Aircraft of the Second World War. Military aircraft of the Second World War period

The Second World War in many respects was an unprecedented event not only in the world order as a whole, but also in the understanding of military art in particular. The military tactics of combat, attack and defense were rapidly developing, heavy equipment instantly became obsolete, and a new one appeared in its place from the conveyors. A special place, of course, belongs to aviation, in which in a short time the Soviet industry has made a real breakthrough for itself.

Her Majesty Aviation

Aircraft of the Second World War are one of the main military characters in terms of technology. At that time in the Soviet Union, this industry was just beginning to develop. How much Russia lagged behind, showed the first powerful attack of the enemy. Soviet troops were not ready to attack. The Luftwaffe from the first minutes of the war showed itself to be a very strong opponent, which was not easy to throw off the Russian sky. He destroyed most of the Soviet aircraft, and they did not even have time to fly.

However, training in the realities of war is swift. Experts are unanimous in the opinion that the aircraft created during World War II are the true flowering of aviation, which in the future is reflected in civil aviation. By creating WWII aircraft, the USSR won the right to be called a powerful aviation power.

The Luftwaffe aircraft were terrified by their low buzz, bright coloring and technical equipment. Soviet designers had to make a powerful and speedy jerk so that WWII aircraft could not simply compete, but also drive the enemy out of their skies.

Testing with the first fire

The first flight cockpit for almost all beginning military pilots of that time was the famous "corncob" U-2. Aircraft of the Second World War still remain samples of military equipment, but this biplane became a legend, considering what a significant contribution it made to forging victory. It was difficult to use it in any other way than the educational model. This was due to his small take-off weight, design, minimum capacity.

Meanwhile, designers were able to mount in the aircraft mufflers and holders for light bombs. Due to its small size, low visibility, it turned into a rather dangerous night bomber and was used in this capacity until the end of the war.

Palma of the fighter championship

The fighters were truly a visiting card of the aviation arsenal of all participants in the hostilities. The most dangerous military aircraft at that time belonged, of course, to the Luftwaffe. It was necessary to create an airplane that could fight them on equal terms. I-16 in its technical characteristics is much inferior to the German fighters. The victories won on him were very expensive and depended more on the skill and fearlessness of the pilot than on the aircraft itself.

It was then that the MiG appeared - a fundamental new word in Soviet aviation, which to this day are all improving their modifications and combat characteristics. Worthy opponents of the Germans in the struggle for the Soviet sky was the third modification - the MiG-3, recognized as the most dangerous military aircraft of the war period. The maximum speed exceeded 600 km per hour, the flight altitude reached 11 km. This became its main advantage in the framework of air defense.

Yak

Military aircraft must have a mass of combat characteristics, which especially at that time was difficult to fit into one car. MiGs could not compete with the Germans at a lower altitude. At a level of five kilometers, they lost speed. And here it was perfectly replaced by the Yaks, which were modified very quickly. The final combat variant - Yak-9 - was equipped with a powerful ammunition kit with the relative ease of the aircraft itself. For this he became the preferred machine not only for Soviet soldiers, but also for allies. For example, he was very fond of the French pilots from the Normandy - Niemen.

The main drawback, which had Soviet WWII aircraft, was a weak combat equipment. They were machine guns, very rarely they put a 20-millimeter gun. This problem was solved in the design bureau of Lavochnik, where the La-5 fighter with two SHVAK guns came from.

Air Armor

Aircraft of the Second World War to some extent had the same design principle: a frame of wood or metal, which was lined with metal, cloth or plywood, inside was installed the engine, armor and combat kit. In the design bureau Ilyushkin revised the principle of weight distribution, replacing some of the power structures of the aircraft armor. The result of this was the creation of IL-2. The plane as an attack aircraft terrified not only in the sky, but also on the ground. In the final configuration, a 37 mm cannon was installed on its board, which provided him with a high level of damage. German planes of World War II finally met a true rival.

Another inseparable member of the air cage - bombers. Pe-2 initially had to be a powerful fighter, but eventually a dangerous aircraft came out of the design bureau, which had a dive efficiency. Such a modification appeared just in time. He dropped the bombs precisely during the peak, then left it and left at high altitude.

However, the largest number of modifications had the Tu-2. It was used as a scout, bomber, interceptor, attack aircraft.

German planes of the Second World War took the Soviet defense by surprise. They were terrifying. Meanwhile, the Soviet design bureaus accepted the call and answered it relatively quickly.