The work is devoted to the history of experimental work carried out in our country in the field of aircraft construction in the period before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Many of these studies were of priority nature and influenced the development of world aviation.
Airplanes of the early 1910s were inferior to airships in many respects. The flight range of the best airships of that time was more than 700 km, the payload was 7 tons, the time spent in the air without landing was measured in tens of hours. Thus, in terms of range, the airship was approximately twice as large as the airplane, and in terms of the weight of the cargo being lifted, it was 20 times greater. In addition, the airship was considered a safer aircraft, since engine failure did not lead to a crash, unlike a similar case with an airplane.
Increasing the aircraft's carrying capacity would allow it to compete with the airship in solving such military tasks as strategic reconnaissance and bombing enemy rear areas, and would stimulate the start of commercial air transportation. The load capacity could be increased only if the take-off weight and power of the power plant were increased, and since aircraft engines then developed no more than 100 hp. s., then it was necessary to install several engines on a heavy aircraft. A multi-engine aircraft capable of continuing flight when one of the engines stops was very attractive from a safety point of view.
So, already in the early years of aviation there were incentives to create large multi-engine aircraft. At the same time, serious doubts were expressed about the success of such a device. It was argued, in particular, that an increase in size would lead to such a weighting of the structure that the aircraft would lose the ability to rise into the air, while they proceeded from the assumption that with an increase in size by n times, the weight of the structure would increase by n 3 times. Some also believed that an airplane with several engines on the wing would be even more dangerous than a single-engine one, since if asymmetrical thrust occurs if one of the engines fails, it will lose balance and fall.
For these reasons, the first twin-engine aircraft differed little in shape and size from single-engine aircraft and were designed in such a way that, with one engine inoperative, the thrust vector remained in the plane of symmetry of the machine.
The first aircraft with two engines was built in the 1880s in Russia by A.F. Mozhaisky. He installed steam engines in the fuselage, one of them rotated the nose propeller, the other, using a belt drive, rotated two propellers located in cutouts in the wing. Due to insufficient power of the power plant, the plane could not fly.
In March 1910, the Russian engineer Boris Lutskoy, who worked in Germany, created an aircraft with two internal combustion engines with a power of 55 hp each. With. It was made in Daimler's workshop in Stuttgart. It was a monoplane with a forward elevator and a tail unit behind the wing. The frame of the aircraft consisted of steel pipes. Just like Mozhaisky, the motors were located in the fuselage, one rotated the nose rotor, the other, through a transmission, drove two propellers at the leading edge of the wing. In terms of size and weight, it was the largest aircraft of its time: the wingspan was 21 m, the take-off weight was 1,700 kg, and it was designed for five people. Lutsky's airplane took off, but during the flight an accident occurred: one of the side propellers broke, the plane tilted and fell from a height of 30 m.
In England, experiments were also carried out with twin-engine aircraft. In September 1911, the Short company launched its Triple Twin. It was a modification of the Farman biplane with a pusher propeller. At the front of the nacelle, a second engine with a chain drive was installed on two propellers in front of the wings. Soon the company produced two more twin-engine machines, differing in the layout of the power plant: the Tandem Twin (1911) had one pulling propeller; on the Triple Tractor (1912), the front engine rotated the nose propeller, and the rear engine rotated two propellers at the leading edge of the wing. These planes could fly, but the results were disappointing: in terms of carrying capacity, they not only did not exceed single-engine aircraft, but were even inferior to them. The main reason is the large weight of the power plant, the power of which was chosen based on the possibility of flight in the event of failure of one of the engines. In addition, due to losses in the transmission from the engine to the propellers, the thrust was reduced. Another difficulty faced by the creators of the first twin-engine aircraft was the danger of the rear engine overheating if it was located in close proximity to the front one, as on the Triple Tractor.
A new stage in the development of multi-engine aircraft was the creation, under the leadership of the young aircraft designer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, of the Grand (Russian Knight) aircraft. It had four engines on the wing and was several times larger in size and weight than other aircraft of the time. Taking into account doubts about the ability of such large aircraft to stay in the air and statements about the dangers of placing propellers outside the plane of symmetry of the aircraft, it becomes clear that Sikorsky took a big technical risk.
Sikorsky wanted to make the plane multi-engine primarily for safety. “An engine breakdown happens very rarely,” he wrote, “but a stop due to a minor trouble can always happen... I once had to break my airplane and barely avoid serious danger; During one of the flights, the engine immediately stopped, and I had to go down to a small courtyard surrounded by a stone fence and buildings. The reason the engine stopped, as it turned out later, was that a mosquito got into the gas supply pipe. This tube ends in a very thin hole in the engine, in which the mosquito gets stuck, thus stopping the access of gasoline to the engine.
...We need to make a large airplane, put not one, but several engines on it, and, moreover, ensure that you can fly freely if one or even two engines go bad. In this case, the motors must be positioned in such a way that they can be freely approached, inspected, and even made minor repairs. And besides all this, it means that there must be a driver on the airplane who would do all this work, check the working engines, and, if necessary, could even make minor repairs if one of the engines stops, and the airplane would fly in that time on other motors, because it cannot be that some kind of trouble happens in all motors at once.
This means that we see that in order to fly reliably, without the fear of ending up in trees or in the water due to some empty engine malfunction, we must make an airplane with several engines, and in addition we must have a driver on it. And so that he can properly look after his engine, it is not bad that he has an assistant and that besides working with the engines they have nothing else to do in the air. It is clear that a pilot is also needed to control the rudders of the airship. But this is not enough. The aircraft must also have a navigator. Why this extra person, if from an airplane you can so well check your path on a map and so easily recognize the terrain? It would seem that the pilot can sometimes look down, compare with the map and thus direct his flight where he should. But all this is really easy only in good weather. In bad weather, due to rain and fog, the ground is often completely invisible. In this case, it can be difficult for one pilot to cope with the matter. It is at times like this that a navigator is needed. He does not need to think about controlling the rudders, does not need to think about the engines, and he can calmly calculate in which direction to fly, where and how far the wind can blow the device, etc. The navigator shows the pilot in which direction to fly.
From all that has been said, it is clear that for reliable movement through the air over long distances, it is necessary to use airplanes with several engines and it is necessary that there are several people on the aircraft, each of whom must perform his specific task. But that is not all. We know that big ship It moves calmly on the sea and can easily withstand waves that can be dangerous for a small boat. The same should have happened in the air. A large, heavy airship with strong engines should be more stable in the air and should be able to withstand bad weather more easily than a small, light airplane.
In 1912, however, relatively few people thought so. Most people working in aeronautics at that time believed that a huge airplane would not be able to rise from the ground, that it would be terribly difficult to control, and finally, they pointed out that if one of the engines stopped, the airplane would capsize.
