Wooden aircraft of the Second World War. Five of the best Soviet aircraft of the Great Patriotic War. Armed to the teeth and very dangerous

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

At altitude: MiG-3

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

Soon, the overwhelming percentage of testers learned how to fly the aircraft, which helped to eliminate the problems that arose. At the same time, the MiG in many ways lost to other combat fighters, of which there were a lot at the beginning of the war. Although some aircraft exceeded the speed at an altitude of more than 5 thousand meters.

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

07/22/1941 was the very first battle over Moscow, where the MiG-3 pilot Mark Gallay destroyed an enemy plane. The legendary Alexander Pokryshkin also flew on the MiG.

"King" of modifications: Yak-9

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

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

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

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

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

Reliable soldier: La-5

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

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

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

Night Bomber: Po-2

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

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

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

11,000 U-2 aircraft were produced during the Second World War. They were manufactured in the Kuban at the aircraft plant number 387. In Ryazan (now it is the State Ryazan Instrument Plant), flights and cabins for these biplanes were produced.

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

Flying tank: IL-2

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

Before the war itself, in December 1940, the Il-2 was mass-produced. Vladimir Kokkinaki, the famous test pilot, made his first flight on it. These bombers immediately entered service with the Soviet army.

Soviet aviation, represented by this Il-2, acquired its main strike force. An airplane is a combination of powerful characteristics that provide an airborne vehicle with reliability and durability. This is bulletproof glass, and rockets, and rapid-fire aircraft cannons, and a powerful engine.

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

At the Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant, armored glass was manufactured for glazing the Il-2 lantern. The engines were assembled at Plant No. 24 (Kuznetsov enterprise). In Kuibyshev, the Aviaagregat plant produced propellers for the attack aircraft.

With the help of the most modern technologies at that time, this aircraft turned into a true legend. Once, having returned from the battle, Il-2 counted more than 600 hits of enemy shells. The bomber was repaired and sent back into action.

Many countries have entered the Second world war with outdated types of combat aircraft. This applies, first of all, to the countries of the anti-fascist coalition, while the Axis countries, which were the first to start active operations (Germany, Japan), re-equipped their aviation in advance. The qualitative superiority of the Axis aviation, which managed to gain air supremacy, over the aviation of the Western powers and the USSR is largely explained by the successes of the Germans and Japanese at the initial stages of World War II.

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

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

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

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

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

French fighter Morane-Saulnier MS.406

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

Italian fighter Fiat CR.32

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

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

Aviation industry of the USSR

Before the start of the war, Soviet aircraft occupied a leading position in the world aviation industry. I-15 and I-16 fighters took part in hostilities with Japanese Manchuria, fought in the skies of Spain, and 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 heavy bomber TB-3 was demonstrated to the world. This multi-ton giant was capable of delivering a 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 unheard-of quantities and was the pride of the USSR Air Force. However, the model of gigantomania did not justify itself in real war conditions. The mass combat aircraft of the Second World War, according to modern experts, was significantly inferior to the Luftwaffe assault bombers of the Messerschmitt aircraft manufacturer in terms of speed and number of weapons.

New pre-war aircraft

The war in Spain and on 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 a lag in military equipment and creating new aircraft models that could compete with the best examples of the world aircraft industry. Emergency measures were taken, and by the beginning of the 40s the next generation of competitive aircraft appeared. So, Yak-1, MiG-3, LaGT-3 became the leaders of their class of military aviation equipment, the speed of which at the design flight altitude reached or exceeded 600 km / h.

Start of serial production

In addition to fighter aircraft, 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 unique and modern attack aircraft, fighters and bombers for those times. All combat vehicles was tested in various training and combat conditions and recommended for serial production. However, there were not enough construction sites in the country. The rates of industrial growth of aviation equipment before the start of the Great Patriotic War lagged significantly behind world manufacturers. On June 22, 1941, the brunt of the war fell on the aircraft of the 30s. Only from the beginning of 1943, the military aviation industry of the Soviet Union reached the required level of production of combat aircraft and achieved an advantage in the airspace of Europe. Consider the best Soviet planes of the Second World War, according to the world's leading aviation experts.

