Assessing the decisive role of aviation as the main strike 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 air force from other countries.
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 later became the legendary U-2, etc.). d.). The planes that were in service with the Red Army were multi-brand, had outdated designs and poor technical condition. In the 1920s, the USSR purchased a small number of German Junkers aircraft and a number of other types to serve the air routes of the North / explore the Northern Sea Route / and carry out government special flights. It should be noted that civil Aviation in 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 built successful designs of "soft" (frameless) type "B" airships in the early 30s. Digressing, it should be noted about the development of this type of aeronautics abroad.
In Germany, the famous rigid airship Graf Zeppepelin, which explored the North, was equipped with cabins for passengers, had a significant flight range and a rather high cruising speed (up to 130 km/h or more), provided by several Maybach-designed engines. On board the airship were even several dog teams 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 over 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, complexity of storage, maintenance predetermined the end of the era of airships. The experiments with balloons also came to an end, proving 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.
In the thirties, by order of Stalin, demonstrative, but in fact test, flights of bombers "camouflaged" as civilian aircraft were made. 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. Polikarpov's planes (type I-15,16) were defeated by the latest German machines. The race for survival has begun again. Stalin gave the designers individual tasks for new aircraft models, and bonuses and benefits were widely and generously distributed - 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 Voroshilov noted that, compared to 1934, the Air Force had grown in its personnel by 138 percent ... The aircraft fleet as a whole had grown by 130 percent.
Heavy bomber aviation, which was assigned the main role in the upcoming war with the West, doubled in 4 years, the other types of bomber aviation, on the contrary, decreased by half. Fighter aircraft increased two and a half times. The altitude of the aircraft was already 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.
Before the war, great changes took place in the field of aviation materials science. In the pre-war period, there was a parallel development of heavy aircraft of all-metal construction with duralumin skin and light maneuverable aircraft of mixed structures: 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. Engines M-25 air-cooled with a power of 715 hp, M-100 water-cooled with a power 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. a lot others. M.M. Kaganovich was the People's Commissar of the aviation industry at that time. 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 convincingly refuted the hypothesis that Stalin was preparing an attack on Germany in July 1941. It is on the basis of this assumption that Stalin’s attack on Germany was planned (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 it seems understandable this incredible for that (or any other) time fact of the sale of advanced German equipment and technology to the USSR. A large delegation of Soviet aviation workers, who twice went to Germany shortly before the war, received 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 in August 1939 that 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 August 1939, i.e. before the start of the partition of Poland, showed that the number of first-line aircraft in France is 2,000 units. Of these, two-thirds were quite modern aircraft. By 1940, it was planned to increase the number of aircraft in France to 3000 units. British aviation, according to Marshal Burnet, had about 3,000 units, and the potential for production was 700 aircraft per month. German industry underwent mobilization only at the beginning of 1942, after which the number of armaments began to grow sharply.
Of all the domestic fighter aircraft ordered by Stalin, the most successful variants were the LAGG, MiG and Yak. The IL-2 attack aircraft brought a lot of excitement to its designer Ilyushin. Made at first with the protection of the rear hemisphere (double), he, on the eve of the attack on Germany, did not suit the customers with his extravagance. 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 structure closer to the "clear sky" aircraft. Hitler violated Stalin's plans and the plane had to be urgently returned to its 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 "On the reorganization of the aviation forces of the Red Army." The resolution provided for additional measures for the rearmament of air units. In accordance with the plans for a future war, the task was 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 to the appearance of a "clear sky" aircraft, designed for unpunished raids on bridges, airfields, cities, factories. Before the war hundreds of thousands
young men were preparing to transfer to the new SU-2 aircraft, developed according to the Stalinist competition, which it was planned to produce 100-150 thousand pieces before the war. This required accelerated training of an appropriate number of pilots and technicians. The SU-2 is essentially the Soviet Yu-87, and in Russia it 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 and forcibly. Almost all of the few civil aviation was 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 aircraft control handle was replaced by a sergeant - an unusual fact and testifying to the rush to prepare for the war. Airfields (about 66 airfields) were urgently advanced to the borders, supplies of fuel, bombs, and shells were brought in. The raids on the German airfields, on the oil fields of Ploiesti were carefully and secretly detailed...
On June 13, 1940, the Flight Test Institute (LII) was formed, and other design bureaus and research institutes were formed in the same period. In the war with the Soviet Union, the Nazis assigned a special role to their aviation, which by this time had already won complete air supremacy in the West. Basically, the plan for using aviation in the East was the same as the war in the West: first to gain air supremacy, and then transfer forces to support the ground army.
Having outlined the timing of the attack on the Soviet Union, the Nazi command set the following tasks for the Luftwaffe:
1. Destroy Soviet aviation with a sudden strike on Soviet airfields.
2. To achieve complete air supremacy.
3. After solving the first two tasks, switch aviation to support ground forces directly on the battlefield.
4. Disrupt the work of Soviet transport, make it difficult to transfer troops both in the front line and in the rear.
5. Bombard large industrial centers - Moscow, Gorky, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kharkov, Tula.
Germany dealt a crushing blow to our airfields. In just 8 hours of the war, 1200 aircraft were lost, there was a mass death of the flight crew, storage facilities and all stocks were destroyed. Historians noted the strange "crowding" of our aviation at the airfields on the eve of the war and complained about the "mistakes" and "miscalculations" of the command (i.e. Stalin) and the assessment of events. In fact, "crowding" portends plans for a super-massive strike on targets and confidence in impunity, which did not happen. Air Force flight personnel, especially bombers, suffered heavy losses due to the lack of support fighters, and the tragedy of the death of perhaps the most advanced and powerful air fleet in the history of mankind occurred, which had to be revived under enemy attacks.
It must be admitted that in 1941 and the first half of 1942 the Nazis succeeded in implementing their plans for an air war to a large extent. Against Soviet Union almost all the available forces of the Nazi aviation were abandoned, including units removed from the Western Front. At the same time, it was assumed that after the very first successful operations, part of the bomber and fighter formations would be returned to the West for the war with England. At the beginning of the war, the Nazis had not only a quantitative superiority. Their advantage was the fact that the flight personnel who took part in the air attack had already gone through a serious school of fighting with French, Polish and English pilots. They also had a fair amount of experience in 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 obsolete types of aircraft, Russian pilots inflicted damage on the Germans. From June 22 to July 19, Germany lost 1,300 aircraft in dogfights alone.
Here is what the German General Staff officer Greffat writes about this:
“During the period from June 22 to July 5, 1941, the German air force lost 807 aircraft of all types, and from July 6 to 19 - 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, ramming an enemy fighter, the whole world knows the feat of Gastello's crew (the latest research on this fact suggests that the rammed crew was not Gastello's crew, but was Maslov's crew, 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 more and more fighters and bombers. They sent 4,940 aircraft to the front, including 3,940 German, 500 Finnish, 500 Romanian, and achieved complete air supremacy.
By October 1941, the Wehrmacht armies approached Moscow, the cities supplying components for aircraft factories were occupied, the time came for the evacuation of factories and design bureaus of Sukhoi, Yakovlev and others in Moscow, Ilyushin in Voronezh, 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 aviation instrument factories in order to duplicate their production in Western Siberia, and after a while it was necessary to make a decision to evacuate the entire aviation industry.
On November 9, 1941, the State Defense Committee approved the schedules for the restoration and start-up of the evacuated factories and production plans.
