Sukhoi Su-2

The Sukhoi Su-2 was a Soviet reconnaissance and light bomber aircraft used in the early stages of World War II. In 1936 Joseph Stalin wanted  a multipurpose combat aircraft. Codenamed Ivanov, it had to be capable of performing reconnaissance and then attacking the targets it found.  

Pavel Sukhoi was designed aircraft under the tutelage of Andrei Tupolev. The resulting ANT-51 flew on 25 August 1937. It reached 403 km/h (220 kn, 250 mph) at 4,700 m (15,420 ft).  This was considered insufficient but it was decided to re-test it with a more powerful engine. and was accepted into production as BB-1. In 1940, the aircraft engine was replaced and was renamed Su-2   .Although 910 Su-2s were built by the time production stopped in 1942, the aircraft was obsolete and underarmed by the start of the Great Patriotic War. However, due to a critical shortage of aircraft in early World War II, some Su-2s were used as emergency fighters.

Category:World War II Soviet aircraft