This distrust of large airplanes was caused in part by the fact that machines of this kind, built abroad up to that time, turned out to be worthless and could not fly at all. I had a different opinion and believed that it was possible to create a large airship and that it would fly better and more reliably than small aircraft. A happy coincidence of circumstances made the construction of the airship possible. The fact is that at that time, at the head of the Russian-Baltic Wagon Plant, where small airplanes of my system were built, there was a man of outstanding intelligence and determination - Mikhail Vladimirovich Shidlovsky. As a former naval officer who had circumnavigated the world, he clearly understood how reliable navigation in the ocean of air could be achieved. When in the summer of 1912 I introduced him to the calculations and drawings of a large airplane with four engines, with a closed spacious cabin, M.V. Shidlovsky wished that the construction of such an airship be started immediately at the Russian-Baltic Plant."
The production of the first multi-engine aircraft began in the fall of 1912, after the end of the military airplane competition. The design used the experience of creating the competition-winning single-engine biplane S-6B, which was distinguished by its large wingspan and good load-carrying capacity. Water-cooled motors "Argus" with a power of 100 hp. With. the designer installed it on the lower wing, with direct drive to the pulling screws. To compensate for the turning moment in the event of an engine shutdown, the rear part of the fuselage was made unusually long and two vertical rudders were installed, and their surfaces were profiled so that when the engines on one wing are turned off, due to the blowing from the propellers of the operating engines, a lateral force is created that restores the direction of flight. The multi-post biplane box had an upper wing with a span of 27.2 m and a lower wing with a span of 20 m. Ailerons were installed on the upper wing. The wing parts were made of wood, the covering was made of canvas. The fuselage has wooden spars and plywood sheathing and frames, of rectangular cross-section, tapering towards the tail and reinforced with internal and external braces. For ease of manufacture and assembly, it is divided along the length into two parts, joined using four steel brackets.
At the front of the aircraft there was a closed cabin 5.75 m long and 1.85 m high with large windows, reminiscent of a tram car. It consisted of a pilot's compartment and a furnished passenger cabin with electric lighting. The pilots' workplaces were equipped with two steering columns and a large set of instruments for that time - a compass, engine tachometers, speed and altitude meters, slip, roll and pitch indicators. Behind the passenger cabin there was an enclosed compartment for crew rest with a folding couch, washbasin, toilet and storage room for spare parts and tools. An open balcony was installed in front of the cabin. Considering the heavy weight of the aircraft - over four tons - the landing gear was made very durable, with four skids and eight wheels from the Nieuport-4 aircraft, which were built at RBVZ by order of the military department. After the first tests, Sikorsky replaced the single wheels with double ones, connected in pairs and covered with leather: this reduced the load on the ground and made takeoff easier. Installation of engines on the wing, a spacious multi-seat closed cabin, the ability to fly by instruments - all this was new in aircraft construction.
The first, not entirely accurate information about the aircraft leaked to the press at the beginning of 1913, when it was still under construction. The February issue of the Aero and Automotive Life magazine reported: “This device will be distinguished by its previously unusual dimensions... Its load-bearing surface will be equal to 130 m 2, its span will be 25 m, its length will be 20 m. The device will be equipped with 4 Argus motors.” at 100 HP (hp - D.S.) every. The passengers, whom the airplane will lift up to 10, will be placed in a special cabin with a ledge for installing a machine gun and windows for throwing bombs... Pilots can take turns, and the device can stay in the air for 10-12 hours without descent.”
I.I. Sikorsky near his plane.
The plane was ready by March 1913. It was named “Grand”, but soon, in the wake of patriotism associated with the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, it was given Russian name“Big Russian-Baltic” or simply “Bolshoi”. For the first tests - runs around the airfield and short flights - we decided to limit ourselves to installing two engines, one on each wing.
On March 3, the “Grand” was taken to the Commandant airfield. Sikorsky decided to test the giant machine himself. First, he practiced taxiing: he turned on the right and then the left engine and observed whether the plane obeyed the rudder. On March 15, during another run, the designer slightly took the helm and the car was in the air for a few seconds. This means that even with two engines, the “Grand” is capable of getting off the ground! The next day two more flights took place. But soon the tests had to be stopped: the spring thaw made the airfield unusable.
In April, the Grand was transported to the military Corps airfield and converted into a four-engine one. The second pair of Argus were placed in tandem with the first, with pushing propellers. This shows that the designer was still afraid at that time to spread the engines across the span, fearing the occurrence of large asymmetrical thrust. However, the first flights showed that these fears were unfounded: the efficiency of the rudders was quite high; when any of the engines was stopped, the plane normally maintained its course and could even make turns in the direction of two operating engines.
When the airfield dried out, the tests continued. On May 6, Sikorsky circled the airfield at low altitude, and on May 10, the first off-airfield flight of the Grand took place. The designer writes:
“There was no doubt that the ship would fly well. The only thing that worried me was the thought of how to land. You had to look through the glass of the cabin, and most importantly, a large machine weighing about 250 pounds (4100 kg - D.S.), i.e., five times heavier than large devices of that time, should have responded differently to the actions of the rudders. In the air, all this should not have caused anything bad, but when landing on the ground, complete precision of movements was necessary. It was already nine o'clock in the evening when this huge airplane at that time was prepared for flight. The engines were started and running at low speed. Along the embankment separating the Corps airfield from the surrounding fields, huge crowds of people gathered, eagerly awaiting the flight of the airship. With the help of a special lever, all four motors were given full speed at once. The heavy vehicle moved and rolled across the field, leaving deep tracks with its wheels and gradually picking up speed.
Constructor at the controls of an airship.
It was strange and unusual to sit behind the wheel of a speeding airplane and not feel the strong wind in your face. This made the speed seem slower. But one could clearly feel how the shocks under the wheels were decreasing, the vehicle was listening better and more clearly to the steering wheels and was already responding to the movement of the wings (ailerons. - D.S.). This means that the wings already bear almost the entire weight of the device. Indeed, after a few seconds the tremors stopped, and the ground began to go down under the apparatus. Behind the glass in the comfortable, spacious cabin, the speed of movement was not felt, but from the figure of the mechanic standing on the front balcony, one could judge that the device was moving in the air at high speed. You could see how the mechanic had to hold tightly to the balcony railing and stand leaning forward. The device moved in the air very steadily, gradually gaining altitude. The difference in control between the large and small apparatus was immediately felt. The large airplane obeyed the rudders just as well as the small one, but all its movements were slower and, as it were, more confident. It was felt that a gust of wind, which could easily throw a small apparatus to the side or down, could not swing this machine weighing 250 pounds.
