By our good friend, writer and fellow historian:Dmitry Ananievskyzmit68@mail.ru
In 1935, the State Commission of the USSR under the guidance of aircraft designer A.N.Tupolev purchased in the U.S. the Douglas DC-2 aircraft. After extensive testing, it was decided to purchase a license for its production back in the USSR.
In the summer of 1935 a special commission from the USSR arrived at the Boeing Aircraft Corp plant and after much discussion and evaluation chose the more advanced Douglas DC-3 aircraft.
On July 17, 1935 an agreement was signed with Douglas in the amount of 340,000 rubles for a period of years. The contract stated that the USSR was not only buying a license to build the aircraft, but Soviet engineers would be trained at the factory As part of this agreement, in 1937-1938 the USSR purchased another 18 DC-3s’. Production of the new aircraft was mastered at Plant№84 in Khimki, near Moscow, and led by Chief Designer V.M.Myasischev. By early November 1938, the first aircraft rolled off the assembly line from imported U.S. parts. From September to December 1939, the aircraft successfully passed Government tests and was recommended for release to flight. The aircraft was designated the PS-84.
Aeroflot operated Li-2
It was decided that in order to meet the rugged flying conditions in the USSR, the airplane had to be redesigned. The redesigning of the plane was carried out under the direction of A.A. Senkov, replacing Myasishev.That summer the first aircraft was assembled from local parts. By the end of the year, they managed to collect enough parts to deliver six more aircraft.
In 1940, the production of the PS-84 was established at Kazan at Plant № 124, but after the delivery of 10 aircraft, he began building a Plant in Tashkent, from which it was planned to deliver more.
The PS–84 began civilian operations in midsummer, 1940. Aeroflot had 12 PS-84s and the same number of DC-3s, the latter used for international flights, and PS-84 serving domestic (mostly long-distance, such as the Moscow-Irkutsk line). In September 1942, after the evacuation in Tashkent, a military version of the PS-84 was produced and was designated the Li-2, named after chief engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov, who supervised the construction of the aircraft.The aircraft was a DC-3 in concept, but the design documentation had been transferred into the metric system, but much of the airplane was built using local materials. It was also necessary to make some very essential changes. For instance, it was necessary to use the existing domestic analogue ASH-62IR A. Shvetsov 1000 hp.engine’ which ran forever.
Li-2 monument in Komsomolsk
Li-2 monument near St.Petersburg
Li-2 Combat Configuration
During WW II, the Soviet Union built 2000 Li-2s. This aircraft was built with a powerful array of defensive weaponry, which originally consisted of four machine guns (SHKAS); one was installed in the nose cone to the cockpit - one in the tower turrets (subsequently replaced by large-UBT) and one and one each on the left and right side hatches in the rear fuselage. The overhead turret was operated by a fulltime gunner, side weapons were operated by the flight engineer. When an air threat shifted to therear of the aircraft, machine gun fire was controlled by the commander of the aircraft.Because armament weight "eats up”altitude by as much as 14-17 km / hr., top speed fell to 281 km / hr. with equal take-off weight.
Accordingly range fell (up to 2350 km), decreased climb ability (to climb to the height of 5000 meters meant an additional 10 minutes or more and the loss of half a kilometer of ceiling.
The weight of an additional 10 or weapons, with ammunition, was 134 kg.
In the summer of 1942, the Li-2 began to be used as a night bomber. Under the center-mounted bomb racks carried 1000 kg worth of bombs.The fuel reserve was increased to a maximum of 3,110 liters.
Take-off weight (TOW) of the plane exceeded 11 500 kg (with pre-war rating of 10 900 kg). Engineers reinforced the airframe with a double knee "legs" chassis, which is considered a characteristic feature of Dakotas of Soviet manufacture. Witha bombloadofoneton, the Li-2 could reach it’sthe maximumflight range.
For alesserdistance the Li-2 couldhave taken morebombs, butdid not have enough fixedpointsfortheirsuspension. In this case, the crews often carried additional small bombs in the fuselage, these they were thrown out of the door by hand. Major bomb racks were rigged by regular electrical release gear and emergency mechanical release. Space for an optical bomb sight in the Li-2 was not foreseen, so in the right window booths, primitive sighting devices were set.
