Military aviation from the First to the end of the Second World War. Heavy Fighter Plane pe 3 provisional technical description 1942

The aircraft "VI-100" was designed and built as a high-altitude fighter. When the aircraft was launched into a series, it was "repurposed" into a dive bomber. The organization of serial production of the Pe-2 dive bomber forced V.M. Petlyakov to postpone the implementation of the second projects for a while.

Only in the spring of 1941, at a time when factories No. 22 and No. 39 switched to the mass production of dive bombers, did it become possible for Vladimir Mikhailovich to “close” to a high-altitude twin-engine fighter, which took the factory designation VI 2M-105TK. He imagined a bright development of the VI-100 aircraft, but there were also significant differences.

For the purpose of greater unification of cars with the mass-produced Pe-2 dive bomber, it was decided to change only the very minimum of units and assemblies. As such, it was necessary to re-design the pressurized cabin (it was entered into the bow of the "pawn", leaving the installation of BK and ShKAS machine guns unchanged), and engine nacelles for M-105R engines with turbochargers.

Additional offensive weapons were placed on the site of the previous bomb bay: two ShVAK cannons and two ShKAS machine guns in a single battery. In the tail spinner, attachment points were provided for the remote installation of a DEU with a ShKAS machine gun, which at one time began to be developed for the "weave". Rocket weapons included six launchers for PC-132 projectiles (three under each console), and bomber weapons included two MDZ-40 holders for bombs up to 500 kg in caliber.

By order of the government of April 5, plant No. 22 was obliged to produce one skillful VI by September 15, and in addition four by November 15, 1941. The layout of the aircraft was approved on May 30. The plant started manufacturing individual units and assemblies for future vehicles. But the plans for the creation of VI were not destined to come true. And it's not just the war that started soon.

In parallel with the VI, the design team of V.M. Petlyakov worked on a whole range of new aircraft based on the Pe-2: high-altitude bomber (VB), high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft (VR), modifications with M-105F and M-107 engines, conversion of the Pe-2 into a medium wing etc. Of all of them, by the beginning of the war, the most “advanced” and promising was the Pe-2 2M-105F (or Pe-2F), which, as the main designer kept hope, could be put into production very soon.

Due to the use of turbochargers, the Pe-2F at enormous heights, according to calculations, was able to fly much faster than the main rival fighters. In addition, its usual bomb load was 1000 kg, i.e. 400 kg more than a simple Pe-2.

Almost all the few forces of the design bureau, not busy fine-tuning serial "pawns", in the summer and in September were thrown by V.M. Petlyakov to the construction and accelerated design of the Pe-2F. In September, the aircraft was assembled and handed over for factory testing. It was then that it became known that the power plant of the car required a long refinement. It was not possible to talk about any kind of series, because every second flight ended in an emergency landing. Time turned out to be lost.

In the conditions of the aggravated shortage of combat aircraft on the evacuation and factory fronts to the East, there was no time for experiments. VI work was temporarily curtailed. Then, after the death of Petlyakov, the idea of ​​​​a high-altitude fighter based on the Pe-2 tried to be realized by one of his closest employees and the new main designer of "pawns" A.I. Putilov.

From the experimental work carried out in July 1941 on the instructions of the Moscow air defense, the installation of a searchlight in the bow of one of the Pe-2 aircraft manufactured by factory No. 22 should be noted. As we know, at that time the British tried to actively use the R-70 "With a Turbinlight searchlight system to illuminate enemy bombers during the night Luftwaffe raids on England.

We will see that from the outside, an attractive idea was of little practicality, because the searchlight was installed on a fighter aircraft without movement, and it turned out to be difficult to track maneuvering enemy aircraft. In addition, when attacking from the side, from below or from above, the fighter’s weapon, installed parallel to the searchlight beam, “observed” not at a preemptive point, but specifically at the enemy aircraft. In the event that it was directed where necessary, the target would disappear in the dark.

As we know, the Havocs with searchlights failed to achieve significant success. Probably, the “searchlight” “pawn” as well, because there were no additional orders for plant No. 22. But here is the fascinating testimony of A.G. Fedorov, the pilot of one of the “pawns” equipped with two searchlights in teardrop-shaped underwing containers, about the first sortie of the special night group of Major G.P. Karpenko on the night of August 2, 1941: “Here they are, fascist cars, practically nearby.

The navigator presses a button, and two flashy searchlight beams slide across the fuselages, in addition, dark crosses are clearly visible on them. The opponent is blinded. Now domestic fighters, and we open the flame. And good luck! The Dornier is going down!

Not even 60 seconds pass before a massive explosion shakes the airspace. It was the bombs that exploded along with the plane.

Evidence of the effective actions of the Pe-2, equipped with searchlights, could not be found in German documents. Yet, often enemy bombers quickly dropped their bombs, falling into the beams of the searchlight, trying to escape into the darkness.

Exactly one month after the end of the attack on the USSR, German aviation made the first massive night raid on Moscow. The pilots of the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps adequately met the enemy and repulsed the raid. Only a small number of German crews succeeded in accurately dropping bombs on targets in the capital.

But the lack of means of guiding fighters to air targets put the defenders at a disadvantage due to the relatively short duration of the interceptors' flight. Most of the time, the fighter pilot had to look for an opponent's plane in the sky, invisible at night already at a distance of 300-400 m. The searchlights did not help much either. Here is how the recognizable test pilot M.L. Gallai describes his own first sortie:

“The first plane of the opponent, to which I rushed, after slightly examining it in the intersection of the beams of searchlights, melted into the air before I had time to get close to it. This was easily explained: he had already bombed and was leaving at full speed in a westerly direction. The searchlights still accompanied him, but with every second the slant range from their reflectors to the target became more and more, and after a short time he fell through the ground.

But night conditions played into the hands of not only the attacking side. German bombers were heading towards Moscow without fighter cover. Under these conditions, the most significant features for the interceptor were the enormous flight duration, good visibility and powerful fire for the crew.

Such properties could most easily be realized when using a two-engine two-seater car scheme. The leadership of the Red Army Air Force, in principle, had a rich choice - since the fighters created by Tairov (Ta-3), Gurevich and Mikoyan (MiG-5), Polikarpov (TIS), and Grushin (Gr-1) had just such a scheme ).

Tairov's aircraft was also recommended for serial production at a joint meeting of the People's Commissariat for Aviation Industry and the Red Army Air Force on June 4, 1940, on the same day, at the time when the decision was issued on the serial production of the Pe-2 bomber and the Il attack aircraft. -2. But in fact, the Ta-3 did not get into the series due to many objective and subjective circumstances.

And in the summer of 1941, a loitering interceptor, designed to counter enemy bombers and reconnaissance, became desperately needed, as they say. It was soon possible to make such an aircraft only on the basis of a serial car. It was then that they found the Pe-2 front-line bomber in memory of the “fighter past”.

In response to the State Defense Committee dated August 2, 1941, the Moscow Aviation Plant No. 39 was ordered to produce a fighter version of the Pe-2 bomber by August 6. Only four days were allocated for work related to the radical transformation of many critical systems, for example, fuel, to radio equipment of installations and the alteration of weapons.

And yet, on August 7, the first capable twin-engine fighter, which later took the designation Pe-3 in accordance with the existing procedure - to assign odd serial numbers to fighters, unlike aircraft of all other purposes - took to the air under the control of the factory test pilot Major Fedorov. The next day, the test pilot of the Red Army Air Force Research Institute, Colonel Stepanchonok, completed the acceptance testing program, after which the aircraft was transferred to national testing. It is hardly possible to find a second example of such efficiency in the history of aviation, since only seven days passed between the order for the car and its release for state tests.