The task was set not only to restore the production of aircraft, but also to significantly increase their quantity and quality. In December 1941, the plan for the production of aircraft was achieved by less than 40 percent, and engines - by only 24 percent. In the most difficult conditions, under bombs, in the cold, the cold of the Siberian winters, backup plants were launched one after another. Technologies were refined, simplified, 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, aircraft supplied 4-5 percent of the total production of aircraft and other weapons produced in the United States. However, a number of materials and equipment supplied by the USA, England, were unique and indispensable for Russia (varnishes, paints, other chemicals, appliances, tools, equipment, medicines, etc.), which cannot be described as "insignificant" or secondary.
The turning point in the work of domestic aircraft factories came around March 1942. At the same time, the combat experience of our pilots grew.
Only for the period from November 19 to December 31, 1942, in the battles for Stalingrad, the Luftwaffe lost 3,000 combat aircraft. Our aviation began to act more actively and showed all its combat power in the North Caucasus. Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared. This title was awarded both for downed aircraft and for the number of sorties.
In the USSR, the Normandie-Niemen squadron was formed, staffed by French volunteers. 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 industry produced 35,000 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 “calmness” or unpreparedness of Germany, which did not mobilize 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 for the first time ensured air supremacy. So, for example, only for an hour on one of the days of the operation, a strike was delivered with a force of 411 aircraft, and so in three waves during the day.
By 1944, the front received about 100 aircraft daily, incl. 40 fighters. The main combat vehicles were modernized. Aircraft with improved combat qualities Yak-3, Pe-2, Yak 9T,D, LA-5, IL-10 appeared. German designers also upgraded the aircraft. Appeared "Me-109F, G, G2", etc.
By the end of the war, the problem of increasing the range of fighter aircraft appeared - airfields could not keep up with the front. The designers proposed the installation of additional gas tanks on aircraft, and rocket weapons began to be used. Radio communications developed, and radar was used in air defense. The bombings were getting stronger and stronger. 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. This is the most aircraft-intensive air battle in history, 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 record of 300 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, that didn't 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. had constructive reserves for subsequent modernization. In passing, it should be noted that in the USSR, not all types of aircraft were put into service. For example, in October 1941, the production of MiG-3 fighters was discontinued, and in 1943, the production of IL-4 bombers.
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.
Greffoat writes: “Counting on the fact that the war with Russia, like the war in the West, would be lightning fast, Hitler intended, after achieving the first successes in the East, to transfer the bomber units, as well as the required number of aircraft back to the West. Air formations intended for direct support of German troops, as well as military transport units and a certain number of fighter squadrons, should have remained in the East ... "
German aircraft, created in 1935-1936. at the beginning of the war, they no longer had the opportunity for radical modernization. According to the German General Butler, “The Russians had the advantage that in the production of weapons and ammunition they took into account all the features of the war in Russia and ensured the simplicity of technology 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 the further acceleration of the introduction of jet aircraft).
Nevertheless, each of the countries went its own way in the design of aircraft.
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 the 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 in new places in 1943 and 1944 produced several times more than before the evacuation.
Germany possessed, in addition to its own resources, the resources of the conquered countries. In 1944, German factories produced 27,600 aircraft, while our factories produced 33,200 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 equipment 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 Germans - 3073. In terms of the number of aircraft, the USSR surpassed Germany by 2.7 times. By June 1944, the German Air Force already 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, German or British aircraft. This partly explains such a clear advantage in the number of aircraft. Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the reliability, durability and strength of our and German aircraft, as well as to analyze the tactical and strategic use of aviation in the war of 1941-1945. Apparently, these comparisons would not be in our favor and would conditionally reduce such a striking difference in numbers. 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 transformation from a propeller into a jet. To increase the flight speed, a more powerful engine is installed. However, at speeds over 700 km/h, the increase in speed from engine power cannot be achieved. The way out is the use of jet thrust. Used turbojet /TRD/ or liquid jet /LPRE/ engine. In the second half of the 1930s, in the USSR, England, Germany, Italy, and later in the USA, a jet aircraft was intensively created. In 1938, the world's first German BMW jet engines, Junkers, appeared. In 1940, the first Campini-Caproni jet aircraft, created in Italy, made test flights, later the German Me-262, Me-163 XE-162 appeared. In 1941, a Gloucester aircraft with a jet engine was tested in England, and in 1942, a jet aircraft, the Airokomet, was tested in the USA. In England, the Meteor twin-engine jet aircraft was soon created, which took part in the war. In 1945, the Meteor-4 aircraft set a world speed record of 969.6 km / h.
In the USSR, in the initial period, practical work on the creation of jet engines was carried out in the direction of LRE. Under the leadership of S.P. Korolev., A.F. Tsander, designers A.M. Isaev, L.S. Dushkin developed the first domestic jet engines. A.M. Lyulka became the pioneer of turbojet engines. At the beginning of 1942, G. Bakhchivandzhi made the first flight on a domestic jet aircraft. Soon this pilot died while testing the aircraft. Work on the creation of a jet aircraft practical application resumed after the war with the creation of the Yak-15, MiG-9 using German YuMO jet engines.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the Soviet Union entered the war with numerous but technically backward fighter aircraft. This backwardness was, in essence, an inevitable phenomenon for a country that had only recently embarked on the path of industrialization, which the Western European states and the United States had already traveled in the 19th century. By the mid-20s of the XX 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. Aluminum, wheel tires and even copper wire I had to buy from abroad.
Over the next 15 years, the aviation industry, together with related and raw material industries, was created practically 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 overstressing 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 of the war, the La-7, was born.
During the war years, the Soviet Union failed to establish 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 of 2000, and then 2500 hp. with. 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 irresistible heaviness 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 production capacity aviation industry, the USSR produced 40% more combat aircraft than Germany. In 1943, Germany made significant efforts to increase the production of combat aircraft, but nevertheless the Soviet Union built more of them by 29%. Only in 1944, through the total mobilization of the resources of the country and occupied Europe, did the Third Reich catch 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 aircraft 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 motors 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 these types in 1944 accounted for only 24.8% of the total production of fighters in the USSR, and the remaining 75.2% were older types of aircraft with worse flight performance. It can also be recalled 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 its 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.
Once on the site, we held an Air Parade contest dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory, where readers were asked to guess the names of some of the most famous aircraft of World War II by their silhouettes. The competition has been completed, and now we are publishing photos of these combat vehicles. We offer to remember what the winners and the vanquished fought in the sky.
Edition PM
Germany
Messerschmitt Bf.109
In fact, a whole family of German combat vehicles, the total number of which (33,984 pieces) makes the 109th one of the most massive aircraft of World War II. It was used as a fighter, fighter-bomber, fighter-interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft. It was as a fighter that the Messer earned notoriety from Soviet pilots - at the initial stage of the war, Soviet fighters, such as the I-16 and LaGG, were clearly inferior in technical terms to the Bf.109 and suffered heavy losses. Only the appearance of more advanced aircraft, such as the Yak-9, allowed our pilots to fight with the "Messers" almost on an equal footing. The most massive modification of the machine was the Bf.109G ("Gustav").
Messerschmitt Bf.109
Messerschmitt Me.262
The aircraft was remembered not for its special role in the Second World War, but for the fact that it turned out to be the first-born jet aviation on the battlefield. Me.262 began to design even before the war, but Hitler's real interest in the project awakened only in 1943, when the Luftwaffe had already lost its combat power. The Me.262 possessed speed (about 850 km/h), altitude and rate of climb that were unique for its time, and therefore had serious advantages over any fighter of that time. In reality, for 150 Allied aircraft shot down, 100 Me.262s were lost. Low efficiency combat use was explained by the "dampness" of the design, little experience in the use of jet aircraft and insufficient training of pilots.
