Hobbyboss Plastic Model Kit Petlyakov Pe-2 Bomber — 1:72

Manufacturer

Hobby Boss is a Chinese manufacturer of injection-moulded scale models. Kit 80296 forms part of its compact 1:72 aircraft range, alongside subjects such as the Bf 110, Do 335 and Ju 88. The kit was released in July 2013 and uses newly tooled parts for the Pe-2.
Kit contents

The kit contains more than 30 plastic parts on three sprues, plus four clear parts.

The kit includes:

Fuselage halves

Main wings

Twin-engine nacelles

Tailplane and twin fins

Cockpit/interior components

Propellers and engine fronts

Retractable landing gear

Wheel and undercarriage components

Transparent canopy and glazing

Clear parts for the aircraft's windows

Decal sheet

Assembly instructions

The completed model measures approximately 174.6 mm long with a 237.6 mm wingspan.

Paint and modelling adhesive are not included and need to be purchased separately.
History of the full-size aircraft

The Petlyakov Pe-2 was one of the Soviet Union's most important combat aircraft of the Second World War. It was designed initially from the VI-100 high-altitude fighter project, developed under the direction of aircraft designer Vladimir Petlyakov.

The design was subsequently redesigned into the PB-100, a two-engine bomber, and eventually entered production as the Pe-2. The prototype flew in December 1940, with series production beginning in 1941.
Design

The Pe-2 was a relatively compact, all-metal, twin-engine aircraft with a low-mounted wing and distinctive twin tail.

Its original purpose was as a fast dive bomber. The aircraft's relatively clean aerodynamic design allowed it to achieve considerably higher speeds than many contemporary conventional bombers.

The Pe-2 could therefore perform several missions, including:

Dive bombing

Level bombing

Ground attack

Reconnaissance

Heavy fighter operations

Night fighting

This versatility contributed to its exceptionally long and important wartime career.
Engines

The Pe-2 was powered by two Klimov VK-105 liquid-cooled V-12 engines in its principal production versions.

The engines were installed in streamlined nacelles beneath the wings and drove three-bladed propellers.

The relatively powerful engines combined with the aircraft's clean airframe gave the Pe-2 a useful combination of speed, manoeuvrability and bomb-carrying capability.
Dive-bombing capability

One of the Pe-2's defining features was its ability to conduct steep dive attacks.

Dive bombing allowed crews to deliver bombs with substantially greater accuracy against tactical targets than conventional level bombing.

The aircraft incorporated dive brakes to control its speed during the attack. After releasing its bombs, the pilot could recover the aircraft and accelerate away from the target.

This made the Pe-2 particularly useful against bridges, artillery positions, troop concentrations, railway targets and other battlefield objectives.
Armament

The Pe-2's defensive and offensive armament evolved throughout production.

Depending on the particular production series, armament could include:

Machine guns in the nose

Flexible defensive machine guns

Rear-firing armament

Bombs carried internally and externally

The aircraft's armament and armour were progressively improved as Soviet experience with the type accumulated.
Performance

Specifications varied considerably between Pe-2 production versions, but representative figures for the aircraft include:

Crew: normally 3

Engines: 2 × Klimov VK-105

Role: Dive bomber / tactical bomber

Configuration: Twin-engine, low-wing monoplane

Tail: Twin-fin

Construction: Mainly metal

Maximum speed: approximately 540 km/h, depending on variant and altitude

The Pe-2 was particularly valued for its combination of speed and bomb-carrying capability.
Production

The Pe-2 was produced on a very large scale. Approximately 11,400 aircraft were manufactured during the Second World War, making it one of the most numerous Soviet bomber types of the conflict.

Production continued throughout the war as the design was repeatedly improved.

The aircraft became one of the principal tactical bombers of the Soviet VVS, operating alongside types such as the Il-2 Shturmovik and Tu-2.
Combat service

Pe-2 units operated extensively on the Eastern Front.

The aircraft participated in virtually every major stage of the Soviet-German war, from the early defensive battles of 1941 through the Soviet offensives that eventually carried the Red Army into Germany.

Its speed and relatively small size helped make it a difficult target for German fighters, while its dive-bombing capability allowed it to deliver accurate attacks against tactical targets.

The Pe-2 was also employed for reconnaissance and other specialist missions.
Later development and variants

The Pe-2 underwent numerous improvements during production.

Changes included:

Improved engines

Revised cockpit arrangements

Increased armour

Improved defensive armament

Modified bomb-carrying arrangements

Better pilot visibility

Revised aerodynamic details

There were also specialised reconnaissance and fighter versions.

The type remained an important Soviet combat aircraft until the end of the war.
Post-war history

Pe-2s continued to be operated after 1945 by the Soviet Union and several other countries.

The aircraft was exported to a number of Eastern European states, where it remained in service during the early post-war period.

Its post-war career was comparatively short as newer Soviet bomber designs became available, but the Pe-2 had already established itself as one of the most important Soviet aircraft of the Second World War.
Historical significance

The Pe-2 is particularly significant because it combined characteristics normally associated with several different aircraft categories.

It was:

Fast enough to operate as a fighter-like tactical aircraft

Strong enough for dive bombing

Capable of carrying a useful bomb load

Adaptable to reconnaissance

Produced in very large numbers

Its production total of around 11,400 aircraft demonstrates the scale of its importance to Soviet wartime aviation.