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Petlyakov Pe-2
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== Design features == The Pe-2 inherited the basic low-wing twin-engine monoplane configuration of the VI-100. It had an all-metal stressed-skin structure, with cloth only used to cover the ailerons and control surfaces. The tail had twin fins and rudders with a pronounced 8-degree dihedral on the tailplane; this had been added to the PB-100 to correct the poor lateral stability found on the VI-100 during testing.<ref name="Smith pp. 27.">Smith 2003, pp. 27.</ref> The wing design of the Pe-2 was also inherited from the VI-100, but this had been optimised for high altitude performance at the cost of lower lift at low altitude, resulting in suboptimal manoeuvreability and take-off and landing characteristics.<ref name="Smith pp. 11.">Smith 2003, pp. 11.</ref> For example, while the Pe-2's flying characteristics were generally good once it was airborne, it took a good amount of force to pull the elevators up to rotate the plane for takeoff. Russian night bombing missions often flew with female pilots, and some of the women were not strong enough to get the airplane airborne by themselves. When such a situation occurred, the procedure was to have the navigator get behind the pilot's seat and wrap her arms around the control wheel and help the pilot pull the wheel back. Once the aircraft was airborne, the navigator returned to her duties and the pilot continued to fly the plane without assistance.<ref name="popova">{{cite web|title=Interview with L. L. Popova, Navigator of the 125th Guards Bomb Air Regiment|url=http://www.airforce.ru/history/ww2/popova/page_05.htm|access-date=2008-09-12|language=ru}}</ref> In addition, the Pe-2 had a reputation for hard landings, as well as for its notorious "bounce" on landing due to the inadequate shock absorbers in the landing gear.<ref name="Smith pp. 36.">Smith 2003, pp. 36.</ref> This could be fatal if the pilot was not prepared for it.<ref name="Smith pp. 12.">Smith 2003, pp. 12.</ref><ref name="Smith pp. 94.">Smith 2003, pp. 94.</ref> As designed, the wings were also fitted with "Venetian blind"-type slatted dive brakes for the dive-bombing role.<ref name="Smith pp. 28.">Smith 2003, pp. 28.</ref> Pe-2s were equipped with an inert gas fire-suppression system for the self-sealing fuel tanks, which progressively filled the fuel tanks with nitrogen in order to reduce the risk of ignition when hit by enemy fire.<ref name="Smith pp. 27.">Smith 2003, pp. 27.</ref> === Armament === [[File:Экипаж пикирующего бомбардировщика Пe-2 «За великого Сталина» бомбардировочного авиаполка Черноморского флота после выполнени.jpg|thumb|The crew of the Pe-2 dive bomber "For the Great Stalin" of the Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet after completing the mission]] The Pe-2 had an internal capacity for six 100 kg bombs, for a total of 600 kg; this was no better than that of the older [[Tupolev SB]] bomber. The internal capacity consisted of a fuselage bomb bay capable of carrying four 100 kg bombs or an additional fuel tank, with two small internal bomb bays in the rear of the engine nacelles for a single 100 kg bomb each.<ref name="Smith pp. 28.">Smith 2003, pp. 28.</ref> This was supplemented by four external underwing racks. These were capable of carrying four 100 kg or 250 kg bombs, or two 500 kg bombs in overload configuration, giving a maximum bombload of 1,000 kg.<ref name="Smith pp. 28.">Smith 2003, pp. 28.</ref> Only the bombs in the external racks could be used in a dive-bombing attack; the internally carried bombs had no dive release gear and could not be dropped in a steep dive.<ref name="Smith pp. 21.">Smith 2003, pp. 21.</ref> The offensive armament originally consisted of two 7.62 mm ShKAS fixed forward-firing machine guns in the nose.<ref name="Smith pp. 28.">Smith 2003, pp. 28.</ref> The right ShKAS was replaced by the more powerful [[Berezin UB|12.7 mm UBK]] heavy machine gun from Series 13 production aircraft onwards.<ref name="Smith pp. 100.">Smith 2003, pp. 100.</ref> From Series 32 onwards, provisions were made for underwing guide rails for up to ten [[RS-82 (rocket family)|RS-132]] or RS-82 unguided rockets. The defensive armament originally consisted of a single ShKAS machine gun in a dorsal TSS mounting, later MV-3 turret, manned by the navigator in the cockpit behind the pilot, and a ventral 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun in a mounting in the fuselage behind the bomb bay aimed by a periscope.<ref name="Smith pp. 12.">Smith 2003, pp. 12.</ref><ref name="Smith pp. 100.">Smith 2003, pp. 100.</ref> This defensive armament was found to be totally inadequate: from Series 13 onwards, the ventral ShKAS was replaced by one 12.7 mm UBT in an MV-2 mounting,<ref name="Smith pp. 102.">Smith 2003, pp. 102.</ref> while the dorsal ShKAS was also replaced by a UBT in various different mountings, some modified in the field and others from the factory: * MV-7 turret: Turret mounting tested in September 1941. Unsatisfactory and not adopted.<ref name="airwar">{{cite web|title=Airwar.ru's Pe-2 FZ article|url=http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/pe2fz.html|access-date=2020-01-25|language=ru}}</ref> * FT (''Frontovoye Trebovaniye'' — "Frontline Demand") mounting: designed by Leonid Selyakov at Zavod 22 in response to the requests of Pe-2 crews to fit the standard Pe-2 with minimal changes to production and can be fitted in the field.<ref name="Smith pp. 102-103.">Smith 2003, pp. 102-103.</ref> Standardised from Series 83 onwards.<ref name="Smith pp. 100.">Smith 2003, pp. 100.</ref><ref name="Smith pp. 102.">Smith 2003, pp. 102.</ref> This mounting required the canopy over the navigator to be removed, resulting in reduced comfort for the navigator manning the gun. * VUB-1 turret: Turret mounting, standardised from Series 110 onwards.<ref name="Smith pp. 12.">Smith 2003, pp. 12.</ref><ref name="Smith pp. 102.">Smith 2003, pp. 102.</ref><ref name="airwar"/> Pe-2s with this mounting are often known as "Pe-2FT" in Western literature, even though the VUB-1 turret has no connection to the actual FT mounting whatsoever.<ref name="Smith pp. 202.">Smith 2003, pp. 202.</ref> * FZ (''Frontovoye Zadaniye'' — "Frontline Mission") turret: Experimental turret mounting introduced in 1943. Uses magazines for the UBT instead of belts for easier and faster handling of the turret. Tests were successful, recommended for production, but not adopted in order to not disrupt Pe-2 production.<ref name="airwar"/> The replacement of the ShKAS defensive guns with the UBT was reported to increase the life expectancy of a Pe-2 from 20 sorties to 54.<ref name="Williams and Gustin pp. 114-115.">Williams and Gustin 2003, pp. 114–115.</ref>
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