Educational and training base

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

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

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

MBR-2: flying boat of war

Naval aviation during the Great Patriotic War played an important role in military battles, bringing the long-awaited victory over fascist Germany... So, the second naval reconnaissance aircraft, or MBR-2, a seaplane capable of taking off and landing on the water surface, became a Soviet flying boat. Among the pilots, the aircraft 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, was in service with the Red Army. Interesting fact: An hour before the German attack on the Soviet Union, the first planes of the Baltic flotilla were destroyed along the entire perimeter of the coastline. German troops destroyed all of the country's naval aviation in the region. During the war years, naval aviation pilots successfully carried out the tasks assigned to them to evacuate the crews of downed Soviet aircraft, to adjust the enemy's coastal defensive lines, and to provide transport convoys 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 aircraft of the Second World War, the total number of units of which was more than 1/3 of the entire aircraft fleet. air defense country. The novelty of aircraft construction was not sufficiently mastered by combat pilots, they had to tame the MiG "third" in combat conditions. Two aviation regiments of the best representatives of Stalin's "falcons" were urgently formed. However, the most massive WWII aircraft was significantly inferior to the fighter fleet of the late 30s. Exceeding 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 repelling attacks on rear cities at the beginning of the war, it was the "third" MiGs that were used. Combat 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 armament of the USSR Air Force.

Yak-9: air defender of Stalingrad

In the pre-war time, A. Yakovlev's design bureau mainly produced light sports aircraft intended for training and participating 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 type aircraft during the Second World War. Fighting machine participated in air battles along the entire front line. Retaining all the main dimensions, the Yak-9 was upgraded 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 made of wood before the war. Also, a fuel tank was converted into the aircraft, increasing the volume of fuel, which affected the flight range. New development aircraft manufacturers possessed high maneuverability, allowing for active fighting in close proximity to the enemy at high and low altitudes. During the years of serial production of the 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: air tightrope walker

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

Li-2: cargo carrier

In the 30s of the last century, the main means of air transport was the PS-9 passenger aircraft - a slow-moving machine with an indestructible chassis. However, the level of comfort and performance characteristics 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, the Soviet military transport aircraft Li-2 was created. The car was assembled entirely from American-made units. The aircraft served faithfully until the very end of the war, and in post-war years continued to carry out cargo transportation on the local airlines of the Soviet Union.

Po-2: in the sky "night witches"

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 multipurpose biplane, or Po-2, created in the design bureau of Nikolai Polikarpov back in the 20s of the last century. Initially, the aircraft was intended for training purposes and operation as an air transport in agriculture... However, the Great Patriotic War made the "sewing machine" (as the Germans called the Po-2) the most formidable and effective attacking means of night bombardment. One aircraft could make up to 20 sorties per night, delivering a deadly cargo to enemy combat positions. It should be noted that women pilots mainly fought on such biplanes. During the war years, four female squadrons of 80 female pilots were formed. For their bravery and military courage, the German invaders called them "night witches". The female air regiment in the Great Patriotic War made more than 23.5 thousand combat missions. Many did not return from combat battles. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded 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. Aircraft of the Second World War Il-2 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 combat air weapons have been commissioned. The planes of the Second World War with the Il-2 logo terrified the German aces of the Luftwaffe and were nicknamed by them “concrete planes”. 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 from an enemy's 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullet from an 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. So, in service with 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 aircrafts USSR, which provided airspace protection.

Warplanes are birds of prey of the sky. For more than a hundred years they have shone in warriors and at air shows. Agree, it's hard to take your eyes off the modern multipurpose devices stuffed with electronics and composite materials. But there is something special about aircraft from World War II. It was the 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 invented 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 version of the [email protected].

Supermarine Spitfire

The list of the best aircraft of World War II opens with the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He looks classic, but a little awkward. The wings are shovels, a heavy nose, a bubble-shaped lantern. However, it was Spitfire that helped out the Royal air Forcestopping German bombers during the Battle of Britain. German fighter pilots found with great displeasure 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, there was an incident with the first battle. Due to the failure of the radar "Spitfires" were sent into battle with a phantom enemy and fired at their own British fighters. But then, when the British tried the merits of the new aircraft, as soon as they did not use it. And for interception, and for reconnaissance, and even as bombers. A total of 20,000 Spitfires were produced. For all the good things, and above all for the salvation of the island during the Battle of Britain, this plane takes the honorable tenth place.

