This is the most comprehensive English language review of the Petlyakov PE-2. Primarily a dive bomber, this successful design was also used in other roles including service as heavy fighter – Highly Recommended
NAME: The Petlyakov PE-2, Stain's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber FILE: R3222 AUTHOR: Peter C Smith PUBLISHER: Air World, Pen & Sword BINDING: hard back PRICE: £30.00 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: WWII, World War II, World War 2, Second World War, Eastern Front, brutality, terror, Blitz Krieg, Red Air Force, light bomber, dive bomber, heavy fighter, twin engine fighter ISBN: 1-52675-930-6 PAGES: 436 IMAGE: B3222.jpg BUYNOW: tinyurl.com/y59xgk2s LINKS: DESCRIPTION: This is the most comprehensive English language review of the Petlyakov PE-2. Primarily a dive bomber, this successful design was also used in other roles including service as heavy fighter – Highly Recommended
The PE-2 was specifically designed as a dive bomber and most of its service was in that role. Some have described the PE-2 as a Russian Mosquito and it did serve in other roles but not the true multi-role application of the de Haviland Mosquito. With some 11,000 built, it was available at a time when other designs might have been better suited to some of the roles it was applied to and Petlyakov was frequently coming up with design adaptations.
Outside its primary role, the PE-2 was not equipped for level bombing but its high speed provided it with a level of immunity from Luftwaffe fighters. It was deployed as a fighter and this was more because of its speed and the perceived lack of an Me 110 equivalent in the Red Air Force battle lines.
The author has provided a formidable and detailed account of the PE-2, with a great many images through the body of the book in support of the text. He has done justice to the female pilots of the Red Air Force who were equipped with the PE-2 and the book includes a list of units equipped with the aircraft and a selection of pilot biographies.