War, naval aviation played an important role in military battles, bringing the long-awaited victory over Nazi Germany closer. So, the second close-range marine reconnaissance, or MBR-2 - a seaplane capable of taking off and landing on the water surface, became a Soviet flying boat. Among the pilots, the air apparatus had the nickname "heavenly cow" or "barn". The seaplane made its first flight in the early 30s, and later, until the very victory over Nazi Germany, it was in service with the Red Army. An interesting fact: an hour before the German attack on the Soviet Union, the planes of the Baltic Flotilla along the entire perimeter of the coastline were the first to be destroyed. German troops destroyed the entire naval aviation of the country located in this region. Over the years of the war, naval aviation pilots successfully carried out their tasks of evacuating the crews of downed Soviet aircraft, adjusting enemy coastal defense lines, and providing transport convoys for warships of the country's naval forces.

MiG-3: the main night fighter

The high-altitude Soviet fighter differed from other pre-war aircraft in its high-speed characteristics. At the end of 1941, it was the most massive WWII aircraft, the total number of units of which was more than 1/3 of the country's entire air defense fleet. The novelty of aircraft construction was not sufficiently mastered by combatant pilots, they had to tame the MiG "third" in combat conditions. Two aviation regiments were urgently formed from the best representatives of Stalin's "falcons". However, the most massive aircraft of the Second World War was significantly inferior to the fighter fleet of the late 30s. Surpassing in speed characteristics at an altitude of more than 5000 m, at medium and low altitudes, the combat vehicle was inferior to the same I-5 and I-6. Nevertheless, when repulsing attacks on the rear cities at the beginning of the war, it was the “third” MiGs that were used. Combat vehicles participated in the air defense of Moscow, Leningrad and other cities of the Soviet Union. Due to the lack of spare parts and the renewal of the aircraft fleet with new aircraft in June 1944, the massive WWII aircraft was decommissioned from the USSR Air Force.

Yak-9: air defender of Stalingrad

Before the war, A. Yakovlev's design bureau mainly produced light sports aircraft designed for training and participation in various thematic shows dedicated to the strength and power of Soviet aviation. The Yak-1 possessed excellent flight qualities, the serial production of which was mastered in 1940. It was this aircraft that had to repulse the first attacks of Nazi Germany at the very beginning of the war. In 1942, a new aircraft from the design bureau of A. Yakovlev, the Yak-9, began to enter service with the Air Force. It is believed that this is the most massive front-line aircraft of the WWII era. The combat vehicle participated in air battles along the entire front line. Having retained all the main overall dimensions, the Yak-9 was improved with a powerful M-105PF engine with a rated power of 1210 horsepower under flight conditions. exceeding 2500 meters. The mass of the fully equipped combat vehicle was 615 kg. The weight of the aircraft was added by ammunition and metal I-section spars, which were wooden in pre-war times. The aircraft also had a refitted fuel tank, which increased the volume of fuel, which affected the flight range. The new development of aircraft manufacturers had high maneuverability, which made it possible to conduct active combat operations in close proximity to the enemy at high and low altitudes. During the years of mass production of a military fighter (1942-1948), about 17 thousand combat units were mastered. The Yak-9U, which appeared in service with the USSR Air Force in the fall of 1944, was considered a successful modification. Among combat pilots, the letter "y" meant the word killer.

La-5: aerial tightrope walker

In 1942, the single-engine fighter La-5, created in OKB-21 S.A. Lavochkin, replenished the combat aircraft of the Great Patriotic War. The aircraft was made of classified structural materials, which made it possible to withstand dozens of direct machine-gun hits from the enemy. The WWII combat aircraft possessed impressive maneuverability and speed qualities, misleading the enemy with its aerial feints. So, La-5 could freely enter the "corkscrew", and just as well get out of it, which made it practically invulnerable in combat conditions. It is believed that this is the most combat aircraft of the Second World War, which played one of the key roles in air battles during the Battle of Kursk and military battles in the sky of Stalingrad.

Li-2: cargo carrier

In the 30s of the last century, the main means of air transport was the PS-9 passenger aircraft - a low-speed machine with an indestructible landing gear. However, the level of comfort and flight performance of the "air bus" did not meet international requirements. So, in 1942, on the basis of the licensed production of the American air-haul transport aircraft Douglas DC-3, the Soviet military transport aircraft Li-2 was created. The machine was assembled entirely from American-made units. The aircraft served faithfully until the very end of the war, and in the post-war years continued to carry out cargo transportation on the local airlines of the Soviet Union.

