Which aircraft can be called legends and why? Ilya Muromets

On February 12, 1914, the first passenger aircraft Ilya Muromets set a world record for maximum number passengers on board.

Airplane "Ilya Muromets"

16 people and an airfield dog named “Shkalik” were lifted into the air. A whole crowd gathered to see the aircraft, which was unusually large for that time. The designer of “Ilya Muromets” Sikorsky I.I. was confident in his plane, and flew over the city at a low altitude for that time - only 400 meters. At that time, pilots of single-engine aircraft avoided flying over cities, since in the event of engine failure, a forced landing in urban conditions could be fatal.

The Muromets had 4 engines installed, so Sikorsky was confident in the safety of the aircraft. Stopping two of the four engines does not necessarily force the plane to descend. People could walk on the wings of the plane during the flight, and this did not disturb the balance of the Ilya Muromets (I. I. Sikorsky himself walked on the wing during the flight to make sure that, if necessary, the pilot could repair the engine right in the air). At that time it was completely new and made a great impression.

Aircraft test

It was Ilya Muromets that became the first passenger aircraft. For the first time in the history of aviation, it had a separate cabin from the pilot's cabin. The salon had sleeping rooms, heating, electric lighting and, imagine, even a bathroom and toilet.

Separate salon

Tsar Nicholas II appreciated the success of Sikorsky and his aircraft. The State Duma awarded the designer a huge cash prize in the amount of 75,000 royal rubles. In modern money, that equals $2,296.50 or £1,404.75.

2013 - 2019 Events digest.

He had several predecessors. In March 1913, the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian-Baltic Wagon Works (RBVZ) built the Grand heavy airship, later renamed the Russian Knight. Initially, the “Russian Knight” had two “Argus” engines with a power of 80 hp. s., the weight of the ship reached 33 m, the wingspan was 31 m, the length of the aircraft was 17 m. Later, two more engines were installed on the aircraft, first in tandem, and then, in July 1914, in a row along the leading edge of the lower wing.

A further development of the design of the “Russian Knight” was the “Ilya Muromets”. The previous design turned out to be almost completely redesigned, only the general scheme aircraft and its wing box with four engines installed in a row on the lower wing, the fuselage was fundamentally new. As a result, with the same four engines produced by Argus with 100 hp. the new aircraft had twice the load mass and maximum height flight. When in 1915 an aircraft engine was designed at the Russo-Balt plant in Petrograd by engineer Kiresvy

R-BVZ, it also began to be installed on some modifications of the Muromtsev. For the first time in the history of aviation, “Ilya Muromets” was equipped with a comfortable cabin, sleeping rooms and even a bathroom with toilet, separate from the cabin. The Muromets had heating (using engine exhaust gases) and electric lighting. Along the sides there were exits to the lower wing consoles. The first car was built in October 1913. On December 12, 1913, a record carrying capacity of 1100 kg was set. On February 12, 1914, 16 people and a dog were lifted into the air, with a total weight of 1290 kg, and Sikorsky himself piloted the plane.

In the spring of 1914, the first Ilya Muromets was converted into a seaplane with more powerful engines. In this modification, it was accepted by the naval department and remained the largest seaplane until 1917. The second aircraft (IM-B Kyiv), smaller in size and with more powerful engines, lifted 10 passengers to a record altitude of 2000 meters on June 4, set a flight duration record on June 5 (6 hours 33 minutes 10 sec), and flew on June 16-17. flight St. Petersburg-Kyiv with one landing. In honor of this event, the series was named Kyiv. A total of 7 aircraft of the same type as the 1st and 2nd Kyiv aircraft were built. They were called "Series B". By the beginning of the war (August 1, 1914), 4 Ilya Muromets had already been built. By September 1914 they were transferred to the Imperial Air Force. The 1st "Muromets" under the command of Staff Captain Rudnev flew to the front on August 31 (September 13), 1914, but due to the accident it reached Bialystok only on September 23 and took part in reconnaissance of the besieged Austrian Przemysl only in November. The obsolete artillery of Przemysl was not suitable for anti-aircraft fire, and the pilots on the Farmans dared to fly over the fortress at an altitude of 500-600 m, returning safely to base.