In accordance with the new purpose of the aircraft, great attention was paid to the flight range and increase in duration. The wing of the basic Pe-2 contained a total of 8 gas tanks, a significant increase in the number of which did not seem likely without important structural alterations, for which there was simply no time.

To obtain the required flight range of 2000 km, it was necessary to “shove” tanks for 700 liters of fuel into the middle and tail sections of the fuselage - and, according to the conditions for balancing the aircraft, place these tanks not too far from the center of pressure. It became known that in this case there is no place for a gunner-radio operator. One of the additional tanks was installed in the fuselage bomb bay, and the second two - in place of the gunner's cockpit.

So the plane became a double. But, the lower hatch in the rear of the fuselage was left, and when relocated, aircraft equipment flew away with their own cars.

On the fighter, the steam reinforced offensive weapons by placing an additional 12.7 mm BK machine gun with 150 rounds of ammunition in the forward fuselage. So, the nose gun mount of a skillful aircraft consisted of two large-caliber BK machine guns and one ShKAS with 750 rounds. On serial Pe-3s, the ShKAS machine gun was removed, but the ammo capacity of the BC was increased to 250 rounds per barrel.

The upper turret of the navigator with the ShKAS machine gun was taken away without transformation from the Pe-2. Because there was no one to lead the flame back and forth, they found in memory of the fixed installation of the ShKAS machine gun with an ammunition load of 250 rounds, which was mounted in the tail fuselage spinner, in the memory of the development for the VI-100 high-altitude fighter. The bomber installation was radically simplified.

From a simple scheme for the Pe-2, only four bomb racks remained: two in the bomb bays of the engine nacelles and two external ones under the center section. The total mass of the bomb load was: normal - 400 kg, and reloading - 700 kg (two bombs of 250 kg and two more of 100 kg). The electrical bomb-dropping control system was dismantled, leaving only the emergency mechanical one.

The brake grids under the consoles, along with the drives, were eliminated.

Instead of the "bomber" radio station RSB-bis, the RSI-4 station, simple for fighters, was installed in the navigator's cockpit. This "innovation" except this is hardly possible to recognize as successful. With a combat radius of 700-800 km, the communication range of the aircraft with the soil was only 110 km, and even less with other aircraft - 50-60 km.

The situation worsened even more due to the removal of the radio semi-compass from the fighter version of the “pawn”, which was done to facilitate the design.

A skillful aircraft, converted from the Pe-2 serial bomber already finished production, serial number 391606 (which meant the sixth aircraft of the sixteenth series of factory number 39), weighed 7860 kg with a normal load. The mass of the uninhabited was 5890 kg. During testing at the Red Army Air Force Research Institute, the following main flight performance characteristics were taken: maximum speed at an altitude of 5000 m - 530 km / h, ceiling - 8800 m and a long flight range - 2150 km.

This information was recognized as satisfactory, and already on August 14, plant No. 39 ordered to start mass production of the Pe-3. The deadlines for implementation were again set very hard. By August 25, the plant was supposed to assemble 5 aircraft following the example of a skilled one, and starting from that day - to switch entirely to the production of Pe-3.

The Pe-3 lead serial fighter was tested at the Air Force Research Institute from August 29 to September 7, 1941. The factory numbers of the aircraft continued those already used on the Pe-2: for example, the first serial fighter had number 391902. Flights were made at the Central Airport in Moscow.

They recognized approximately the same flight characteristics as a skilled aircraft. The high speed of the production car, obtained during testing, amounted to 535 km / h.

It is very interesting to compare the flight performance of these Pe-3s with the features of the German Bf.110C fighter with DB601A engines similar in purpose and design. With a virtually uniform range, flight speed near the ground (445 km / h) and climb time of 5000 m (8.5-9 min), the Messerschmitt was 1350 kg lighter and had better maneuverability in the horizontal plane (it made a turn on altitude of 1000 m in 30 s, and Pe-3 in 34-35 s).

The bow weapon battery of four MG17 machine guns and two MG / FF cannons supplied the mass of a second volley approximately one and a half times huge than that of the Pe-3. In addition, at the border of the engine altitude, the communist fighter was a couple faster than its own German opponent. But, by the fall of 1941, German aircraft factories switched to the production of Bf.110E with more wonderful DB601E engines, which provided a certain speed advantage to the Messerschmitt.

Serial production of the Pe-3 unfolded with enormous difficulties. It was too late to prepare sets of drawings for the sequence of nodes, so the first cars were planned according to sketches, and the details were adjusted locally. New large assembly units - gas tanks, the bow mount of the additional BK machine gun and the tail mount of the ShKAS were not sufficiently worked out, which led to failures in mass production.

During the shooting of the nose installation, it became known that the plexiglass spinner of the fuselage toe could not withstand the pressure of muzzle gases and was destroyed. It was replaced first with duralumin, and later with metal. We will see that the differences that are associated with the elimination of part of the glazing in the front lower part of the fuselage are the most significant indicators that allow you to identify the Pe-3 among the Pe-2 dive bombers, since the aircraft were very similar from the outside.

Other shortcomings were also observed. Cartridges and links of large-caliber machine guns, thrown into the air stream during firing, hit the leading edge of the wing, the lower surface of the fuselage, forming scratches, dents and torn holes in the skin. In some cases, the sleeves also flew into the tunnels of the water radiators.

Experiments with the transformation of the shape of the sleeve and link branches did not actually give anything. As a result, they decided on cartridge cases and links in ammunition boxes.

According to the leading pilot and engineer Stepanchonk Makarov, the serial Pe-3 aircraft needed improvements, the most significant of which were to be:
-increasing the firepower of offensive weapons by installing a ShVAK cannon in addition to two BK machine guns;
-reinforcement of defensive weapons by replacing the navigator's ShKAS turret with a BT heavy machine gun;
-introduction of crew booking in front and increase in the size of the rear armor plate of the navigator;
-replacement of the RSI-4 radio station with another one with a huge range;
-installation of cameras on some vehicles for the use of the Pe-3 as a reconnaissance aircraft.

But all these transformations were unrealistic to introduce into the series urgently, based on this, the aircraft went to combat units in the form in which the lead serial Pe-3 was tested. In total, 196 Pe-3s were built in the first half of the 40s of the twentieth century (16 in August, 98 in September and 82 in October). In addition, the plant practically produced another fighter - the very first skilled serial number 391606, but in all documents relating to September and August 1941, it was referred to as "Pe-2 in the fighter version."

In November, the plant was evacuated to Irkutsk, so the production of the Pe-3 ended until April 1942.

The study of the capabilities of the Pe-3 for use as a night fighter was carried out by the forces of the Ural branch of the Air Force Research Institute in the last days of August - early September 1941, and after that testing continued at the NIP AV (scientific test site for aviation weapons) Air Force. Test pilot Colonel Stepanchonok and navigator military engineer of the first rank Shnobel completed the shooting of all firing points of the car and made sure that the flame of machine gun shots blinded the crew very much.

The reticle of the K8-T sight of the navigator's mobile machine gun became invisible, and the flame had to be guided along the freeway. Weapons experts reacted to the remarks quickly and installed flame arresters on the machine gun barrels. Repeated flights have demonstrated that the phenomenon of dazzle has fallen through the ground at night.

