85 years ago, first flew U-2 Bashny.Net

January 7, 1928 made the first flight of the most famous aircraft of the Soviet Union, U-2 (Po-2), immortalized in the movie "Heavenly slug" (recently reviewed in the color version-liked)
In the mid-20s in the Soviet Union there was a need in the plane of the initial training, which led to the creation of the aircraft and
U-2 is the best fit for purpose.
The tests, which were conducted legendary Mikhail Gromov showed excellent flight qualities U-2. "... All the pieces except the spin plane does normally, as for the corkscrew, the input of the aircraft in such a difficult, output is from the spin very easy", - noted in his brief report on the first phase of flight tests. (I read somewhere that before the first flight of Gromov-joked pointing to dvigitel-mole is not horse LEDs, but rather a dog)
Thousands of pilots have received it "ticket to heaven". He has excellent handling qualities. U-2 to forgive even very serious mistakes of the pilot. Thanks to the excellent takeoff and landing performance, he could take off and land at the site is very small, often totally unprepared.
In their scheme, the U-2 - a biplane. Wood structures with fabric covering. Motor air-cooled M-11 100 hp - The first fully domestic design. As the plane, the motor M -11 proved to be extremely successful: more than two decades he remained the main and almost the only Soviet serial engine for light aircraft.
U-2 was built not only as a training aircraft. He had many options for the most diverse applications. Among them, agricultural (for pollination), connected, staff, sanitary, for aerial photography, passenger, float, and a number of experimental.
In connection with large losses of our aviation-2 began to attract and combat work. During World War II this small training aircraft altered in the light night bomber, which could take up to 350 kg of bombs.
In the autumn of 1941 in the Soviet Air Force began the formation of air units, staffed by women. One of the women's regiments was armed with planes U-2, it is 46 minutes ("Taman") Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, in the formation of which involved a famous pilot, one of the first Heroes of the Soviet Union, women Raskova Marina. Polk dubbed "Night Witches».
"Night Witches" was called by prevailing culture legend, enemy soldiers (according to another version, the nickname was given to them by the French pilots of the regiment "Normandy-Neman" as a compliment.
23 lёtchitsam, fought on the U-2 was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Despite the fact that the plane was almost unarmed and had no armor, pilots, fly it during the war, we had the largest number of sorties -up 1000.
For comparison, the pilots flew on other types of self had greater 200-300 sorties.
However, if the chance to escape, knocked almost nebylo, because the materials used in its construction, wood and fabric-burned almost instantly!
Knock him was hard-fly almost silently, but if it was possible,
it got shot down the "Iron Cross" and leave in the fatherland.
From the memoirs of soldiers:
"Before the onset, we found to our positions strongly fortified firing positions. Artillery destroy it, for some reason could not. We decided to ask for help from aviatsii.Priglasili pilot U-2 showed agreement that the purpose of show bursts of tracer pul.Nu and treated properly. At night, we waited, and what a surprise it was our soldiers, when the silence of the night from the sky, right over our trenches a loud voice: "Show". And in the morning with satisfaction watched the ruins of enemy positions »
"Air Bud," "Heavenly slug", "Flying desk & quot ;,« Spade, "" gardener "," Primus "," Partridge "," Duckling "," Shelves "," Sergeant Front "," Kukuruznik "," Sewing machine "such nicknames he had on our soldiers and« Kaffeemühle »," Rus-Faner "," Night broom "," standing death "by the Germans.
After the death of Polikarpov in 1944 the aircraft after its creator renamed Po-2.
U-2 series was built until 1953, it was built 33,000 cars.
And finally, my personal opinion, if our country would be more liberal rules and regulations on the use of airspace and what a company started producing the U-2 would fly away like hot pirozhki.On would have enjoyed the great popularity among the former pilots and aviation enthusiasts piston amateurs flights.





Nikolai Polikarpov



Mikhail Gromov Mihailovich- legend of Soviet aviation



Raskovoy



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