Rudnev did not risk approaching the fortress and made observations from a distance from a height of 1000 m. The second ship of Lieutenant Pankratiev on September 24, while flying to the front, suffered an accident in Rezhitsa, and the chassis and engines needed to be replaced. On December 10 (23), 1914, the emperor approved the resolution of the military council on the creation of the Ilya Muromets bomber squadron (Squadron airships, EVC), which became the world's first bomber formation.

However, she for a long time remained on paper, because there were not enough pilots who knew how to fly Muromtsy. On February 14, 1915, the Ilya Muromets Kyiv, under the command of Staff Captain Gorshkov, flew out to reconnaissance of crossings on the Vistula River near Plock, but due to heavy clouds returned without finding any targets. The next day, the ship bombed for the first time, and two pound bombs were dropped on the batteries, and three on the convoy. On February 21, 1915, he took off with 5 two-pound high-explosive bombs and one sighting bomb to the Willenberg station, but did not drop the bombs. In the morning next day Gorshkov, embarrassed by the incomplete completion of the task, secretly took off along an already familiar route, made a sighting on the first run, and dropped five bombs on the second. He then photographed the station and returned safely. On February 24 and 25, over 30 pounds (480 kg) of bombs were dropped on the same station. During three flights, according to a report from army headquarters, “the station building and warehouse, six freight cars and the commandant’s carriage were destroyed, and the commandant was killed, several houses were destroyed in the city, two officers and 17 lower ranks, and seven horses were killed. There is panic in the city. Residents hide in cellars in clear weather.” During the war, production of series B aircraft began, the most widespread and numbering 30 aircraft. They differed from the B series in being smaller in size and faster. In 1915, production of the G series began with a crew of 7 people. The Muromtsy's armament consisted of rifles, carbines and Madsen light machine guns, the latter often failed, and Maxims were also used.

At the beginning of 1915, the squadron received Lewis machine guns with 40-round clips, 3-4 machine guns per ship. The following year, Vickers and Colt machine guns were received. “Murom residents” used high-explosive, fragmentation and incendiary bombs with a caliber of 2.5 to 410 kg, as well as steel throwing arrows. The latter were not very effective, since the likelihood of hitting a person or horse with such an arrow was extremely low. At the same time, the effectiveness of the Muromets relative to their cost was relatively low. The price of the Muromtsev was 150,000 rubles per car, while the price of a single-engine Sikorsky airplane was 7-14,000 rubles. At the same time, the bomb load of the Muromets was only slightly greater than the bomb load of single-engine aircraft. Their advantage in flight range did not play a big role, since Russian aviation was used only to support ground forces. The first Muromets carried up to 10-20 pounds of bombs (160-320 kg) on a combat mission; on July 22, 1915, an experimental 25-pound (400 kg) bomb without explosives was dropped from the Muromets by Staff Captain Pankratyev. In February 1916, the Muromets dropped 25-30 pounds (400-480 kg) of bombs.

During the war years, 60 vehicles were received by the troops. The squadron flew 400 sorties, dropped 65 tons of bombs and destroyed 12 enemy fighters. In 1915 alone, the ships carried out up to one hundred sorties, dropping about 20 tons of bombs. The first Muromets was lost in battle on July 5, 1915, when Lieutenant Bashko’s car was successively attacked by three Albatross fighters. The plane made an emergency landing, the engines were removed from it and sent to a warehouse. On November 2, 1915, the Muromets of Staff Captain Ozersky was returning from the bombing of the Baranovichi station, during which it was subjected to heavy anti-aircraft fire. The plane's cables leading to the ailerons were broken, and it crashed into the ground near Priluki. Almost the entire crew died. On March 19, 1916, the Muromets with 450 kg of bombs was attacked by two Fokkers, received more than 40 hits, but was able to fight back. 2 crew members were injured, and 1 died in the hospital from loss of blood. On April 13, 1916, during the bombing of the Daudzevas station, the Muromets of Lieutenant Koistenchik was seriously damaged and written off, and the pilot himself was wounded. In April 1916, 7 German airplanes also bombed the airfield in Segewold, as a result of which 4 Muromets were damaged.