During the tests, the need for night blinds on the lower cockpit glazing was revealed, without which an accidental hit of an aircraft in a searchlight beam was perceived as a physical blow to the eyes. The curtains were soon created and installed. After that, on the Pe-3 they tested (for the first time in the USSR) ultraviolet lighting in the cockpit and phosphorescent compounds on the scales of devices.

Among the first aviation units that adopted long-range Pe-3 fighters in August-September 1941 were the 40th, 95th and 208th aviation regiments. As mentioned above, the lead production vehicles were delivered to the 95th SBAP of Colonel S.A. Pestov. By this time, the regiment had a small, but fully good "biography".

Organized in April 1940, the 95th sbap adopted the SB 2M-103 bombers, but was soon re-equipped with their dive variant - the Ar-2 aircraft. In February-March 1941, the regiment was the first in the Air Force of the Capital Military District to begin retraining for the newest Pe-2 dive bomber. Staffing was carried out by cars of the 22nd and 39th factories.

At the air parade in Moscow, held on May 1, 1941, the Pe-2 aircraft of just this regiment were demonstrated.

In early May, in the 95th SBAP, military testing of the newest dive bomber began. The remaining two months before the war were filled with combat training. Suffice it to say that on May 15, for the first time, night flights were made on the Pe-2, and on June 22 (Sunday), competitions in shooting from ShKAS machine guns were scheduled.

Instead of competition, the regiment was raised on combat alert.

At the time of the German attack on the USSR, the 95th SBAP was based in the depths of the country at the Kalinin airport, so it did not experience the crushing blows that hit many parts of the border army districts in the first days of the war. The training of the regiment's personnel was generally higher than that of other units that began to master the new bombers in May-June 1941.

At the end of several reconnaissance flights, on July 6, the 95th SBAP went to the front, becoming part of the Air Force of the Western Front. The situation in that place was dire and the losses were enormous.

In August, the 95th SBAP, having lost its materiel, was withdrawn to the reserve for reorganization. The end of August and almost the whole of September, the personnel of the regiment were retrained for new Pe-3 fighter aircraft. Gunners-radio operators were seconded to other units.

The navigators were intensively engaged in radio work, since communication in flight was now their concern. The pilots of the regiment recalled over the new tactics - fighter. To anyone, but to them, who had already been in battles and fully appreciated the advantages and disadvantages of the “pawn” in the fight against German fighters, it was clear that it was possible to count on the success of the combat use of the Pe-3 only in those cases, at that time, when the objects of attacks of twin-engine fighters will be less enemy reconnaissance aircraft and high-speed bombers.

Various methods of combat use of the Pe-3 were proposed - from loitering in pairs as unusual observation posts, destroying individual enemy vehicles and urgently calling for reinforcements when large groups of enemy aircraft approached, to guidance and radio leadership of single-engine fighters. In the latter case, the kinship of the idea with the naval concept of the favorite ship leading the attack of "light forces" was easily seen. Naval terminology was adopted in Germany, where such aircraft were called zerstorer ("zershterer" - destroyer), and in Holland, whose aviation experts put forward the concept of a "flying light cruiser".

By order of the Air Force commander dated September 25, 1941, the 95th SBAP was transformed into a fighter flight regiment (IAP). By the same order, he was included in the 6th Fighter Air Corps (IAK) of the Air Defense Forces, which closed Moscow. A couple of days later, six Pe-3s under the leadership of Captain A. Zhatkov flew out on their first combat mission in the new role of escort fighters. Somewhat blocked the transport C-47s of the British military delegation on their way from Vologda to Moscow.

Twin-engine fighters repelled three German attempts to attack the delegation's planes and returned to their own airport without loss.

On October 3, the pilot of the 95th IAP, Lieutenant Fortov, opened the account of the combat successes of the Pe-3, which defeated the German Ju-88 bomber. On the same day, another Ju-88 was attacked and set on fire by Lieutenant Kulikov. And already on October 5, the first combat loss came to the regiment - the crew of Lieutenant Fortov did not return from the flight.

He, according to the testimony of the follower, saw a single enemy aircraft, rushed to intercept and fell through the ground out of sight. the death of the crew and the circumstances of the aircraft remained little known.

In the first place in October, aircraft of the 95th IAP began to be involved in strikes against ground targets. So, on October 4, the squadron of Major A. Sachkov bombed and stormed a large convoy of German cars and armored vehicles. In total, 40 FAB-50 and FAB-100 bombs were dropped, after which the target was fired from machine guns.

The pilots noted direct hits on cars and tanks, fires broke out in the convoy. On the way back, the squadron was overtaken by German Bf-109 fighters. In aerial combat, either side claimed one victory.

Another Pe-3 was destroyed during landing by a wounded pilot.

On November 28, the crews of Lieutenant L. Puzanov and Lieutenant V. Streltsov flew to cover the Alexandrov railway junction. They managed to intercept three German Ju-88 bombers trying to break through to the station using cloud cover. Having met in the air with Soviet fighters, the Germans rushed separately.

Puzanov soon struck down one Junkers. Streltsov resolutely attacked the second and from the second attack ignited the engine of the Ju-88. The lieutenant pursued and finished off the enemy aircraft, but the Pe-3 pilot himself was wounded, and Streltsov's eye was injured by fragments of glass broken by a Junkers bullet. Using the tips of the navigator, the pilot managed to bring the fighter to the airport and land it.

Already on the run, Streltsov lost consciousness.

In November 1941, Major A.V. Zhatkov was appointed head of the 95th IAP. Under his leadership, in the autumn, on several “troikas”, a ShVAK cannon was installed in the forward fuselage and the ShKAS navigator machine gun was replaced with a large-caliber BT. Some of the aircraft were equipped with RO-82 jet guns (8 pieces each), and some, in addition, mounted two more RO-132s.

It was possible to shoot in series of volleys of 2 or 4 reactive ammunition. About 10 cars were finalized by installing AFA-B aerial cameras on them. Pe-3s carried intense combat work in the Moscow air defense system until March 1942. It is curious that the water from the radiators was not drained, moreover, on the frostiest nights, because the regiment was considered a fighter regiment and the “take off” command could arrive at any 60 seconds. Nevertheless, the main task of the 95th IAP in December-January was the bombardment of the German armies.

During these two months alone, the regiment's aircraft dropped more than one and a half thousand bombs on the heads of the enemy. In addition, a part was often involved in conducting aviation reconnaissance.

By order of the People's Commissar of Defense dated March 1, 1942, the 95th IAP was transferred to the Air Force of the Northern Fleet. On March 5, several numerous navigators and pilots of the regiment took the orders (as well as the regiment commander, Major A. Zhatkov and his navigator, Captain N. Morozov - the Order of Lenin). Two days later, the regiment flew to the North.

From the very beginning of the war, armed with SB aircraft, the 208th appeared here in the thick of battles. The intensity of the fighting was so great that by the end of July, the six-squadron regiment (one of the squadrons, already at the end of the war, was staffed by chiefs from the academy of command and navigators) lost 55 crews and 38 aircraft. In accordance with the order of the Commander of the Air Force of August 4, 1941, three, but reduced, two-squadrons (20 aircraft per regiment) were created on the basis of the regiment.

One of them, which retained its former name, began retraining for Pe-3 fighters.