The Heinkel He 111 is exactly the plane that British fighters fought with. This is the most recognizable German bomber. It cannot be confused with any other aircraft due to the characteristic shape of its 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 of a passenger plane. It showed itself very well back in the 30s, but by the beginning of World War II it began to become obsolete, both in speed and maneuverability. It held out for a while due to its ability to withstand heavy damage, but when the sky was conquered by the allies, Heinkel He 111 was "demoted" to a regular 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 World War II, German aviation did whatever it wanted in the sky of the USSR. Only in 1942 did a Soviet fighter appear that could fight on equal terms with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. It was "La-5" developed in the Lavochkin design bureau. It was created in a great hurry. The aircraft is designed so simply that the cockpit does not even have the most elementary instruments like the artificial horizon. But the pilots liked La-5 right away. In the very first test flights, 16 enemy aircraft were shot down on it.
La-5 bore the brunt of the battles in the skies over Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. Ace Ivan Kozhedub fought on it, it was on it that the famous Alexey Maresyev flew with prostheses. The only problem with La-5 that prevented it 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 all because it was very much like the legendary I-16 aircraft nicknamed "the rat".

North American P-51 Mustang

The Americans had many types of fighters in World War II, 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 the aircraft to the Americans. The order was fulfilled and in 1942 the first "Mustangs" of the British Royal Air Force went into action. And then it turned out that the planes are so good that they will be useful to the Americans themselves.
The most noticeable feature of the R-51 Mustang is its huge fuel tanks. This made them ideal fighters for escorting bombers, which they successfully did in Europe and the Pacific. They were also used for reconnaissance and assault. They even bombed a little. Especially the Japanese suffered from the Mustangs.

The most famous US bomber of those years is, of course, the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". The four-engine, heavy, machine-gunned bomber Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress has spawned many heroic and fanatical stories. On the one hand, the pilots loved it for its ease of control and survivability, on the other hand, the losses among these bombers were indecently high. In one of the sorties, 77 of the 300 Flying Fortresses did not return. Why? Here we can mention the complete and defenselessness of the crew from fire in front and the 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 you could do without any escort. Luftwaffe fighters have denied this misconception. The lessons they taught 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 price was high. A third of the Flying Fortresses did not return to the airfields.

The fifth place in our ranking of the best aircraft of the Second World War is occupied by the main hunter on german aircraft Yak-9. If "La-5" was a workhorse that endured the severity of the fighting at the turning point of the war, then the Yak-9 "is an aircraft of victory. It was created on the basis of the previous models of Yak fighters, but instead of heavy wood, duralumin was used in the construction. This made the aircraft lighter and left room for modifications. What they just did not do with the Yak-9. Frontline 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 cannons. Suffice it to say that the best modification of the Yak-9U was affectionately nicknamed by our pilots “The Assassin”. The Yak-9 became a symbol of Soviet aviation and the most massive Soviet fighter aircraft during World War II. The factories sometimes assembled 20 aircraft a day, and in total, almost 15,000 of them were produced during the war.

Junkers Ju 87 (Junkers Ju 87)

Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka" - German dive bomber. Due to the ability to fall vertically on the target, the Junkers laid bombs with pinpoint accuracy. Supporting the fighter offensive, everything in the Stuka structure is subordinate to one thing - to hit the target. Air brakes did not allow acceleration during a dive, special mechanisms retracted the dropped bomb away from the propeller and automatically brought the plane out of the dive.
Junkers Ju-87 is the main aircraft of the Blitzkrieg. He shone at the very beginning of the war, when Germany was on a victorious march across Europe. However, later it 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 Stuka still managed to fight. For their characteristic non-retractable chassis, they were nicknamed "bast shoes". German pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel brought additional fame to the Stukas. But despite its world renown Junkers Ju-87 was in fourth place in the list of the best aircraft of the Second World War.

