Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part eighteen. Soviet Spitfires.

 

Since June 1941, when Germany invaded the USSR and the Soviets joined the Allies, the USSR showed interest in acquiring the Spitfire. In fact, as early as August 1941, a Soviet test pilot was sent to Great Britain to test the type.

The first Spitfires to fly with the Soviets were of the reconnaissance variant. As early as 1942 three Spitfires PR.IV (a recon variant of the Mk. V) from Royal Air Force's No. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit, were left in Vayenga airfield, in Murmansk. In 1943 and 1944, using the same delivery method, the Soviet Northern Fleet acquired five more operational Spitfires PR. IV plus two seriously damaged ones. They were then employed by the 118 ORAP (118th Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment) until 1946.

During early 1943, one hundred and forty-three Spitfire Mk. Vb were delivered to the USSR by road via the Iranian port of Abadan. These aircraft were first assigned to 25 ZAP (25th Reserve Air Regiment), from where they were transferred to at least two fighter regiments on the frontlines.

The first of those Air Regiments was 36 IAP (Fighter Aviation Regiment), which was awarded the title of 'Guards' and was renamed to 57 GIAP (Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment). After several months, however, the Spitfires were withdrawn from front-line regiments, onyl after three months of service, in the Kuban sector, as they were considered unsuitable for use in the front. 
Some Mk. Vs were sent to Moscow's anti-aircraft defence units, where they were employed against Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju.86R, the high-altitude bomber variant of the Junkers Ju.86.

From February 1944 the USSR began to receive the Spitfire Mk. IX. A total of 1.183 LF.IX and two HF.IX were delivered by the end of the war. Some Russian studies point that nine additional Mk. XVI were also delivered in the spring of 1945. 
As we said, after the first experiences in the battlefield with the Mk. V, the Soviet Air Command considered the Spitfire to be unsuitable for frontline use, so almost all those Mk. IXs were assigned to PVO (anti-aircraft defence) units. At the end of the war, twenty-six of eighty-one PVO's regiments were equipped with Spitfires. 
In 1944 out of 5.318 aircraft in PVO's inventory, there were 297 Spitfire Mk. IXs and in 1945 the number rose to 825, out of a total of 5.047 aircraft.

Not very much is known about the combat usage of the Spitfires in the USSR. The only known episode, is the shooting down of a late variant of a Junkers Ju.88 (probably either a Ju. 88S or a Ju. 88T) near Leningrad on 8th March 1945, achieved by two Spitfire Mk. IX pilots: V.  Rybin (from 11 GIAP) and A. Fedotov (from 102 GIAP).

Towards the end of the war, some Spitfires were employed to test a television-guidance system. This worked in such a way that the image of the situation from the ground radar was presented on a screen placed inside the cockpit. Two Mk. IXs from 26 GIAP, flown by Lt. Col. W. Macjewicz and Capt. N. Szczerbina were modified.

In the operational history of the Spitfire in the USSR, the official magazine of the PVO stated the following: "... Although the Spitfire did not leave a significant mark on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, at its end and during the first post-war years, it became irreplaceable in the role of a high-altitude interceptor of the PVO".

After the end of the war, Spitfires remained in PVO's fighter pool until 1947/1948, with the last being withdrawn in 1951. Towards the end of their career in the USSR, they served as a transition aircraft for retraining pilots for jet fighters. This was due to the excellent high-altitude characteristics of the Spitfire, incomparably better than any Soviet piston aircraft. 
An unknown number of Spitfire Mk. IXs were converted to two-seaters, following Soviet doctrine of retraining pilots in two-seater versions of front-line fighters. This conversion has been commonly known as Spitfire Mk. IXUTI.

After the war, several of those Mk. IXUTIs were used to break parachute jump altitude records. On 25th September 1945 V. Romaniuk set a new world altitude record by jumping from a Mk. IXUTI piloted by A. Proshakov, at an altitude of 13.105,5 m.

In addition to unit service, all versions of the Spitfire delivered to the USSR underwent testing in research facilities. 

Also, according to unconfirmed reports, a number of Soviet Spitfires were transferred to Communist China in the early 1950s. This however, is most likely false.

Sources:

1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire Part 3 (translated)

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#USSR

Lavochkin La-5 In Soviet Service. Part four.

 

In the summer of 1943 a two-seater variant of the La-5F was adapted by the Lavochkin Design Bureau. The La-5UTI (which stands for 'Fighter-Trainer' in Russian) was a simple adaptation of the single seat La-5F with a second cockpit placed just aft the radio bay. Instructor's cockpit was equipped with duplicate flight controls and the front cockpit ones (where the pupil sat) were automatically disconnected every time the instructor took control. Both cockpits were fully enclosed by sliding canopies. 
Given its non-combatant role, the La-5UTI lacked many features when compared to the fighter, as many were deleted to save weight. Armor glasses behind windscreen, pilot's head and the back seat were eliminated, as well as the wing fuel tank fire suppression system. The small cockpit air inlets in front of the canopy, present at both the La-5F and La-5FN were also deleted.
The La-5UTI also lacked oxygen equipment and, initial versions also lacked RSI-4 radio, hence the absence of radio mast and tail stub. Given the irruption of the second cockpit, the La-5UTI fuel capacity was also lower.
The La-5UTI was armed with a single 20 mm ShVAK cannon fitted into the port side on the nose, however both cannon ports and breech fairings, present on the La-5 were retained. The cannons were sighted with the standard PBP-1B sight. Any bomb-carrying equipment was also deleted. As a result the trainer variant's take-off weight was nearly identical to that of the La-5F single-seat fighter.