Po-2: "night witches" in the sky

Remembering the combat aircraft of the Second World War, it is difficult to ignore one of the most massive workers in combat battles - the U-2 multi-purpose biplane, or Po-2, created in the design bureau of Nikolai Polikarpov back in the 20s of the last century. Initially, the aircraft was intended for training purposes and operation as an air transport in agriculture. However, the Great Patriotic War made the “sewing machine” (as the Germans called the Po-2) the most formidable and effective attacking means of night bombardment. One aircraft could make up to 20 sorties per night, delivering a deadly load to enemy combat positions. It should be noted that female pilots fought mainly on such biplanes. During the war years, four women's squadrons of 80 pilots were formed. For courage and fighting courage, the German invaders called them "night witches". The women's air regiment in the Great Patriotic War made more than 23.5 thousand sorties. Many did not return from the fighting. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was given to 23 "witches", most of them posthumously.

IL-2: machine of the great Victory

The Soviet attack aircraft of the design bureau of Sergei Yakovlev is the most popular type of combat air transport during the Great Patriotic War. WWII Il-2 aircraft took an active part in the theater of operations. In the entire history of the world aircraft industry, the brainchild of S. V. Yakovlev is considered the most massive combat aircraft of its class. In total, more than 36 thousand units of military air weapons were put into operation. WWII aircraft with the Il-2 logo terrified the German Luftwaffe aces and were nicknamed "concrete aircraft" by them. The main technological feature of the combat vehicle was the inclusion of armor in the power circuit of the aircraft, which was able to withstand a direct hit by a 7.62 mm armor-piercing enemy bullet from almost zero distance. There were several serial modifications of the aircraft: Il-2 (single), Il-2 (double), Il-2 AM-38F, Il-2 KSS, Il-2 M82 and so on.

Conclusion

In general, air vehicles created by the hands of Soviet aircraft manufacturers continued to perform combat missions in the post-war period. Thus, the Air Force of Mongolia, the Air Force of Bulgaria, the Air Force of Yugoslavia, the Air Force of Czechoslovakia and other states of the post-war socialist camp for a long time were armed with aircraft of the USSR, which ensured the protection of airspace.

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 very first five-year plan, the leadership of the USSR set a course for the creation of its own, large and autonomous from other countries, the air fleet.

In the 20s, and even in the early 30s, the aviation of the USSR had a fleet of aircraft, mainly of foreign production (only Tupolev aircraft appeared - ANT-2, ANT-9 and its subsequent modifications, which becamelater the legendary U-2, etc.). The aircraft that were in service with the Red Army were multi-brand, had outdated designs and poor technical condition. air routes of the North / research of the Northern Sea Route / and the implementation 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, "demonstrative" airlines or episodic flights of ambulance and service aviation.

In the same period, the era of airships ended, and the USSR builtin the early 30s, successful designs of "soft" (frameless) type "B" airships. Digressing, it should be noted about the development of this type in air navigation abroad.

Germany's famous rigid airshipdesign "Graf Zeppepelin" explored the North, was equipped with cabins for passengers, had a significant range and quitehigh cruising speed / up to 130 and more km / h, providedseveral Maybach-designed motors. There were even several dog teams on board the airship as part of expeditions to the North. The American airship "Akron" is the largest in the world, with a volume of 184 thousand cubic meters. m carried on board 5-7 aircraft and transported up to 200 passengers, not counting several tons of cargo at a distance of up to 17 thousand km. without landing. These airships were already safe, because. were filled with inert gas helium, and not hydrogen as at the beginning of the century. Low speed, low maneuverability, high cost, the complexity of storage and maintenance predetermined the end of the era of airships. Experiments with balloons came to an end, which proved the unsuitability of the latter for active combat operations. We needed a new generation of aviation with new technical and combat performance.

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 beaten out, they were in exile or in camps.

Already by the 2nd five-year plan (1933-37), aviation workers had a significant production base, a support for the further development of the air force. fleet.

In the thirties, by order of Stalin, demonstrative, but in fact test, flights of bombers "camouflaged" as civilian aircraft were made. At the same time, aviators Slepnev, Levanevsky, Kokkinaki, Molokov, Vodopyanov, Grizodubova and many others distinguished themselves.