On September 12 (25), 1916, during a raid on the headquarters in the village of Antonovo and the Boruny station, fighters shot down the plane of Lieutenant D.D. Maksheeva. On this day, the departure of the 3rd detachment of Muromtsev (4 aircraft), 12 Voisins and two detachments of MoranParasol fighters was planned. But no interaction was organized. One “Muromets” was unable to take off due to an engine fire, and the other returned without flying over enemy positions due to the “lack of an experienced assistant to the commander.” Therefore, the Germans were able to shoot down the Muromets of Lieutenant Maksheev, who turned back due to a problem with the engine, and the Voisin. Lieutenant Wolf from the German field air squad claimed that it was he who shot down the Muromets. First, fire was opened from a distance of 150 m, one of the right engines was damaged.

The return fire from the Muromets also hit the target, but the fighter, maneuvering, came up to 50 m, the observer Lieutenant Lohse fired at the cockpit. Soon the Muromets began to collapse, and it went into a steep spiral, then into a tailspin. One “Moran” died with him. But the most common cause of losses were technical problems and various accidents - about 20 cars were lost because of this. After October revolution The combat use of Muromtsev ceased until the end of the war. The high accident rate of the Muromets was due, in particular, to the fact that the German Argus engines, for which the Muromets was designed, were unavailable at the beginning of the war, and the French Salmson and the British Sunbeam were characterized by high drag and unreliability , there were no spare parts, mechanics and mechanics were not sufficiently trained. The planes themselves were wearing out, and losses due to operational reasons were increasing*™. Therefore, in January-February 1916, out of the entire squadron of 10 aircraft, only one was combat-ready; in October, only two sorties were made by one aircraft, and in November and December, only one flight followed, which took place on November 22. At the beginning of 1917, out of 30 Muromets, only 4 were at the front, two of which did not make combat flights at all during the winter due to outdated or poorly functioning engines. There were also not enough trained crews. In total, out of 51 aircraft that arrived at the front, only 40 aircraft fought. If in 1916 the aircraft made the maximum number of sorties - 156 and dropped up to 19 tons of bombs, then in 1917 there were only about 70 sorties, during which 10.7 tons of bombs were dropped. How did the Muromets compare with similar foreign bombers during the First World War? The German "Riesen" or "Riesenflugzeug" (Giant) were developed only in 1914 and entered battle later than the "Muromtsev" - on January 13, 1916. Already on August 24, the experimental model managed to drop almost 900 kg of bombs. Then the plane went into production. 18 R. VIs were built, of which 16 were used at the front, lifting up to two tons of bombs per mission, while the normal bomb load was 1300 kg. On June 29, 1917, the R. IV dropped 1.5 tons of bombs in a four-hour flight. From the end of September 1917 the Giants attacked England. Only one R.39 in 20 sorties dropped 26t bombs on England, including three 1000-kg bombs. The first ton bomb was dropped on Chelsea on the night of 16-17 February 1918. Even earlier, on January 28-29, a 300-kilogram bomb killed 38 people and injured 85. The Germans also built three aircraft of the R. XIV series, which, with a flight range of 1300 km, could lift a ton of bombs. The "Giants" bombed Paris, Dunkirk, Boulogne, Calais and other French cities. 1 R. VI and 1 R. XIV were shot down by fighters, and 1 R. VI was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Another I R. VI crashed after the battle for an unknown reason. 13 "Giants" crashed for non-combat reasons as a result of accidents. Twin-engine bombers have become popular in Germany various companies- "Goths", AEG, "Friedrichshafen" and a small number of "Rumplers". The “Goth” modification G. IV produced 230 vehicles, and G. V - about 200 vehicles.

