Editing Sukhoi Su-2 (section)

==Development==
In 1936, [[Joseph Stalin]] released a requirement for a multipurpose combat aircraft. Codenamed '''Ivanov''', the airplane had to be capable of performing reconnaissance and then attacking the targets it located.<ref name="Shavrov">{{cite book |author=Shavrov V.B.|year=1994 |title=Istoriia konstruktskii samoletov v SSSR, 1938–1950 |publisher=Mashinostroenie |isbn=5-217-00477-0 |edition=3 izd.}}</ref> P. O. Sukhoi was working in the [[Tupolev]] [[OKB]] at the time and designed the "Ivanov" aircraft under the tutelage of [[Andrei Tupolev]]. The resulting '''ANT-51''' flew on 25 August 1937 with [[Mikhail Gromov (aviator)|M. M. Gromov]] at the controls. Powered by a 610&nbsp;kW (820&nbsp;hp) [[Shvetsov M-62]] air-cooled [[radial engine]], the  ANT-51 reached 403&nbsp;km/h (220&nbsp;kn, 250&nbsp;mph) at 4,700&nbsp;m (15,420&nbsp;ft).<ref name="Shavrov"/> This was considered insufficient but since the basic design was sound, it was decided to re-test it with a more powerful engine. Equipped with a 746&nbsp;kW (1,000&nbsp;hp) [[Tumansky M-87]] engine, the ANT-51 reached 468&nbsp;km/h (255&nbsp;kn, 290&nbsp;mph) at 5,600&nbsp;m (18,370&nbsp;ft) and was accepted into production as '''BB-1''' (''Blizhniy Bombardirovschik''; {{langx|ru|Ближний Бомбардировщик}} — "short-range bomber").<ref name="Shavrov"/> In 1940, the aircraft was renamed '''Su-2''' and the unreliable M-87 engine was replaced with a [[Tumansky M-88]].<ref name="Shavrov"/> This lightened version with an M-88B engine reached 512&nbsp;km/h (275&nbsp;kn, 320&nbsp;mph) in testing.

The Su-2 was of mixed construction. The fuselage was semi-[[monocoque]] with wood spars and a [[plywood]] skin. The wings were of [[duralumin]] and [[steel]] construction with fabric-covered rod-actuated control surfaces. The pilot and gunner were protected with 9&nbsp;mm (0.35&nbsp;in) of armor. The taildragger landing gear was retractable, including the tailwheel.<ref name="Shavrov"/>