In 1937, the Soviet fighter aviation passed combat tests in Spain and demonstrated a technical lag. AircraftPolikarpov (type I-15,16) were defeated by the latest German machines. The race to the bottom began again. Stalin gave the designersindividual tasks for new aircraft models, widely and generously dividedThere were bonuses and benefits - the designers worked tirelessly and demonstrated a high level of talent and preparedness.

At the March 1939 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilovnoted that, compared to 1934, the Air Force had grown in its personalby 138 percent ... The aircraft fleet as a whole has grown by 130 percent.

Heavy bomber aviation, which was assigned the main role in the upcoming war with the West, has doubled in 4 years, while other types of bomber aviation, on the contrary, have halved. Fighter aviation has increased two and a half times. Altitudeaircraft already amounted to 14-15 thousand meters. 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 radio on board aircraft began.

Big changes before the war 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 designs: wood, steel,canvas. With the expansion of the raw material base and the development of the aluminum industry in the USSR, aluminum alloys were increasingly used in aircraft construction. There was progress in engine building. The M-25 air-cooled engines with a capacity of 715 hp, M-100 water-cooled engines with a capacity of 750 hp were created.

In early 1939, the Soviet government called 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, the head of TsAGI and many others. Possessing a good memory, Stalin was quite well aware of the design features of aircraft, all important aviation issues were decided 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 that Stalin was preparing an attack on Germany in July 1941. It is on the basis of this assumption that the planning of Stalin's attack on Germany (and further to "liberate" the countries of the West), adopted at the "historical" plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU 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 to be explainable. A large delegation of Sovietaviation workers, who twice went to Germany shortly before the war, got into their hands fighters, bombers, guidance systems, and much more, which made it possible to dramatically advance the level of domestic aircraft construction. It was decided to increase the combat power of aviation, because it was from August 1939 of the year 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 partition of Poland, showed that the numberfirst-line aircraft in France is 2 thousand pieces. Of these, twoa third 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 for production was 700 aircraft per month.German industry was mobilized only at the beginning1942, after which the number of weapons began to grow sharply.

Of all the domestic fighter aircraft ordered by Stalin, the most successful options were LAGG, MiG and Yak.The IL-2 attack aircraft delivered a lot to its designer Ilyushinneny. Made initially with rear hemisphere protection (double)he, on the eve of the attack on Germany, did not suit the customers of hisextravagance." 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" aircraft. Hitler violated Stalin's plans and the plane had to be urgently returned to the original design at the beginning of the war.

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 Decree 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, while equipping them, as a rule, with new machines. The formation of several airborne corps began.

The doctrine of war on "foreign territory" and "little bloodshed" led tothe 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 post-Stalincompetition, the SU-2 aircraft, of which it was planned to manufacture 100-150 thousand pieces before the war. This required accelerated training of the corresponding number of pilots and technicians. SU-2 - in its essence the Soviet Yu-87, and in Russia did not stand the test of time, because. There was no "clear sky" for either country during the war.

Air defense zones were formed with fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery. An unprecedented call to aviation began, voluntarily andforcibly. Almost all the few civil aviationwas mobilized in the Air Force. Dozens of aviation schools were opened, incl. super-accelerated (3-4 months) training, traditionally the officer corps at the helm or the aircraft control handle was replaced by a sergeant - an unusual fact and testifies to the rush to prepare for the war. Airfields (about 66 airfields) were urgently advanced to the borders, fuel, bombs, in a special secret, raids on German airfields, on the oil fields of Ploiesti were detailed ...

On June 13, 1940, the Flight Test Institute was formed(LII), in 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 won complete dominance inair in the West. Basically a plan for using aviation in the Eastwas planned the same as the war in the West: first to win the masterin the air, and then transfer forces to support the ground army.

Outlining the timing of the attack on the Soviet Union, the Nazi commandThe government set the following tasks for the Luftwaffe:

1.Sudden strike on Soviet airfields to defeatSoviet aviation.

2. To achieve complete air supremacy.

3. After solving the first two tasks, switch aviation to support the ground forces directly on the battlefield.

4. Disrupt the work of Soviet transport, make it difficult to transfertroops both in the front line and in the rear.

5. Bomb large industrial centers - Moscow, Gorky, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kharkov, Tula.

Germany dealt a crushing blow to our airfields. Only for 8hours of the war, 1200 aircraft were lost, there was a mass deathflight personnel, storages and all stocks were destroyed. Historians noted the strange "crowding" of our aviation at airfields the day beforewar and complained about the "mistakes" and "miscalculations" of the command (i.e. Stalin)and evaluation of events. In fact, "crowding" portends planssuper-massive strike on targets and confidence in impunity, which did not happen. Air Force flight crews, especially bombers, suffered heavy losses due to the lack of support fighters, there was a tragedy of the death of perhaps the most advanced and powerful air fleet inthe history of mankind, which was to be revived anew under the blows enemy.