During this first flight, all attention was occupied by the controls, and only when the airplane, having described a circle in the air, flew over the takeoff site, surrounded by a dark, agitated sea of spectators, was it possible to look out of the side window onto the ground for a short time. The other two participants in the flight were in a better position. They could freely walk around the cabin of the flying ship and look out the window.
Having flown over the departure point, the airship traveled another three miles, turned back and began to descend to land on the ground. While still at a certain altitude in the air, I made several movements with the elevator that you have to do when landing. Thus, we were able to study a little how quickly the device responds to the actions of the steering wheels. However, it was necessary to land on the ground, because there was already less than a mile left to the end of the field, where there were hangars and a crowd of people.
With a strong movement of the lever, all the motors were immediately reduced to a small speed. By moving the elevator at the same time, the apparatus was tilted forward. The earth began to quickly approach. When 3–5 fathoms remained (1 fathom 2.134 m. - D.S.) altitude, I had to start gradually pulling the elevator lever towards me. Continuing to fly forward at enormous speed, the device at the same time changed its inclination, its front part rose, its approach to the ground slowed down, and in the end the device leveled out and flew horizontally above the ground itself. Pressing the button on the steering wheel turned off the ignition in all engines. The engines immediately stopped working, only the propellers were still spinning after acceleration. A few seconds later, shocks were felt under the wheels, and the airplane, having rolled a little on the ground, stopped.”
From this day on, a series of triumphant demonstrations of the four-engine air giant began, which brought world fame not only to its creator, but also to the entire Russian aircraft industry. Reports about the sensational aircraft appeared on the pages of both the Russian press and foreign aviation magazines.
One of the most impressive was the flight over the capital of the Russian Empire. Its description can be found on the pages of the St. Petersburg magazine “Aeronautics Technology”:
“On May 27, aviator I. Sikorsky made his second long flight on his new large Grande aircraft. He got up at 6 o'clock. morning from the Corps airfield in strong and gusty winds and undertook a number of experiments to test the apparatus. Despite the mud after the rains and the significant weight of the apparatus (up to 250 pounds), the ascent was very successful. In the cabins of the Bolshoi there were four mechanics, next to Sikorsky, also in the pilot’s seat, aviator Yankovsky. Sikorsky, having risen over 300 meters, stopped one of the four motors and it turned out that when two motors were running on one side and one on the other side of the device, the latter went perfectly.
Then Sikorsky made sharp turns, passengers during the flight moved from the front balcony of the airplane to the rear cabins, etc. All experiments were successful: you can walk freely around the cabin, passengers were placed in the best conditions for making observations (since they do not have to watch apparatus, in the front part of the apparatus there is a special balcony for observations); The device discovered greater power and stability. Sikorsky, having described a large circle, appeared above Novodevichy Convent in St. Petersburg and began to describe circles over the city; Despite the early hour, large crowds of spectators watched the flight. After a half-hour flight, I. Sikorsky, having made a very beautiful turn, safely descended at the Korpus airfield. The flight, which was observed by military pilots, turned out to be very successful.”
The successes of the Bolshoi were observed not only by pilots, but also by high-ranking military personnel - the creation of a fleet of multi-engine aircraft could significantly strengthen the country's combat power. There was even an idea to install a 37 mm gun on the plane to combat airships. At the end of May, a message appeared in the press about plans to acquire the Grand by the military department.
Interest increased even more after June 22, 1912. On this day, the Russian military airship “Swan” flew over the Korpus airfield. Sikorsky flew out to meet him, quickly caught up with the aeronautic apparatus and performed several maneuvers, demonstrating the superiority of his machine in the air. On board the plane was the head of aviation of the Baltic Fleet B.P. Dudorov, and the flights were observed from the ground by the Minister of Naval Affairs, Vice Admiral I.K. Grigorovich. Soon Sikorsky received an offer from the fleet to purchase his multi-engine vehicle, which by that time bore the sonorous name “Russian Knight”.
On July 16, the All-Russian Aero Club organized a gala dinner in honor of the innovative designer. A well-known supporter of aviation, one of the founders of the Russian Air Force, General A.V. Kaulbars called the appearance of the Sikorsky aircraft “a revolution in military affairs.” On the balcony of the “Russian Knight” they tested the installation of a machine-gun pivot turret, and a glass window was mounted in the floor for observing and aiming during bombing.
Meanwhile, Igor Sikorsky continued to improve his brainchild. “These days, I. Sikorsky’s “Russian Knight” apparatus has been equipped with other rear propellers. The “Russian Knight” flies almost every day, after each flight I. Sikorsky makes certain changes to his apparatus. Yesterday the speed of the “Russian Knight” was tested; in an hour it covered 94 km (there were 5 people on the vehicle),” the newspaper “Russian Invalid” reported on June 25, 1913.
In July, after a series of tests, including stopping two engines on one wing in flight, the designer decided to install all four engines in a row. The overall thrust of the propellers has increased, and the cooling of the motors has improved. At the same time, Sikorsky added two additional rudders to the tail unit. For landing in the dark, a spotlight was installed on the balcony.
Sometimes the plane was used for aerodynamic research in a “flying laboratory” mounted on the balcony.
The modification of the aircraft allowed Igor Ivanovich to set a world record for flight duration with cargo on July 19. “Russian Knight” with seven passengers on board was in the air for 1 hour and 4 minutes.
At the end of July, a traditional review of the troops of the Guard and the St. Petersburg Military District took place in Krasnoe Selo. Aviation also took part in it - planes and pilots of the First Aviation Company. Knowing that Nicholas II was due to arrive in Krasnoe Selo on July 25, the management of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant obtained permission to demonstrate the “Russian Knight” there. Starting from the Korpus airfield, the multi-engine vehicle landed in Krasnoe Selo 20 minutes later.
The king arrived at the plane at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He climbed the stairs aboard the air giant, examined it in detail, and talked with Sikorsky. From that time on, a silver plaque appeared in the cabin of the Russian Knight with the inscription “This cabin was made happy by the appearance of the Sovereign Admiral of the future Great Russian Air Fleet, His Imperial Majesty the Sovereign Emperor.”
Soon Igor Ivanovich was given a royal gift - a gold cigarette case with a diamond image of the state coat of arms.
Tests of the Russian Knight convincingly demonstrated its safety compared to single-engine aircraft. On June 12, during takeoff at an altitude of 15 meters, a broken steel wing brace hit the propeller and split it. Splinters of the propeller tore the skin of the upper wing in several places. But the plane landed safely and two days later it was ready to take off again. On another flight, the outermost engine unexpectedly broke down and one of its attachment points to the wing came off. The mechanic climbed out onto the wing, reached the stopped engine and secured it with belts. Navigation devices also came in handy. When returning from the inspection in Krasnoe Selo to the Korpusnoy airfield, the drizzling rain covered the cabin windows so much that nothing could be seen through them. But the pilots, guided by instruments, flew safely to their destination.
