Polikarpov Po-2

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Polikarpov Po-2
Po-2
Type: Multipurpose aircraft
Design country:

Soviet Union 1923Soviet Union Soviet Union

Manufacturer:

Polikarpov

First flight:

January 7, 1928

Commissioning:

1930

Production time:

1928-1954

Number of pieces:

≈40,000

The Polikarpow Po-2 ( Russian Поликарпов По-2 , NATO code name : Mule = mule) is a Soviet biplane that was released until 1944 under the name Polikarpow U-2 and, with around 40,000 units produced over a period of 26 years, was one of the most popular aircraft in the World.

history

Originally designed as a trainer aircraft , the U-2 has been entrusted with a wide variety of tasks over the course of its career . The first drafts were made in the spring of 1927, and the prototype made its first flight on January 7, 1928. The machine was characterized by simple operation and maintenance as well as by great flight stability, which is why series production began in 1930.

In addition to the actual training variant, an agricultural version with a spray system for insecticides , a version for patient transport, a float version and a passenger aircraft with a closed cabin behind the open front seat were developed in a short time . When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 , around 13,000 aircraft were in use . In the course of the war, out of necessity, a number of military variants of the U-2 were created , these served for example as a battle and reconnaissance aircraft , as well as a liaison aircraft to partisans . It became famous for its use as a light bomber in the 46th Guards Air Regiment, which consisted of women only. These so-called night witches flew nocturnal interference attacks against the German troops with this type. The then only 14-year-old Arkadi Nikolai Kamanin , the youngest pilot in the air force, also used this type. The Germans called the machine a taxiway crow or hooded crow, and because of the noise it made, it was also called a sewing machine .

When the designer of the machine Nikolai Nikolajewitsch Polikarpow died on July 30, 1944, the U-2 was renamed Po-2 in his honor . Series production continued throughout the war and did not end until 1954. After the end of the war, some Warsaw Pact states took over many machines in their training squadrons and used them until the 1950s. Poland , which produced 600 pieces of a license version called CSS-13 from 1949 to 1954 , had it in use until 1956. Yugoslavia converted its Po-2 to Walter engines of the Czechoslovak design. In the GDR , 24 of the type also known as Podwa ( dwa means two in Russian ) were mainly known as a glider tow plane and drop plane for parachutists and were used accordingly from 1952 to 1976.

The Po-2 saw its last military service in the Korean War on the North Korean side from 1950 to 1953, after which it was given the reporting name (later: NATO code name ) Mule (German: Maultier) by the US Air Force .

description

Bomber version LNB in ​​the Polish Aviation Museum

The entire frame of the aircraft consisted of a wooden frame, the front fuselage section was also planked with plywood up to the level of the second seat . The fuselage stern and the supporting structure were covered with fabric.

The two wings were connected to each other and to the fuselage with N-stems and were additionally braced; the upper wing consisted of three, the lower wing of two parts. The normal tail unit also had a fabric covering over a wooden frame, in later versions it received trim and compensation rudders.

The chassis was rigid and had a continuous axle and a rubber-sprung tail spur. Instead of wheels, snow runners could also be used.

Po-2 today

  • an airworthy CSS-13 (Polish Po-2 licensed construction) can be viewed at Heringsdorf Airport in "Hangar 10".
  • another CSS-13 from 1967 to 1976 from the GST as a tow plane with the indicator DM–WAHwas employed, since 2016 the association "Historical Aircraft Saxony" on the airfield Zwickau operated
  • an airworthy Po-2 is operated by the LJSG (Slovenj Gradec) flying club. The machine, built in 1937, was completely restored in 2005.
  • an airworthy and fully restored Po-2 is operated by the Goldtimer Foundation in Hungary at the former Budapest airport in Budaörs (west Budapest).

Technical specifications

Three-sided tear
Parameter U-2 (basic version) U-2T U-2WS (LNB, Po-2b) CSS-13
Conception light liaison aircraft light trainer aircraft light night bomb plane light training and sport aircraft
span 11.40 m 11.38 m
length 8.17 m 8.21 m
height 3.10 m 3.00 m
Wing area 33.15 m² 33.10 m²
Empty mass 635 kg k. A. 770 kg 825 kg
Takeoff mass maximum 890 kg maximum 980 kg maximum 1268 kg maximum 1175 kg
drive an air-cooled five-cylinder - radial engine
Type M-11 M-11D
power 75 kW (102 PS) 81 kW (110 PS) 92 kW (125 PS) 97 kW (132 PS)
Top speed 150 km / h near the ground 155 km / h 130 km / h 155 km / h
Cruising speed 111 km / h k. A. 115 km / h 122 km / h
Landing speed 65 km / h k. A. 78 km / h 80 km / h
Rise time k. A. k. A. 24.5 min at 1000 m (?) k. A.
Climb performance k. A. k. A. k. A. 3.0 m / s
Summit height 4000 m 1300 m 3350 m
Range 400 km 430 km 350 km 560 km
Takeoff route 70 m k. A. 370 m 100 m
Landing route 120 m k. A. 205 m 120 m
Armament - - a movable 7.62 mm MG
DA or SchKAS
200-300 kg bombs		 -
crew 1-2

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Polikarpow Po-2  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Vadim Schawrow : Aircraft constructions in the years of Soviet industrialization (3) - training aircraft U-2 (Po-2). In: Fliegerkalender der DDR 1981. Military publishing house. Berlin, 1980. p. 187
  2. ^ A b Wilfried Copenhagen: Soviet bomber planes. Transpress. Berlin, 1989. ISBN 3-344-00391-7 . P. 147
  3. ↑ a b c d Wilfried Copenhagen, Jochen K. Beeck: The large aircraft type book. Engine book. Stuttgart, 2005. ISBN 978-3-613-02522-6 , p. 503.
  4. ↑ a b Peter Alles-Fernandez (Ed.): Aircraft from A – Z - Volume 3: Koolhoven FK 56 – Zmaj . Bernard & Graefe. Koblenz, 1989. ISBN 3-7637-5906-9 . P. 244
  5. ↑ a b lt. Olaf Groehler: History of the Air War 1910 to 1980 , Military Publishing House of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981, p. 108 the first flight took place on June 7, 1928.
  6. ^ A b Susan Harris (Red.): Encyclopedia of Aircraft - Technology-Models-Data. Worldview. Augsburg, 1992. ISBN 3-89350-055-3 . P. 28
  7. ↑ a b lt. Olaf Groehler: History of the Air War 1910 to 1980 , Military Publishing House of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981, p. 108 33,000 copies built in series
  8. ↑ Tobias Harzdorf: First flight of the Po-2: The sewing machine flies . In: Aviation Classics . No. 08/2016 , p. 34/35 .