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Petlyakov Pe-3

1941 WORLD WAR 2

Petlyakov Pe-3 History

The Petlyakov Pe-2 was originally a Soviet twin-engine aircraft that entered the market in the late 1930s and became one of the key aircraft of the Soviet effort during World War II (1939-1945). Originally conceived as a dive bomber modeled on the successful German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, the Pe-2 played countless roles on the battlefield, including fighter-bomber, light bomber, close support, reconnaissance and night fighter.

For the heavy fighter/night fighter role, this aircraft was individually designated "Pe-3", and by the end of the war in 1945, this version was in service with 11,427 aircraft in the Soviet aviation inventory, with the dedicated Pe-3 appearing only in 360 . Introduced in 1941 and produced from 1941 to 1944.

The Pe-2 was naturally the basis for the Pe-3, without dive bombing capability and a crew of three. The first flight was recorded on August 7, 1941, and the layout of the aircraft was largely faithful to the original. Two crew members sat back-to-back under a modified frame canopy, with the rear crew serving as a dedicated gunner/observer. The bomb bay was equipped with additional fuel storage to increase the combat range of the aircraft.

The armament consists of a 1 x 20mm cannon in the nose assembly, linked to 2 x 12.7mm UBK machine guns on the forward mounting bracket of the fuselage. The dorsal turret is armed with a 1 x 12.7mm UBT machine gun, while one tail mounts a 7.62mm machine gun. Bomb loads of up to 1,500 pounds are also possible, allowing fighter-bomber strikes.

Structurally, the Pe-3 used the Pe-2 with a low wing, split rudder tail and fully retractable "tail-tow" landing gear.

Power is provided by 2 Klimov M-105RA V12 liquid-cooled inline engines of 1,100 hp each, driving 3-blade propellers. It has a top speed of 330 mph and a range of up to 930 miles. The service ceiling is listed as 29,860 feet, and can reach 16,400 feet in less than seven minutes.

Production of the new aircraft began in the summer of 1941, with deliveries in August. As the Pe-3 evolved from the Pe-2, they shared the production line, and the Pe-3 was simply modified into the heavy fighter/night fighter role they were in.

The initial production version, simply known as "Pe-3", appeared in 207 examples. The Pe-3bis was an improved and upgraded version released in 1942, with production reaching 152 units. Minor changes in design culminated in the 1944 Pe-3M.

Outside the Soviet Air Force and Navy, the Pe-3 was used in a captured example by the Finnish Air Force and was never offered for export. Its combat use ended with the end of World War II and subsequent cuts in armaments and budgets.