On October 15, the 208th SBAP, under the leadership of Major Kolomeitsev, began conducting military operations as part of the 6th IAK. The task of the regiment was mainly to cover railway places and stations for loading and unloading armies near Moscow. In addition, he was also involved in bombing and assault strikes.

In just three months of fighting, the aircraft of the 208th SBAP (its name did not change, unlike the 95th regiment) made 683 sorties, wiping out (according to crew reports) 34 tanks, 212 vehicles, 6 enemy aircraft and 33 railway echelons. Personal irretrievable losses amounted to 10 Pe-3s, 12 navigators and 9 pilots were killed in battles. For participation in the defense of Moscow, the regiment received gratitude from the commander of the Western Front, General of the Army G.K. Zhukov.

Due to the acute shortage of Pe-3 aircraft (the capital's aircraft plant No. 39 was evacuated to Irkutsk and temporarily stopped the production of twin-engine fighters), the head of the 6th Air Corps, Colonel A.I. Mitenkov, ordered the transfer of the remaining 12 aircraft in the 208th regiment to the 95th IAP . On January 19, 1942, the 208th SBAP left the front for retraining for Il-2 attack aircraft.

Initially armed with SB bombers, the 40th SBAP, which fought from the very beginning of the war, began re-equipping with Pe-2 and Pe-3 in September 1941. In the same month, the regiment was reorganized, separating the SBAP from its own "40-A", then the 511th BBAP. During the period from 22 to 24 September, the aircraft of the 40th SBAP launched a series of massive attacks on the railway junction of the Old Rus and put it out of action for 7 days.

Three regiments of September 27 and 28 sorties to bombard the Roslavl station suspended the movement of German echelons for two to three days. Among the most notable successes of the regiment, it is necessary to emphasize the destroyed bridge across the Ugra River near Yukhnov (squadron chief Captain A.G. Rogov took the title of Hero of the USSR for him) and the damaged bridge across the Volga near Kalinin, which made it difficult for German tank formations to maneuver. The price paid by the regiment was also large: on October 6, 1941, 5 Pe-3 crews did not return to their own airports, on October 8, A.G. Rogov, the commander, went missing near Yukhnov-Medyn, and four days later, the second commander Captain V.B.Malofeev.

During the Battle of Moscow, the regiment, armed mainly with Pe-3s, was used for bombing reconnaissance and strikes. He completed 365 sorties and dropped 218,000 kilograms of bombs on the enemy. On December 15, 1941, the regiment was transformed from a high-speed bomber regiment into a flying reconnaissance regiment of the Red Army Command (40th APR GK KA), and later it took on a more familiar name - the 40th long-range reconnaissance flight regiment (DRAP).

The crews were retrained without leaving the battles. Now they have become the "eyes" of the Headquarters of the High Command and conducted strategic intelligence on a wide front from the foothills of the Caucasus to Kalinin.

The planes of the regiment systematically turned out to be over the largest German airports Seshcha, Olsufievo, Orel and Bryansk, tracked the movement of railway trains in the depths of the occupied territory. During the preparation of the operation to encircle the 6th German Army near Stalingrad, the regiment took part in photographing the defensive positions of the German, Romanian and Italian armies, as a result of which a single photo map of the entire area was created, intended for the highest army command.

The personnel of the regiment carried out a series of improvements on their own vehicles in the interests of increasing their range and flight defense capability. So, several RO-82 jet guns were mounted on the fuselages of the "pawns" for firing backwards. Part of the Pe-3 was equipped with oscillating installations for AFA-1 aerial cameras, and additional gas tanks were placed in the tail section of the engine nacelles in place of the bomb bays.

As of January 1, 1943, the regiment had 11 Pe-3 aircraft, which accounted for 38% of the combat strength. Then, part of the A-20V Boston aircraft slowly began to increase in the regiment, and the number of Pe-3s decreased to three or four units.

Another unit that took Pe-3 fighters in the autumn of 1941 was the 9th BBAP. He started the war at the Panevezys airport in the Baltics. In just 4 days of fighting, as a result of repeated German air strikes on the airport of attacks and the deployment of German fighters in the air, the regiment lost almost all of its own SB bombers, after which it was put into reserve. In July-August, the personnel of the unit underwent retraining for Pe-2 dive bombers.

At the same time, the regiment moved to a new state (20 crews and aircraft), separating the 9-A regiment from its own composition (later the 723rd BBAP). In September 1941, the 9th BBAP adopted long-range Pe-3 fighters, but its name has not changed. During the period from October 1941 to February 1942, the unit was based at the Central Airport in Moscow.

Major V. Lukin led the regiment.

A significant part of the sorties in October-November 1941, the aircraft of the 9th BBAP carried out bombing and assault attacks on the advancing German armies. The second responsible task was to cover sections of the Moscow-Moscow and Zagorsk-Dmitrov railway. During the period from October 1941 to February 1942, the regiment's crews reported 11 enemy aircraft shot down, including six Bf-109s.

During the same 5 months, long-range fighters of the 9th BBAP completed 130 sorties for reconnaissance.

In the last days of November 1941, the regiment was specifically subordinated to the Main Headquarters of the Air Force of the KA and assigned to it the execution of special tasks. Responsible of them was the leadership of attack aircraft and fighter groups sent to the front, the pilots of which had insufficient navigational training. More than two thousand combat aircraft of various types were practically “led by the hand” to front-line airports based on “pawns” from the 9th BBAP.

The most trained crews of the regiment were involved in the second very serious task - escorting government aircraft. In less than three months, the regiment made 95 sorties for this purpose. Not all of them ended happily.

The winter was early and the flights often took place in difficult weather conditions. On November 21, 1941, the regimental commander, Major Lukin, who personally led the six Pe-3s, accompanied the S-47 aircraft, on which Marshal S.M. Timoshenko and a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks N.S. Khrushchev flew. In conditions of heavy cloud cover, the planes flew in a dense group. Once again jumping out of the cloud, Lukin noticed the tail of the defended Douglas right in front of him and turned to the left.

As a result of a sharp maneuver, his plane collided with the wingman's car and crashed. its navigator and Lukin died, the crew of the second plane escaped by parachute.

In the last days of December 1941, the twin-engine Pe-3 fighters from the 9th BBAP were modified: a ShVAK cannon was installed in the forward fuselage, and a BT heavy machine gun was installed on the navigator's turret. Almost all the work was done independently by the personnel of the regiment's engineering and aviation work, and the regiment entered the new year of 1942, having significantly enormous capabilities.

During the lead flight on July 5, 1942, the squadron of LaGG-3 fighters, the Pe-3 aircraft of Captain K. Danilkin was attacked by 14 German fighters near Voronezh. The battle broke out not far from the landing airfield, at a time when the LaGG-3 fighters had virtually no fuel left, and they were piloted by inexperienced newcomers, which put the domestic group in a disadvantageous position. The German pilots focused all their attention on the favorite aircraft, concluding that some serious person was on board.

Navigator K. Manturov fired quite accurately from a turret machine gun, hitting two "Messers". Danilkin hit another one with bursts of bow launchers, at a time when their Pe-3 was already on fire. The navigator's machine gun fell silent, after which the German fighters fired point-blank at the car, Captain Danilkin's plane exploded in the air.

It was the only Pe-3 lost by the 9th BBAP in aerial combat during its 8 months at the front. Two more “pawns” were shot down by anti-aircraft artillery, one did not return from a combat mission, and the fifth vehicle was lost during an enemy air raid on Grabtsevo Airport. In catastrophes and accidents, the regiment lost four more Pe-3s.