In an honorable third place in the ranking of the best aircraft of the Second World War is the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero carrier-based fighter. This is the most famous aircraft of the war in the Pacific. The history of this aircraft is very revealing. At the beginning of the war, it was almost the most advanced aircraft - light, maneuverable, high-tech, with an incredible range. For the Americans, Zero was an extremely unpleasant surprise, it surpassed everything they had at that time.
However, the Japanese worldview played a cruel joke with Zero, no one thought about protecting him in air combat - the gas tanks burned easily, the pilots were not covered by armor, and no one thought about parachutes. When hit, Mitsubishi A6M Zero flashed like matches, and the Japanese pilots had no chance to escape. The Americans, in the end, learned how to fight the Zero, they flew in pairs and attacked from a height, avoiding the battle in bends. 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, the Zero became the kamikaze plane, a symbol of senseless resistance.

The famous Messerschmitt Bf.109 is the main fighter of the Second World War. 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 picked up excellent speed in a dive. The favorite technique of German pilots was the "falcon strike", in which the fighter dives at the enemy and, after a quick attack, again goes to the height.
This aircraft also had its drawbacks. The short flight range prevented him from conquering the skies of England. It was also not easy to escort the bombers to the Messerschmitt. At low altitude, he lost his speed advantage. By the end of the war, the Messers were hit hard by both Soviet fighters from the east and allied bombers from the west. But the Messerschmitt Bf 109 nevertheless went down in legend as the best fighter in the Luftwaffe. In total, almost 34,000 of them were manufactured. This is the second largest aircraft in history.

So, meet the winner in our ranking of the most legendary aircraft of the Second World War. Attack aircraft "IL-2" aka "Humpbacked", aka "flying tank", the Germans 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 much more difficult to shoot it down than other aircraft. There was a case when an attack aircraft returned from a departure and counted more than 600 hits on it. After a quick repair, the Humpbacks went into battle again. Even if the plane was shot down, he often remained intact, the armored belly allowed him to land in an open field without any problems.
The Il-2 went through the entire war. In total, 36,000 attack aircraft were manufactured. This made "Humpbacked" the record holder, the most massive combat aircraft of all time. For its outstanding qualities, original design and a huge role in the Second World War, the famous Il-2 rightfully takes first place in the ranking of the best aircraft of those years.

After the invention of the first aircraft and structures, they began to be used for military purposes. This is how combat aviation appeared, becoming the main part of the armed forces of all countries of the world. This article describes the most popular and effective soviet aircraftwho made their special contribution to the victory over the fascist invaders.

The tragedy of the first days of the war

The Il-2 became the first example of a new aircraft design scheme. The Ilyushin design bureau realized that this approach significantly worsens the design and makes it heavier. The new design approach gave new opportunities for more rational use of the aircraft weight. This is how the Ilyushin-2 appeared - an airplane that earned the nickname "flying tank" for its particularly durable armor.

The IL-2 created an incredible number of problems for the Germans. The aircraft was initially used as a fighter, but in this role it proved to be not particularly effective. Poor maneuverability and speed did not give the Il-2 the opportunity to fight fast and smashing German fighters. Moreover, the weak rear protection allowed German fighters to attack the Il-2 from behind.

The developers also experienced problems with the aircraft. During the entire period of the Great Patriotic War, the Il-2's armament was constantly changing, and a place for the co-pilot was also equipped. This threatened that the plane could become completely uncontrollable.

But all these efforts have yielded the desired result. The original 20mm cannons were replaced with large-caliber 37mm cannons. With such powerful weapons, almost all types of ground troops, from infantry to tanks and armored vehicles, have become afraid of the attack aircraft.

According to some recollections of the pilots who fought on the Il-2, firing from attack aircraft guns led to the fact that the plane literally hovered in the air from strong recoil. In the event of an attack by enemy fighters, the tail gunner covered the unprotected part of the Il-2. Thus, the stormtrooper became, in fact, a flying fortress. This thesis is confirmed by the fact that the attack aircraft took on board several bombs.

All these qualities met with great success, and the Ilyushin-2 became simply an irreplaceable aircraft in any battle. He became not only the legendary attack aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, but also broke production records: in total, about 40 thousand copies were produced during the war. Thus, Soviet-era aircraft could compete with the Luftwaffe in all respects.