It must be admitted that the Nazis managed to implement their air war plans in 1941 and the first half of 1942 to a large extent. Almost all available forces were thrown against the Soviet Union G Nazi aviation, including units removed from the Western Front. Atit was assumed that after the first successful operations, part of the bombsinterception and fighter formations will be returned to the Westfor the war with England. At the beginning of the war, the Nazis had not only numerical superiority. Their advantage was that the flightthe cadres who took part in the air attack have already been seriouslynew school of fighting with French, Polish and English pilots. On thetheir side also had a fair amount of experience interacting with their troops,acquired in the war against the countries of Western Europe.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 lipsthe dead types of aircraft, Russian pilots inflicted damage on the Germans. From 22June to July 19, Germany lost 1300 aircraft only in the air battles.

Here is what the German General Staff officer Greffat writes about this:

" Behind the period from June 22 to July 5, 1941, the German air forcelost 807 aircraft of all types, and for the period from 6 to 19 July - 477.

These losses indicate that despite the surprise achieved by the Germans, the Russians managed to find the time and strength to provide decisive opposition. ".

On the very first day of the war, fighter pilot Kokorev distinguished himself by ramming an enemy fighter, the feat of the crew is known to the whole worldGastello (the latest research on this fact suggests that the ramming crew was not Gastello's crew, but was the crew of Maslov, who flew with Gastello's crew to attack enemy columns), who threw his burning car onto a cluster of German vehicles.Despite the losses, the Germans in all directions brought into battle everythingnew and new fighters and bombers. They have thrown the front4940 aircraft, including 3940 German, 500 Finnish, 500 Romanianand achieved complete air supremacy.

By October 1941, the Wehrmacht armies approached Moscow, were busycities supplying components for aircraft factories, the time has come for the evacuation of factories and design bureaus of Sukhoi, Yakovlev and others in Moscow, Ilyushin inVoronezh, all the factories of the European part of the USSR demanded the evacuation.

The release of aircraft in November 1941 was reduced 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 instrument factories to duplicate their production in Western Siberia, and after a while a decision had to be made to evacuate the entire aircraft industry.

On November 9, 1941, the State Defense Committee approved the schedules for the restoration and start-up of evacuated factories and production plans.

The task was not only to restore the production of aircraft,but also significantly increase their quantity and quality. In December1941of the year, the aircraft production plan was completed by less than 40percent, and motors - only 24 percent.In the most difficult conditions, under bombs, in the cold, the cold of Siberian wintersbackup factories were launched one after another.technologies, new types of materials were used (not at the expense of quality), women and teenagers stood up for the machines.

Lend-lease deliveries were also of no small importance for the front. Throughout the Second World War, 4-5 percent of the total production of aircraft and other weapons produced in the USA was delivered to aircraft. However, a number of materials and equipment supplied by the USA, England, were unique and indispensable for Russia (varnishes, paints, other substances, devices, tools, equipment, medicines, etc.), which cannot be characterized as "minor" 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.

Only during the period from November 19 to December 31, 1942, in the battles for Stalingrad, the Luftwaffe lost 3,000 combat aircraft. Our aviation becameact more actively and showed all its combat power in the NorthernCaucasus. Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared. This title was awardedboth for downed aircraft and for the number of sorties.

In the USSR, the squadron "Normandie-Niemen" was formed, staffed by volunteers - the French. Pilots fought on Yak planes.

The average monthly production of aircraft rose from 2.1 thousand in 1942 to 2.9 thousand in 1943. In total, in 1943, the industryproduced 35 thousand aircraft, 37 percent more than in 1942.In 1943, factories produced 49,000 engines, almost 11,000 more than in 1942.

Back in 1942, the USSR overtook 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 the industry in advance under the conditions of war, affected.

In the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943, Germany used significant amounts of aircraft, but the power of the Air Force ensured air supremacy for the first time.