The La-5UTI prototype was tested at the Scientific Research Institute between 3rd and 30th September 1943 and showed performance and handling characteristics similar to those of the La-5F. 
Both the UTI prototype and initial batches were equipped with an aft-sliding rear canopy with a squared off rear frame, however in later batches the rear canopy was redesigned with the rear frame slanted to the rear, providing better visibility for the instructor in the rear cockpit. Early UTIs also lacked an external grab handle on the port side of the rear canopy, but it was fixed on every later aircraft.
The La-5UTI was powered by the same ASh-82F engine that powered the La-5F, however, when State Aircraft Factories switched production to the La-5FN, the UTIs switched also to the ASh-82FN engine, which were also equipped with the RSI-4 radio system. 
La-5UTI was manufactured from 1943 well after La-5FN production ceased at the State Aircraft Factories. Many La-5UTIs also served with La-7 equipped fighter regiments because the La-7UTI did not become operational until the spring of 1946 and, since the La-7UTI was only made in limited numbers, the La-5UTI remained as the standard trainer for both La-5 and La-7 pilots.
An unknown number of either La-5, La-5F and La-5FN were converted to La-5UTI trainers at special maintenance facilities of the VVS (Soviet Air Force). Those aircraft held most of the attributes of the the factory-built UTIs, including the original engines.  Those UTIs had also their armour removed, while some managed to keep their RSI-4 radios, albeit without radio masts with the wire running from the fin to the fuselage centreline behind the canopy. 

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In Action 169 - La5-7 Fighters in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5

Lavochkin La-5 In Soviet Service. Part three.

 

The Lavochkin La-5FN was a variant of the regular La-5F with a fuel injected engine, a supercharger air intake, a revised exhaust flap and better radio antennas. 

The first exemplar of the La-5FN rolled out of State Aircraft Factory No.21 in March 1943, together when the first La-5Fs were being delivered to various fighter aviation regiments of the Soviet Air Force (VVS) and the Soviet and the National Air Defence Forces (PVO), that is why it is considered as a parallel development instead of its successor. 
The La-5FN was powered by an 1850 hp ASh-82FN engine that yielded almost 150 more horsepower than the ASh-82F, as the ASh-82FN was an improvement of the ASh-82F. Some late production La-5FN were powered by the ASh-82FNV engine which was still rated at 1850 hp but was optimized for higher altitudes. 
Production variants of the La-5FN differed from those of the La-5F in two ways. First, the La-5FN had a long supercharger intake trunk on top of the cowl and second, the exhaust flaps were split into seven separate outlets on each side of the fuselage, in a similar arrangement to that of the German BMW 801 engine employed on the Focke-Wulf Fw.190A. Those outlets were covered by a single flat plate. 
Another additional improvement made on production La-5FNs was the inclusion of an additional duralumin side panel under the cockpit, however, those were not present at the La-5FN prototype.
The radio antenna arrangement was also revised and, although initially it was a copy of the one present at the regular La-5F, it was changed in mid production variants. However, that configuration proved to be problematic and many pilots and mechanics reverted to the original La-5's arrangement. In the late batches the antennas were revised further and the masts were deleted with the cable running straight into the rear canopy glazing.
Most of the La-5FN also received thicker armoured glass. 
In April 1943 the La-5FN was tested against a regular La-5F at the Scientific Research Institute in Sverdlovsk with great results overall. It was faster than the La-5F at every altitude and it had better climb rate with the same armament; two nose mounted 20 mm ShVAK cannons and it had provision for up to 100 kg (220 lbs) of bombs under each wing. 

The La-5FN was the first fighter made by Lavochkin Design Bureau that could equal the Messerschmitt Bf.109G-6 in terms of performance, specially at top speed. It was, however, slower than the Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-3.
In April 1943 various mock combat duels were carried out a Lyubertsi Air Base (Moscow) between a pre-production La-5FN and a captured Messerschmitt Bf.109G-2. Those tests showed that the La-5FN was faster than the Bf.109G-2 at low and medium altitudes, where most aerial combat took place on the Eastern Front. Besides, the La-5FN could manoeuvre differently in the vertical plane, further helping proper combat tactics against German fighters.
Production batches varied depending on the availability of the raw materials and craftmanship due to war shortages. 

The La-5FN saw combat for the first time during Operation Citadel, the offensive on Kursk in July 1943. The arrival of the La-5FN to the frontline, proved problematic to both Luftflottes 4 and 6 as they heavily committed to provide close aerial support to German forces around Kursk. The fourteen La-5FN of the 32nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment took part in 25 aerial engagements during summer 1943 and claimed 33 German aircraft, 21 of which Focke-Wulf Fw.190As and three Bf.109Gs.
Soviet top ace, Major Ivan N. Kozhedub scored his first kills flying a La-5 and later a La-5FN during the Battle of Kursk. Later, during the Soviet offensive on the Dnieper in December 1943, Kozhedub scored an additional eleven victories in just ten days. 
Later, in 1944 he shot down eight more German aircraft in just one week flying over Romania. He was, together with Aleksandr I. Pokryshkin, awarded the title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union', they were the only pilots awarded with that title. 

