Petlyakov Pe-3

infobox Aircraft
name =Pe-3
type =Heavy fighter
manufacturer =Petlyakov



caption =The VI-100 high-altitude fighter prototype, of which the Pe-3 was a derrivative.
designer =Vladimir Petlyakov
first flight = 1941
introduction = 1941
retired =
status =
primary user =Soviet Air Force
more users = Finnish Air Force
produced =
number built =about 1,300
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The Petlyakov Pe-3 was the long range heavy fighter version of the successful Petlyakov Pe-2 tactical bomber, the Soviet enactment of the same development path the Germans took with the Junkers Ju 88 and the British with the De Havilland Mosquito. Some sources believe that the Pe-3 was created before the German invasion, and indeed work on the VI-100 high-altitude prototype, from which both the Pe-2 and Pe-3 were developed, was begun in mid-1938 [Stapfer 2002, p. 4.] .

Development

In early 1941 a modified Pe-2 fighter bomber was given the designation Pe-3. It had a two man crew (compared to three for the bomber) which sat back to back with the rear gunner facing backwards. Additional fuel replaced the main bomb bay. Only 23 Pe-3 were made before Germany invaded and production ceased until the summer of 1941 when every second Pe-3 on the production line was modified to the Pe-3bis. Around 1,300 were built of all versions and some were specially constructed as night fighters.

Variants

* Pe-3bis : Two-seat night-fighter version. 300 built.
* Pe-3M : Two-seat fighter version, powered by two 1,260-hp (940-kW) klimov VK-105PF piston engines. The Pe-3M was armed with two 20-mm shVAK cannons, three 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) machine guns and bombload of up to 1,543-lb (700-kg).
* Pe-3R : Two-seat reconnaissance fighter version.

Operators

;FIN
*Finnish Air Force operated one captured aircraft (PE-301).;USSR
*Soviet Air Force

pecifications (Petlyakov Pe-2)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Crosby, Francis: "Fighter Aircraft of World Wars One and Two", first published 2004 by Hermes House
crew=2: pilot, rear gunner
length main=12.6 m
length alt=41 ft 4.5 in
span main=17.16 m
span alt=56 ft 3.6 in
height main=3.42 m
height alt=11 ft 2.6 in
area main= m²
area alt= ft²
empty weight main=5,870 kg
empty weight alt=12,941 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=8,040 kg
max takeoff weight alt=17,725 lb

more general=
engine (prop)=Klimov M-105PF
type of prop=liquid-cooled V-12
number of props=2
power main=903 kW
power alt=1,210 hp
max speed main=530 km/h
max speed alt=329 mph
range main=1,700 km
range alt=1,056 miles
ceiling main=8,800 m
ceiling alt=28,700 ft
climb rate main=8.3 m/s
climb rate alt=1,608 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

more performance=
avionics=
armament=
*2x 7.62 mm machine guns (outer starboard wing)
*2x 20 mm cannons
*1x 12.7 mm machine gun in rear turret

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Gordon, Yefim and Khazanov, Dmitri. "Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War, Volume 2: Twin-Engined Fighters, Attack Aircraft and Bombers". Earl Shilton, UK: Midland Publishing Ltd., 2006. ISBN 1-85780-084-2.
* Stapfer, Hans-Heiri. "Petlyakov Pe-2 in Action (Aircraft number 181)". Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2002. ISBN 0-89747-439-2.

External links

* [http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbirds/ww2htmls/petlpe3.html#petlpe30 An overview of the Pe-3]

ee also

aircontent

related=
* Pe-2
* Pe-4

similar aircraft=
* De Havilland Mosquito
* Junkers Ju 88
* Bf 110
* P-38
* Tupolev Tu-2

sequence=
Pe-1 - Pe-2 - Pe-3 - Pe-4 - Pe-8

lists=

List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS -
List of bomber aircraft