The “Russian Knight” died not in the air, but on the ground. On September 11, during a military airplane competition taking place at the Korpus airfield, an engine fell off a Meller-II biplane from the Dux plant and hit the Vityaz’s wing. The pilot of the plane that lost its engine managed to land safely. The culprit of the unusual incident was a detached oil pump - it hit the propeller, it broke, the engine, deprived of load, began to sharply increase speed and fell off the cradle.
By the time of this incident, the Russian Knight had flown more than 11 hours. Sikorsky decided not to restore the aircraft, since the four-engine Ilya Muromets was already being built by order of the Maritime Department. It featured a taller and stronger fuselage, an increased wingspan, and the forward part of the fuselage was glazed and formed an enclosed cockpit, as on all future heavy aircraft. Thanks to improved aerodynamics, the load capacity, speed and flight altitude have increased. In 1914, serial production of the Ilya Muromets began; during the war, these aircraft were successfully used as bombers and long-range reconnaissance aircraft.
The appearance at the front of an aircraft with unique characteristics stimulated the creation of multi-engine aircraft abroad. At the beginning of 1915, the designer of the Siemens company V. Forsman, who studied at the Riga Polytechnic Institute and was well acquainted with Russian aviation, tried to repeat the success of Sikorsky by building the Forsman-R aircraft, similar to the Ilya Muromets. But the car turned out to be unsuccessful and crashed after several flights. Produced in a small series in 1915, the three-engine German bomber “Steffen R.1” with engines in the fuselage proved unsuitable for work at the front due to frequent breakdowns in the transmission from the power plant to the propellers. Combat-ready multi-engine aircraft appeared in the West only in 1916.
In my opinion, the construction and successful testing of the “Russian Knight” and the serial production of the subsequent “Ilya Muromets” are our country’s largest contribution to the development of world aviation, the opening of a new direction in aircraft construction. The creation of the “Russian Knight” cost 63 thousand rubles (a regular single-engine aircraft then cost 7–8 thousand). But “the game was worth the candle.” If previously dreams of a gigantic and comfortable “airship” seemed to be the lot of science fiction writers, now the possibility of building such machines has been tested, their safety and promise have been proven. The theory of lift was still in its infancy, but the talented Russian aircraft designer intuitively correctly chose a design with a high aspect ratio wing and engines distributed along the span; the first made it possible to increase the load capacity, the second - to compensate for the aerodynamic load on the wing with the weight of the motors.
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In 1912-1913, Sikorsky worked on the project of the multi-engine Grand aircraft, which became known as the Russian Knight. Already at that time I understood that the weight and thrust of the engines were the fundamental parameters of the aircraft.
It was quite difficult to prove this theoretically; at that time, the basics of aerodynamics were learned practically experimentally. Any theoretical solution required experiment. This is exactly how the Ilya Muromets aircraft was created by trial and error.
The history of the creation of the first bomber
Despite all the difficulties, the Grand took off in 1913; moreover, with its record-breaking characteristics, the aircraft received universal recognition and honor. But, alas... only like a large and complex toy. On September 11, 1913, the “Russian Knight” was damaged in the accident of the Gaber-Vlynsky plane.
The incident was quite funny. During the flight, the engine of the Meller-II airplane fell off, it fell on the Vityaz wing box and completely rendered it unusable. The pilot himself remained alive.
The frivolity of the accident was aggravated by the fact that the developer of the crashed aircraft, Gaber-Vlynsky, was a competitor of I.I. Sikorsky. It seems like sabotage, but no - a simple coincidence.
But the Military Ministry had already become interested in the Grand’s flights. In the same 1913, Russo-Balt began building aircraft in the image and likeness of the Grand Russian Knight, but with some improvements proposed by both Sikorsky and his curators from the army.
In December 1913, the S-22 “Ilya Muromets” aircraft, serial number No. 107, was released from the factory’s workshops.
After a series of tests in 1914, a contract was signed for the supply of 10 more machines of this type for army aeronautical companies.
In addition, the navy also became interested in the vehicle; one vehicle on a float chassis was produced for the Russian Imperial Navy; it was equipped with more powerful Salmson engines of 200 hp, versus Argus engines of 100-140 hp. on land vehicles.
Subsequently, the machines were repeatedly modernized, new types and series were introduced. In total, about a hundred cars of various types were produced. Including several bombers "Ilya Muromets" type E, after the revolution, from previously prepared parts.
Design
The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets was a six-post biplane with a braced fuselage. Frame made of wooden spars and stringers.
Birch plywood 3 mm thick was used for plating in the bow section, and canvas in the tail section. The cabin had extensive glazing; some of the doors and windows were movable.
The wings are two-spar, classical design. The span of the upper wing, depending on the modification, was 25-35 meters, the lower wing 17-27.
Box-type spars, made of wood. The ribs are made of 5 mm plywood, regular and reinforced (double with a shelf) type. The neurite pitch was 0.3 m.
The surface of the wing was covered with canvas.
Ailerons are only on the upper wing, skeletal structure, covered with canvas.
The racks were located in the area where the engines were located and had a teardrop-shaped cross section. Braces made of braided steel wire.
The wing span was divided into 5-7 parts:
- Center section;
- Detachable half wings, one or two per plane;
- Consoles.
The connector units are made of steel, with a connection by welding, less often with rivets and bolts.
The engines were installed on the lower wing between the struts, on a scaffold made of vertical trusses, with a belt-loop fastening. Fairings and engine nacelles were not provided.
Empennage and engines
The plumage is developed, of the supporting type. There were two stabilizers and rotary elevators. Three rudders were used for horizontal maneuvering.
Structurally, the stabilizer and fin were the same as the wing, two box-shaped spars and a transverse set, covered with fabric.
The direction and depth rudders are a skeletal structure covered with canvas. Control through a system of rods, cables and rockers.
The very first aircraft were equipped with Argus piston engines with a power of 100 hp, later they used Argus with a power of 125-140 hp.
Subsequently, Salmsons 135-200 hp were used. and other types of engines:
- "Ilya Muromets" type B, Kyiv - "Argus" and "Salmson";
- “Ilya Muromets” type B, lightweight - “Sunbeam”, 150 hp, although there were also early engines;
- “Ilya Muromets” type G, with a wide wing - there were all types of engines, both domestically produced and purchased abroad, with an average power of 150-160 hp;
- “Ilya Muromets” type D, tandem installation “Sanbinov” of 150 hp;
- “Ilya Muromets” type E, Renault engines 220 hp.