Bombers

A bomber, from a tactical point of view, is an indispensable part of combat aviation in any battle. Perhaps the most recognizable Soviet bomber during the Great Patriotic War is the Pe-2. It was developed as a tactical super-heavy fighter, but over time it was transformed and made the most dangerous dive bomber.

It should be noted that Soviet bomber-class aircraft made their debut precisely during the Great Patriotic War. The appearance of bombers was determined by many factors, but the main one was the development of the air defense system. A special tactic for the use of bombers was immediately developed, which implied an approach to the target at a high altitude, a sharp drop to the bomb drop altitude, and the same sharp flight into the sky. This tactic yielded results.

Pe-2 and Tu-2

The dive bomber drops bombs without following a horizontal line. He literally falls on his target and drops the bomb only when the target remains some 200 meters. The consequence of this tactical move is impeccable precision. But, as you know, an aircraft at low altitude can touch anti-aircraft guns, and this could not but affect the system of construction of bombers.

Thus, it turned out that the bomber must combine the incompatible. It should be as compact and maneuverable as possible, while still carrying heavy ammunition. In addition, the design of the bomber was assumed to be strong, capable of withstanding the impact of an anti-aircraft gun. Therefore, the Pe-2 plane was very well suited for this role.

The Pe-2 bomber complemented the Tu-2, which was very similar in parameters. It was a twin-engine dive bomber, which was used according to the above described tactics. The problem with this aircraft was in minor model orders from aircraft factories. But by the end of the war, the problem was fixed, the Tu-2 was even modernized and successfully used in battles.

Tu-2 performed a wide variety of combat missions. He worked as an attack aircraft, bomber, scout, torpedo bomber and interceptor.

IL-4

The Il-4 tactical bomber rightly earned the title of the Great Patriotic War, making it difficult to confuse it with any other aircraft. Ilyushin-4, despite the complicated control, was popular in the Air Force, the plane was even used as a torpedo bomber.

The Il-4 was fixed in history as the plane that carried out the first bombing raids on the capital of the Third Reich - Berlin. And this did not happen in May 1945, but in the autumn of 1941. But the bombing did not last long. In winter, the front shifted far to the East, and Berlin was out of reach for Soviet dive bombers.

Pe-8

The Pe-8 bomber during the war years was so rare and unrecognizable that sometimes it was even attacked by its own air defenses. However, it was he who performed the most difficult combat missions.

Although the long-range bomber was produced at the end of the 30s, it was the only aircraft of its class in the USSR. The Pe-8 had the highest travel speed (400 km / h), and the fuel in the tank made it possible to carry the bombs not only to Berlin, but also to return. The aircraft was equipped with the largest-caliber bombs up to the five-ton FAB-5000. It was the Pe-8 that bombed Helsinki, Konigsberg, Berlin at a time when the front line was in the Moscow area. Because of the operating range, the Pe-8 was called a strategic bomber, and in those years this class of aircraft was just being developed. All Soviet aircraft of the Second World War belonged to the class of fighters, bombers, reconnaissance or transport aircraft, but not to strategic aviation, only the Pe-8 was a kind of exception to the rule.

One of the most important operations performed by the Pe-8 was the transportation of V. Molotov to the United States and Great Britain. The flight took place in the spring of 1942 along a route that passed through Nazi-occupied territories. Molotov traveled in the passenger version of the Pe-8. Only a few of these aircraft were developed.

Today, thanks to technological progress, tens of thousands of passengers are transported daily. But in those distant war days, every flight was a feat, both for pilots and passengers. There was always a high probability of being shot down, and a downed Soviet plane meant the loss of not only valuable lives, but also great damage to the state, which was very difficult to compensate.

Concluding a small review, which describes the most popular Soviet aircraft during the Great Patriotic War, it should be mentioned that all development, construction and air battles took place in conditions of cold, hunger and lack of personnel. However, each new aircraft was an important step in the development of world aviation. The names of Ilyushin, Yakovlev, Lavochkin, Tupolev will forever remain in military history... And not only the heads of design bureaus, but also ordinary engineers and ordinary workers made a huge contribution to the development of Soviet aviation.