WOW247 Petlyakov Pe-2

Description

The Petlyakov Pe-2 was a Soviet twin-engined dive bomber used during World War II. It was regarded as one of the best front-line medium bomber of the war and it was also successful in the roles of heavy and night fighter (Pe-3 variant) as well as of reconnaissance aircraft. It was similar in many respects to the wooden British de Havilland Mosquito. Pe-2s were manufactured in greater numbers (11,430 built) during the war than any other twin-engined combat aircraft except for the German Junkers Ju 88 and British Vickers Wellington. The Pe-2 was fast, manoeuvrable and durable. Several Communist nations flew the type after the war, when it became known by the NATO reporting name Buck. Six captured Pe-2s were also transferred from the Germans to the Finnish Air Force during the Continuation War, with the serial code PE- and the unofficial nickname Pekka-Eemeli.

The Pe-2 was designed in a prison design bureau (sharashka); Vladimir Petlyakov had been arrested and imprisoned in 1937 for allegedly delaying design work on the Tupolev ANT-42 bomber. In the sharashka, Petlyakov was put in charge of a team to develop a high-altitude fighter escort for the ANT-42 under the designation VI-100. The first of two prototypes flew on December 22, 1939 and was a sophisticated aircraft for its time, featuring a pressurised cabin, all-metal construction, superchargers and many electrically actuated systems. It is said that Petlyakov and his team could see the VI-100 prototype from their prison as it was put through its paces for the crowds watching the annual May Day parade in 1940.
The aircraft did not show its true potential until the end of 1941, after the Soviet Air Force had a chance to regroup after the German onslaught, during the Winter. The Pe-2 quickly proved itself to be a highly capable aircraft, able to elude the Luftwaffe’s interceptors and allowing their crews to develop great accuracy with their bombing.

The Pe-2 was not without it’s weaknesses and German pilots soon discovered the limited sighting angles of the ventral gun mounting and its poor reliability. The Ammunition belt of the rear machine-gun often jammed after the first burst of fire when shooting in extreme positions. The navigator and the radio operator were poorly protected. On average, ten Pe-2 gunners were wounded for every pilot, and two or three were killed for the loss of one pilot. Throughout 1942 the design was steadily refined and improved, in direct consultation with pilots who were actually flying them in combat, Improved armour protection and a fifth ShKAS machine-gun was installed and the fuel tanks also modified.

We have three 1/30 scale Pe-2 bombers available at a price of $850 plus $149 shipping.

Aircraft model measures 57.5cm x 43 cm. (W x L)