Externally installed gas tanks were suspended under the upper wing, above the engine. Less often on the fuselage, there were no internal tanks. Fuel was supplied by gravity.
Armament
The first Muromets were armed with a 37 mm Hotchkiss cannon, which was installed on a gun and machine gun platform. But due to the extremely low efficiency of this weapon, it was decided to abandon the cannon.
And since 1914, the aircraft’s armament became completely machine gun. Although experiments were repeatedly carried out with arming the Ilya with more powerful weapons, there was an attempt to install even a recoilless rifle.
It was a 3-inch gun with an expelling wad, but due to the low velocity of the projectile and the dispersion of 250-300 meters, it was considered ineffective and was not accepted for service.
Depending on the production period, the bomber had from 5 to 8 firing points with Vickers, Lewis, Madsen or Maxim machine guns; almost all machine guns had a swivel installation and manual control.
In its first air battle, Ilya was armed with only one Madsen machine gun and a Mosin carbine.
As a result, after Madsen’s submachine gun jammed, the crew was left with one carbine and the enemy airplane shot it with almost impunity.
The experience of this battle was taken into account, and subsequently the Ilya Muromets was equipped with a rich arsenal of small arms. And he could not only stand up for himself, but also shoot down a couple of enemy planes.
The bomb armament was located in the fuselage. Suspension devices first appeared on the Muromtsy series B, already in 1914. Electric bomb releasers appeared on the S-22 as early as 1916.
The suspension devices were designed for bombs with a caliber of up to 50 kg. In addition to the fuselage suspension, the Muromets of the later series had external suspension units on which a 25-pound bomb (400 kg) could be attached.
At that time, it was truly a weapon of mass destruction; no country in the world could boast of such a caliber of aerial bombs.
It should be noted that in addition to full-fledged bombs in the usual sense, aircraft were also used to drop flechettes - metal darts to defeat infantry and cavalry units on the march.
Their use is reflected in the Russian film “The Fall of the Empire”, where they were used by a German airplane.
The total load was about 500 kg. At the same time, in 1917, attempts were made to create a full-fledged torpedo bomber from the Ilya Muromets; for this purpose, a naval torpedo tube was installed on it; unfortunately, the tests were delayed, and the aircraft never passed the full test cycle.
Modifications
The following modifications of the aircraft are known; they differed in the design of the wing, fuselage and engines. But the general principle remained the same.
- “Ilya Muromets” type B, Kyiv - Argus and Salmson engines, armament one to three machine guns, 37 mm cannon, which was later removed. The bombs are placed inside the fuselage on a mechanical suspension;
- “Ilya Muromets” type B, lightweight – “Sunbeam”, 150 hp, although earlier engines were also found, a narrower wing was used, the vehicle was as lightweight as possible, bombs were mounted on the intra-fuselage suspension, 5-6 Maxim or Vickers machine guns were used for armament, the series amounted to about 300 vehicles;
- “Ilya Muromets” type G, with a wide wing, the fuselage was changed, beam bomb racks were introduced, defensive weapons were strengthened, it was equipped with all types of engines, both domestically produced and purchased abroad, with an average power of 150-160 hp;
- "Ilya Muromets" type D, tandem installation "Sanbinov" 150 hp. These aircraft did not take part in hostilities. It was planned to use them for an Arctic expedition in the early 20s. Three units were produced;
- “Ilya Muromets” type E, Renault engines 220 hp. The latest model of the aircraft, about 10 pieces were produced, with the main part after the revolution from the backlog of parts. It was distinguished by excellent defensive weapons, longer flight range and payload capacity.
Separately, it is worth noting the “Ilya Muromets” for the Maritime Department, equipped with 200 strong engines and a float landing gear, the aircraft passed tests, but practically did not take part in hostilities.
Combat use
The first flight for the Ilya Muromets bomber was not entirely successful. On 02/15/1915, the “Muromets” type B, serial No. 150 made its first flight, but the cloud cover that fell that day prevented the task from being completed and the crew was forced to return to the home airfield.
But already on the 15th, the plane completed its second combat mission; it was necessary to find and destroy a crossing on the Vistula River, near the city of Plock. But the crew was unable to find a crossing and therefore simply bombed the enemy positions. From this moment on, one can consider a career as a bomber.
On July 5 of the same year, the plane conducted its first air battle with enemy fighters. As a result, the Muromets was damaged and made an emergency landing. But at the same time he showed his vitality. The plane reached the landing site on 2 engines out of four.
On March 19, 1916, the Ilya Muromets again entered into an air battle, this time luck was on the side of the Russian crew. One of the attacking Fokkers was shot down by machine gun fire, killing Hauptmann von Mackensen, the son of General von Mackensen, commander of the 9th Army.
And there were dozens of such battles, the sides suffered losses, but, nevertheless, the Russian plane invariably reached its own.
Its highest survivability and powerful weapons gave the crew a chance for both survival and victory.
The squadron of airships fought actively and heroically until October 1917, but the discord in society and the state also affected this elite and combat-ready unit.
The lower ranks gradually disbanded, repairs to damaged ones stopped, and serviceable aircraft went out of service. And the rallies and chaos continued.
At the beginning of 1919, the squadron of warships practically no longer existed, the planes were rotten, the wooden parts were damp, and the canvas was torn. The engines and mechanics fell into disrepair.
The remaining single aircraft took part in battles on the Southern Front as part of AGON - a special purpose air group.
In general, the history of the Russian Air Force in the battles of the Civil War is a topic for a separate study, however, it is worth noting that aircraft from both the Red Army and the White movement distinguished themselves more than once in battles, flying in difficult weather conditions and participating in battles on worn-out and unreliable machines.
Civil service
After the victory in the Civil War, it became clear that the existing aircraft fleet, including Sikorsky aircraft, was extremely worn out and practically could not perform its functions.
For this reason, the Ilya Muromets aircraft were transferred to civil aviation. In the spring of 1921, the first regular passenger line “Moscow-Kharkov” was opened; 6 former bombers, divided into two detachments, were allocated to service it; one detachment served the line to Orel, which was the transfer point.
The planes made 2-3 flights a week, the worn-out engines and airframe no longer allowed. But already in mid-1922 the detachment was disbanded and the planes were dismantled.
To date, not a single Ilya Muromets aircraft has survived. The structure made of wood and canvas does not withstand the passage of time.
For Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, this aircraft became the first step in a career that did not continue in our country and not in this direction, but, nevertheless, it was the first, confident and broad step forward.