During 1943 a total of 5048 La-5F and La-5FN were manufactured by four State Aircraft Factories in the USSR. Most of them, 91%, were produced at GAZ-21 factory in Nizhny-Novgorod. GAZ-381 in Yaroslav produced 240 with 184 La-5F and La-5FN were assembled at GAZ-99 at Ulan Ude. Only 5 aircraft were produced at GAZ-31 in Tbilisi. 
Production decreased during 1944 with 3826 La-5FNs manufactured at State Aircraft Factories in Nizhny-Novgorod, Yaroslav and Ulan Ude. Production decreased as it was switched to the new Lavochkin La-7 in April 1944. However both La-5FN and the La-7 were produced in parallel until the La-5FN production was discontinued in November 1944. By then a total of 9920 La-5 in every variant had been produced.
After the war the La-5FN was gradually replaced by either the better La-7 or a jet fighter as they were beginning to overtake propeller fighters. However its main reason was related to the speed at which they were manufactured. The wooden airframe was not designed to last for a long time as it was developed in conditions of total war and its calculated combat life was shorter than its mechanical life, hence La-5's wooden components were not treated with chemicals designed to inhibit rot, so wood fungi and rot began to damage the wooden parts of the aircraft redeeming them unsafe to fly over a long period of time. 

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In Action 169 - La5-7 Fighters in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5

Lavochkin La-5 In Soviet Service. Part two.

 

The Lavochkin La-5F got its name from the ASh-82F engine, where the letter 'F' stands for 'boosted' in Russian. This engine , initially denominated as ASh-82A, was considered as an interim powerplant for the La-5 as it was considered as 'immature' as it suffered from overheating, so attempts to fix that problem, resulted in the ASh-82F. 
The new radial engine yielded better theoretical results than its predecessor, so the first ASh-82F-equipped La-5 rolled out from the factories in December 1942, as some very late production La-5s were fitted with the new ASh-82F engine. 
The La-5F, however, had many more characteristics apart from the new engine. It had an entirely new canopy design which allowed for a 360º view (something that the La-5 lacked) with its subsequent cut in the rear fuselage decking.
The cockpit was equipped with a 66 mm (2.5 inch) thick armoured glass panel to protect pilot's head and shoulders. The windscreen was also redesigned to include a horizontal frame on top. This change was initially made in the La-5 in order to include a 55 mm (2.1 inch) thick armoured glass panel. A rear view mirror was also added, however most of the pilots removed it. 
The La-5F was equipped with a better gun-aiming system, better cockpit ventilation and, although the initial batches were equipped with the same radio system the La-5 had, the radio system was also improved gradually with the new batches, resulting in various antenna mast and aerials configurations throughout the manufacture process. 
The fuel tank arrangement was also revised in order to make the aircraft lighter, to match its performance to that of the German Messerschmitt Bf.109G.
The first La-5F rolled out from State Aircraft Factory 21 at Nizhny-Novgorod in March 1943 and in April one La-5F was tested at the Soviet Air Force's Scientific Research Institute in Sverdlovsk. Those tests showed that La-5F's top speed was only 10 km/h (6.2 mph) better than the one of the La-5 but it had much better climb rate. 
The La-5F served mainly with the Fighter Aviation Regiments (IAP for Russian terminology) of both the Soviet Air Force (VVS) in the Eastern Front, and the Fighter Aviation Regiments of the National Air Defence Forces (PVO). The units of the PVO were assigned to defend the aerial space of major Soviet cities and industrial centres. 
During World War 2, USAAF's 8th and 15th Air Forces carried out various ferry bombing raids against Germany from Soviet territory, the first of which took place on 2nd June 1944 when 128 Boeing B-17 bombers and their escort took off from Italy, bombed the railroad marshalling yards in Debrecen, Hungary and landed at Poltava and Myrhorod, in the Ukrainian SSR. The aerial escort over Soviet air space was provided by the 210th Fighter Aviation Division of the PVO, with most of its IAPs being equipped with the La-5F. 
On 21st June 1944 USAAF's 3rd Air Division bombed the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, Germany, while enroute to Poltava. In retaliation the Luftwaffe attacked Poltava shortly after midnight with a force of eighty Junkers Ju.88 and Heinkel He.111 destroying fourty-four out of 72 B-17s and damaging the remaining ones. No Soviet fighters engaged the attacking force and this grew some tensions between the Americans and the Soviets about shuttle bombing operations, although they continued until September 1944.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In Action 169 - La5-7 Fighters in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5

Lavochkin La-5 In Soviet Service. Part one.

 

The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of the World War 2 which was itself an improvement from the previous LaGG-1 and LaGG-3. 
The LaGG-1 was underpowered and the LaGG-3, couldn't overcome that lack of power, in spite of its lighter airframe and stronger engine, so in early 1942, LaGG-3 factories were converted to manufacture the Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7. 

