This airplane has been said so much, it seems, nothing can be added. It is unlikely that I will add something new, the more so because of this problem, and I do not put. My task - just show. Yes, We dispense with TTX, comparisons and other unnecessary and provocative. Let's talk about the car and the people.
Let's start with the constructor. Everyone today can be your opinion, but personally, I assume, what Nikolai Polikarpov He was a great designer, which applies the title of "genius". No other way, and the best student of the great genius of Igor Sikorsky not characterize, and I do not aspire to. Someone may, of course, think differently.
Nikolai Polikarpov
Unscrew the wheel of history back. strongly ago. When the Land of the Soviets already had, but the aviation and the aviation industry had not had. There were problems with the designers. Sikorski, Lebedev, Mironov, Tereshchenko, Slyusarenko went into exile, died in the fire of revolution Slesarev, Kudashev and Yarkovskiy. Many losses suffered Designers Society, not only air.
Polikarpov, Grigorovich, Hackel, Tupolev. These are the, who began to create Soviet Wings. Their students "stood on the wing," later.
We needed a fleet. And for the Navy pilots were needed. so, needs and aircraft for training.
FROM 1919 , the main training aircraft in the USSR was the U-1, based at the British intelligence «Avro-504».
Englishman, whose first flight took place as early as 1913 year, I was frankly old. And 1922 , the question arose about the need for more modern training machines.
The plan was to create a new training aircraft under the engine 100-120 l. from., good by the standards of that time. But the main thing here (and important) moment - such engines were. This native M-11 Shvetcova, and M-12 Brilling, and import "Maybach", Salьmson ', «Lucifer». But in the competition won the domestic M-11.
At all, the process of creating a U-2 began in 1923 year, three years later he moved into action and 18 January 1927 of the year, after the pile specifications and approvals, I was prepared a preliminary draft.
Static test aircraft began 20 April 1927 of the year, a 24 June 1927 year test pilot Mikhail Gromov for the first time lifted the car up in the air. According to Gromov, U-2 is fully consistent with its mission, and he «I have done all, that only could have been done on this plane».
The factory test period Gromov checked U-2 on the handling and pilotage. All figures plane was ok, He entered into a spin with great difficulty, from the spin out easily.
State tests conducted at the Research Institute in March 1928 of the year. with a gross weight airplane 870 kg and a load on the wing 25,85 kg / m2 fly at maximum speed 140 kmh, landing speed was 60 kmh. For these and other U-2 performance fully in line with the tactical and technical requirements, pilot evaluation was unanimously positive, therefore it followed the decision on mass production of a new training aircraft.
In the autumn 1928 , the U-2 was sent to the III International Aviation Exhibition in Berlin. It was the first exhibition, which demonstrated the Soviet planes. Additionally U-2, on the court, allotted to the USSR, were sanitary K-4 K. A. Kalinin, party long flights scout P-3 (IPG-3) TsAGI, avietki «petrel» AT. P. and Nevdachyna «three other» FROM. n. Gorelov, A. A. Semenov and L. AND. Sutugin.
Notably, that the above exhibitors from the USSR are known only to specialists. In contrast to the U-2.
Release U-2 established an aircraft factory in Leningrad №23, whose team has been built in the experience of U-1.
The first production F-2 began to arrive in the summer school 1930 year. Despite some shortcomings, inherent in every new pattern, the plane was immediately praised as instructors, and students. it turned out to be training really more efficient, in particular, significantly decreased the percentage of students, expelled for failing to learn the flight case.
During serial production of the U-2 was constantly improved. "Childhood diseases" gradually went into oblivion. It has been installed in more comfortable seats, reinforced lower wings, increased visors, variometers, increased benzo- and oil tanks, mounted gasoline gauge, who immediately had to redo, because of it in the front cockpit spilled gasoline when the "loop the loop".
AT 1933 №23, the plant began to produce U-2VS (Branch series), equipped course and turret guns, and bomb racks. Began training pilots bombers.
