PE 2 model FT

[Lusekofte]

 

 

This PE 2 FT is under construction in Norwegian Airplane museum in Bodø 

It was shot down by a German fighter in 1943 while attacking shipping and crash-landed  in a mountain area outsideKirkenes northern Norway. Two of the crew members survived the ordeal and was taken pow trying to cross over to own lines. Of the markings you can see it was from one of the guard squadrons

Currently just the cockpit is on display but progress have been made, 1 of the engines are finished and a part of the fuselage. It is planned to be complete display order when finished.

The PE 2 FT model was basicly made lighter by removing the dive brakes and things associated with that. In reality the majority of PE 2 missions was performed as medium bomber and not Dive bombing, The Naval airforce had a squadron performing dive bombing and 1 squadron in the Army airforce trained themselves to do so by initiativ from its leader. As a result of this most PE 2 was built as a FT version. It performed well as a fighter bomber as well. The black math paint in the front was for anti glare purpose

Edited March 1, 2016 by EG14_LuseKofte

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Thanks for sharing! That cockpit is looking great.

 

As a side-note I do love to see Western designations for Soviet aircraft, like the Pe-2FT or the famous 'SB-2'

 

If the Russian Wikipedia page for it is any good, the so-called Pe-2FT was how some sources called the Pe-2 83rd series onwards, which matches the timeframe for its loss in 1943. However, the type actually was built with dive-brakes and everything else, and these were there even upwards of the 211th series where they received some improvements. Perhaps some were removed on the field by regiments that didn't use it.

[Lusekofte]

Ok I was totally unaware of the fact that there where any FT version at all. The explanation done by the museum itself was so plausible that I took it for fact. But there you go, I prefer being corrected , rather than misinform people . Many thanks. 

This plane had no dive brakes installed on its wing when recovered. So it is probably a field modded plane, Or some of the Same people have taken it of so they could barberque with them Much appreciated 

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Some Western historian started this out I believe, and most Western sources (and sometimes even Russian sources in English) talk of this 'FT' version, with all kinds of different descriptions and stuff for it. This page (use Google Translate) covers most of them: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B5-2#.D0.9C.D0.BE.D0.B4.D0.B8.D1.84.D0.B8.D0.BA.D0.B0.D1.86.D0.B8.D0.B8

 

You can have a look at Pe-2s here in this search, nearly all of them except for one-off modifications and fighter variants have the airbrakes: https://yandex.ru/images/search?text=%D0%9F%D0%B5-2

 

It does look like that one was modified or had the airbrakes stolen or ripped off.