In late 1941 Lavochkin worked unofficially to improve the LaGG-3. The work centred mainly in replacing the underpowered Klimov M-105 inline engine of the LaGG-3 with a stronger Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. The nose section was replaced with one taken from a Sukhoi Su-2, as the Su-2 was also powered by the Shvetsov engine. 
The new engine required a shift in aircraft's balance and some other fittings but by December 1941 it was completed. However, ground testing showed several problems with the new engine so its maiden flight was delayed and it wasn't until March 1942 took off with Aleksei I. Nikashin, a highly experienced pilot of the Soviet Air Force Scientific Research, at the commands. 
The prototype showed good flying characteristics, although it didn't completely overcome the flaws present at the LaGG-3. Therefore, many detail improvements were made before the La-5 prototype was passed to Scientific Research Institute for state acceptance trials in April 1942.
Overall, in the evaluation made by the Scientific Research Institute, the radial engine-powered La-5 demonstrated its superiority over the LaGG-3 and they considered that it had potential to be an excellent fighter, at least for VVS' (Soviet Air Force) standards of the time. Trials were carried out in less than a month and the aircraft was given green light for mass production by the People's Commissariat for Aviation Industry (NKAP), beginning mass production in July 1942. At first the new fighter was called 'LaG-5' but since Mikhail Gudkov, one of the original designers of the LaGG-3 was no longer involved in the programme, both letter Gs were dropped, although Gorbunov was still involved.
However, since there were doubts about La-5's empirical performance at the battlefields, for a time both LaGG-3 and the La-5 were manufactured alongside each other at the State Aircraft Factories, so new features and improvements were introduced in both types.

The first production batch of the La-5 was basically a LaGG-3 with the ASh-82A engine and many inherited features, such as the widescreen, canopy or pitot tubes, which were improved upon the war was going on. 
The main differences between the prototype and the production series were the inclusion of armament (two 20 mm ShVAK cannons mounted in the forward fuselage), which also required the adaptation of enlarged breech gun covers on the nose, plus some added fairing, an ASh-82A engine, as already mentioned and an enlarged oil cooler, situated below the engine. It could also carry up to 50 kg (110 lb) of bombs in underwing racks, although very few La-5s were equipped with underwing racks. It was also equipped with radio system, although not in every aircraft. 
The Central Aerodynamic Institute (TsAGI) tested the first branches of the La-5 against the prototype and found a considerable loss of speed, mainly due to the poor coupling of the engine to the fuselage, given wartime shortages in the factories. This problem was addressed over the time. 

The first La-5 were assigned to VVS' Fighter Regiments (the Soviet equivalent to a squadron sized unit) in the fall of 1942, although in August it seems that some few of had the type in their ranks. The main foe of the La-5 at the time of its introduction was the German Messerschmitt Bf.109G-2 which was superior to the La-5 in every aspect as checked after having captured on in the Stalingrad area. 
Anyway, most Soviet fighter pilots, used to fly the MiG-3, the LaGG-3 or even the Polikarpov I-16 were quickly accustomed to their new fighter and were pleased by the performance improvement. Ground crews were also satisfied as it was easier to maintain and, therefore, to enhance La-5's service rate.
The La-5 saw action during major Soviet battle from the fall of 1942 to the summer of 1943 when it was gradually replaced by more advanced variants of the type, although some remained in service until well entered 1944. 
The first produced La-5s were deployed straight from production lines to the Stalingrad area and the La-5 was also deployed in the Kuban area fighting Luftwaffe's Luftflotte 4 over the North Caucasus during that campaign that took place between April and May 1943. 
The La-5 was also widely employed in July 1943 at the Battle of Kursk. It was during the course of this battle that Ivan N. Kozhedub, later to be USSR's top ace, made his combat debut in a La-5. 
One La-5 was captured by the Germans on 30th July 1942 when Lt. Col. Nikolai Vlasov flew made an emergency landing at Larisov airfield, near Ostrov in Pskov, while a second La-5, belonging to the famous Valery Chkalov squadron was also captured and tested at the Rechlin Test Centre. 
During the whole year of 1942 a total of 1.129 La-5 were manufactured at State Aircraft Factory 21 in Nizhny-Novgorod, while State Aircraft Factory 31 at Tblisi built additional 22 machines. In comparison a total of 2.771 LaGG-3 were built during that same year. 
This was because the La-5 was regarded as an interim step to adopt the M-82/ASh-82A radial engines without disrupting production lines. This gave Lavochkin Design Bureau enough time to develop a more sophisticated variant of the La-5 eliminating the lack of backward visibility and its short range. The last Shvetsov M-82F powered La-5s were delivered in early 1943.

Sources:
1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In Action 169 - La5-7 Fighters in Action
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5

Tupolev SB in Soviet Service. Part Eight.

 

The SB continued to serve during World War 2, specially during the siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Moscow, as we've already stated, but it was also, numerically speaking, the most important bomber the VVS had in the Stalingrad region when the Axis forces launched their offensive against the Caucasus in June 1942. 