Wu-2VS sample 1937 year on the left side of the fuselage was mounted machine gun synchronized PV-1 (Aviation option "Maxima"), in the rear cockpit - gun YES (Degtyarev, aviation) Tourette's, under the fuselage bomb racks were attached to small bombs.
On the starboard side mounted sight AP-2 and HB-5 viewfinder, for aiming at the lower right wing had a size of 70 slot×300 mm. The general flow is built on aircraft to aircraft plant Leningrad 1938 At about was put 600 copies of the U-2 military series.
clear, why it is necessary to focus attention on this series, because in the years of the Great Patriotic exactly like aircraft had to perform the task name, this inherent warplanes.
Since the beginning of the war the aircraft factory №387 decided to evacuate from Leningrad to Kazan. Very visionary deed, as the practice.
The first trains with equipment and materials sent 28 July. recent 9 aircraft manufactured in Leningrad in August. 21 August 1941 the Germans captured Chudovo station and cut the road to Moscow. 29 August was captured Mga station and finally blocked railway traffic in the north-east. Up to this point from Leningrad managed to take 8 trains with equipment and 3 tier timber with conditioned.
In Kazan, the production of U-2 placed at the plant №169. This company, formerly known manufacturer tachanok and mounted utensil (local name «obozka»), from 1935 has been producing skis for aircraft, 8 July 1939 year became part of the NCAP. AT 1940-41 here we're prepared wooden parts for I-153 and LaGG-3, further suggests to construct landing gliders. According to the government decision on 15 August 1941 year Leningrad and Kazan factory joined under the title aircraft factory №387. Almost immediately after his arrival in Leningrad 387-th began to manufacture airplanes and already 2 September 1941 , the first U-2 construction Kazan joined the flight-test.
What happened next, everyone knows and so. U-2 became a Po-2. The aircraft communication, ambulance airplane, light attack, night-intruder, transport airplane, scout.
Po-2 had a number of advantages.
At first, he was extremely simple and cheap to manufacture and - especially important - exploitation. The aircraft is easily repaired, and, not necessarily qualified.
Secondly, the plane was very easy to operate, and even an inexperienced pilot could fly freely in it. Po-2 "forgave" the pilot many mistakes, that on another plane would inevitably lead to an accident. For this reason, it is on-2 was the main training aircraft of the Soviet Air Force.
Thirdly, Po-2 was almost impossible to enter into a tailspin. If the pilot let go of control surfaces, the plane began to plan with a speed reduction 1 meter per second, If the bottom of the smooth surface provided, I could sit on her own.
Fourth, Po-2 could make landing and rise into the air from the very soil "Piglet". This made it ideal for communication with the guerrillas and the evacuation of wounded.
Fifth, Po-2 had a very low rate and, therefore, could fly at low altitudes, while a high-speed aircraft risked while crashing into the hills, trees, the terrain.
The fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe soon found, that the Po-2 is difficult to bring down because of two main factors:
- Pilots-2 flew at treetop, where they are difficult to distinguish and difficult;
- an unpleasant surprise was, that the stall speed German fighters' Messerschmitt »Bf-109 was similar to the maximum speed Po-2, which complicated the task of retaining the Po-2 in his sights for a sufficient time to engage. The "Focke-Wulf" fared even worse, they fell down before.
All this allows to use the machine for shturmovok and bombing enemy targets. Yes, By use of the basic-2 accounted for nighttime, as the day the plane became easy prey for enemy fighters could be shot down by ground fire even from small arms.
Nevertheless, on the Po-2 could fight, to fight effectively and to help fight other.
Of course, the best thing about the possibilities of the aircraft described in the book Guard Aviation Major, Hero of the Soviet Union Raisa Aronova "In the sky" night witches "and" We are called "night witches" Irina Rakobolskoy (regiment commander) and Nadezhda Kravtsova.
Aronov Raisa
Irina Rakobolskaya
Natalia Meklin (Kravtsov)
AND, naturally, Major Film Guard, Hero of the Soviet Union Yevgeny Zhigulenko "In the sky" night witches ".
Po-2 aircraft was not easy. very difficult. Yes, "Kukuruznyk", "sewing machine", "Rusfaner" and so on. But.
