Petlyakov Pe-8

The project that would eventually result in the Pe-8 four engine bomber was begun in 1934 by the Tupolev design bureau. It was created to develop an aircraft to replace the TB-3 heavy bomber and meet a list of new requirements. Among these were the ability to reach 8000 meters (12,640 feet) in altitude, carry a two ton bomb load, and attain a speed of 273 mph (440kph). Tupolev selected Vladimir Petlyakov to head the aircraft project which was to be designated the ANT-42. The first airplane was made in the autumn of 1936. The ANT-42 was the nation’s first all-metal heavy bomber with smooth covering and retractable undercarriage. The project was disrupted in October of 1937 when both Tupolev and Petlyakov were arrested. Stalin's purges of the Red Air Force officer corps in 1938 also delayed the program. Even with these delays the first prototype flew on December 27, 1937 and performed very well in the early trials. Petlyakov's team soon ran into problems with the original engines which were not sufficiently powerful at altitudes over 16,000 feet. To increase the altitude tolerance of the AM-34FRN engines, provision was made for a central supercharger, located in the rear of the fuselage and powered by a fifth M-100 engine. The aircraft then demonstrated high flight performance. With a normal flight weight of about 52,800 lbs, the airplane could gain a speed of 250 mph at an altitude of 26,000 ft and climb to a height of 35,400 ft. At high altitudes the ANT-42 was considered superior to all known heavy bombers and competitive with the best fighters.

In the spring of 1938 plant No. 124 in Kazan started series production of the TB-7. The first unit to receive the aircraft was the 14th heavy bomber regiment. By early 1941 the regiment had been given all of the then completed aircraft, but these soon were grounded due to lack of spare parts. With the start of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) the surviving 18 operational airplanes were used to activate a regiment designated 412. The regiment started its combat activity by mounting an air raid to Berlin on the nights of August 10th and 11th. The bomber saw action in many small raids on Koenigsberg, Berlin, and other targets. In 1942 the aircraft was re-designated the PE-8, in honor of Petlyakov who had been killed earlier that year. Also during this time there were attempts to improve the Pe-8's engines, but these were not entirely successful. The TB-7 got its fame for remarkably long flights. These included Molotov's (then Soviet Foreign Minister) flight to Washington D.C. from Moscow (10,900 miles) with landings in Scotland, Iceland and Canada in May-June 1942. The bomber continued to serve with the Red Air Force, having little real impact, with its original engines until the end of the war.

Production of the PE-8 ended in 1944 with only a small number of aircraft being built (no more than 142 examples). The last four aircraft were converted into VIP transports. These had the bomb bay removed and additional passenger seats added. Cargo capacity was also increased and all military equipment was deleted. The range of the new plane was increased to 7000 kilometers (4,350 miles).

In the years following the war most of the PE-8 bombers were converted to the transport configuration. Many were operated by Aeroflot or used for polar scientific research expeditions. Some of the research aircraft were used as late as 1957. The remaining Pe-8's were used to test aircraft engines, high speed research aircraft, and cruise missiles based on wartime German plans.

In series production, the dimensions of the aircraft were not altered but different engines were used: AM-35A, ASh-82 and the world’s first aviation diesel engine the M-40 and its modified version the ACh-30B. As a result, the aircraft's flying range increased significantly with a slight reduction in other flight characteristics. The airplane could carry up to 8,800 lbs of bombs and was equipped with powerful defensive armament.