The SB in all its variants served, in some sectors, in the night bomber role well until 1943, even if they were being replaced by either the Tupolev Tu-2 or the Petlyakov Pe-2 when they became available. The SBs were also used in other secondary roles by the VVS like supply-dropping, glider-towing, training and transport in the Far East until the end of the war in 1945.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

Tupolev SB in Soviet Service. Part Seven.

 

The SB continued to serve during World War 2, specially during the siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Moscow, as we've already stated, but it was also, numerically speaking, the most important bomber the VVS had in the Stalingrad region when the Axis forces launched their offensive against the Caucasus in June 1942. 

The SB in all its variants served, in some sectors, in the night bomber role well until 1943, even if they were being replaced by either the Tupolev Tu-2 or the Petlyakov Pe-2 when they became available. The SBs were also used in other secondary roles by the VVS like supply-dropping, glider-towing, training and transport in the Far East until the end of the war in 1945.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

Tupolev SB in Soviet Service. Part Six.

 

The SB continued to serve during World War 2, specially during the siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Moscow, as we've already stated, but it was also, numerically speaking, the most important bomber the VVS had in the Stalingrad region when the Axis forces launched their offensive against the Caucasus in June 1942. 

The SB in all its variants served, in some sectors, in the night bomber role well until 1943, even if they were being replaced by either the Tupolev Tu-2 or the Petlyakov Pe-2 when they became available. The SBs were also used in other secondary roles by the VVS like supply-dropping, glider-towing, training and transport in the Far East until the end of the war in 1945.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

Tupolev SB in Soviet Service. Part Five.

 

Germany launched Operation Barbarossa on 22nd June 1941, by invading the USSR. At that time the Tupolev SB was the most numerous bomber in the VVS, the SB 2M-100A, to be more precise. During the first day of the campaign alone, the Luftwaffe destroyed a total of 1811 Soviet aircraft, many of them SB bombers of all kind. In the year 1941, five years after its combat debut over Spain, the SB was completely obsolete and was an easy target for the Luftwaffe. On that same day, 22nd June, a whole Soviet Air Regiment took off to bomb the city of Königsberg, in East Prussia, but none of them managed to return home.
The SB was being replaced by the Petlyakov Pe-2 when available as it was faster and was much less vulnerable to the Luftwaffe, although it could carry 600 kg (1.323 lbs) less bomb load. Most Tupolev SBs flew at night, as it was harder for the Luftwaffe to intercept the SB. 
Although outdated, Soviets pilots praised flying characteristics of the SB to be far better than those of the Pe-2. During Operation Typhoon, the Battle of Moscow in late 1941 the VVS in Moscow had 28 SBs and only five Pe-2. 
It was during that winter, however, that the SB enjoyed a nimble advantage over German airplanes; thanks to the ski undercarriage many SBs were equipped with, they could operate from snow covered airfields, when Luftwaffe fighters were grounded because of the snowfall. 

 

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

Tupolev SB in Soviet Service. Part Four.

 

The Tupolev PS-41 was a civilian version of the SB 2M-103. It was developed by Aeroflot in 1939 and by December 1940 forty-nine machines were in service. As civilianized as it was, every defensive armament, as well as armour plating and bomb release systems were deleted, with the exception of the cartridge case ejector tunnel, which remained in the nose. Many PS-41s had an additional antenna mast placed in front of the canopy frame. When serving with Aeroflot, most of them were left in bare metal with civil registration codes and Aeroflot's logo (albeit not always present), painted in black.

From early 1940 onwards, many PS-41s were assigned to Aviaarktika (Aeroflot's Polar Aviation Division). This organization served in the USSR's most northern region under extreme conditions, hence the non-retractable ski undercarriage the PS-41 were equipped with. Most of them were painted in orange or had their noses or engine cowlings painted red to increase their visibility. 

Shortly after the German Invasion of the USSR in June 1941, Aeroflot's PS-41 were pushed into service with the Civil Air Fleet (GVF in Russian acronym) under VVS (Soviet Air Force) command. Some PS-41s were assigned to liaison squadrons, operating from bases in Moscow and northern USSR. They were used for liaison duties between the Central Military Headquarter in Moscow and the Transcaucasian Front. They were also employed as liaison to link Moscow with the newly established industrial centers east of the Ural mountains. 

In combat, the PS-41 was also used, taking advantage of its high speed, to resupply beleaguered Soviet defenses in the Leningrad area, to supply the city with mail, medicines and military staff. 

As more modern Soviet bombers as the Tupolev Tu-2 or the Petlyakov Pe-2 became available, some former SB 2M-103 bombers were converted to PS-41 standard and assigned to GVF, to ease the acute shortage of transport planes the VVS suffered all along World War 2. 

Overall, the PS-41 served well and became VVS' main high speed transport during the war. It was kept on service for a short period of time after the conflict, until it was gradually replaced by more modern types like the Ilyushin Il-12 or the Lisunov Li-2.

There was an extended range sub-variant, called PS-41 bis designed for mail transport. It featured a pair of external wing mounted fuel depots in lieu of the bomb racks. Those depots allowed for an increased range of 1.180 km (733 miles). 