The 511th BBAP was organized in mid-September 1941 on the basis of the 40th SBAP, which had split in half. The commander of the regiment was prescribed captain A. Babanov. In September, the 511th BBAP was equipped with two dozen brand new Pe-3s, and on October 10 it began combat work as part of the Air Force of the Western Front.

Throughout the reflection of the German offensive on Moscow, and then in the offensive, the regiment was used for the most part for bombing and assault strikes. Based at the airport in Noginsk, the 511th BBAP made more than 320 sorties in three months and, according to the reports of the crews, wiped out more than 30 tanks, 8 aircraft at airports, 4 railway echelons and up to 30 guns. The Germans missed more than 200 vehicles with property, personnel and ammunition.

But the losses were also great: by May 1942, only 7 cars remained in service, of which only 4 were serviceable. On March 16 and 18, the crews of Lieutenant G. Potapochkin and L. Drevyatnikov were shot down at the end of a combat mission near their own airport by a German "hunter" - a Bf.110C fighter. Then the 511th BBAP was re-equipped with Pe-2R "scout" aircraft and transformed into a separate reconnaissance aviation regiment (ORAP).

In the last days of October 1941, another aviation unit armed with Pe-3 long-range fighters began military operations on the Western Front. It became the 54th Red Banner high-speed bomber regiment. As for the sequence of the second regiments, this was already the second occurrence of the 54th SBAP on the fronts of the Second World War. On June 22, 1941, the regiment was based at the airport near Vilnius and, during an unexpected German air strike, lost more than half of the vehicles on the ground.

By July 14, almost all the remaining SBs were killed in fierce air battles, after which the regiment was withdrawn from the battles, acquired new equipment and underwent retraining for flights on the Pe-3.

During the Capital defensive and counteroffensive operations, the regiment under the leadership of Major Skibo made about 400 sorties, destroying the enemy in the areas of Klin, Solnechnogorsk, Volokolamsk and Istra. According to combat reports, at that time the regiment wiped out 33 tanks, up to 780 vehicles, 35 wagons, 2 warehouses with shells. In air battles, 6 enemy planes were shot down. Personal losses amounted to 11 aircraft. On January 18, 1942, four Pe-3s from the 54th SBAP attacked the Velskaya airfield.

16 bombs of 100 kg caliber were thrown into the parking lots of German aircraft. On departure from the target, the four were attacked by Bf-109F aircraft from JG51. One enemy plane was hit by navigator fire, and the second, without calculating the maneuver, crashed into the tail of Captain Karabutov, the leading Pe-3, and lost its wing.

A very badly damaged Pe-3 nevertheless made it to the airport in Tula, and the German pilot was captured.

The aircraft of the 511th BBAP and the 54th SBAP, in contrast to the vehicles of the 9th BBAP and the 95th IAP, apparently, were not finalized and were not rearmed with guns. It is possible to draw conclusions about this by the type of spent shells. In mid-January 1942, the 54th SBAP was based in the Kal

Pe-3 bis | Not enough ShVAK | War Thunder

"Operation and combat use

After re-equipment, 95 BAP was renamed into a fighter one and included in the huge 6th Air Defense Corps that covered Moscow. Pe-3s were used to patrol over protected objects. Also, 9, 40, 54, 208, 511 BAPs were partially re-equipped. The first successful baptism of fire was received by the Pe-3 crews of the 95th regiment, accompanied by transport aircraft carrying the British delegation from Vologda to Moscow. Managed to repulse three attacks of enemy fighters. The first victory was won by the crew of Art. l-ta Fortov from 95 IAP, having shot down a Junkers-88 bomber on October 3, 1941 (on November 5, this crew did not return from a combat mission).

As the Germans approached Moscow, Pe-3s began to be used as fighter-bombers, for bombing and assault strikes against the advancing troops. Active operation revealed the shortcomings of the aircraft, primarily weak weapons. In October-November 1941, the aircraft was urgently modified by the forces of factory brigades, PARM and l / s regiments - a fixed installation with a ShVAK cannon was mounted in the bow, the second ammo was moved to the starboard side, in place of the ShKAS. For the defense of the stern, a FT pivot installation with a UBT machine gun was installed at the navigator. A DAG-10 grenade launcher with ten AG-2 grenades was installed in the rear fuselage. Missile weapons were installed on some of the vehicles - rockets RS-32 (4-8 pcs.) Or RS-132 (4-6 pcs.). An armor plate was installed in front of the pilot's seat, which shifted the centering of the aircraft forward.

Plant No. 39 developed a modification of the Pe-3bis with new offensive weapons from the ShVAK cannon and two UBTs and a defensive turret for the navigator with a UBT machine gun. Automatic slats and a "neutral gas" system were installed on the aircraft (fuel tanks were filled with exhaust gases from the engine manifolds as fuel was exhausted). Subsequently, the Pe-3bis received UBT machine guns under the center section, and only a cannon was left in the nose. The navigator's rifle mount was replaced with a new VUB-1 with a UBT machine gun. The armor protection of the crew was increased - the total weight of the armor plates reached 148 kg. An alcohol anti-icing system for propellers and canopy glasses was installed. The struts on the landing gear were lengthened, which shifted the wheels forward and made it easier to land (all the "pawns" had a tendency to nose over).

Pe-3s in the version of scouts entered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 40 DRAP. The aircraft were equipped with AFA-1 or AFA-B cameras.

After the end of the battle near Moscow, 40 and 511 regiments were re-equipped with Pe-2 and A-20V. Also re-equipped 208 and 54 BAPs. 95th IAP until the summer of 1942 was engaged in escorting transport vehicles with senior staff, and then it was transferred to the Air Force of the Northern Fleet. In the north, the regiment continued to engage in bombing and assault strikes against surface and coastal targets, escorted convoys and was used in the search for submarines (to no avail), for which four PLAB-100 depth charges were hung on fighters.

Escorting convoys was a task of national importance, and to protect ships from enemy torpedo bombers in the north, a Separate Naval Air Group (OMAG) was created from three regiments - 95, 13 and 121 IAP, all on Pe-3 and Pe-3bis.

13 IAP was disbanded due to the non-combat loss of most of the vehicles. A large group of regimental aircraft fell into a snow charge and dispersed. Some of the crews managed to jump out with a parachute or sit on their belly and successfully reached their own, the rest simply died in the conditions of the north. The lack of decent navigational equipment on the standard Pe-3 made it almost impossible to land at night or in poor visibility conditions, and the loss of the aircraft was inevitable ....
---
I didn’t understand what they were trying to make from the Pe-2?
"Heavy fighter" - probably "long-range"! Because and the arrow-radio operator and the place on the suspension (under the planes) were occupied by additional fuel tanks. Note that we were talking about the actions of these aircraft in the immediate vicinity of their shores. Those. instead of creating a pair of "jump" airfields on the Kola Peninsula and in Mezen (as the same Germans did on foreign territory), they used a converted "bomber" as a fighter. They really tried.
Successes were very modest, if not miserable.

The leadership of the Soviet Air Force remembered the program of a heavy loitering fighter with powerful weapons and a large range of action only after the start of massive raids by fascist bombers on Moscow. By that time, out of the five most likely applicants for this role from among the fighter testers available (MPI-1, Ta-3 / OKO-6, I-29, DIS and TIS (A)) not a single one was put into mass production of them. And in the air defense units, and not only in them, there was a chronic lack of heavy fighters. It was then that the idea came to convert the Pe-2 attack aircraft, created on the basis of the VI-100, back into a fighter.