By 1944, the front received about 100 aircraft daily, incl. 40 fighters.The main combat vehicles were modernized. Aircraft appeared withimproved combat qualities of Yak-3, Pe-2, Yak 9T, D, LA-5, IL-10.German designers also modernized aircraft. Appeared"Me-109F, G, G2", etc.

By the end of the war, the problem of increasing the range of fighter aircraft arose - the airfields could not keep up with the front. The designers proposed the installation of additional gas tanks on aircraft, and jet weapons began to be used. Radio communications developed, radar was used in air defense. So, on April 17, 1945, bombers of the 18th Air Army in the area of ​​Koenigsberg made 516 sorties in 45 minutes and dropped 3743 bombs with a total weight of 550 tons.

In the air battle for Berlin, the enemy took part in 1500 painful aircraft based on 40 airfields near Berlin. In history, this is the most aircraft-saturated air battle, and one should take into account the highest level of combat training on both sides.The Luftwaffe fought aces who shot down 100,150 or more aircraft (a record300 downed combat aircraft).

At the end of the war, the Germans used jet aircraft, which significantly exceeded propeller-driven aircraft in speed - (Me-262, etc.). However, this did not help either. Our pilots in Berlin made 17,500 sorties and completely defeated the German air fleet.

Analyzing military experience, we can conclude that our aircraft, developed in the period 1939-1940. they had constructive reserves for subsequent modernization. It should be noted in passing that not all types of aircraft were put into service in the USSR. For example, in October 1941, the production of MiG-3 fighters was stopped, and in 1943, the production of IL-4 bombers.

The aviation industry of the USSR produced 15,735 aircraft in 1941. In the difficult year of 1942, in the conditions of 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 Siberia, they fully mastered the production of aviation equipment and weapons. Most of these factories in new places in 1943 and 1944 produced several times more products than before the evacuation.

The success of the rear made it possible to strengthen the country's Air Force. By the beginning of 1944, the Air Force and aground 8818 combat aircraft, and German - 3073. In terms of the number of aircraft, the USSR surpassed Germany by 2,7 ​​times. By June 1944, the German Air Forcealready had 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 terms of 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. Nevertheless, perhaps, the simplification of 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 take "number" and not skill .

Aviation armament was also improved. in 1942, a large-caliber 37 mm aircraft gun was developed, later appearedand a 45 mm cannon.

By 1942, V.Ya. Klimov developed the M-107 engine instead of the M-105P, which was adopted for installation on water-cooled fighters.

Greffoat writes: “Counting on the fact that the war with Russia, like the war in the West, would be lightning fast, Hitler assumed, after achieving the first successes in the East, to transfer bomber units, as well asthe required number of aircraft back to the West. The East mustwere to remain air connections intended for directsupport of the German troops, as well as military transport units and a certain 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 German General Butler "The Russians had the advantage that in the production of weapons and ammunition they took into account all the featureswaging war in Russia and the simplicity of technology was ensured as much as possible. 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, in the end, ensured further acceleration of the introduction of jet aircraft).

Nevertheless, each of the countries went its own way in designing aircraft.

The aviation industry of the USSR produced 15,735 aircraft in 1941. In the difficult year of 1942, in the conditions of 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 beyond the Urals and to Siberia fully mastered the production of aviation equipment and weapons. Most of these factories were in new places in 1943 and 1944 years gave products several times more than before the evacuation.

In addition to its own resources, Germany possessed 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, the production of aircraft exceeded the figures of 1941 by 3.8 times.

In the first months of 1945, the aviation industry was preparing technicians for the final battles. So, the Siberian Aviation Plant N 153, which produced 15 thousand fighters during the war, in January-March 1945 transferred 1.5 thousand modernized fighters to the front.

The success of the rear made it possible to strengthen the country's Air Force. By the beginning of 1944, the Air Force had 8818 combat aircraft, and the German - 3073. In terms of the number of aircraft, the USSR surpassed Germany by 2.7 times. By June 1944, the German Air Forcealready had 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 American, Germanor English cars. This partly explains such a clear advantage in terms of the number of aircraft. Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the reliability, durability and strength of our and German aircraft, butalso analyze the tactical and strategic use of aviation in the war of 1941-1945. Apparently these comparisons would not be inour favor and conditionally reduce such a striking difference in numbers. Nevertheless, perhaps, the simplification of 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 take "number" and not skill .

Aviation armament was also improved. in 1942, a large-caliber 37 mm aircraft gun was developed, later a 45 mm caliber gun appeared. By 1942, V.Ya. Klimov developed the M-107 engine to replace the M-105P, which was adopted for installation on water-cooled fighters.