1 twice Hero of the Soviet Union - Vorobiev Ivan.
59 Heroes of the Soviet Union.
6 Russian heroes.
1 People's Hero of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Hiuaz (Katya) Dospanova.
AND, by the way, not all characters from among the personnel of the 46th Guards Taman night bomber regiments. "Night Witches" - 23 Hero of the Soviet Union and 2 people received the title of Hero of Russia in 1995 year. Plus a national hero in Kazakhstan Dospanova.
The rest - from other parts of. Including Ivan Vorobyov, who received the title of, flying on the IL-2, but more 400 sorties half was on the Po-2 as part of the 25th Night Bomber Regiment.
Ivan Vorobyov
uneasy plane, as it is difficult. Real king of the night sky, because there were no problems, which could not meet our pilots on the Po-2.
Aircraft Design U-2 was a simple, and now in the photo will be seen.
wooden frame, pine and plywood, with fabric covering. MOUNTS - mild steel, wings stand - Steel round tubes strapped to them on tape glue wooden fairings.
Fuselage - plywood with the front portion and the rear bracing, supremum rear portion removably closed convex gargrot of 1 mm plywood for viewing convenience.
Motor frame was originally in the form of rings, extruded from 4-mm duralumin. FROM 1931 g. it was replaced by welded steel pipe according to the model airplane engine mounts W-2, being built in 1930 g. at the same factory.
Wings - normal dvuhlonzheronnoe. Spars - Box Shaped, rib - a plywood-wall strips and flanges ungrooved, attached to the plywood with one side on the glue and nails. Clay - only casein.
Stabilizer - dvuhlonzheronnoe, angle of installation can be changed on the ground by repositioning the rear fork bolt on the comb of the spar keel. Struts stabilizer - teardrop-shaped steel pipe with adjustable length. All of the rim of the wings and tail duralyuminovye.
Control Wiring - Lanyard, and on the straights - wire.
The chassis consisted of front and rear struts, a pair of tape and braces axis. The rear struts - the depreciation of the telescopic pipe traverses.
Wheels - Spoke 700h120 mm. Crutch - Ash, orients and managed together with the rudder through the coil springs.
The engine crankcase from the back wall has been left open, and the bonnet has been reduced to four separate walls, Hinged-fixed combs on the trailing edge, and detaching the rope from the spring and lock the front edge around the engine mounts.
The hood could open and close almost instantly, which greatly facilitates maintenance of the power plant. In winter closed crankcase sometimes simplistic hood. And you can fly and so.
The cabin was fairly minimalist, which is quite normal it is due to the initial objectives of the plane.
Flying qualities U-2, depending on whether, the purposes for which the aircraft used and what changes were made to its equipment, fluctuated.
for example, ShKAS turret served, rather, means complacency, rather than real means of defense, since installing it began only in 1944 year, When rifle cartridge 7.62 mm was well armored «Messerschmitt» and «Focke-Wulf» that the elephant's grain.
But in all cases the aircraft remained robust, easy and obedient in management. U-2 could take off and land at the smallest ground and even on unprepared sites.
Empty weight of the aircraft in a training version - 635-656 kg, in others - to 750 kg; takeoff - by 890 to 1100 kg, bombs - up 1400 kg. maximum speed - from 130 to 150 km / h, cruising - 100-120 km / h, landing - 60-70 km / h, ceiling - 3800 m, run and run - 100-150 m.
All were released more 30 Thousands of 2.
I offer even a song about Po-2, though he called it in the old way, U-2. But song and playful, the most important thing, absolutely pravdyvaya.
For many years, Nikolai Polikarpov aircraft were the only initial training machines in flight schools and aero clubs Osoaviahima. Defense training society organizations on this plane produced during the war, almost 100 thousands of pilots.
But it is even more priceless, simultaneously with the preparation of any and all of our aces Po-2 at the same time carrying death to enemies and their hope. The real king of the night sky from the king Polikarpov fighters.
A source: UMMC Museum of military equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