Subsequently, during a business trip to France, examining the drawings and results of blowing the IK-5 Ikarus aircraft in the wind tunnel, Sikorsky probably remembered his favorite, the wide-winged Ilya.
“Ilya Muromets” is forever etched in the people’s memory and in the history of aviation. The first bomber, the first production multi-engine aircraft.
Video
A bomber is a military aircraft whose main purpose is to destroy ground, surface, underground and underwater targets using missiles and bombs.
The appearance of the bomber
The first use of airplanes to destroy ground targets was undertaken before the outbreak of the First World War. Instead of bombs, metal darts or flechettes were then used. They were slightly larger than a pencil. Thus, the bombing with darts was carried out from above on the positions of the infantry and cavalry. The weight of such an arrow is 30 grams, it was capable of piercing 150 mm of wood. The first aerial bomb was created by the Italian military man C. Zipelli. His main goal was to design a fuse that should go off at the most crucial moment. Subsequent experiments with different types of grenades led to the death of the inventor.
The very first combat bombing took place on November 1, 1911. At the height of the Italo-Turkish war, the Italian pilot Gavotti dropped 4 bombs on the Turks in the city of Tripoli. A little later, the Italians began to use buckshot as destructive elements.
World War I
At the very beginning, airplanes carried out bombing purely to intimidate the enemy. Light reconnaissance aircraft were used as carriers. Bombs were dropped manually by pilots, and operations were not coordinated with those of ground troops. The first bombing of Paris took place at the end of August 1914. In November of the same year, Lieutenant Caspar bombed Dover.
But airships showed themselves best during this period. Germany was the most powerful aeronautical power. With 18 copies, it could drop several tons of bombs. In mid-August 14, one of the airships carried out an air raid on Antwerp, destroying 60 residential buildings, more than 900 were damaged. But the British anti-aircraft gunners managed to shoot down 4 units, after which the Germans refused to operate the airships during the daytime.
The first full-fledged bomber that fully corresponds to the rank of bomber was the Russian four-engine vehicle Igor Sikorsky “Ilya Muromets”. In December 1914, the “Squadron of Airships” was created from these “Murom residents”. Bombs were placed not only inside the plane, but also outside. In addition, the installed machine guns were responsible for protecting the aircraft. The first multi-engine bombers began to appear in many countries. One way or another, they looked like “Ilya Muromets”. Germany – G-III, G-IV, G-V, “Zeppelin-Staken R-VI”; England – 0/400, Vickers Vimy; USA - Martin MV-1.
Interwar period
In the post-war period, development of the bomber class slowed significantly. This was mainly due to the events taking place in the countries: Russia - revolution and civil war; Due to the loss, Austria and Germany were prohibited from developing the military industry; Western countries, including the United States, were struggling with an internal crisis.
Nevertheless, aviation was developed. The main indicators of optimal quality were considered to be flight range and load capacity. In addition to the aircraft themselves, combat tactics were developed in flight schools. In the 1920s, the Italian military man Giulio Douhet made a huge contribution to the development of the strategic use of aviation. The main design for that period was a biplane box with wooden wings, a non-retractable landing gear and open machine gun mounts. The most prominent representatives: LeO-20 - France, "Heyford" and "Virginia" - England. In 1925, the legendary ANT-4 took to the skies in the USSR. It was the first production multi-engine all-metal bomber at that time. In December 1930, TB-3 took to the skies and set several world records. In 1933, the American-made twin-engine B-10 Martin became the first bomber with internal bomb storage, enclosed gunner and pilot cockpits, smooth skin and retractable landing gear. This period can be noted as the beginning of the construction of different types and types of bombers, but mainly several stand out: high-speed and long-range. The Versailles Peace Treaty prohibited Germany from building military aircraft, so their designers, with an eye on a possible second war, began producing passenger airliners with the possibility of their subsequent transformation into bombers. Typical representatives of such cunning - He-111 and Ju-86 - became the basis of Luftwaffe aviation. In July 1935, an experimental prototype of the first heavy bomber of the new generation, the Boeing B-17, took off. In December of the following year, testing of the TB-7 began in the USSR. And in 1939, Italy and England released their own types of bombers: Piaggio R.108, Stirling and Halifax. At the same time, dive bombers appeared in the military aviation industry - Pe-2 and Junkers U 87.
The Second World War
Over the entire history of World War II, over 100 different types of bombers took part in battles. Conventionally, they began to be divided into distant and front-line. Accordingly, depending on the type of bomber, they performed the assigned tasks. Among the front-line ones, the most notable ones are the English De Havilland Mosquito, the Soviet Pe-2, the American Martin B-26 Marauder, Douglas A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader. Long-range - English Vickers Wellington, Soviet Il-4, American B-25 Mitchell, German Junkers U 88 and Henkel He 111. While the USSR and Germany developed front-line aviation more, Great Britain and the USA paid attention to heavy four-engine bombers that could deliver massive attacks on targets. The American heavy bombers were based on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, which was considered the fastest and highest-altitude combat aircraft at the beginning of the war. The most prominent representative was A. Jordanov’s Boeing B-29 project. At that time, this unit had perfect aerodynamics and powerful engines. And it was he who became the first of all on which it was possible to transport nuclear weapons (with the Enola Gay the US Air Force bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945).
Since 1944, bomber jet aircraft have been involved in active combat operations. And for the first time, jet fighter-bombers began to develop. The first modification of such an aircraft is the Me-262A2, designed in Germany back in 1942. A year later, German designers developed a carrier bomber (Do-217K) for guided weapons that dropped glide bombs. The world's first missile carrier was the He-111, which was obsolete by the end of the war. It was he who produced the V-1 cruise missiles.
Cold War period
With the beginning of complications in communication between the USA and the USSR, advanced countries began an arms race. In particular, bombers became the only potential carriers of the most formidable nuclear weapons at that time. However, developing new heavy aircraft with the ability to travel vast distances to strike was extremely expensive. Because of this, only three countries were engaged in such research: the USA, the USSR and the UK, among which the Soviet Union lagged behind the most. Realizing this, the country's leadership decided to begin developing new prototypes, in particular, the Tupolev Design Bureau managed to completely copy the American B-29. The copy was called Tu-4.
New capabilities for flying over vast distances made it possible to introduce other classes and designations. Thus, bombers that were capable of covering a distance of 10-15 thousand km began to be called intercontinental, and up to 10 thousand km - long-range (medium). Devices that could be used in the front-line zone or behind enemy lines began to be called tactical aviation.