The fundamental improvement of the aircraft is its transformationchange from propeller to jet. To increase flight speedput a more powerful engine. However, at speeds over 700 km/hspeed gain from engine power cannot be achieved. Exithouse out of position is the application of traction.Applicableturbojet / turbojet / or liquid-propellant / rocket engine / engine.the second half of the 30s in the USSR, England, Germany, Italy, later - inThe United States intensively created a jet aircraft. In 1938, lanes appeared.the world's highest, German BMW jet engines, Junkers. In 1940made test flights of the first Campini-Capro jet aircraftnor", created in Italy, later the German Me-262, Me-163 appearedXE-162. In 1941, the Gloucester aircraft with a jet was tested in England.engine, and in 1942 they tested a jet aircraft in the USA - "Airokomet". In England, a twin-engine jet aircraft "Metheor", who took part in the war. In 1945, on the plane "MeTheor-4" was set a world speed record of 969.6 km / h.

In the USSR, in the initial period, practical work on the creation of reactorsactive engines was carried out in the direction of the rocket engine. Under the guidanceS.P.Koroleva., A.F.Tsander designers A.M.Isaev, L.S.Dushkindesignedhoisted the first domestic jet engines. The pioneer of the turbojetactive engines was A.M. Lyulka.At the beginning of 1942, G. Bakhchivandzhi made the first flight to the jetactive domestic aircraft. Soon this pilot diedduring aircraft testing.Work on the creation of a practical jet aircraftresumed after the war with the creation of the Yak-15, MiG-9 using notGerman jet engines YuMO.

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, which the Western European states and the United States had already traveled in the 19th century. By the mid-20s of the 20th century, the USSR was an agrarian country with a half-illiterate, mostly rural population and a meager percentage of engineering, technical and scientific personnel. Aircraft building, engine building 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. Aluminium, wheel tires and even copper wire had to be purchased abroad.

Over the next 15 years, the aviation industry, along with related and raw material industries, was created almost from scratch, and simultaneously with the construction of the world's largest air force 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.

In the most difficult situation were the most complex science-intensive industries - engine building, instrumentation, radio electronics. It must be admitted that the Soviet Union was unable to overcome the lag behind the West in these areas during the pre-war and war years. The difference in "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 an overstrain of the structure and a steady decrease in reliability, and, as a rule, it was not possible to bring their own promising developments to mass production. The exception was the M-82 and its further development, the M-82FN, thanks to which, perhaps, the best Soviet fighter during the war, the La-7, was born.

During the war years, they were unable to establish in the Soviet Union the serial production of turbochargers and two-stage superchargers, multifunctional propulsion automation devices, similar to the German "commandogerat", powerful 18-cylinder air-cooled engines, thanks to which the Americans overcame the milestone in 2000, and then in 2500 hp Well, by and large, no one was seriously engaged in work on water-methanol boosting of engines. All this severely limited aircraft designers in creating fighters with higher flight performance 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 insurmountable weight of the wooden and mixed construction made it necessary to weaken the armament, 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 even be possible to 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 due to quantity. Already in 1942, despite the evacuation of 3/4 of the production capacities of the aviation industry, 40% more combat aircraft were produced in the USSR than in Germany. In 1943, Germany made significant efforts to increase the production of combat aircraft, but nevertheless the Soviet Union built more of them by 29%. 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 every combat aircraft produced in the USSR, there were 8 times fewer machine park units, 4.3 times less electricity and 20% fewer workers than in Germany! Moreover, more than 40% of the workers in the Soviet aviation industry in 1944 were women, and over 10% were teenagers under 18 years old.

These 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 the German machines of the same type and contemporary with them in a number of flight parameters. The combination of sufficiently powerful engines with high aerodynamic and weight culture 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 objected that in 1944 these types accounted for only 24.8% of the total production of fighters in the USSR, and the remaining 75.2% were older types with worse flight performance. We can also recall that the Germans in 1944 were already actively developing jet aircraft, having achieved considerable success in this. The first samples of jet fighters were launched into mass production and began to enter 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 win back low and medium heights from the enemy, on which attack aircraft and short-range bombers operated - the main strike force of aviation on the front line. This ensured the successful combat work of the "silt" and Pe-2 on German defensive positions, concentration of forces and transport communications, which, in turn, contributed to the victorious offensive of the Soviet troops at the final stage of the war.