Messerschmitt Me.262
Heinkel-111
Heinkel-111
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
The Ju 87 dive bomber, which was produced in several modifications, became a kind of forerunner of modern precision weapons, since it threw bombs not from a great height, but from a steep dive, which made it possible to more accurately aim the ammunition. It was very effective in the fight against tanks. Due to the specifics of the application in conditions of high overloads, the car was equipped with automatic air brakes to exit the peak in the event of a loss of consciousness by the pilot. To enhance the psychological effect, the pilot, during the attack, turned on the "Jericho Trumpet" - a device that emitted a terrible howl. One of the most famous aces pilots who flew the Stuka was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who left rather boastful memories of the war on the Eastern Front.
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu
The tactical reconnaissance aircraft Fw 189 Uhu is interesting primarily for its unusual two-beam design, for which the Soviet soldiers nicknamed it "Rama". And it was on the Eastern Front that this reconnaissance spotter turned out to be the most useful to the Nazis. Our fighters knew well that after the "Rama" bombers would fly in and strike at reconnoitered targets. But to shoot down this slow-moving aircraft was not so easy because of its high maneuverability and excellent survivability. When approaching Soviet fighters, he could, for example, begin to describe circles of a small radius, into which high-speed cars simply could not fit.
Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu
Probably the most recognizable Luftwaffe bomber was developed in the early 1930s under the guise of a civilian transport aircraft (the creation of the German Air Force was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles). At the beginning of World War II, the Heinkel-111 was the most massive Luftwaffe bomber. He became one of the main characters in the Battle of England - it was the result of Hitler's attempt to break the will to resist the British through massive bombing raids on the cities of Foggy Albion (1940). Even then it became clear that this medium bomber was obsolete, it lacked speed, maneuverability and security. Nevertheless, the aircraft continued to be used and produced until 1944.
Allies
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The American "flying fortress" during the war constantly increased its security. In addition to excellent survivability (in the form, for example, of the ability to return to base with one of four engines intact), the heavy bomber received thirteen 12.7-mm machine guns in the B-17G modification. A tactic was developed in which "flying fortresses" walked over enemy territory in a checkerboard pattern, protecting each other with crossfire. The aircraft was equipped with a high-tech Norden bombsight for that time, built on the basis of an analog computer. If the British bombed the Third Reich mainly at night, then the "flying fortresses" were not afraid to appear over Germany during daylight hours.
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Avro 683 Lancaster
One of the main participants in the Allied bomber raids on Germany, a British heavy bomber of World War II. The Avro 683 Lancaster accounted for ¾ of the entire bomb load thrown by the British on the Third Reich. The carrying capacity allowed the four-engine aircraft to take on board "blockbusters" - super-heavy concrete-piercing bombs Tallboy and Grand Slam. Low security suggested the use of Lancasters as night bombers, but night bombing was not very accurate. During the day, these aircraft suffered significant losses. Lancasters took an active part in the most devastating bomb raids of World War II - on Hamburg (1943) and Dresden (1945).
Avro 683 Lancaster
North American P-51 Mustang
One of the most iconic fighters of the Second World War, which played an exceptional role in the events on the Western Front. No matter how the Allied heavy bombers defended themselves when raiding Germany, these large, low-maneuverable and relatively slow aircraft suffered heavy losses from German fighter aircraft. North American, commissioned by the British government, urgently created a fighter that could not only successfully fight the Messers and Fokkers, but also have sufficient range (due to external tanks) to accompany bomber raids on the continent. When the Mustangs began to be used in this capacity in 1944, it became clear that the Germans had finally lost the air war in the West.
North American P-51 Mustang
Supermarine Spitfire
The main and most massive fighter of the British Air Force during the war, one of the best fighters of the Second World War. Its high-altitude and speed characteristics made it an equal rival to the German Messerschmitt Bf.109, and the skill of the pilots played a big role in the head-to-head battle of these two machines. Spitfires proved to be excellent, covering the evacuation of the British from Dunkirk after the success of the Nazi blitzkrieg, and then during the Battle of Britain (July-October 1940), when British fighters had to fight like German bombers He-111, Do-17, Ju 87, as well as with Bf. 109 and Bf.110.
Supermarine Spitfire
Japan
Mitsubishi A6M Raisen
At the beginning of World War II, the Japanese carrier-based fighter A6M Raisen was the best in the world in its class, even though its name contained the Japanese word "Rei-sen", that is, "zero fighter". Thanks to the external tanks, the fighter had a high flight range (3105 km), which made it indispensable for participating in raids on the ocean theater. Among the aircraft involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor were 420 A6Ms. The Americans learned lessons from dealing with the nimble, quick-climbing Japanese, and by 1943 their fighter aircraft had surpassed their once dangerous enemy.
Mitsubishi A6M Raisen
The most massive dive bomber of the USSR began to be produced even before the war, in 1940, and remained in service until the Victory. The low-wing aircraft with two engines and double fins was a very progressive machine for its time. In particular, it provided for a pressurized cabin and electric remote control (which, due to its novelty, became the source of many problems). In reality, the Pe-2 was not so often, unlike the Ju 87, used precisely as a dive bomber. Most often, he bombed areas from level flight or from a gentle, rather than deep dive.
Pe-2
The most massive combat aircraft in history (36,000 of these "silts" were produced in total) is considered a true legend of the battlefields. One of its features is a load-bearing armored hull, which replaced the frame and skin in most of the fuselage. The attack aircraft worked at heights of several hundred meters above the ground, becoming not the most difficult target for ground-based anti-aircraft weapons and an object of hunting by German fighters. The first versions of the Il-2 were built single-seat, without a side gunner, which led to rather high combat losses among aircraft of this type. And yet, the IL-2 played its role in all theaters where our army fought, becoming a powerful means of supporting ground forces in the fight against enemy armored vehicles.
IL-2
The Yak-3 was a development of the well-proven Yak-1M fighter. In the process of refinement, the wing was shortened and other design changes were made to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. This light wooden aircraft showed an impressive speed of 650 km / h and had excellent low-altitude flight characteristics. Tests of the Yak-3 started at the beginning of 1943, and already during the battle on Kursk Bulge he entered the battle, where, with the help of a 20-mm ShVAK cannon and two 12.7-mm Berezin machine guns, he successfully opposed the Messerschmites and Fokkers.
Yak-3
One of the best Soviet La-7 fighters, which entered service a year before the end of the war, was a development of the LaGG-3 that met the war. All the advantages of the "ancestor" were reduced to two factors - high survivability and the maximum use of wood in the construction instead of scarce metal. However, the weak engine and heavy weight turned the LaGG-3 into an unimportant opponent of the all-metal Messerschmitt Bf.109. From LaGG-3 to OKB-21 Lavochkin they made La-5, installing a new ASh-82 engine and finalizing the aerodynamics. The modified La-5FN with a boosted engine was already an excellent combat vehicle, surpassing the Bf.109 in a number of parameters. In La-7, the weight was again reduced, and the armament was also strengthened. The plane has become very good, even remaining wooden.
La-7
U-2, or Po-2, created in 1928, by the beginning of the war was certainly a model of obsolete equipment and was not designed at all as a combat aircraft (a combat training version appeared only in 1932). However, in order to win, this classic biplane had to work as a night bomber. Its undoubted advantages are ease of operation, the ability to land outside airfields and take off from small areas, and low noise.
U-2
At low gas in the dark, the U-2 approached the enemy object, remaining unnoticed almost until the moment of bombing. Since the bombing was carried out from low altitudes, its accuracy was very high, and the "corn" inflicted serious damage on the enemy.