Note glazed doors in the early bomber variant
Li-2 bomber version
Passenger PS-84s' during the war are no longer being built. The only exception were five aircraft with salons like the pre-war models, specially made in Tashkent in June, 1943 for the flight of the Soviet delegation to Tehran. They were assembled with special care and approved by a special commission. As night bomber Li-2 could not boast of either speed or agility. But his crew was working in a much more comfortable conditions than, say, a Soviet Il-4 bomber. The spacious cockpit, dual controls, allowed pilots to get up and stretch, take a nap, use the toilet in the rear-refreshments were available, adequate heating (the Il-4 in winter was not much warmer than out side in the cold) and ventilation, heat, sound insulation, good instrumentation in the aircraft was very convenient for long-distance raids. Two regiments were formed- the 101th. and 102ed, with a staff of 20 Li-2 in each regiment. They are joined together in the 1st transport aviation division. Commanded by a woman - a famous aviatrix V.S. Grizodubova. On April 22, 1942 the first two divisions raided guerrilla positions. But already in July 1942, the division found it necessary to refer to long-rangeaviation. By this time, 3 areas were clearly defined for the Li-2: 1)Transport urgent cargo in the rear (to ensure civil aviation aircraft); 2)Traffic to the front and behind the front line (here, worked as a special air group of civilian pilots, later reorganized into regiments and divisions, so and Air Force); 3)Night-bombing (which became the main task long-rangeaviation). The Li-2, as night bombers, was actively used in November - December 1942 in the battle of Stalingrad. Starting from airfields in the dark, they came to the Volga, where the searchlights from the left bank was designated lane bombing. Soviet forces held only a narrow strip along the rivers. Therefore, the aircraft immediately began to be released the bomb load. A load of 1000 kg was determined for maximum range, so the "short arm" machine could take considerably longer. Additionally, small bombs were placed in the fuselage. These were thrown through the doors manually. With a shortage of bombs, every scrap of metal was loaded aboard, for example, metal left by the German infantry, pieces of railway lines, crutches and,of course, hand grenades.The crew threw everything they could, including the "kitchen sink", as the Americans say. The crews of the 102-th regiment destroyed important crossing on the Don river, hampering the supply of parts to the enemy. In one case, night bombers raided in the afternoon. The 62ed division was ordered to attack an airfield inside the ring of encirclement to prevent a possible escape by the command the 6th Army, led by Field Marshal von Paulus. The order was carried out, but the division lost 5 planes shot down by enemy fighters and anti-aircraft gunners.
The aircraft was a little slow to respond to the controls, but very obedient to the pilot which distinguishes it, from an exhausted pilot in the Il-4. Defensive weapons in the Li-2 and Il-4 were approximately equal, although the Li-2 could not do a complete sweep in the area behind the feathers and under the fuselage. Because of the bombing configuration, the Li-2 lost opportunities to act as a transport aircraft. Thus, the Soviet Air Force received a dual-purpose aircraft, which can be used one way or another, depending on your needs. They began to actively recruit regiments for long-rangeaviation. The possibility of the Li-2 bomber was substantially limited by two factors:
1) the outer suspension bombs were limited by number and caliber, and reduced the already low rate of passenger aircraft;
2) the precision bombing severely suffered from a lack of ability for the navigator to look straight down and the very primitive bomb sight. So the next step naturally was the improvement of Li-2 with a view to enabling the navigator to look down and enjoy a more modern type of optical sight. In 1943 came Li-2NB (NB - a night bomber). Two regiments were formed- the 101th. and 102ed, with a staff of 20 Li-2 in each regiment. They are joined together in the 1st transport aviation division. Commanded by a woman - a famous aviatrix V.S. Grizodubova. On April 22, 1942 the first two divisions raided guerrilla positions. But already in July 1942, the division found it necessary to refer to long-rangeaviation. By this time, 3 areas were clearly defined for the Li-2: 1)Transport urgent cargo in the rear (to ensure civil aviation aircraft); 2)Traffic to the front and behind the front line (here, worked as a special air group of civilian pilots, later reorganized into regiments and divisions, so and Air Force); 3)Night-bombing (which became the main task long-rangeaviation). The Li-2, as night bombers, was actively