Having only two engines, in 1916 they caught up with the Muromtsev of the 1915 model in terms of practical range and bomb load. Not inferior to the best "Muromets" of 1916-1917 with Beardmore engines in speed - 135 km/h, the "Goths" surpassed them in carrying capacity - up to 500 kg of bombs, since with the increase in the number of machine guns on the "Muromets" their carrying capacity decreased. "Friedrichshafen" lifted up to 1-1.5 tons of bombs and had a maximum speed of 135 km/h. On 25 May 1917, 23 Gothas bombed London during the day, but two had to return due to mechanical problems. Weather conditions made it impossible to bomb London, so the bombers attacked alternate targets on the coast. Air defense fighter attacks ended in vain. Nine Sopwiths from the front-line squadrons intercepted returning bombers off the Belgian coast and shot down one of them.

It is curious that after the reduction of Zeppelin attacks in 1916, it was decided to reduce the air defense of London and allow only coast guard batteries to open fire. The second attack, on 5 June, hit Kent, but the third, on 13 June, reached London. 162 people were killed and another 432 were injured. Not a single plane out of 14 was shot down, despite 92 fighters in the air. The British decided to increase the number of squadrons from 108 to 200. During the bombing on July 7, 22 aircraft killed 54 people and injured 194 (according to later calculations - 65 and 245, respectively), many from fragments of anti-aircraft shells, only one was lost from air defense " Gotha." From May to August 1917, the Goths carried out eight raids on England, including three on London. Since September, the strengthening of air defense forced the Germans to switch to night operations, which increased aircraft losses upon landing. In 1913, the Muromets were an advanced example of aircraft technology; due to the rapid progress of aviation during the war, they became obsolete.

And their improvement, in particular, was hampered by the shortage in Russia of good aircraft engines, the import of which was difficult during the war. In 1917, the English single-engine DH-4 Haviland carried more than 200 kg of bombs at a speed of up to 170 km/h, and the Muromtsy with a full set of machine guns carried 150-200 kg at a lower speed and range. At the same time, approximately 1,500 OH-4s were built, not counting almost 2,000 that were produced in the USA and managed to arrive in France before the end of the war. The French Breguet 14, largely made of aluminum, carried 3 machine guns and up to 300 kg of bombs at speeds of up to 177 km/h. From March 1917 until the end of the war, approximately 5,500 of these vehicles were produced. The serial (more than 600 vehicles were produced) twin-engine Handley Page fought since March 1917.

A peculiar irony of fate is that the engines for these bombers are English, the Sunbeam with 320 hp. cm were called “Cossack”. Italy, not the strongest aviation power, was able to build more than 750 Caproni heavy bombers of various modifications (Caproni-4 carried up to 1.5 tons of bombs, Caproni-5 - half a ton), while Russia produced only about 80 " Muromtsev." Commission on the strength of airplanes "Ilya Muromets", created after February Revolution, came to the following disappointing conclusions: “1) From the point of view of flight strength, the devices are dangerous. 2) No further orders for devices of this type should be made. 3) If there is a need for large devices, it is better to develop a new type than to engage in improvements "I.M. *\ 4) These considerations in terms of strength also apply to devices with four motors of the Russian-Baltic plant, since the forces in it differ little from effort in a calculated apparatus."

One hundred great secrets of the First World War / B.V. Sokolov. - M.: Veche, 2014.-416 e. - (100 great).

For many years, Soviet citizens were persistently instilled with the idea of technical backwardness Tsarist Russia. Against the background of the number of gas stoves in Cheryomushki near Moscow, as of 1913, successes could be clearly demonstrated Soviet power. However, our country was not so “bast” before the October coup.