By order of the GKO dated August 2, 1941, the Petlyakov Design Bureau was instructed to submit a fighter version of the Pe-2 aircraft for testing before August 6. The Soviet Air Force expected to receive an aircraft with a maximum speed of about 550 km / h, a flight range of 2000 km and powerful cannon and machine gun weapons. In order to achieve the specified requirements from the standard World War II Pe-2 aircraft, the rear gunner's seat was dismantled - instead, additional gas tanks for 700 liters of fuel were mounted, and another similar tank was placed in the bomb bay. The brake bars were removed, considering them unnecessary for a heavy fighter. The armament was reinforced by installing an additional BK machine gun in the nose of the aircraft, and one ShKAS machine gun in the tail spinner. The bomb load was 700 kg. Instead of the RSB-bis radio set, the RSR-4 was installed, and at the same time, in order to make the aircraft easier, the radio semi-compass was dismantled from it.

Documentary chronicle of the Soviet heavy fighter of World War II Pe-3

The Pe-3 aircraft of the Second World War entered testing on August 7, 1941. In general, with the exception of maximum speed and some maneuvering characteristics, the Pe-3 heavy fighter satisfied the customer and already on August 14 it was decided to start mass production of the Pe-3 at factory No. 39. In the process of manufacturing the Pe-3 aircraft, it was planned to strengthen the armament by installing ShVAK guns and BK / BT machine guns instead of ShKAS, change the radio, strengthen the armor and make a number of other changes. All improvements were carried out in several stages throughout the serial production of the Pe-3 aircraft. Almost simultaneously, Plant No. 22 presented its alternative version of the World War II heavy fighter, the Pe-2I. In it, differences from the usual Pe-2 were generally minimized. As well as on the Pe-3 aircraft, the gunner's seat was removed from it (in order to install a 270-liter fuel tank in its place), but the shape of the fuselage was not changed. Under the fuselage, a ShVAK cannon was installed in a fairing and two external fuel tanks were mounted. When comparing both aircraft, it turned out that the Pe-2I has a greater flight range and some advantage in speed, however, these figures were achieved with the help of a little trick - in high-speed measurements, the Pe-2I flew in a lightweight version without PTB, and in flights to achieve maximum range - with them. As a result, it was decided to serially build only the Pe-3 heavy fighter of World War II.

Heavy Soviet Pe-3 fighters on a combat mission

Until the end of August, plant No. 39 created only 16 fighters, but already in September - 98 aircraft, and in October another 86 aircraft. In November 1941, the first prototype of the improved Pe-3bis was tested. It differed from serial vehicles in the installation of more powerful weapons (two UBK machine guns and a ShVAK cannon in the bow, and a UBT in a mobile turret at the navigator), the wing was equipped with slats, the length of the cockpit canopy was reduced and the anti-bonnet frame was shifted almost half a meter forward. Also, a neutral gas system was introduced and projector blinds were installed on all cabin windows. The installation of the RPK-10 was envisaged, but the plant, due to constant failures in the supply of equipment, did not equip the Pe-3bis aircraft with a radio semi-compass. Most of the improvements were implemented directly in the combat units - they replaced weapons, installed RO-82 launchers, and holders for the DAG-10 grenade launcher were placed in the tail section.

Aircraft Pe-3bis front view

Since April 1942, the Pe-3bis began to be mass-produced. Production aircraft did not have an anti-hood frame, but were equipped with a VUB-1 (B-270) turret with a UBK machine gun. Strengthened the reservation of the cockpit of the pilot and navigator. Two nose machine guns were moved under the fuselage and fixed in a common fairing. In this form, the Pe-3bis heavy fighter was produced until the autumn of 1942, since soon plant number 39 was switched to the production of IL-4 bombers of the Second World War.

Main serial modifications:

• Pe-3 with M-105R (later M-105RA) engines and armament 3x7.62 + 2x12.7, 6-12 NURS;
• Pe-3bis with M-105RA engines, VUB-1 turret, reinforced armor protection, armament 1x20 + 3x12.7 + 1x7.62;
• Pe-3 factory N 22 with M-105PF engines and armament 1x20 + 2x12.7.

Resumption of production

The rejection of all prototypes of heavy fighters that were tested in 1940-1943, and the cessation of serial production of Pe-3 aircraft, led to approximately the same situation that was observed in 1941. Of course, the lighter fighters of the Second World War Yak-9DD, which appeared at the front only in 1943, could also cope with the role of escort fighters, but as the experience of the Western allies showed, in which such famous aircraft as the R-38 and P-61, heavy multi-seat fighters in some cases were simply irreplaceable. For example, the heavy twin-engine American P-61 “Black Widow” (along with the German He-219A, similar in purpose) was recognized as the best night fighter, and the P-38 “Lightning” conscientiously performed ultra-long flights to escort heavy bombers B-17 and B -24. The fact that the Pe-8 armada was not built in the USSR did not at all mean that Soviet aviation did not need these aircraft. The Soviet Union did not have a huge fleet of heavy bombers - but aircraft such as the Il-4 and Er-2 were produced in excess (for the sake of truth, it should be noted that relatively few Yermolaev bombers were built - about five hundred) - aircraft would be nice to accompany them World War II MiG-5, and TIS, and Ta-3. However, all such programs were closed, and it was simply impossible to produce anything good in a very short period of time. So we decided to return to the old one again - to the Pe-3 heavy fighter.

Top view of the Soviet heavy fighter Pe-3bis

By that time, the usual “pawn” had undergone a number of upgrades, which had a positive effect on its tactical and technical characteristics. The new heavy fighter was supposed to contain everything good from the bomber version - including the installation of an FZ navigator and a wing with a modified nose profile that improved the behavior of the aircraft's machine at the time of landing. However, the improved Pe-3 aircraft produced by Plant No. 22 in February 1944, in the opinion of many Air Force specialists, was quite different from the model presented by them in November 1943. According to the decision of the NKAP, the Pe-3 heavy fighter of the Second World War did not need to install the FZ, nor did it need a new wing.

Side view of the Soviet Pe-3bis heavy fighter

And the plant also failed to debug the two-gun ventral installation and the remote electrified installation of the DEU, so in the series the fighter was produced with one ShVAK sub-center cannon, one UBT bow machine gun and two DAG-10 cassettes with AG-2 air grenades. In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the Pe-3 aircraft of the 1944 model did not go far from the first fighter "pawns" and even more than that - some of the aircraft's characteristics decreased. For example, even single-engine fighters carried more powerful weapons, in addition, the Air Force Main Directorate wanted to get a fighter with a speed of 625 km / h with a climb time of 5000 meters in no more than 6 minutes, and the data of the aircraft submitted for factory tests were somewhat far from the requirements . It was no longer possible to squeeze anything out of the Pe-3, since all the limits for the modernization of the 1941 model of the year were exhausted and Myasishchev's developments on the Pe-2I aircraft (model 1943-44) then seemed much more promising. According to the factory workers, some of the shortcomings of the fighter were to be corrected, but the representatives of the Air Force were not at all satisfied with the performance of the Pe-3 of the 1944 model and they decided not to transfer the fighter to state tests. Nevertheless, plant No. 22 nevertheless produced 19 fighters, seventeen of which entered service with the 48th and 98th Guards distant reconnaissance regiments. Two aircraft were left for testing. During mass production from September 1941 to September 1944, plants No. 22 and 39 brought together 360 Pe-3/Pe-3bis fighters.