The article "Aerial parade of winners and losers" was published in the journal Popular Mechanics (
Warplanes are birds of prey in the sky. For more than a hundred years they have been shining in warriors and at air shows. Agree, it is difficult to take your eyes off modern multi-purpose devices stuffed with electronics and composite materials. But there's something special about World War II planes. It was an era of great victories and great aces who fought in the air, looking into each other's eyes. Engineers and aircraft designers from different countries came up with many legendary aircraft. Today we present to your attention a list of the ten most famous, recognizable, popular and best aircraft of the Second World War, according to the editors of the [email protected].
Supermarine Spitfire (Supermarine Spitfire)
The list of the best aircraft of the Second World War opens with the British fighter Supermarine Spitfire. He has a classic look, but a little awkward. Wings - shovels, a heavy nose, a lantern in the form of a bubble. However, it was the Spitfire that saved the Royal Air Force by stopping German bombers during the Battle of Britain. German fighter pilots, with great displeasure, found that British aircraft were in no way inferior to them, and even superior in maneuverability.
The Spitfire was developed and put into service just in time - just before the outbreak of World War II. True, an incident came out with the first battle. Due to a radar failure, the Spitfires were sent into battle with a phantom enemy and fired on their own British fighters. But then, when the British tasted the advantages of the new aircraft, they did not use it as soon as they were used. And for interception, and for reconnaissance, and even as bombers. A total of 20,000 Spitfires were produced. For all the good things and, first of all, for saving the island during the Battle of Britain, this aircraft takes an honorable tenth place.
Heinkel He 111 is exactly the aircraft that the British fighters fought. This is the most recognizable German bomber. It cannot be confused with any other aircraft due to the characteristic shape of the wide wings. It was the wings that gave the Heinkel He 111 the nickname "flying shovel".
This bomber was created long before the war under the guise passenger aircraft. He showed himself very well back in the 30s, but by the beginning of World War II he began to become obsolete, both in speed and in maneuverability. For a while, he held out because of the ability to withstand heavy damage, but when the Allies conquered the sky, the Heinkel He 111 was “degraded” to an ordinary transport. This aircraft embodies the very definition of a Luftwaffe bomber, for which it receives the ninth place in our rating.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, German aviation did what it wanted in the sky of the USSR. Only in 1942 did a Soviet fighter appear that could fight on an equal footing with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. It was "La-5" developed in the design bureau Lavochkin. It was created in great haste. The plane is so simple that the cockpit does not even have the most basic instruments like the artificial horizon. But the La-5 pilots immediately liked it. In the very first test flights, 16 enemy aircraft were shot down on it.
"La-5" bore the brunt of the battles in the sky over Stalingrad and the Kursk salient. Ace Ivan Kozhedub fought on it, it was on him that the famous Alexei Maresyev flew with prostheses. The only problem of "La-5" that prevented him from climbing higher in our rating is appearance. He is completely faceless and expressionless. When the Germans first saw this fighter, they immediately gave it the nickname "new rat". And that's all, because it strongly resembled the legendary I-16 aircraft, nicknamed the "rat".
North American P-51 Mustang (North American P-51 Mustang)
The Americans in World War II participated in many types of fighters, but the most famous among them was, of course, the P-51 Mustang. The history of its creation is unusual. The British already at the height of the war in 1940 ordered aircraft from the Americans. The order was fulfilled and in 1942 the first Mustangs among the British Royal Air Force entered into battle. And then it turned out that the planes are so good that they will be useful to the Americans themselves.
The most notable feature of the R-51 Mustang is its huge fuel tanks. This made them ideal fighters to escort bombers, which they did successfully in Europe and in pacific ocean. They were also used for reconnaissance and assault. They even bombed a little. Especially got from the "Mustangs" to the Japanese.
The most famous US bomber of those years is, of course, the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". The four-engine, heavy, machine-gunned Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber spawned many heroic and fanatical stories. On the one hand, the pilots loved him for his ease of control and survivability, on the other hand, the losses among these bombers were indecently high. In one of the sorties, out of 300 Flying Fortresses, 77 did not return. Why? Here we can mention the complete and defenselessness of the crew from fire in front and an increased risk of fire. However, the main problem was the persuasion of the American generals. At the beginning of the war, they thought that if there were a lot of bombers and they were flying high, then they could do without any escort. Luftwaffe fighters disproved this misconception. The lessons they gave were harsh. The Americans and the British had to learn very quickly, change tactics, strategy and aircraft design. Strategic bombers contributed to the victory, but the cost was high. A third of the "Flying Fortresses" did not return to the airfields.
In fifth place in our ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the main hunter for German Yak-9 aircraft. If the La-5 was a workhorse that endured the brunt of the battles of the turning point of the war, then the Yak-9 is the aircraft of victory. It was created on the basis of previous models of Yak fighters, but instead of heavy wood, duralumin was used in the design. This made the aircraft lighter and left room for modifications. What they just didn’t do with the Yak-9. Front-line fighter, fighter-bomber, interceptor, escort, reconnaissance and even courier aircraft.
On the Yak-9, Soviet pilots fought on equal terms with the German aces, who were greatly frightened by its powerful guns. Suffice it to say that our pilots affectionately nicknamed the best modification of the Yak-9U the "Killer". The Yak-9 became a symbol of Soviet aviation and the most massive Soviet fighter during World War II. At factories, sometimes 20 aircraft were assembled per day, and in total, almost 15,000 of them were produced during the war.
Junkers Ju-87 (Junkers Ju 87)
Junkers Yu-87 "Stuka" - German dive bomber. Thanks to the ability to fall vertically on the target, the Junkers laid bombs with pinpoint accuracy. Supporting the fighter offensive, everything in the Stuka design is subordinated to one thing - to hit the target. Air brakes did not allow to accelerate during a dive, special mechanisms diverted the dropped bomb away from the propeller and automatically brought the aircraft out of the dive.
Junkers Yu-87 - the main aircraft of the Blitzkrieg. He shone at the very beginning of the war, when Germany was marching victoriously across Europe. True, it later turned out that the Junkers were very vulnerable to fighters, so their use gradually faded away. True, in Russia, thanks to the advantage of the Germans in the air, the Stukas still managed to make war. For their characteristic non-retractable landing gear, they were nicknamed "lappets". The German pilot ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel brought additional fame to the Stukas. But despite its worldwide fame, the Junkers Ju-87 was in fourth place in the list of the best aircraft of the Second World War.
In the honorable third place in the ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the Japanese carrier-based fighter Mitsubishi A6M Zero. This is the most famous aircraft of the Pacific War. The history of this aircraft is very revealing. At the beginning of the war, he was almost the most advanced aircraft - light, maneuverable, high-tech, with an incredible range. For the Americans, Zero was an extremely unpleasant surprise, it was head and shoulders above everything they had at that time.
However, the Japanese worldview played a cruel joke with Zero, no one thought about its protection in air combat - gas tanks burned easily, the pilots were not covered by armor, and no one thought about parachutes. When hit, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero flared up like matches, and the Japanese pilots had no chance to escape. The Americans eventually learned how to deal with Zero, they flew in pairs and attacked from above, avoiding the fight on turns. They released the new Chance Vought F4U Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters. The Americans admitted their mistakes and adapted, but the proud Japanese did not. Obsolete by the end of the war, Zero became a kamikaze aircraft, a symbol of senseless resistance.
