a Soviet dive bomber aircraft used during World War II. It was regarded as one of the best ground attack aircraft of the war. and it was extremely successful in the roles of heavy fighter, reconnaissance and night fighter. It was one of the most important aircraft of World War II, being in many respects similar to the British de Havilland Mosquito, though the Pe-2 was manufactured in greater numbers: 11,400. It was fast, maneuverable and durable. i dont know where you'd put this, f first flew in 1939 but served untill 1954. The Pe-2 quickly proved itself to be a highly capable aircraft, able to elude the Luftwaffe's interceptors and allowing their crews to develop great accuracy with their bombing.
The records of the 16th and 39th BAPs of the Western Front Air Force note that the Pe-2s crews had the greatest success in repelling the attacks of enemy fighters in June and July 1941. On 1st July, for example, six Pe-2s fended off attacks by four Messerschmitt Bf 109s, shooting down two of them. A week later a group of Pe-2s was attacked by four Bf 109 and again brought down two of the attackers. On both occasions the Petlyakovs suffered no losses. On southern front, a bombing mission against Ploesti, in Romania, of six Pe-2s, led by Capt. A. Tsurtsulin, was a great success: 552,150 lb of petroleum were burnt in the raid. The Romanian information agency claimed tha at least 100 Soviet planes had bombed Ploesti. A German pilot shot down by a Petlyakov over Bobruysk, Maj. A. Mudin of JG 51, affirmed that the Pe-2 was the best Soviet aircraft: "It is a fast aircraft, with good armament, and it is dangerous to enemy fighters."
Top Speed: 360 mph
Max Payload: 18,728
Service Ceiling: 28,870 ft
Crew: Three - pilot, gunner, bombardier
Length: 12.66 m (41 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 17.16 m (56 ft 3 in)
Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Powerplant: 2× Klimov M-105PF liquid-cooled V-12, 903 kW (1,210 hp) each
2 × 7.62 mm (0.3 in) fixed ShKAS machine guns in the nose, one replaced by a 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Berezin UB on later versions.
2 × rearward firing 7.62 mm (0.3 in) ShKAS.
From the middle of 1942 defensive armament included 1 Berezin UB machine gun in the upper bombardier's turret, 1 Berezin UB in gunner's ventral hatch and 1 ShKAS which could be fired by a gunner from port, starboard or upper mountings
Some planes were also equipped with DAG-10 launcher, firing AG-2 parachute timed grenades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe-2?vm=rhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/militaryaircraft/ig/Bombers-of-World-War-II/Petlyakov-Pe-2.htm?vm=r
