Ilyushin DB-3
Encyclopedia
The Ilyushin
Ilyushin
Open Joint Stock Company «Ilyushin Aviation Complex» , operating as Ilyushin or Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a Russian design bureau and aircraft manufacturer, founded by Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin. Ilyushin was established under the Soviet Union. Its operations began on January 13, 1933, by...

 DB-3
(for Дальний бомбардировщик - Dalniy Bombardirovschik - "long-range bomber") was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 bomber aircraft of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that first flew in 1935
1935 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set...

. It was the precursor of the Ilyushin Il-4
Ilyushin Il-4
|-See also:-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...

 (originally named DB-3F). 1,528 were built.

Design and development

The genesis of the DB-2 lay in the BB-2, Sergey Ilyushin's failed competitor to the Tupolev SB
Tupolev SB
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934....

. Ilyushin was able to salvage the work and time invested in the BB-2's design by recasting it as a long-range bomber, again competing against a Tupolev
Tupolev
Tupolev is a Russian aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Basmanny District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. Known officially as Public Stock Company Tupolev, it is the successor of the Tupolev OKB or Tupolev Design Bureau headed by the Soviet aerospace engineer A.N. Tupolev...

 design, the DB-2 to meet the stringent requirements of an aircraft capable of delivering 1000 kg (2,204.6 lb) bomb load to a range of 3000 km (1,864.1 mi) at a maximum speed no less than 350 km/h (217.5 mph). He had redesigned the BB-2 to take advantage of the radial Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major
Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major
|-See also:-References:* Danel, Raymond and Cuny, Jean. L'aviation française de bombardement et de renseignement 1918-1940 Docavia n°12, Editions Larivière...

 14Kdrs engine, for which the Soviets had purchased a license in 1934 as the M-85, and had begun construction of the prototype of the BB-2 2K-14 as the TsKB-26 that same year.

The TsKB-26 was more of a proof-of-concept vehicle to validate Ilyushin's ideas on how to obtain long range than an actual bomber prototype. To speed the construction process it had a wooden fuselage and fin with metal wings and tail surfaces. It made its first flight in the summer of 1935 and proved to be stable, easily controllable and highly maneuverable; it performed the first loop
Aerobatic maneuver
Aerobatic maneuvers are flight paths putting aircraft in unusual attitudes, in air shows, dog fights or competition aerobatics. Aerobatics can be performed by a single aircraft or in formation with several others...

 made by a twin-engined aircraft in the Soviet Union. It went on to set six world records in its class, generally in payloads to height and speed over a 5000 km (3,106.9 mi) closed circuit.

The real prototype of the DB-3 was called the TsKB-30 and it was completed in March 1936. It had a number of improvements over the TsKB-26, notably an all-metal structure, an extended nose, an aft-sliding canopy with a fixed windscreen and improved engine cowlings. It successfully passed the State acceptance trials and was ordered into production in August 1936 as the DB-3, although some sources refer to this initial series as the DB-3S for seriynyy (series-built).

The DB-3 was not a simple or easy aircraft to manufacture as Ilyushin had pushed the limits of the available construction technology to make it as light as possible. For example the spar
Spar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground...

 in each wing panel had four parts which had to be riveted together and there were numerous welds that each had to be inspected by an X-ray machine, with many failures. In addition the internal riveting of small-diameter tubing was also a difficult and time-consuming process.

The bomb bay was designed to carry ten 100 kg (220.5 lb) FAB-100 bombs, but heavier bombs could be accommodated on external bomb racks up to a total of 2500 kg (5,511.6 lb) on short-range missions. The defensive armament for the three crewmen consisted of three 7.62 mm (0.3 in) ShKAS machine gun
ShKAS machine gun
The ShKAS is a 7.62 mm machine gun widely used by Soviet aircraft in the 1930s and during World War II...

s. One in the tip of the nose manned by the bombardier-navigator and the two others protecting the rear hemisphere. The rear gunner manned both the gun in the SU dorsal turret and the gun in a LU ventral hatch.