The famous Messerschmitt Bf.109 is the main fighter of World War II. It was he who reigned supreme in the Soviet sky until 1942. The exceptionally successful design allowed the Messerschmitt to impose its tactics on other aircraft. He gained excellent speed in a dive. The favorite technique of the German pilots was the "falcon strike", in which the fighter swoops down on the enemy and, after a quick attack, again goes to the height.
This aircraft also had its shortcomings. He was prevented from conquering the skies of England by a low flight range. It was also not easy to escort the Messerschmitt bombers. At low altitude, he lost his advantage in speed. By the end of the war, the Messers were hard hit by both Soviet fighters from the east and Allied bombers from the west. But the Messerschmitt Bf.109, nevertheless, entered the legends as the best fighter of the Luftwaffe. In total, almost 34,000 pieces were made. This is the second largest aircraft in history.
So, meet the winner in our ranking of the most legendary aircraft of World War II. Attack aircraft "IL-2" aka "Humpback", aka "flying tank", the Germans most often called him "black death". The IL-2 is a special aircraft, it was immediately conceived as a well-protected attack aircraft, so it was many times more difficult to shoot it down than other aircraft. There was a case when an attack aircraft returned from a flight and more than 600 hits were counted on it. After a quick repair, the "Humpbacks" again went into battle. Even if the plane was shot down, it often remained intact, the armored belly allowed it to land in an open field without any problems.
"IL-2" went through the whole war. In total, 36,000 attack aircraft were manufactured. This made the "Hunchback" the record holder, the most massive combat aircraft of all time. For its outstanding qualities, the original design and a huge role in World War II, the famous Il-2 rightfully takes first place in the ranking of the best aircraft of those years.
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 mass combat aircraft of the Second World War, 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 During the Second World War, they 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, and there was a need 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
Naval aviation during the Great Patriotic War played an important role in combat battles, bringing the long-awaited victory over Nazi Germany. 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. 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. Fighting vehicles participated in air defense 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. Fighting machine 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, allowing active fighting 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 PS-9 passenger aircraft, a low-speed machine with an indestructible landing gear, was the main means of air transport. 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-main transport aircraft Douglas DC-3 was created by the Soviet military transport aircraft Li-2. The machine was assembled entirely from American-made units. The aircraft served faithfully until the very end of the war, and in the postwar years continued to carry out freight transportation on 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 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.
It was one of the main branches of the military and played a very important role in the course of hostilities. It is no coincidence that each of the belligerents sought to ensure a constant increase in the combat effectiveness of their aviation by increasing the production of aircraft and their continuous improvement and renewal. As never before, scientific and engineering potential was widely involved in the military sphere, many research institutes and laboratories, design bureaus and test centers were operating, through the efforts of which the latest military equipment was created. It was a time of unusually rapid progress in aircraft construction. At the same time, the era of the evolution of aircraft with piston engines, which had reigned supreme in aviation since its inception, seemed to be ending. Combat aircraft of the end of the Second World War were the most advanced examples of aviation equipment created on the basis of piston engines.
The essential difference between the peaceful and war periods of the development of combat aviation was that during the war the effectiveness of technology was determined directly by experience. If in peacetime military specialists and aircraft designers, when ordering and creating new types of aircraft, relied only on speculative ideas about the nature of a future war or were guided by the limited experience of local conflicts, then large-scale military operations dramatically changed the situation. The practice of air combat became not only a powerful catalyst in accelerating the progress of aviation, but also the only criterion for comparing the quality of aircraft and choosing the main directions for further development. Each side improved its aircraft based on its own experience of warfare, the availability of resources, the capabilities of technology and the aviation industry as a whole.
During the war years in England, the USSR, the USA, Germany and Japan, a large number of aircraft were created, which played a significant role in the course of the armed struggle. Among them are many outstanding examples. Of interest is the comparison of these machines, as well as the comparison of those engineering and scientific ideas that were used in their creation. Of course, among the numerous types of aircraft that took part in the war and represented different schools of aircraft construction, it is difficult to single out the indisputably best ones. Therefore, the choice of machines to some extent is conditional.
Fighters were the main means of gaining air supremacy in the fight against the enemy. The success of the combat operations of the ground forces and other branches of aviation, the security of rear facilities largely depended on the effectiveness of their actions. It is no coincidence that it was the class of fighters that developed most intensively. The best of them are traditionally called the Yak-3 and La-7 aircraft (USSR), the North American R-51 Mustang (Mustang, USA), the Supermarine Spitfire (Spitfire, England) and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 ( Germany). Among the many modifications of Western fighters, the R-51D, Spitfire XIV and Bf 109G-10 and K-4 were selected for comparison, that is, those aircraft that were built in series and entered service air force at the end of the war. All of them were created in 1943 - early 1944. These machines reflected the richest combat experience already accumulated by that time by the warring countries. They became, as it were, symbols of the military aviation equipment of their time.
Before comparing different types of fighters, it is worth saying a little about the basic principles of comparison. The main thing here is to keep in mind the conditions of combat use under which they were created. The war in the East showed that in the presence of a front line where ground forces were the main force of the armed struggle, relatively low flight altitudes were required from aviation. The experience of air battles on the Soviet-German front shows that the vast majority of them were fought at altitudes up to 4.5 km, regardless of the altitude of the aircraft. Soviet designers, improving fighters and engines for them, could not ignore this circumstance. At the same time, the British Spitfires and the American Mustangs were distinguished by their higher altitude, since the nature of the actions for which they were counting was completely different. In addition, the P-51D had a much longer range needed to escort heavy bombers and was therefore significantly heavier than Spitfires, German Bf 109s and Soviet fighters. Thus, since the British, American and Soviet fighters were created for different combat conditions, the question of which of the machines as a whole was the most effective loses its meaning. It is advisable to compare only the main technical solutions and features of machines.
The situation is different with the German fighters. They were intended for combat in the air both on the East and on Western fronts. Therefore, they can reasonably be compared with all Allied fighters.
So what stood out the best fighters of the Second World War? What was their fundamental difference from each other? Let's start with the main thing - with the technical ideology laid down by the designers in the projects of these aircraft.
The most unusual in terms of the concept of creation were, perhaps, the Spitfire and Mustang.
“This is not just a good plane, this is a Spitfire!” - such an assessment by the English test pilot G. Powell undoubtedly applies to one of the last fighter variants of this family - the Spitfire XIV, the best fighter of the British Air Force during the war. It was on the Spitfire XIV that a German Me 262 jet fighter was shot down in an air battle.
Creating the Spitfire in the mid-1930s, the designers tried to combine seemingly incompatible things: the high speed inherent in the then high-speed monoplane fighters, with the excellent maneuverability, altitude and takeoff and landing characteristics inherent in biplanes. The goal was basically achieved. Like many other high-speed fighters, the Spitfire had a well-streamlined cantilever monoplane design. But this was only a superficial resemblance. For its weight, the Spitfire had a relatively large wing, which gave a small load per unit of bearing surface, much less than other monoplane fighters. Hence, excellent maneuverability in the horizontal plane, high ceiling and good takeoff and landing properties. This approach was not something exceptional: Japanese designers, for example, did the same. But the creators of Spitfire went further. Due to the high aerodynamic drag of such a large wing, it was impossible to count on achieving a high maximum flight speed - one of the most important indicators of the quality of fighters of those years. To reduce drag, they used profiles of a much thinner relative thickness than other fighters, and gave the wing an elliptical shape in plan. This further reduced aerodynamic drag when flying at high altitude and in maneuver modes.