Air giant 1913

In 1913, Russian engineer I.I. Sikorsky built the largest aircraft in the world. It was called the “Russian Knight” and at that time had impressive dimensions: the wingspan exceeded 30 meters, the fuselage length was 22 m. The cruising speed was initially 100 km/h, but after modification and installation of more powerful engines (there were four of them), it reached 135 km/h, which indicates a safety margin of the design. Honored with the presence of a new product in the domestic aircraft industry Russian Emperor Nicholas II, who not only inspected the aircraft, but also expressed a desire to visit the pilot’s cockpit.

Transportation of passengers

On the same day, the talented designer and brave pilot Sikorsky, taking seven volunteers on board, set a world record for flight duration, staying in the air for about five hours. Thus, the “Russian Knight”, later renamed “Ilya Muromets”, is the largest passenger aircraft as of the period from 1913 to 1919. For the first time, it provided comfortable conditions for the people being transported. The cabin, separated from the pilot's seats, was equipped with sleeping places, and there was a toilet and even a bathroom inside. And today such ideas about in-flight comfort do not seem naive and outdated. The largest aircraft in the world was built at the Russo-Balt plant and was the pride of Russian industry.

The world's first strategic bomber

The ability to carry more than eight hundred kilograms of payload is a technical indicator that determined the fate of the airplane after the outbreak of the First World War. It became a strategic bomber. “Ilya Muromets” is the world’s first aircraft capable of undermining the economic infrastructure of hostile countries. The creation of an air squadron of bomb carriers gave rise to the entire Russian long-range aviation, which today is the guarantor of the sovereignty of our homeland. In addition, the high practical ceiling at that time made the largest aircraft invulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery, not to mention conventional small arms, and, therefore, the airplane could carry out aerial reconnaissance without fear. The aircraft in flight demonstrated rare stability and survivability; pilots and technicians could walk on the planes, and the multi-engine design even made it possible to eliminate malfunctions arising in the engines, which were still very unreliable at that time. By the way, they were imported from the Argus company.

Giant station wagon

The largest aircraft in the world had a design that creates conditions for multi-purpose use, which is especially valuable for military equipment. Installing a cannon on it turned the Muromets into an aerial artillery battery capable of effectively fighting Zeppelins at long distances. After completion and modification, it turned into a seaplane and could land or take off from the water surface.

Our glory

A hundred years ago, the largest aircraft in the world was built in Russia. Today it certainly seems archaic. Just don’t laugh at him - it was then that the unfading glory of the air fleet of our homeland was born.

First world war It can hardly be called successful for Russia - huge losses, retreats and deafening defeats haunted the country throughout the entire conflict. As a result, the Russian state could not withstand the military tension, a revolution began that destroyed the empire and led to the death of millions. However, even in this bloody and controversial era there are achievements that any citizen can be proud of modern Russia. The creation of the first serial multi-engine bomber in the world is definitely one of them.

More than a hundred years ago, on December 23, 1914, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II approved the decision to create a squadron (squadron) consisting of heavy multi-engine aircraft "Ilya Muromets". This date can be called the Russian birthday long-range aviation and a major milestone in global aircraft manufacturing. The creator of the first Russian multi-engine aircraft was the brilliant designer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky.

“Ilya Muromets” is the common name for several modifications of multi-engine aircraft mass-produced at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works in St. Petersburg from 1913 to 1917. During this period, more than eighty machines were manufactured; many records were set on them: in terms of flight altitude, carrying capacity, time in the air and the number of passengers transported. After the start Great War"Ilya Muromets" was retrained as a bomber. The technical solutions first used on the Ilya Muromets determined the development of bomber aviation for many decades to come.

After graduation Civil War Sikorsky aircraft were used as passenger planes for some time. The designer himself did not accept new government and emigrated to the USA.

