World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1936, Joseph Stalin requested a multi-purpose combat aircraft for the Soviet forces capable of performing reconnaissance missions but also pack enough firepower to attack targets they come across. The development for such aircraft was assigned to Pavel Sukhoi (with guidance from Andrei Tupolev), and it was done under the code name Ivanov. Earlier concept models of this aircraft took flight beginning in 1937 under the names ANT-51 and BB-1, and in 1940, orders were placed and the design was renamed Su-2. The Su-2 light bombers were of mixed construction with wooden frames and plywood skin for the fuselages and duralumin/steel frames and fabric skin for the wings. Production began in 1940, and about 100 were in service when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. They were quickly found to be obsolete against superior German aircraft and ground flak weapons, with a large number shot down in the first few weeks of the Russo-German war. Attempts were made to upgrade the aircraft, and the Su-4 variant design was born largely to serve in the ground support role. Some of them also served as fighters due to the overwhelming need for them. Nevertheless, they were quickly replaced by more modern aircraft, and production ceased about mid-1942; about 800 were manufactured between 1940 and 1942.

SPECIFICATIONS

Su-2

Machinery	One Shvetsov M-82 radial engine rated at 1,400hp
Armament	4x7.62mm ShKAS machine guns in wings, 1x7.62mm ShKAS machine guns in upper turret, 1x7.62mm ShKAS machine guns under body, 400kb of bombs or 10x RS-82 or RS-132 rockets
Crew	2
Span	14.30 m
Length	10.46 m
Height	3.75 m
Wing Area	29.00 m²
Weight, Empty	3,220 kg
Weight, Loaded	4,700 kg
Speed, Maximum	485 km/h
Service Ceiling	8,400 m
Range, Normal	1,100 km

Photographs