The company managed to create an outstanding combat aircraft. This does not mean that the Spitfire was devoid of any shortcomings. They were. For example, due to the low load on the wing, it was inferior to many fighters in terms of accelerating properties in a dive. Slower than German, American, and even more so Soviet fighters, it reacted to the actions of the pilot in a roll. However, these shortcomings were not of a fundamental nature, and in general, the Spitfire was undoubtedly one of the strongest air combat fighters, which demonstrated excellent qualities in action.
Among the many variants of the Mustang fighter, the greatest success fell on aircraft equipped with English Merlin engines. These were the R-51B, C and, of course, the R-51D - the best and most famous American fighter of World War II. Since 1944, it was these aircraft that ensured the safety of heavy American B-17 and B-24 bombers from attacks by German fighters and demonstrated their superiority in battle.
Home hallmark"Mustang" in terms of aerodynamics was a laminar wing, for the first time in the world practice of aircraft industry installed on a combat aircraft. About this "highlight" of the aircraft, born in the laboratory of the American research center NASA on the eve of the war, it should be said especially. The fact is that the opinion of experts on the advisability of using a laminar wing on fighters of that period is ambiguous. If before the war high hopes were placed on laminar wings, since under certain conditions they had less aerodynamic resistance compared to conventional ones, then the experience with the Mustang reduced the initial optimism. It turned out that in real operation such a wing is not effective enough. The reason was that in order to implement a laminar flow on a part of such a wing, a very careful surface finish and high accuracy in maintaining the profile were required. Due to the roughness that occurs during application protective coloring on the aircraft, and even a small inaccuracy in the profiling, which inevitably appeared in mass production (small wave-like thin metal skin), the effect of laminarization on the R-51 wing was greatly reduced. In terms of their load-bearing properties, laminar airfoils were inferior to conventional airfoils, which caused difficulties in ensuring good maneuverability and takeoff and landing properties.
At low angles of attack, laminar wing profiles (sometimes called laminated wing profiles) have less aerodynamic drag than conventional type profiles.
In addition to reduced resistance, laminar profiles had better speed qualities - with an equal relative thickness, the effects of air compressibility (wave crisis) manifested themselves at higher speeds than on conventional type profiles. This already had to be reckoned with. In dives, especially at high altitudes, where the speed of sound is much lower than near the ground, aircraft began to reach speeds at which the features associated with approaching the speed of sound were already manifested. It was possible to increase the so-called critical speed either by using faster profiles, which turned out to be laminar, or by reducing the relative thickness of the profile, while putting up with the inevitable increase in the weight of the structure and reducing the volume of the wing, often used (including on the P-51D) for placement of gas tanks and. Interestingly, due to the much smaller relative thickness of the airfoils, the wave crisis on the wing of the Spitfire occurred at a higher speed than on the wing of the Mustang.
Research at the British Aviation Research Center RAE showed that due to the significantly smaller relative thickness of the wing profiles, the Spitfire fighter at high speeds had a lower drag coefficient than the Mustang. This was due to the later manifestation of the wave flow crisis and its more “soft” nature.
If air battles were fought at relatively low altitudes, the crisis phenomena of air compressibility almost did not manifest themselves, so the need for a special high-speed wing was not acutely felt.
The way of creating the Soviet aircraft Yak-3 and La-7 turned out to be very unusual. In essence, they were deep modifications of the Yak-1 and LaGG-3 fighters, developed in 1940 and mass-produced.
In the Soviet Air Force at the final stage of the war there was no fighter more popular than the Yak-3. At that time it was the lightest fighter. The French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment, who fought on the Yak-3, spoke of its combat capabilities in the following way: “The Yak-3 gives you complete superiority over the Germans. On the Yak-3, two can fight against four, and four against sixteen!
A radical revision of the Yak design was undertaken in 1943 in order to dramatically improve flight performance with a very modest power plant. The decisive direction in this work was the lightening of the aircraft (including by reducing the wing area) and a significant improvement in its aerodynamics. Perhaps this was the only opportunity to qualitatively promote the aircraft, since the Soviet industry had not yet mass-produced new, more powerful engines suitable for installation on the Yak-1.
Such an exceptionally difficult path for the development of aviation technology was extraordinary. The usual way to improve the aircraft flight data complex was then to improve aerodynamics without noticeable changes in the dimensions of the airframe, as well as to install more powerful engines. This was almost always accompanied by a marked increase in weight.
The designers of the Yak-3 coped brilliantly with this difficult task. It is unlikely that in the aviation of the period of the Second World War one can find another example of a similar and so effectively performed work.
The Yak-3 compared to the Yak-1 was much lighter, had a smaller relative profile thickness and wing area, and had excellent aerodynamic properties. The power-to-weight ratio of the aircraft has increased significantly, which has dramatically improved its rate of climb, acceleration characteristics and vertical maneuverability. At the same time, such an important parameter for horizontal maneuverability, takeoff and landing as the specific load on the wing has changed little. During the war, the Yak-3 turned out to be one of the easiest fighters to fly.
Of course, in tactical terms, the Yak-3 by no means replaced aircraft that were distinguished by stronger weapons and longer combat flight duration, but perfectly complemented them, embodying the idea of a light, high-speed and maneuverable air combat vehicle, designed primarily to fight fighters. enemy.
One of the few, if not the only air-cooled fighter, which can rightly be attributed to the best air combat fighters of the Second World War. On the La-7, the famous Soviet ace I.N. Kozhedub shot down 17 German aircraft (including the Me-262 jet fighter) out of 62 destroyed by him on La fighters.
The history of the creation of La-7 is also unusual. At the beginning of 1942, on the basis of the LaGG-3 fighter, which turned out to be a rather mediocre combat vehicle, the La-5 fighter was developed, which differed from its predecessor only in the power plant (the liquid-cooled motor was replaced with a much more powerful two-row “star”). In the course of further development of the La-5, the designers focused on its aerodynamic improvement. During the period 1942-1943. fighters of the La brand were the most frequent "guests" in full-scale wind tunnels of the leading Soviet aviation research center TsAGI. The main purpose of such tests was to identify the main sources of aerodynamic losses and to determine design measures that help reduce aerodynamic drag. An important feature of this work was that the proposed design changes did not require major alterations to the aircraft and changes in the production process and could be relatively easily carried out by serial factories. It was a truly "jewelry" work, when, it would seem, a rather impressive result was obtained from mere trifles.
The fruit of this work was the La-5FN, which appeared at the beginning of 1943 - one of the strongest Soviet fighters of that time, and then the La-7 - an aircraft that rightfully took its place among the best fighters of the Second World War. If during the transition from La-5 to La-5FN the increase in flight data was achieved not only due to better aerodynamics, but also due to a more powerful engine, then the improvement in the performance of La-7 was achieved solely by means of aerodynamics and a reduction in the weight of the structure. This aircraft had a speed of 80 km / h more than the La-5, of which 75% (that is, 60 km / h) was given by aerodynamics. Such an increase in speed is equivalent to an increase in engine power by more than a third, and without increasing the weight and dimensions of the aircraft.
The best features of an air combat fighter were embodied in the La-7: high speed, excellent maneuverability and rate of climb. In addition, compared with the rest of the fighters discussed here, it had greater survivability, since only this aircraft had an air-cooled engine. As you know, such motors are not only more viable than liquid-cooled engines, but also serve as a kind of protection for the pilot from fire from the front hemisphere, since they have large cross-sectional dimensions.