In 1946, the United States created the first intercontinental bomber, the Convert B-36. It was also the last strategic bomber to use piston engines. In the 50s, aircraft designers managed to create aircraft that for many years determined the appearance of the heavy aircraft industry, among which the B-47 is considered the first. Unlike American designers, Tupolev specialists used a wing with a rigid caisson, which had great survivability, for the new jet bomber (Tu-16). On its basis, the USSR designed the first flagship of jet passenger aviation, the Tu-104.
In April 1952, the prototype of the US YB-52 intercontinental bomber took off. The design used many previously developed optimal parts of the B-47 aircraft. Thus, the new B-52 became the main subsonic aircraft of America's Strategic Air Command. The aircraft performed extremely well, which influenced the decision of the Air Force command to develop purely supersonic aircraft. In November 1956, the B-58 prototype took off, becoming the first long-range supersonic bomber. To improve aerodynamic qualities, aircraft designers used some fighter components. Thus, the project gradually began to be modernized, smoothly transitioning into the B-70 Valkyrie. Hopes were pinned on the new unit to replace the obsolete B-52s. However, the program was closed due to a spectacular demonstration in May 1960 of Soviet air defense systems, which easily hit both subsonic and supersonic targets.
At the same time, Khrushchev came to power in the Soviet Union, who firmly believed in the omnipotence of missile weapons. This direction completely stopped work on intercontinental bombers in the USSR. However, aviation, one way or another, needed aircraft capable of destroying AUG (carrier strike groups); in particular, this project was more concerned with the creation of new weapons for the US Navy. In September 1959, the long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22 made its first flight. Its layout was the most original and had not been used anywhere before. A further development was the Sukhoi Design Bureau supersonic aircraft T-4. However, due to political problems, the program was closed in the 70s.
Low altitude supersonic bombers
The period of the 60s in the United States was marked by constant preparations and research in the field of heavy aviation. The Air Force leadership identified this need after receiving data on Soviet air defenses, the characteristics of which were the best at that time. A temporary solution was the adoption of the FB-111 bomber, a modification of the F-111 heavy strike tactical aircraft.
The USSR decided to make an analogue of the American front-line bomber - the Su-24, which took off in January 1970. Unlike the American leadership, the Union decided not to give up high altitude. All efforts were devoted to creating new multi-mode aircraft. Tu-22M is one such project, which first took to the skies in August 1969. At the same time, the United States began to develop a new multi-mode bomber, the B-1A. According to preliminary calculations, it was supposed to replace the B-52, but in 1977, after a series of flight tests, they decided to close the project. In addition, the need for stealth aircraft to break through enemy air defenses disappeared after the successful development of Stealth technology.
Stealth bombers
The new air defense systems of the USSR forced the US Air Force to look for other ways to increase the survivability of aircraft in combat conditions. The F-117, which took off in June 1981, is considered the first stealth bomber. In July 1989, the B-2 bomber, which was created under the ATV program, took off for the first time. After some time, the designers had to slightly change and increase the requirements, since the new S-300 air defense systems entered service with the USSR. A total of 20 B-2 units were built.
Modernity
When the Cold War ended, many expensive strategic bomber programs were canceled. Before the collapse, the Soviet Union managed to build 35 Tu-160 units, which were based mainly in Ukraine, in the city of Priluki. In 1992, serial production of the aircraft ceased, but a year later production began making small series of Tu-160 for Russia. By 2007, there were 16 aircraft in the Russian Federation. In addition, Russia has 64 Tu-95MS and 158 Tu-22M in service. And in 2015, the Russian Air Force plans to launch into the sky the first domestic long-range bomber with Stealth technology.
In 1990, the US defense demanded new solutions in the production of advanced bombers. Thus, by 2007, the Air Force consisted of 21 B-2 units, 20 B-2A units, 66 B-1B units and 76 B-52N units. Lockheed and Boeing have announced their intention to create a new strategic bomber. It is planned to be put into service in 2018.
Tactical aviation is characterized by blurred boundaries between fighter-bombers, front-line bombers and attack aircraft. The main differences are the flight range and limitations on combat capabilities.
Bomber classification:
Strategic.
Tactical (front-line).
Stormtroopers (support).
Diving.
Fighter-bombers.
The design features of almost all bombers are associated with:
the presence of huge compartments in the fuselage to accommodate weapons;
large volume of fuel tanks, which can sometimes increase the weight of the aircraft by up to 60%;
the fact that the crew cabins are sealed and large in size.
To create such aircraft, radar-absorbing materials can be used, which reduce radar signature. Sometimes, to cover vast distances, bombers are equipped with an aerial refueling system. In most cases, the power plant is multi-engine.
Aircraft classification:
| A |
| B |
| IN |
| G |
| D |
| AND |
The Ilya Muromets aircraft is the world's first bomber. The Ilya Muromets aircraft formation was the first, if we say in modern terms, bomber unit in the Russian Imperial Army and in the world during the First World War. During the production of the aircraft, several modifications were produced, including a passenger one. The aircraft held the record for cargo capacity and passenger capacity.
The history of the development of the S-22 “Ilya Muromets” bomber aircraft
In 1911, the famous Russian aircraft designer I. I. Sikorsky designed the Russian Knight airplane. The aircraft initially had a twin-engine layout with engines with tractor propellers located on the lower wings of the biplane. Then an experiment was carried out with four, and two were installed with pulling screws, two with pushing screws. The engines were connected in pairs. Based on the results of the experiments, a four-engine aircraft went into production. The motors were located on the lower planes of the biplane box. In fact, this airplane was the harbinger of both “Ilya Muromets” and all heavy flying machines in general.
"Vityaz", alas, did not live long. In September 1913, an engine came off from a flying airplane and destroyed Vityaz. However, the impetus for the creation of Ilya Muromets took place.
In December of the same year, the first copy of the S-22 Ilya Muromets airplane took flight.
The development of the aircraft was carried out in St. Petersburg in the aviation department of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant. The design team also included the future “king of fighters” N. N. Polikarpov.
Using a biplane design, taking into account developments in the production of the Russian Knight, the aircraft turned out to be revolutionary for that time. The upper wing span was 32 m. Before this, no one in the world had made such airplanes.
At the same time, a passenger model of the aircraft was built. For the first time, an airplane had a separate cabin for passengers, which was heated by exhaust gases from the engines. Electric lighting was also installed. The passenger side offered its passengers a toilet and a bath. In the air there was access on the lower wing console. The roof of the fuselage was a walking platform.
Winter 1913-14 Passenger airplane tests were carried out. “Ilya Muromets” took off and successfully landed with 16 passengers and the dog Shkalik. The total weight of people and dogs is 1290 kg.
