The military aircraft of the USSR were always, especially during and after the Second World War, famous for their technical potential. Our pilots flying on domestic airplanes caused significant harm to the fascist enemy in air battles.
The first Soviet military aircraft
Among the first interesting models, the Sh-2 can be distinguished. The first tests of this flying boat began in 1929. Of course, this aircraft was not a fighter or a bomber in the full sense of the word, but its practical use was great, because during the war it was used to transport wounded soldiers and communicate with partisan detachments.
The MBR-2 aircraft was developed in 1931. Mass deliveries of the aircraft to the army began in 1934. What technical aspects did he possess? These aircraft of the USSR had a capacity of 450 horsepower, with a maximum flight speed of 215 km / h. The average flight range was 960 km. The maximum distance that the ICBM-2 climbed is 5100 km. Used mainly in the fleets (Pacific, Baltic, Amur Flotilla). Mass armament of units in the fleets began in 1937. Aircraft that were based on the Baltic Front during the Second World War made about 700 flights to German airfields that were in the occupied territory. The bombing mainly took place at night, their main feature was surprise, so the Germans could not oppose anything.
Soviet fighters in the 1940s
Before the war, the Red Army did not have the equipment of high-quality fighters. The main reasons for this, historians consider the lack of understanding by the Soviet leadership of the threat of a defensive war and the mass repressions of the late 30s. The first USSR planes (fighters) that could really fight against German cars appeared in early 1940. The People’s Commissariat of Defense approved an order for the release of three models at once: MiG-3, LaGG-3, Yak-1. New aircraft of the USSR of World War II (in particular, Mig-3) had excellent technical characteristics, but were not very convenient in piloting. The development and launch of mass production of these new-generation flying vehicles took place precisely at the time when they were most needed by the Armed Forces - just before Hitler’s aggression against the USSR began. The maximum height that the MiG-3 fighter managed to reach is 12 km. It was fast enough in the rise, because the plane took off at a 5-km altitude in 5.3 minutes. The average optimal flight speed was approximately 620 km.
USSR aircraft (bombers) and their role in the victory over fascism
To effectively combat the enemy, it was necessary to establish cooperation between aviation and the ground army. Probably among the Soviet bombers that caused the most harm to the Wehrmacht army, it is worth highlighting the Su-4 and Yak-2. Let's talk separately about each of them.
So, the Su-4 was equipped with two large-caliber machine guns, which made it effective in air battles. The maximum flight range of aircraft of this class is 1000 kilometers, and the average speed during the flight reached 486 km, which made it possible for the pilot to maneuver, saving the aircraft from enemy attacks if necessary.
Aircraft of the USSR of the Second World Series "Jacob" also occupied a significant place in the list of bombers used by the army. Yak-2 became one of the first twin-engine military aircraft. The power of each engine was 750 hp. The flight range of an aircraft with two engines, of course, was much larger than single-engine counterparts (1300 km). Airplanes of the USSR of the Second World War of the Yak model range had excellent performance in speed, as well as in the time of climbing certain heights. Equipped with two machine guns, one of which was stationary, was on the nose of the fuselage. The second machine gun was supposed to ensure the safety of the aircraft from the sides and from behind, so it was at the disposal of the second navigator.
Pilots and planes of the USSR since the Second World War
All the successes of Soviet aviation on the air battlefields with the Nazis were provided not only by good engineering solutions, but also by the high professionalism of our pilots. As you know, the number of Heroes of the USSR - pilots is no less than tankers or infantrymen. Some asss received this title three times (for example, Ivan Kozhedub).
It is worth paying tribute to test pilots. Military aircraft of the USSR before entering the army, always passed tests at the training grounds. It was the testers, risking their own lives, checking the reliability of the newly created equipment.