The German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109 was created around the same time as the Spitfire. Like the English aircraft, the Bf 109 became one of the most successful examples of a combat vehicle during the war and went through a long evolutionary path: it was equipped with more and more powerful engines, improved aerodynamics, operational and flight characteristics. In terms of aerodynamics, the biggest changes last time were implemented in 1941, when the Bf 109F appeared. Further improvement of flight data was mainly due to the installation of new motors. Externally, the latest modifications of this fighter - Bf 109G-10 and K-4 differed little from the much earlier Bf 109F, although they had a number of aerodynamic improvements.
This aircraft was the best representative of the light and maneuverable combat vehicle of the Nazi Luftwaffe. Throughout almost the entire second world war, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters were among the best examples of aircraft in their class, and only towards the end of the war did they begin to lose their positions. It turned out to be impossible to combine the qualities inherent in the best Western fighters, designed for a relatively high combat altitude, with the qualities inherent in the best Soviet "medium-altitude" fighters.
Like their British counterparts, the designers of the Bf 109 attempted to combine a high top speed with good maneuverability and takeoff and landing qualities. But they solved this problem in a completely different way: unlike the Spitfire, the Bf 109 had a large specific load on the wing, which made it possible to obtain high speed, and to improve maneuverability, not only well-known slats were used, but also flaps, which at the right time battles could be deflected by the pilot at a small angle. The use of controlled flaps was a new and original solution. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, in addition to automatic slats and controlled flaps, hovering ailerons were used, which worked as additional sections of the flaps; a controlled stabilizer was also used. In a word, the Bf 109 had a unique system of direct lift control, largely characteristic of modern aircraft with their inherent automation. However, in practice, many of the designers' decisions did not take root. Due to the complexity, it was necessary to abandon the controlled stabilizer, hanging ailerons, and the flap release system in battle. As a result, in terms of its maneuverability, the Bf 109 did not differ much from other fighters, both Soviet and American, although it was inferior to the best domestic aircraft. Takeoff and landing characteristics were similar.
The experience of aircraft construction shows that gradual improvement combat aircraft almost always accompanied by an increase in its weight. This is due to the installation of more powerful, and therefore heavier engines, an increase in the supply of fuel, an increase in the power of weapons, the necessary structural reinforcements and other related measures. In the end, there comes a time when the reserves of this design are exhausted. One of the limitations is the specific load on the wing. This, of course, is not the only parameter, but one of the most important and common to all aircraft. So, as the Spitfire fighters were modified from version 1A to XIV and Bf 109 from B-2 to G-10 and K-4, their specific wing load increased by about a third! Already in the Bf 109G-2 (1942) it was 185 kg/m2, while the Spitfire IX, which was also released in 1942, had about 150 kg/m2. For the Bf 109G-2, this wing loading was close to the limit. With its further growth, the aerobatic, maneuvering and takeoff and landing characteristics of the aircraft deteriorated sharply, despite the very effective mechanization of the wing (slats and flaps).
Since 1942, German designers have been improving their best air combat fighter under very strict weight restrictions, which greatly narrowed the possibilities qualitative improvement aircraft. And the creators of the Spitfire still had sufficient reserves and continued to increase the power of the installed engines and strengthen the weapons, not particularly considering the increase in weight.
The quality of their mass production has a great influence on the aerodynamic properties of aircraft. Careless manufacturing can negate all the efforts of designers and scientists. This doesn't happen very often. Judging by the captured documents, in Germany, conducting a comparative study of the aerodynamics of German, American and British fighters at the end of the war, they came to the conclusion that the Bf 109G had the worst quality of production, and, in particular, for this reason, its aerodynamics turned out to be the worst, which with a high probability can be extended to the Bf 109K-4.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that in terms of the technical concept of creation and the aerodynamic features of the layout, each of the compared aircraft is quite original. But they also have many common features: well-streamlined shapes, careful engine cowling, well-developed local aerodynamics and aerodynamics of cooling devices.
As for the design, Soviet fighters were much simpler and cheaper to manufacture than British, German and, especially, American aircraft. Scarce materials were used in them in very limited quantities. Thanks to this, the USSR managed to ensure a high rate of aircraft production in the face of the most severe material restrictions and a lack of skilled labor. I must say that our country is in the most difficult situation. From 1941 to 1944 inclusive, a significant part of the industrial zone, where many metallurgical enterprises were located, was occupied by the Nazis. Some factories managed to be evacuated inland and set up production in new places. But a significant part of the production potential was still irretrievably lost. In addition, a large number of skilled workers and specialists went to the front. At the machines they were replaced by women and children who could not work at the appropriate level. Nevertheless, the aircraft industry of the USSR, although not immediately, was able to meet the needs of the front in aircraft.
Unlike all-metal Western fighters, wood was widely used in Soviet aircraft. However, in many power elements, which actually determined the weight of the structure, metal was used. That is why, in terms of weight perfection, the Yak-3 and La-7 practically did not differ from foreign fighters.
In terms of technological sophistication, ease of access to individual units and ease of maintenance in general, the Bf 109 and Mustang looked somewhat preferable. However, Spitfires and Soviet fighters were also well adapted to the conditions of combat operation. But in terms of such very important characteristics as the quality of equipment and the level of automation, the Yak-3 and La-7 were inferior to Western fighters, the best of which were German aircraft (not only Bf 109, but others) in terms of automation.
The most important indicator of high flight performance of the aircraft and its overall combat capability is the power plant. It is in the aircraft engine industry that the latest achievements in technology, materials, control and automation systems are first of all embodied. Engine building is one of the most science-intensive branches of the aircraft industry. Compared to an aircraft, the process of creating and fine-tuning new engines takes much more time and requires a lot of effort.
During the Second World War, England occupied a leading position in aircraft engine building. It was the Rolls-Royce engines that equipped the Spitfires and the best versions of the Mustangs (P-51B, C and D). It can be said without exaggeration that just the installation of the English Merlin engine, which was produced in the USA under license by Packard, made it possible to realize the great capabilities of the Mustang and brought it into the category of elite fighters. Prior to this, the R-51, although original, was a rather mediocre aircraft in terms of combat capabilities.
The peculiarity of English engines, which largely determined their excellent performance, was the use of high-grade gasoline, the conditional octane number of which reached 100-150. This made it possible to apply a large degree of air pressure (more precisely, the working mixture) into the cylinders and thereby obtain high power. The USSR and Germany could not meet the needs of aviation in such high-quality and expensive fuel. Typically, gasoline with an octane rating of 87-100 was used.
A characteristic feature that united all the engines that were on the compared fighters was the use of two-speed drive centrifugal superchargers (PTsN), providing the required altitude. But the difference between Rolls-Royce engines was that their superchargers had not one, as usual, but two successive compression stages, and even with intermediate cooling of the working mixture in a special radiator. Despite the complexity of such systems, their use turned out to be fully justified for high-altitude motors, since it significantly reduced the power losses spent by the motor for pumping. This was a very important factor.
The original system was the injection of motors DB-605, driven through a turbo coupling, which, with automatic control, smoothly adjusted the gear ratio from the motor to the blower impeller. In contrast to the two-speed drive superchargers that were on Soviet and British engines, the turbo coupling made it possible to reduce the power drop that occurred between the injection speeds.
An important advantage of German engines (DB-605 and others) was the use of direct fuel injection into the cylinders. Compared to a conventional carburetor system, this increased the reliability and efficiency of the power plant. Of the other engines, only the Soviet ASh-82FN, which was on the La-7, had a similar direct injection system.
A significant factor in improving the flight performance of the Mustang and Spitfire was that their motors had relatively short-term modes of operation at high power. In combat, the pilots of these fighters could, for some time, use, in addition to long-term, that is, nominal, either combat (5-15 minutes), or in emergency cases, emergency (1-5 minutes) modes. The combat, or, as it was also called, the military regime became the main one for the operation of the engine in air combat. The engines of Soviet fighters did not have high power modes at altitude, which limited the possibility of further improving their flight characteristics.