combat work

Despite the small number of Pe-3s, in terms of the sum of its combat qualities, it turned out to be no worse than the specialized Bf-110 and Beaufighter fighters. The 95th SBAP, which previously flew the SB-2M-103 and Pe-2, was the first to master them. During June-August 1941, the regiment lost almost all aircraft and was re-equipped with Pe-3s. On September 25, it was renamed the 95th IAP and, having received 40 heavy fighters, the regiment was included in the 6th IAK, which provides air defense for Moscow. During the first month of use on the Pe3, it was possible to achieve several victories in air battles, but little was used as a fighter. Their main task was to deliver assault strikes against the advancing German units in the Moscow direction. With the strengthening of the bomber grouping, the need for heavy fighters gradually disappeared and 95 IAP in March 1942 was redeployed to the North. As part of the fleet aviation, the Pe-3 fought very successfully. Initially, the 95th IAP was tasked with bombing enemy ships and airfields. In April-May, Pe-3s sank three and damaged several more Finnish and German ships without suffering any losses, but soon the German aviation made itself known.

Soviet military aircraft Pe-3

At the end of spring, a raid was organized on the Hebugten air base, where large enemy forces were concentrated. The Bf-109G group (about 20 fighters) that met the seven Pe-3s was scattered by rocket fire, but on the way back the Germans completely rehabilitated themselves by destroying five heavy fighters. Pe-3 aircraft operated much more successfully, providing cover for allied and Soviet convoys. The greatest success fell to their lot on July 13 - on this day, the four Pe-3s under the command of Captain K. Volodin discovered a large group of Ju-88s and shot down seven aircraft with rocket and cannon fire without loss on their part. Somewhat later, on September 19, four Pe-3s intercepted 24 German Ju-88 bombers of the Second World War trying to attack the PQ-18 convoy and shot down two aircraft. On April 25, 1943, while escorting Soviet Il-4 torpedo bombers aimed at attacking a German convoy in Kongs Fjord, three pairs of Pe-3 aircraft dealt with the He-115 loitering over the port and dispersed German Bf-110 cover fighters, after which the torpedo bombers launched bottom of four enemy ships.

Heavy Soviet WWII fighter Pe-3

In the same place, since the summer of 1942, the 13th and 121st SBAP fought, also partially having heavy Pe-3 fighters. Their functions were the same as those of the 95th IAP, only they fought on the Pe-3 less. The 13th BAP used fighters until mid-1943, suffering the most losses in non-combat situations, but managing to destroy several German Ju-88 World War II bombers up to this point. Around the same time, the 121st regiment also parted ways with the Pe-3, transferring the remaining aircraft to the 95th IAP. The 208th SBAP received twenty Pe-3s in September 1941 and fought on them until December, taking an active part in the defense of Moscow. The regiment lost only 10 aircraft in three months of fighting, after which the remaining 12 Pe-3s were transferred to the 95th IAP, and the regiment was retrained on the Il-2. The 40th SBAP, which also lost most of its SBs in the first months of the war, was divided into two parts in September. Both newly formed regiments (40-A SBAP, later - 511 BBAP, and 40 SBAP) flew both Pe-2 and Pe-3, and they were not used there as Pe-3 fighters. Since January 1943, due to losses, 40 SBAPs were gradually re-equipped with Pe-2R and A-20 aircraft, renamed the 40th DRAP. The 511th BBAP fought on the Pe-3 as part of the Western Front until June 1942, using its fighters as close bombers. Having lost 13 out of 20 aircraft in three months of fighting, the regiment was re-equipped with Pe-2R and converted into an ORAP.

Side view of military aircraft Pe-3

The 9th BBAP, based in June 1941 in the Baltic states, lost all its aircraft in the very first four days of the war and from September 1941 also flew Pe-3 aircraft. Until December, his planes stormed the German troops, after which the 9th SBAP was subordinated directly to the Main Headquarters of the Red Army Air Force and entrusted with the performance of special tasks. Pe-3s accompanied the aircraft of the leaders of the Air Force and participated in the leadership of air units sent to the front. At the same time, they began to re-equip the aircraft according to the Pe-3bis type, so the regiment entered the new year of 1942 with aircraft with significantly increased firepower. How well the crews of the 9th SBAP were trained and how the Pe-3 was upgraded to its combat capabilities can be judged from the next episode. On July 5, 1942, Captain K. Danilkin's Pe-3, who led the LaGG-3 group, was intercepted by fourteen German Bf-109F fighters of World War II over his airfield. In the ensuing battle, the navigator K. Manturov shot down (or seriously damaged) two enemy fighters, the third was shot down by the fire of wasp machine guns and cannons, and the fourth Danilkin rammed already on a burning car. The combat work of the 9th SBAP continued until May 1942, after which the regiment received Pe-2 attack aircraft and, subsequently, flew only on them.

From October 1941, the 54th SBAP flew the Pe-3. The regiment fought near Moscow and achieved good success in bombing airfields and advancing German troops. The combat effectiveness of the regiment, however, was significantly undermined by the losses suffered in fierce battles. Until the beginning of 1942, the regiment lost 11 fighters, and at the end of January, after a powerful German bombing attack on the Pe-3 base airfield, this unit, having lost seven more aircraft, practically ceased to exist. The surviving aircraft in May 1942 were transferred to 511 BBAP.

In addition to the above units, several Pe-3s were transferred to 1,2,3 and 4 DRAP, the 118th RAP of the Northern Fleet and 603 SBAP, as well as to some reconnaissance squadrons. Almost all Pe-3bis hit the 2nd, 4th and 40th APR GK and the 9th BBAP. Machines of the 1944 series, as mentioned earlier, were transferred to the 48th and 98th ORAP. The latter singled out in June 1944 one aircraft for a flight to Italy, where Soviet military specialists observed the actions of the Allied forces. Pe-3bis fighters remained in service until the early 1950s, after which they were finally replaced by Il-28 aircraft. Unlike its progenitor, the Pe-2 bomber of the Second World War, very few Pe-3 aircraft fell into the hands of enemies, and most of them were in a non-operational state. At least the German documents do not indicate that at least one such aircraft was flown or restored for further use. Only a single Pe-3bis, after a forced landing on September 11, 1942, landed with the Finns. The northern neighbors quickly repaired the car and included the Pe-3 (tail number RE-211) in the LeR-48, where it was used together with captured Pe-2s as a reconnaissance aircraft. The Pe-3 was written off only on April 4, 1946 after 265 flight hours.

100

Pe-2

Pe-2I

The history of the creation of the Petlyakov Pe-3 aircraft is rather tortuous and represents the successive transformations of a fighter into a bomber, and then again into a fighter. Since 1938, the design team of V.M. Petlyakov, a twin-engine high-altitude fighter under the designation "100" was being developed. A three-seater monoplane with two tail tails was designed for M-105 engines with turbochargers. The machine was equipped with a pressurized cabin. The prototype "100" was tested in December 1939, but according to the results of state tests that took place in the spring of 1940, it was considered expedient to create a dive bomber based on the "weave". So it appeared.