Flight tests of the second example pre-production aircraft conducted May–October 1937 revealed that it was slightly inferior to the TsKB-30 in performance, but still exceeded its requirements by a considerable margin. It attained a speed of 390 km/h (242.3 mph) at an altitude of 5000 m (16,404.2 ft). It could carry a bomb load of 500 kg (1,102.3 lb) to a range of 4000 km (2,485.5 mi) and a 1000 kg (2,204.6 lb) bomb load to a range of 3100 km (1,926.3 mi). In comparison, the Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...

B then in production was 10 kilometre per hour slower and could only carry 750 kg (1,653.5 lb) of bombs to a range of 1660 km (1,031.5 mi) and 1500 kg (3,306.9 lb) to a distance of 910 km (565.4 mi). This performance arguably made it the best twin-engined bomber in the world already or entering service in 1937. 45 DB-3s were built that year at Factory No. 39 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 and No. 18 in Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...

 and the aircraft entered service with the VVS.

During 1938 the improved M-86 engine, rated at 950 hp for take-off, replaced the M-85 on the production line. Aircraft with this engine are properly referred to as DB-3 2M-86, but are sometimes referred to as the DB-3A, after the three step upgrade program planned for the aircraft. Other minor changes were introduced over the course of the year. Factory No. 126 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, situated on the left bank of Amur River. It is located on the BAM railway line, northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: -Geography and climate:...

 also began producing DB-3s in 1938.

During 1938–39 the Tumansky M-87A engine was introduced on the production line in a gradual transition as were VISh-3 variable-pitch
Controllable pitch propeller
A controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...

 propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...

s. The M-87 had the same horsepower rating at take-off as the M-86, but produced more power at higher altitudes. The M-87B further increased power at altitude and was introduced in 1939–40. These aircraft were known as the DB-3B as part of the second stage of the upgrade program. The last production batches in 1940 had the Tumansky M-88 that produced 1100 hp for take-off. These increased the maximum speed to 429 km/h (266.6 mph) at 6800 metres (22,309.7 ft).

Nomenclature

A great confusion exists in the sources, including original Soviet documents, about the names commonly used for the DB-3. Formally the Soviet designation system used a two-letter abbreviation to designate the role of the aircraft, then a number for the model in that sequence followed by the number of engines, and the engine used. So SB 2M-100A is decoded as twin-engined fast bomber, first in the series, equipped with M-100A engines. Shorter abbreviations were informally used, but the use of them isn't consistent between sources. For example the listing for the strength of the VVS on 1 June 1941 shows a mixture of DB-3A and DB-3 aircraft, with the former predominating. But this doesn't match the account in Gordon where the DB-3A designation is used for one of the oldest versions of the DB-3. And where are the DB-3Bs?

Operational history

On the night of August 8, 1941 fifteen DB-3T torpedo bombers of the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...

 dropped the first Soviet bombs on Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

. From August 11, DB-3Fs of the VVS
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...

 resumed bombing.

In 1939, 30 DB-3s were supplied to the Republic of China Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

 and they saw heavy actions against Japanese targets in Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...

 region from their bases in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

 (mostly used by the 8th Group), before being replaced by B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

s in 1943.

Two DB-3s were responsible for shooting down the Finnish civilian Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...

 passenger and transport plane Kaleva
Kaleva (airplane)
Kaleva, registered OH-ALL, was a civilian Junkers Ju 52 passenger and transport plane, belonging to the Finnish carrier Aero O/Y. The aircraft was shot down by two Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bombers during peacetime between the Soviet Union and Finland on June 14, 1940, while en route from Tallinn to...

 on June 14, 1940.

The Finns captured five force-landed DB-3Ms during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...

 and during 1941 they purchased a further six DB-3Ms and four DB-3F/Il-4s from German surplus stocks.

Variants

TsKB-26
Proof-of-concept prototype

TsKB-30
First real prototype. Later modified, including removal of the armament, for long-range record attempts as the "Moskva". It flew from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 to Spassk-Dalny
Spassk-Dalny
Spassk-Dalny , sometimes called Spassk, is a town in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Prikhankayskaya Flatland on the coast of Khanka Lake. Population:...