The Tupolev SB-RK was a regular SB 2M-100A fitted with two Klimov M-105R engines. This served as the initial prototype for the ground attack variant of the SB which eventually became the Arkhangelsky Ar-2. 
The Tupolev SBB was an attempt made by Arkhangelsky to modernize the SB design. It featured smaller wings and an almost complete new redesign with twin tail. The only prototype flew for the first time in September 1940. It was tested against the Pe-2 prototype and the Yakovlev Yak-4 and was discarded due to unsatisfactory performance. Some few attempts were made to attract VVS' attention on the type but the interest was lost.

There was another test aircraft based on the frame of the Tupolev SB. Igor P. Tolstikh an engineer from TsAGI (Central Aero and Hydrodynamics Institute) led a team to investigate a tricycle undercarriage (based on implanting a nose-wheel) in 1940. This landing gear configuration, however, wasn't new in the USSR as another aircraft, Kharkov KhAI-4 employed a nose-wheel back in 1934. 
A heavily modified SB 2M-103 was the basis for the nose-wheel arrangement. This experiment was never intended to be put into mass production, as it was just an study to improve future Soviet bombers.
The nose section was heavily modified to incorporate a large nose-wheel with two bracing struts. The main non-retractable undercarriage was repositioned to the rear.
It was test flown by the famous Soviet test pilot Marc L. Gallai on taxiing and landing flights, who praised the new arrangement as it made it much easier to take off and land, than the conventional tail-wheel bombers. 
TsAGI's prototype, nicknamed as 'Pterodactyl', was assigned to the NII (Flight Research Institute) located at Kratovo, near Moscow, in late 1940. Tests continued until 1941, when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the USSR in June. The first Soviet bombers with tricycle landing gear arrangement, didn't see the light until after the end of the war, namely the Tupolev Tu-12. 

Sources:

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

3rd https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/sb/tapani/prototypes/SBB.htm

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor. Part Three. Even more foreign Users

 

The Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor was a German four-engined monoplane designed and manufactured by Focke-Wulf which was initially conceived as an airliner. Luftwaffe and Lufthansa were its main users, however, there were many other non German users of the Fw.200:

• USSR: During World War 2, many Fw.200s were captured by the Soviets and push into service with the VVS (Soviet Air Force). The first machine depicted below was captured at Gumrak, Stalingrad, in January 1943. Repainted with Soviet markings, it was evaluated by the NII-VSS (Soviet Air Force's Scientific Test Institute) and it was displayed in Moscow for a brief period of time. Its fate is unknown.
  Many more were captured by the Soviets during the late period of the war. Some of these machines were reconverted Fw.200C bombers turned into airliners during 1944 to serve with Lufthansa in order to evacuate high-ranking officers and personalities from Germany. Due to the constant bombing of Germany, very few machines were reconverted.
  When the Soviet Army conquered Germany, at least three of those repurposed machines were captured and, eventually sent to serve with Aeroflot (Soviet airlines), at the Arctic Sea division. Those three planes were registered as H-400, H-401 and H-500, though it's believed that there could've been a fourth one. 
  Due to the harsh conditions of the Arctic Sea, these machines suffered many breakdowns and failures due to their temperature-sensitive Bramo engines. In fact, H-400 crash-landed on the Polar Circle in April 1946. The other machine, H-401, depicted below, served in the Polar reconnaissance role until 1950, when it was written off. Its fate is unknown, but it was most probably scrapped.
  However, H-500 was assigned to Polar Aviation in as late as 1948. It was under reparation at Factory No. 23 in Moscow and had its original Bramo engines replaced by Russian Shvetsov ASh-62 engines. It's not clear though if the engines were fitted at Factory No.23 or they were replaced in 1950 after a maintenance accident in which an oil cooler was destroyed. Anyway it received the unofficial denomination of Focke-Wulf Mk.200 and it was used to supply remote Arctic scientific outpost until April 1950 when it crash-landed and was damaged beyond reparation at Yakutsk airport, putting an end to the Fw.200 in the USSR.
• Spain: A single unarmed Fw.200C-4 served with the Spanish Air Force, at the Escuela Superior de Vuelo (Superior Air School) in Salamanca, Old Castile. This airplane, serialled T-4.2, based at Bordeaux-Merignac, landed in Seville on 1st January 1943 after having been attacked over Casablanca. It was interned and later bought by the Spanish Air Force.
  Four additional Fw.200s crash-landed in Spain during the war. They were bought by the Spanish authorities, but they were not pushed into service for political reasons and they were used as a source for spare parts. 
  The machine labeled as T-4.2 served until 1950 when it was grounded due to a lack of spare parts.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200 (translated)

3. https://www.luftfahrtmuseum-hannover.de/index.php/en/neuigkeiten-2/aircraft-of-the-month/629-modell-des-monats-januar-2022

4. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3, part five. Prototypes and experimental variants

 

There were also some prototypes and experimental variants based on the LaGG-3. Those were the following:

• LaGG-3 M-107: In order to improve LaGG-3's performance and keep it under production Lavochkin fitted a Klimov M-107 engine rated at 1.300 hp at 5.000 m (16.400 ft) to a LaGG-3. Test flights were cut short due to an overheating problem and, as it gave no serious advantage over the LaGG-3 powered with the Klimov M-105P engine, it was discarded.
• Gudkov Gu-82: This was a single-engine low-wing fighter developed by Mihail I. Gudkov. It was initially a radial-powered variant of the LaGG-3 fighter.
  Lavochkin Gorbunov and Gudkov, who were the designers of the original LaGG-3, believed that almost all flaws of their fighter could be solved by fitting a new engine, the Shvetsov ASh-82 (AKA M-82) radial engine rated at 1.330 hp of power. This new engine developed more power than the Klimov M-105 in the LaGG-3, with the expense of a slightly higher frontal area. It had also the advantage that it could still work if one of the cylinders was shot out. 
  On 25th August 1941 Gudkov was allocated an engine and he began to set it up into a LaGG-3 together with additional firepower; namely two 12,7 mm (0.50 in) Berezin UB machine guns plus two 20 mm (0.787 in) ShVAK cannons. 
  The aircraft, with the official designation of Gu-82, flew successfully for the first time on 11th September 1942 and it was found that its maximum speed of 573 km/h (356 mph) was slightly higher than its predecessor and it was also more agile. Gudkov presented the results to the Commissariat of the People for Aviation Industry (NKAP) and pushed for mass producing the type. His pleads were received with enthusiasm by the pilots who were looking forward to have better fighter aircraft to fight off their German foes. However, Lavochkin had developed another variant of the LaGG-3 with a radial engine, the Lavochkin La-5, which proved to be much better and therefore the Gu-82 was cancelled.
• Gorbunov Gu-105: During May 1943 a new variant of the LaGG-3 designed by Gorbunov was designated as Gorbunov Gu-105. This variant introduced many new improvements and features such as better streamlining, lighter weight, cut down rear fuselage and a new canopy to improve rear vision. Emphasis was made in the type being streamlined while still powered by the Klimov M-105PF engine with data supplied from the Yakovlev Yak-1M. 
  This variant was lighter than the Series 66 of the LaGG-3 and was also significantly faster. It had also better rate of climb and maneuverability. In spite of not having wing slats, like the LaGG-3 had, the test pilot reported that the Gu-105 was superior to all Messerschmitt variants in terms of trouble free handling and maneuverability. 
  In February 1944 a second prototype powered by a Klimov M-105PF-2 rated at 1.300 hp, was completed. This, named as Gorbunov Gu-105-2 was armed with one 23 mm (0.905 in) VYa-23 cannon. 
  When tested in May and June 1944 the test pilot said that both in maximum speed and climb rate the Gu-105-2 was inferior to the Yakovlev Yak-1M tested by the NII (Scientific Research Institute) in October 1943. Furthermore, oil and water overheating problems meant that speed could only be sustained for during three or four minutes. 
  Despite having a more powerful engine, performance wasn't good enough and it was decided to concentrate production efforts on the Yakovlev Yak-3 and the Lavochkin La-5 instead. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov_LaGG-3
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gudkov_Gu-82
3. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 163 - LaGG Fighters in Action

4. https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/lagg3/lagg3.html

5. https://www.valka.cz/Lavockin-LaGG-3-t41330

Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3, part four

 

The LaGG-3's production was rushed when Germany invaded the USSR on 21st June 1941, therefore, factory production focused on manufacturing as much Series 4 as possible by lowering the quality. As a result the flying characteristics and performance of these LaGG-3s was inferior to those produced before the war. 

On 4th July 1941 the State Defence Committee decided to move many industries past the Ural mountains, well beyond Luftwaffe's bombers range. OKB-301 (the factory where the majority of LaGG-3s were manufactured) was evacuated from Khimky (a suburb in Moscow) to GAZ-21 in Niznhy-Novgorod on the Volga river during Autumn 1941. The manufacturing plants of GAZ-301, which were repurposed to manufacture the Yakovlev Yak-7, were transferred to Novosibirsk and mixed with the State Aircraft Factory 153. GAZ-31 which before the Russian Civil War was a subsidiary of Lebedev and Maritime Aircraft Production Facility were dismantled at Taganrog on the Sea of Azov and shipped to the Caucasus to Tiblisi, the capital city of Georgia. Much to the north, in Leningrad, at GAZ-23 production came to an end in September 1941 with only 65 aircraft completed due to the Axis encirclement of the city.

During early 1942 the Series 11 was increasingly used in the low-level close-support and ground-attack roles, where its hardiness was appreciated. During the Battle of Moscow on the Kalinin Front the LaGG-3 saw a lot of action in this role during late 1941 and early 1942. The 129th Fighter Aviation Regiment, equipped with LaGG-3 fighters, was awarded the Guards status for their actions, becoming, on 6th December 1941, the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. 

Regarding the next major series, 23rd ones, in early 1942 it was obvious that the LaGG-3 was inferior to the Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7 due to its superior performance and easiness to manufacture thanks to its Delta-Wood structure. Therefore the Commissariat of the People for Aviation Industry (NKAP) ordered GAZ-153 to reconvert from LaGG-3 to Yak-7. At that time GAZ-153 had produced just 330 LaGG-3s. GAZ-21 converted to produce the Lavochkin La-5 during autumn 1942 and for a while both types, LaGG-3 and La-5 were being produced at the factory, making GAZ-31 the only factory building LaGG-3 fighters. During 1942 alone a total of 2.771 LaGG-3 were manufactured, more than any other year the LaGG-3 was in production. 