Most variants of the Mustangs and Spitfires were designed for high combat altitude, which is typical for aviation operations in the West. Therefore, their motors had sufficient altitude. German motor builders were forced to solve a complex technical problem. With a relatively large design height of the engine required for air combat in the West, it was important to provide the necessary power at low and medium altitudes required for combat operations in the East. As is known, a simple increase in altitude usually leads to increasing power losses at low altitudes. Therefore, the designers showed a lot of ingenuity and applied a number of extraordinary technical solutions. In terms of its height, the DB-605 engine occupied, as it were, an intermediate position between English and Soviet engines. To increase power at altitudes below the calculated one, an injection of a water-alcohol mixture was used (MW-50 system), which made it possible, despite the relatively low octane number of fuel, to significantly increase boost, and, consequently, power without detonation. It turned out a kind of maximum mode, which, like the emergency one, could usually be used for up to three minutes.
At altitudes above the calculated one, nitrous oxide injection (GM-1 system) could be used, which, being a powerful oxidizing agent, seemed to compensate for the lack of oxygen in a rarefied atmosphere and made it possible for some time to increase the altitude of the motor and bring its characteristics closer to those of Rolls-motors. Royce. True, these systems increased the weight of the aircraft (by 60-120 kg), significantly complicated the power plant and its operation. For these reasons, they were used separately and were not used on all Bf 109G and K.
A fighter's armament has a significant impact on the combat capability of a fighter. In terms of the composition and location of weapons, the aircraft in question differed very much. If the Soviet Yak-3 and La-7 and the German Bf 109G and K had a central location of weapons (cannons and machine guns in the forward fuselage), then the Spitfires and Mustangs had them in the wing outside the area swept by the propeller. In addition, the Mustang had only heavy machine gun armament, while other fighters also had guns, and the La-7 and Bf 109K-4 had only gun armament. In the Western theater of operations, the P-51D was intended primarily to fight enemy fighters. For this purpose, the power of his six machine guns was quite sufficient. Unlike the Mustang, the British Spitfires and the Soviet Yak-3s and La-7s fought against aircraft of any purpose, including bombers, which naturally required more powerful weapons.
Comparing the wing and central installation of weapons, it is difficult to answer which of these schemes was the most effective. But still, Soviet front-line pilots and aviation specialists, like the German ones, preferred the central one, which ensured the greatest accuracy of fire. Such an arrangement turns out to be more advantageous when an attack by an enemy aircraft is carried out from extremely short distances. Namely, this is how Soviet and German pilots usually tried to act on the Eastern Front. In the West, air battles were fought mainly at high altitude, where the maneuverability of fighters deteriorated significantly. It became much more difficult to approach the enemy at close range, and with bombers it was also very dangerous, since it was difficult for a fighter to evade the fire of air gunners due to sluggish maneuvers. For this reason, they opened fire from a long distance and the wing installation of weapons, designed for a given range of destruction, turned out to be quite comparable with the central one. In addition, the rate of fire of weapons with a wing scheme was higher than that of weapons synchronized for firing through a propeller (guns on the La-7, machine guns on the Yak-3 and Bf 109G), the armament turned out to be near the center of gravity and the consumption of ammunition had practically no effect on it. position. But one drawback was still organically inherent in the wing scheme - this is an increased moment of inertia relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, which worsened the fighter's roll response to the pilot's actions.
Among the many criteria that determined the combat capability of an aircraft, the combination of its flight data was the most important for a fighter. Of course, they are not important on their own, but in combination with a number of other quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as, for example, stability, aerobatic properties, ease of operation, visibility, etc. For some classes of aircraft, training, for example, these indicators are of paramount importance. But for combat vehicles last war it is the flight characteristics and armament that are the main technical components of the combat effectiveness of fighters and bombers that are decisive. Therefore, the designers sought, first of all, to achieve priority in flight data, or rather, in those that played a paramount role.
It is worth clarifying that the words “flight data” mean a whole range of important indicators, the main of which for fighters were maximum speed, rate of climb, range or time of a sortie, maneuverability, the ability to quickly pick up speed, sometimes a practical ceiling. Experience has shown that the technical excellence of fighters cannot be reduced to any one criterion, which would be expressed by a number, a formula, or even an algorithm designed for implementation on a computer. The question of comparing fighters, as well as the search for the optimal combination of basic flight characteristics, is still one of the most difficult. How, for example, to determine in advance what was more important - superiority in maneuverability and practical ceiling, or some advantage in maximum speed? As a rule, priority in one is obtained at the expense of the other. Where is the "golden mean" that gives the best fighting qualities? Obviously, much depends on the tactics and nature of air warfare as a whole.
It is known that the maximum speed and rate of climb significantly depend on the mode of operation of the motor. One thing is a long or nominal mode, and quite another is an emergency afterburner. This is clearly seen from a comparison of the maximum speeds of the best fighters of the final period of the war. The presence of high power modes significantly improves flight performance, but only for a short time, otherwise damage to the motor may occur. For this reason, a very short-term emergency operation of the engine, which gave the greatest power, was not considered at that time the main one for the operation of the power plant in air combat. It was intended for use only in the most urgent, deadly situations for the pilot. This position is well confirmed by the analysis of the flight data of one of the last German piston fighters - the Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4.
The main characteristics of the Bf 109K-4 are given in a rather extensive report prepared at the end of 1944 for the German Chancellor. The report covered the state and prospects of the German aircraft industry and was prepared with the participation of the German aviation research center DVL and leading aviation firms such as Messerschmitt, Arado, Junkers. In this document, which there is every reason to consider quite serious, when analyzing the capabilities of the Bf 109K-4, all its data correspond only to the continuous operation of the power plant, and the characteristics at maximum power are not considered or even mentioned. And this is not surprising. Due to thermal overloads of the engine, the pilot of this fighter, when climbing with maximum takeoff weight, could not even use the nominal mode for a long time and was forced to reduce speed and, accordingly, power after 5.2 minutes after takeoff. When taking off with less weight, the situation did not improve much. Therefore, it is simply not necessary to talk about any real increase in the rate of climb due to the use of an emergency mode, including the injection of a water-alcohol mixture (MW-50 system).
On the above graph of the vertical rate of climb (in fact, this is the rate of climb characteristic), it is clearly visible what increase the use of maximum power could give. However, such an increase is rather formal in nature, since it was impossible to climb in this mode. Only at certain moments of the flight could the pilot turn on the MW-50 system, i.e. emergency forcing of power, and even then, when the cooling systems had the necessary reserves for heat removal. Thus, although the MW-50 boost system was useful, it was not vital for the Bf 109K-4 and therefore it was not installed on all fighters of this type. Meanwhile, the Bf 109K-4 data is published in the press, corresponding precisely to the emergency regime using the MW-50, which is completely uncharacteristic of this aircraft.
The foregoing is well confirmed by the combat practice of the final stage of the war. Thus, the Western press often talks about the superiority of Mustangs and Spitfires over German fighters in the Western theater of operations. On the Eastern Front, where air battles took place at low and medium altitudes, the Yak-3 and La-7 were out of competition, which was repeatedly noted by the pilots of the Soviet Air Force. And here is the opinion of the German combat pilot V. Wolfrum:
The best fighters I have seen in combat have been the North American Mustang P-51 and the Russian Yak-9U. Both fighters had a clear performance advantage over the Me-109, regardless of modification, including the Me-109K-4