 (7580 km (4,710 mi)) in 24 h 36 min (an average speed of 307 km/h (190.8 mph)) mostly at 7000 m (22,965.9 ft) under control of Vladimir Kokkinaki
Vladimir Kokkinaki
Vladimir Konstantinovich Kokkinaki was a test pilot in the Soviet Union, setting twenty-two world records and serving as president of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.-Life and career:...

 and A. M. Berdyanskij, then from Moscow to Miscou Island
Miscou Island
Miscou Island is a Canadian island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the northeastern tip of Gloucester County, New Brunswick.It is separated from neighbouring Lamèque Island to the southwest by the Miscou Channel with both islands forming Miscou Harbour....

 (New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

) in 22 h 56 min. covering 8000 km (4,971 mi) at 348 km/h (216.2 mph) average airspeed (Kokkinaki and Mikhail Gordienko).

DB-3 2M-85
Initial production model

DB-3 2M-86 (DB-3A)
Engines upgraded to M-86, other minor changes

DB-3 2M-87A (DB-3B)
Engines upgraded to the Tumansky M-87A

DB-3T
Torpedo bomber built in 1938, with either the M-86 or M-87 engine, armed with 45-36-AN or 45-36-AV torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

es.

DB-3TP
Seaplane torpedo bomber built in 1938. No production.

DB-3M
First major upgrade powered by two M-87B or M-88 engines.

DB-3F
Replaced DB-3 in 1940
1940 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:- Events :* The worlds first high-performance, purpose-built night fighter, the British Bristol Beaufighter, enters combat.* The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation absorbs the Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corporation....

-1944
1944 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1944:-January:* United States Coast Guard pilot Lieutenant, junior grade, Stewart Graham makes the first helicopter flight from a merchant ship in convoy in the North Atlantic Ocean...

, see Il-4
Ilyushin Il-4
|-See also:-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...

.

TsKB-56 / DB-4
Ilyushin DB-4
-References:* Gordon, Yefim, Dmitry Komissarov and Sergei Komissarov. OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1 85780 187 3....

Bigger variant from 1940 with changed configuration (high-winger, twin-tail) and powered by two AM-37 engines. Cancelled, Er-2
Yermolayev Yer-2
The Yermolayev Yer-2 was a long-range Soviet medium bomber used during World War II. It was developed from the Bartini Stal-7 prototype airliner before the war. It was used to bomb Berlin from airbases in Estonia after Operation Barbarossa in 1941...

 preferred.

Il-6
Ilyushin Il-6
|-See also:...


Operators

  • Chinese Nationalist Air Force

  • Finnish Air Force
    Finnish Air Force
    The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...

    • Lentolaivue 46
      No. 46 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
      No. 46 Squadron , renamed No. 46 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.-Winter War:...

    • Lentolaivue 48
      No. 48 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
      No. 48 Squadron , renamed No. 48 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.-Continuation War:...


 Germany
  • Luftwaffe
    Luftwaffe
    Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....


  • Soviet Air Force
    Soviet Air Force
    The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...

  • Soviet Naval Aviation
    Soviet Naval Aviation
    Soviet Naval Aviation was a part of the Soviet Navy.- Origins :...


Survivors

The only known surviving DB-3 is currently displayed at the Central Air Force Museum
Central Air Force Museum
The Central Air Force Museum in Monino at the site of Monino Airfield 40km east of Moscow, Russia, is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Russian aircraft...

 at Monino
Monino
Monino is an urban locality in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated east of Moscow. Population:...

, near Moscow, Russia. The aircraft was found in taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...

 forests, 120 km from Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, situated on the left bank of Amur River. It is located on the BAM railway line, northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: -Geography and climate:...

. It was recovered in September 1988 and brought to the Irkutsk Aircraft Industrial Association (IAIA) factory on board an Ilyushin Il-76
Ilyushin Il-76
The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...

 transport. After over a year of restoration, the aircraft was delivered to Monino on board an Antonov An-22
Antonov An-22
The Antonov An-22 Antei was the world's heaviest aircraft, until the advent of the American C-5 Galaxy and later the Soviet An-124. Powered by four pairs of contra-rotating turboprops, the design remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft...

. On 22 December 1989, representatives of IAIA, headed by V.P. Zelenkov, handed over the DB-3 to museum officials.

This aircraft shouldn't be mistaken with Ilyushin Il-4 (cn 17404) exhibited in Victory Park collection of the Central museum of Great Patriotic War, Moscow.

Specifications (DB-3B, late production)

See also

External links

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