The Series 35 were produced from August 1942 until spring 1943 at GAZ-31 which was the sole factory producing LaGG-3s in 1943. Regarded as obsolete by the NKAP in early 1942, production continued until the factory was repurposed to built another more modern fighter.

The most successful series of the LaGG-3, series 66, was tested by the Scientific Research Institute of the Soviet Air Force at Sverdlovsk, East of the Urals and it was clear that it was superior in performance to any previous LaGG-3 type. It was, however, slower and worse armed than the German Messerschmitt Bf.109F and G types, which at the time, were its main antagonist. 

Its production began in Spring 1943 and ended in September with more than 6.528 LaGG-3 of every series being made. The State Aircraft Factory in Tiblisi, the main manufacturer of the LaGG-3 Series 66, made 1.294 machines.

The Series 66 was involved during April and May 1943 in the Battle of Kuban at the North Caucasus, taking part in one of the major aerial battles of the Eastern Front. The 88th Fighter Aviation Regiment, fully equipped with LaGG-3 Series 66 and raised with funds of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, took part in that battle.

The Series 66 was kept in active service well until 1944 with various VVS (Soviet Air Force) units. One such unit was 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which operated the type in the Novorossijsk region during spring 1944. In May that unit was transferred to the Baltic Fleet as part of the 11th Ground Attack Division and took part in the Battles for Karelian Isthmus during June 1944 making it the last operational theatre the LaGG-3 was employed on.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov_LaGG-3

2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 163 - LaGG Fighters in Action

3. https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/lagg3/lagg3.html

4. https://www.valka.cz/Lavockin-LaGG-3-t41330

Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3, part three

 

The LaGG-3's production varied from series to series. In the last post we wrote about the Series 1, the first mass produced batch. 

This series was followed by the Series 4, which had many improvements. The engine-mounted Berezin machine gun was replaced with a 20 mm ShVAK cannon. The starboard machine gun was deleted, it had a taller antenna mast, enlarged wing root intakes and an enlarged oil cooler intake. 

This series was powered by a 1.200 hp Klimov M-105PA engine and during 1941 alone 2.463 LaGG-3s were manufactured, with 2.141 built after the factories were relocated east of the Urals because of the German invasion. The counterweight at the bottom of the rudder present in the Series 1, was deleted. In order to try and improve the performance, both fuel capacity and range were reduced.

This series was followed by series 8 which reduced the armament by deleting the two cowl-mounted ShKAS machine guns and standardizing the ShVAK cannon and one Berezin machine gun. The ShKAS machine guns were removed because they were considered extra dead weight as the 7.62 mm caliber weapons only caused minor damage to control surfaces, oil coolers and radiators of enemy aircraft. As the ShVAK cannons were not available everywhere, some aircraft had the VYa-23 23 mm cannon instead.

The series 11 was identical to the series 8 with the exception that it was modified as a ground attack aircraft. It was equipped with two wing-mounted D3-40 bomb racks and six RO-82 launch rails for RS-82 or RS-123 rockets. The bomb racks allowed a 50 kg (110 lb) such as the FAB-50 or additional fuel tanks. Like many other Soviet aircraft of the time, its landing gear could also be replaced with skies to be used during winter, but this decreased performance.

The series 23 introduced a minor modification to the rudder. It had an aerodynamic horn balance in front of the hinge line at the top. 

The series 29 were powered by a Klimov M-105PF engine rated at 1.260 hp. The difference between PA and PF engines was that PA engine was rated at 4.000 m (13.123 ft) while the PF was rated at 2.700 m (8.858 ft) as the majority of aerial combat of the eastern front took place at altitudes below 2.700 m. Exhaust collector tube present in previous series was also deleted and replaced by three exhaust ports. This variant was also equipped with better RSI-4 radio gear. All those small improvements increased the LaGG-3's top speed by 31 km/h (19 mph) with a better rate of climb.

The Series 33 had just a minor upgrade as they only replaced the propeller with a new more modern one.

Series 34 was built in limited numbers and replaced the 20 mm ShVAK cannon with a 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 with only 20 rounds of ammo. It was intended to be an anti-tank variant and as such was introduced during the Battle of Stalingrad. However it failed as the extra weight of the cannon shifted the centre of balance forward and the recoil damaged the engine.

The series 35 was basically a series 33 with automatic leading-edge slats on the outer wings to improve handling. It was also equipped with a retractable tail wheel and an enlarged radiator. The retractable tail wheel was, however, retrofitted to some older models.

The series 66 was the last mass-produced variant before production lines were switched to the Lavochkin La-5. The series 66 had four exhaust stacks, short antenna, new windscreen, reshaped radiator and a reshaped oil cooler. This variant was the fastest of the LaGG-3 at 591 km/h (367 mph) and thanks to its lighter weight, it had the best maneuverability and climb rate of all LaGG-3s, however, it arrived late in the eastern front (1943) and was outperformed by the Yakovlev fighters and German aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf.109F & G and the Focke-Wulf Fw.190. 

 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov_LaGG-3

2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 163 - LaGG Fighters in Action

3. https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/lagg3/lagg3.html

4. https://www.valka.cz/Lavockin-LaGG-3-t41330