Petlyakov Pe-2/Pe-3

[Maverick]

Not realist, but plausibly whiffed.  There's a difference

Regards,

Mav

[sequoiaranger]

Here is a "Pe-2 torpedo-bomber" whif I made decades ago. (Any similarity in form to the current "Fairchild Flounder" is implausibly denied.) France was in reality working on a twin-engined torpedo bomber for their "Joffe"-class aircraft carriers (only partially completed by France's fall in WW II). I imagined that the French and Russians joined forces to make a suitable twin-engined torpedo bomber for BOTH their naval air wings. The resultant fictional Vichy aircraft in the photo below is merely a Pe-2 with a butterfly tail and a torpedo.



A topview is at my gallery:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1859

I opted to put the national insignia on the tailplanes only, and leave the main wings in their "au naturel" camo.

[redstar72]

Hi all!
The Soviet 45-36 torpedo was a licensed copy of the Italian production Fiume-Whitehead 45cm torpedo (known in the Soviet Union as "45F"). So it's much similar to the German F5w torpedo which had the same origins (NOT the F5b which was original German design!).

Some more info here (in Russian):
http://www.airwar.ru/weapon/at/45-36.html
http://submarine-at-war.ru/weapons/torp45-36.html

Here are some photos: http://photo.qip.ru/users/pakuro/3836258/

And here are some drawings:

[redstar72]

The torpedo was a bit heavy for the Pe-2. Its weight was about 1000 kg: Pe-2 could carry such weight but it was overload. The normal bomb load of it was 600 kg only.

There was Beriev project of long-range recon/torpedo bomber floatplane (land-based version was planned also), called MDRT (Morskoy Dal'niy Razvedchik-Torpedonosets). It was proposed in November 1940; the engines planned were M-107 (VK-107). The aircraft was quite similar to Pe-2 in shape, but rather like Il-4 in size: 14.0 m length (14.4 m with floats), 21.6 m wing span:

[NARSES2]

Interesting floatplane

[pyro-manic]

I'm sure the increased weight of the torpedo could be covered by upgrading the engines, perhaps Mikulin AM-38/42s? Or maybe Shvetsov ASh-82 radials for a different look?

[RussC]

I wonder how strong the Pe-2's structure would be and if if could absorb the recoil?  A 45mm weapon might be a better choice, after all the German's did well enough with their 37mm aircraft.

Regards,

Mav

Bah!!!  Down with this realist thinking!!!

  You mean "Borscht" ! The Ki-67 airframe held up to a 75mm gun (Ki-109) use and same for the B-25 Mitchell. Of course the glass had to be beefed up a lot...
 
  Fascinating thread.

[redstar72]

I'm sure the increased weight of the torpedo could be covered by upgrading the engines, perhaps Mikulin AM-38/42s? Or maybe Shvetsov ASh-82 radials for a different look?

Yes, I think it's quite possible.
Unfortunately in RW, such versions had little chances for mass production during the war. The huge Il-2 series absorbed all Mikulin engines (therefore MiG-3 was taken out of production and any new Mikoyan fighter wasn't introduced, as well as Polikarpov ITP). The ASh-82 engines also were more necessary for another aircraft, this time for Lavochkin fighters.

By the way, Pe-2 with ASh-82 engines really existed:


http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/pe2m82.html

For the reason above mentioned, only 32 were built. Their official designation was Pe-4, but this name didn't become common and they usually were known simply as "Pe-2 M-82".

[redstar72]

The Ki-67 airframe held up to a 75mm gun (Ki-109) use and same for the B-25 Mitchell.

Yes! And Pe-2 had strong airframe, it was initially designed as a fighter!
Concerning 45mm - even Yak airframe was strong enough!