used in November - December 1942 in the battle of Stalingrad. Starting from airfields in the dark, they came to the Volga, where the searchlights from the left bank was designated lane bombing. Soviet forces held only a narrow strip along the rivers. Therefore, the aircraft immediately began to be released the bomb load. A load of 1000 kg was determined for maximum range, so the "short arm" machine could take considerably longer. Additionally, small bombs were placed in the fuselage. These were thrown through the doors manually. With a shortage of bombs, every scrap of metal was loaded aboard, for example, metal left by the German infantry, pieces of railway lines, crutches and,of course, hand grenades.The crew threw everything they could, including the "kitchen sink", as the Americans say. The crews of the 102-th regiment destroyed important crossing on the Don river, hampering the supply of parts to the enemy. In one case, night bombers raided in the afternoon. The 62ed division was ordered to attack an airfield inside the ring of encirclement to prevent a possible escape by the command the 6th Army, led by Field Marshal von Paulus. The order was carried out, but the division lost 5 planes shot down by enemy fighters and anti-aircraft gunners. In the same battle of Stalingrad the Li-2 provided transportation of urgent cargo, reinforcements and removal of wounded. The 102th regiment delivered to the front 800 tons of cargo and 1,448 people, and the return flights evacuated 5,220 wounded. During the counterattack transport aircraft partially provided fuel far ahead of the tank.
Evacuation from besieged Leningrad
Arctic Li-2
Throughout the war -the Li-2 flew over the front line dropping spies, delivering goods to partisans surrounded by Germans and on the instructions of the Intelligence Directorate of Staff flew in Nazi-occupied territory, and even further - to Poland, East Prussia, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. The 1th Air Transport Division delivered to the rear of the enemy 850 scouts. During these raids four pilots were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
After the war planes of this type continued passenger and freight traffic on local routes. Cancellation began in the second half of the 50's with the replacement of the Il-12 and Il-14. The last aircraft of this type were withdrawn from service in the USSR in the late 1970's.
All in Russia was built 6,157 aircraft Li-2.
Characteristics of Li-2 were slightly inferior to the DC-3. Soviet aircraft were heavier, slower in the flight cruise speed, carried less payload, had a more modest avionics package. The engines had less performance capability and were more difficult to operate. For example, before take-off Li-2 engines had to warm up for 30 minutes, while the DC-3 engines developed the necessary power in much less time.During the war, the Li-2 was forced to operate within inferior grades of oil and gasoline Nevertheless, the Li-2 was the best Soviet airliner and remained so until early 1950. The aircraft design was solid, the engines were of good quality and most important of all very reliable. She could maintain flight altitude on one engine, sometimes in the most difficult of situations. Instrumentation and radio navigation equipment allowed IFR flying at night and in adverse weather conditions. Like her sister, the DC-3, the Li-2 required a relatively small runway length. For comfort, capacity and economic characteristics, the Li-2 surpassed its nearest domestic competitor – the ANT-35, which had greater airspeed. Li-2hadalong lifethanANT-35.PilotingaircraftLi-2wasveryenjoyableand the pilotslovedto fly onit. Pilots would talk about Li-2 saying "The main thing - you do not need to interfere with this aircraft in flight, it flies itself !!”. The DC-3 /Li-2 showed an enviable longevity. On some lines of East Asia, it was operated almost until the end of 1980. Hungary, still flies one aircraft (cn 18433209). A ssimilar plane (cn 23441605) recently was seen in the skies of Russia. The plane belonged to FLA- Federation of Aviation Enthusiasts in Russia. It participated in many airshows, but unfortunately, on 26 June 2004, this Li-2T crashed near the Zaozerye village in Moscow Region. It crashed shortly after takeoff from Myachkovo due to fuel system failure. In Russia, the Li-2 can only be found as monuments on pedestals- there are about two dozen. The best-known Li-2s on pedestals – are at Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, and in Khabarovsk and Salekhard Photo credits: Lystceva Marina Yevgeny Pashnin Soviet Air Force Archive DC-3/Dakota Historical Society
Li-2 monument in Salekhard
The last flying Li-2 in Russia
Author: Dmitry Ananievsky
Dmitry may be contacted at: Dmitry Ananievskyzmit68@mail.ru
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