As the press of that time wrote: “Our talented pilot-designer I. I. Sikorsky set two new world records on February 12 on his Ilya Muromets - for the number of passengers and for carrying capacity. “Ilya Muromets” flew over the airfield and Pulkovo for 17 minutes and safely descended from a height of 200 m. The passengers - about ten military pilots, pilots and employees of the Russian-Baltic plant were delighted. Two commissioners of the flying club recorded this flight for dispatch to the bureau of the International Aeronautical Federation in Paris.”
In April 1914, the second ship left the plant's workshops. The aircraft was equipped with new engines. The internal power was 140 hp. s., external - 125 l. With. On June 4, 1914, the designer conducted an away flight with 5 members of the State Duma. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 2000 m. After this, the aircraft in the heavy bomber version was put into service.
By order of the naval department, the first copy was converted into a seaplane.
To demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities, Sikorsky proposed a test flight on the St. Petersburg-Kyiv route. Refueling was scheduled in Orsha. The team consisted of four people: captain I. Sikorsky, co-pilot - navigator Captain Christopher Prussis, co-pilot Lieutenant Georgy Lavrov and mechanic Vladimir Panasyuk. Almost a ton of gasoline, a quarter of a ton of oil and 150 kg of spare parts, materials and tools were loaded on board. In total, including the crew members, the airplane took on board a weight of 1610 kg.
The pilot changed every half hour. The flight went in the direction of Orsha. Around seven in the morning, the world's first in-flight breakfast took place.
The press called the results of the successful flight “impressive.” But the First World War was approaching.
The first period of the war quickly proved the fallacy of the tactics of scattered use of machines. And the chairman of the board of the Russian-Baltic plant, M.V. Shidlovsky, where the Muromets were produced, proposed merging them into one part. On December 23, 1914, a squadron of combat airships was formed. December 23 is established as a professional holiday for long-range aviation.
The composition of the squadron was determined to be 10 combat ships and 2 training ships. The squadron's first combat mission was recorded on February 15, 1915, when the squadron bombed a German military base. The takeoff was made from an airfield in Poland. The squadron's range of action was 500 km.
By the summer of 1916, the squadron already consisted of 30 S-22 Ilya Muromets bombers. Also included were escort fighters, reconnaissance aircraft and training aircraft.
With the beginning of the war, serial production of aircraft intensified. The “B” series became the most widespread - 30 pieces were produced. The crew included 4 people. Bomb load - 800 kg.
In 1915, production of the “G” series began. Several modifications were released in the series. The G-1 modification had 7 crew members; the G-2 had a shooting cabin to protect the rear hemisphere. In 1916, the modification G-3 went into production, in 1917 - G-4.
The G-2 series aircraft again set an altitude record of 5200 m.
During the First World War, deliveries to the active army amounted to 60 aircraft. The pilots flew more than 400 times to bomb and reconnaissance enemy positions. 65 tons of bombs were dropped on the enemy. 12 enemy fighters were destroyed in air battles.
The plane proved to be very durable. During the fighting, 2 vehicles were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, and 1 aircraft was shot down by fighter fire. In April 2016, during the German bombing of the home airfield, 4 aircraft were lost on the ground. More aircraft were lost due to technical reasons - 20 units.
After the revolution, the already very outdated aircraft was used for some time as a passenger and mail aircraft, however, by 1922 all the aircraft were already worn out. Due to exhaustion of resources, the aircraft were withdrawn from flight operations.
In 1979, a model of the S-22 “Ilya Muromets” aircraft was created for filming in the film “Wings to the Sky.” The plane could jog along the runway and taxiways. The mock-up is currently in the Air Force Museum.
Description of design
The design of "Ilya Muromets" is a four-engine biplane. The wings were connected by six connecting struts. The motors were located on the lower wing. To access the engines, a plywood walkway with wire railings was laid along the lower wings, giving access to any engine directly during flight. During a combat mission, the ability to repair the aircraft in flight more than once saved the lives of the aircraft and its pilots.
The length of the fuselage of the vehicle reached 19 meters, the area of the wings was 200 square meters. Aircraft speed is 100-130 km/h.
The chassis wheels were made with rubber cord shock absorption and covered with leather. Nowadays they would be called wide-profile.
A special feature of the aircraft was its closed cockpit. Since the pilot could not see how far it was from the ground, the cockpit was equipped with instruments that were revolutionary for that time. In addition to the usual compass and four tacheometers, the cockpit contained two altimeters and two airspeed meters connected to a pitot tube (air pressure receiver). Also in the cockpit was a slip indicator - a curved glass tube with a ball inside.
Pitch could be determined using the same device with marking angles for pitching and diving.
Bomber capabilities
“Ilya Muromets” rightfully took first place among the bombers of that time. German bombers could drop bombs or other destructive elements by throwing them out of the cockpit, while the Muromets by 1916 had electric droppers and rained down on the enemy up to 800 kg of bombs of various calibers, up to a bomb weighing more than 400 kg. The aircraft's flight range and carrying capacity also improved the aircraft's combat qualities.
Performance characteristics
The characteristics of the G-3 series aircraft are given in the table:
Advantages and disadvantages
The Ilya Muromets was the leading aircraft in 1914. A huge bomb load for those times, a long range, powerful defensive weapons and resistance to damage in battle - these are the advantages of the bomber.
Unfortunately, the aircraft has many shortcomings. The first and most important is the variety of engines. The production that had begun with German engines ceased at the beginning of the war. Germany did not supply engines. Attempts to install French and English engines led to a reduction in the bomb load and other flight characteristics of the aircraft. Frequent technical breakdowns accompanied this model. Because of this, many sides were damaged during landing or were laid up due to lack of repairs. Therefore, by the end of the war, the aircraft were used mainly as a huge reconnaissance aircraft. The plane could not pull a bomb load on low-power engines.
Main weapons
At the beginning of the war, plans were to install a cannon on the aircraft that could be used against Zeppelins. Experiments were carried out, after which the gun was abandoned. However, the plane needed protection. If at first the crew’s personal weapons were enough, then with the progress of enemy fighter aircraft they began to install machine guns on the planes. Because of this, the number of crew members has increased. The specialty of an air gunner appeared.
As for the main weapons - bombs, the aircraft could take up to 800 kg of bombs. But the actual mass of bomb weapons was lower; the bomber carried no more than 500 kg of bombs on board.
Historical value of the aircraft
At the beginning of its service, in 1914, the aircraft was an advanced airship, which had no equal. He set a strong vector of development for both bomber and passenger aircraft manufacturing.
The airplane had many opportunities for further modernization, but the collapse of the Russian Empire prevented its development. Nevertheless, the practice of using long-range bomber aircraft was developed for the first time.
For the first time, a long-distance flight was made, which gave rise to civil passenger aviation. Therefore, we can say that it was a very good plane that happened to be born at an unlucky time.
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