In the spring of 1941, when the main problems associated with the introduction of the Pe-2 into the series were resolved, Petlyakov again came to grips with the fighter version, which received the designation VI 2M-105TK. The machine was designed taking into account maximum unification with a dive bomber, but the use of a pressurized cabin and engines with turbochargers was envisaged. The creation of this aircraft was interrupted after the German attack on the USSR. But on August 2, 1941, the State Defense Committee ordered the Moscow aircraft factory No. 39, which built the Pe-2, to create its fighter version. Only 4 days were allotted for work, and the task was completed - on August 7, 1941, the first copy of the Pe-3 fighter was put to the test.

It differed from the bomber in its increased fuel capacity and enhanced armament. Additional fuel tanks were placed in the fuselage bomb bay and in the place of the gunner-radio operator, due to which the crew was reduced to 2 people. In the nose of the aircraft there were two 12.7 mm BK machine guns (ammunition load of 150 rounds) and 1 7.62 mm ShKAS (750 rounds). Defensive armament - 1 ShKAS on the upper mount and 1 in a fixed mount in the tail spinner of the fuselage. The aircraft could carry up to 700 kg of bombs (two 250 kg bombs on an external sling and two 100 kg bombs in compartments in engine nacelles). The test results were recognized as satisfactory, and in the same month the production of serial Pe-3s began.

Flight performance of the Pe-3 aircraft

• Engines: M-105R
• power, hp :1050
• Wingspan, m. 17.13
• Aircraft length, m. 12.67
• Aircraft height, m. 3.93
• Wing area, sq. m. 40.80
• Weight, kg:
• empty aircraft: 5730
• normal takeoff: 7860
• Maximum speed, km/h:
• near the ground: 442
• at altitude: 535
• Rate of climb, m/s: 9.25
• Practical ceiling, m.: 8600
• Flight range, km.: 2150

Main modifications of Pe-3:

Pe-3 - M-105R engines (1050 hp). Armament -2 12.7-mm BK machine guns (250 rounds of ammunition); 1 ShKAS on the upper mount and 1 in the tail spinner; bombs weighing up to 400 kg (overload - up to 700 kg). Part of the aircraft was finalized in parts by installing an additional 20-mm ShVAK cannon and replacing the ShKAS machine gun on the upper mount with a 12.7-mm UBT machine gun. Some machines received guides for NAR RS-82 or RS-132. In August-October 1941, plant No. 39 produced 196 vehicles, another 11 were assembled by the enterprise in April 1942 after evacuation to Irkutsk.

Pe- 3bis- BK machine guns were moved from the bow to the bomb bay (230 rounds of ammunition for the right and 265 for the left), a 20-mm ShVAK cannon was installed in the bow, and a 12.7-mm UBK machine gun was installed on the upper VUB-1 turret; the ShKAS machine gun in the tail spinner has been retained. Part of the aircraft was equipped with 4 guides for the RS-82 NAR for firing backwards (to repel fighter attacks). Enhanced armor protection. Produced by plant No. 39 from April 1942, 134 aircraft were produced (121 in 1942 and 13 in 1943).

The series did not include the fighter versions developed at factory No. 22 - Pe-2I and Pe-2VI, as well as the night fighter version of the Pe-2 with the Gneiss-2 radar. In 1944, under the leadership of V.M. Myasishchev built the Pe-3M fighter with more powerful VK-105PF engines (1210 hp) and reinforced weapons (2 20-mm cannons and 3 12.7-mm machine guns), but this machine was not introduced into mass production either.

Combat use of Pe-3 aircraft

The first units to receive Pe-3s in August-September 1941 were the 95th, 40th and 208th high-speed bomber regiments (SBAP). The first of them, reorganized into the IAP, at the end of September 1941 became part of the 6th IAK PVO. In the same corps, since October, the 208th SBAP operated Pe-3s, but due to losses and the cessation of supplies from industry, in December 1941 it handed over the surviving Pe-3s to the 95th IAP and departed for re-equipment with another type of aircraft. Also in the fall of 1941, the 9th and 511th short-range bomber regiments (BBAP) and the 54th SBAP flew Pe-3s. In all these units, during the Battle of Moscow, Pe-3 aircraft were used as strike aircraft - for bombing and assaulting ground targets.

Since the spring of 1942, the Pe-3 aircraft was used in the Red Army Air Force mainly as a reconnaissance aircraft - the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th long-range reconnaissance regiments flew on such aircraft. Pe-3bis entered the 2nd and 4th regiments, as well as the 40th, which also became reconnaissance. They used other types of aircraft along with the Pe-3bis. The only regiment completely re-equipped with Pe-3bis was the 9th BBAP. By the middle of 1944, no more than 20 Pe-3bis remained in service - in the 47th, 48th and 98th Guards. separate reconnaissance air regiments of the Supreme High Command.

The 95th IAP in the spring of 1942 was transferred to the Air Force of the Northern Fleet. From April 1942, his aircraft carried out bombing attacks on ports and airfields in Northern Finland and Norway, enemy ships and vessels, and also escorted their own torpedo bombers and bombers, and covered naval convoys.

For a short time, the 13th and 121st regiments also operated Pe-3bis in the North, several of these vehicles were in the 118th separate naval reconnaissance aviation regiment. The 95th IAP turned out to be the only unit that fought on the Pe-3bis until the end of the war. The operation of such aircraft continued for several years in the post-war period.

One Pe-3bis became a Finnish trophy and served in the Finnish Air Force.

Pe-3 turned out to be the only twin-engine fighter (not counting equipped radar aircraft BUT-20 G), who served in air force Red armies in during the Second world wars. In terms of its combat capabilities, it was rather a multi-purpose vehicle, an analogue of the German "Zerschterers". But in terms of flight characteristics and small arms and cannon armament, the aircraft was inferior, which determined the scope of its application. Created as a fighter, the Pe-3 was in service with only one nominally fighter regiment, and was operated much more widely in bomber and reconnaissance units.

The Pe-3bis long-range fighter is a heavy fighter designed by V.M. Petlyakova. Production of the Pe-3bis was launched in 1942 at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. In 1942, 121 aircraft were produced. Another 13 vehicles in the form of long-range reconnaissance aircraft were manufactured and handed over to combat units at the beginning of 1943. On this, the production of Pe-3bis aircraft was discontinued. A total of 134 aircraft were produced.

From the history of the Irkutsk aircraft plant

Fighter variants based on the Pe-2 aircraft were developed independently in 1941 by Moscow factories No. 22 and No. 39 in a short time, due to the beginning of mass German air raids on Moscow. The designs of these aircraft had many shortcomings (the main one was the lack of armor protection for the crew in front), and based on the experience of combat use, a new modification was created - the Pe-3bis.

In the most difficult period of the war, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant supplied the front with 730 Pe-2 dive bombers and 134 Pe-3 long-range fighters, after which, in November 1942, it switched to the production of Il-4 long-range bombers.

The heavy twin-engine Pe-3bis fighter was used as a reconnaissance, barrage interceptor, fighter-bomber and long-range escort fighter. Until the early 1950s. Pe-3s were used in the aviation of the Navy for aerial reconnaissance.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Pe-3bis aircraft

Wingspan - 17.13 m.

The length of the aircraft is 12.665 m.

Wing area - 40.8 m 2 .

The weight of the empty aircraft is 5815 kg.

Overload weight - 8300 kg.

Fuel supply - 2078 kg.

The maximum speed at altitude is 530 km / h.

The maximum speed is 438 km/h.

Armament:

• 1 x ShVAK,
• 3 x UBK,
• 1 x ShKAS.

Practical ceiling - 8800 m.

Flight range - 2000 km.