The history of the creation of the Ilya Muromets aircraft

Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was born in 1882 in Kyiv into the family of a professor at Kyiv University. The future designer received his education in Kiev Polytechnic Institute, where he joined the Aeronautical Section, which united enthusiasts of the still nascent aviation. The section included both students and university teachers.

In 1910, Sikorsky launched the first single-engine aircraft of his own design, the S-2. In 1912, he received the position of designer at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works in St. Petersburg, one of the leading machine-building enterprises of the Russian Empire. In the same year, Sikorsky began creating the first multi-engine experimental aircraft, the S-21 “Russian Knight,” which took off in May 1913.

The designer’s success did not go unnoticed: the unprecedented aircraft was demonstrated to Emperor Nicholas II, The State Duma gave the inventor 75 thousand rubles, and the military awarded Sikorsky with the Order. But, most importantly, the military ordered ten new aircraft, planning to use them as reconnaissance aircraft and bombers.

The first Russian Knight plane was lost as a result of an absurd accident: an engine fell on it, falling off an airplane flying in the sky. Moreover, the latter managed to land safely even without an engine. Such were the realities of aeronautics in those days.

They decided not to restore Vityaz. Sikorsky wanted to start creating a new air giant, whose name was given in honor of the epic Russian hero - “Ilya Muromets”. The new aircraft was ready in the fall of 1913, both its dimensions and its appearance and the size really amazed contemporaries.

The length of the Ilya Muromets hull reached 19 meters, the wingspan was 30, and their area (on different modifications of the aircraft) was from 125 to 200 square meters. meters. The empty weight of the airplane was 3 tons; it could stay in the air for up to 10 hours. The plane reached a speed of 100-130 km/h, which was quite good for that time. Initially, the Ilya Muromets was created as a passenger plane; its cabin had light, heating and even a bathroom with a toilet - unheard of things for aviation of that era.

In the winter of 1913, tests began; for the first time in history, the Ilya Muromets was able to lift 16 people and the airfield dog Shkalik into the air. The weight of passengers was 1290 kg. To convince the military of the reliability of the new car, Sikorsky flew from St. Petersburg to Kyiv and back.

In the first days of the war, ten squadrons were formed with the participation of heavy bombers. Each such detachment consisted of one bomber and several light aircraft; the squadrons were directly subordinate to the headquarters of the armies and fronts. By the start of the war, four aircraft were ready.

However, it soon became clear that such use of airplanes was ineffective. At the end of 1914, it was decided to combine all Ilya Muromets aircraft into one squadron, which would be directly subordinate to Headquarters. In fact, the world's first formation of heavy bombers was created. The owner of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works, Shidlovsky, became his immediate boss.

The first combat flight took place in February 1915. During the war, two new modifications of the aircraft were manufactured.

The idea to attack the enemy from the air appeared immediately after the appearance balloons. Airplanes were first used for this purpose during the Balkan conflict of 1912-1913. However, the effectiveness of air strikes was extremely low; the pilots manually threw conventional grenades at the enemy, aiming “by eye.” Most of the military was skeptical about the idea of using airplanes.

"Ilya Muromets" took bombing to a completely different level. Bombs were hung both outside the aircraft and inside its fuselage. In 1916, electric release devices were used for bombing for the first time. The pilot piloting the airplane no longer needed to look for targets on the ground and drop bombs: the crew of the combat aircraft consisted of four or seven people (on different modifications). However, the most important thing was the significant increase in bomb load. The Ilya Muromets could use bombs weighing 80 and 240 kg, and in 1915 an experimental 410 kg bomb was dropped. The destructive effect of these ammunition cannot be compared with grenades or small bombs with which most vehicles of that time were armed.

"Ilya Muromets" had a closed fuselage, which housed the crew and quite impressive defensive weapons. The first vehicles to combat Zeppelins were equipped with a rapid-firing 37-mm cannon, then it was replaced with machine guns (up to 8 pieces).

During the war, "Ilya Muromtsy" made more than 400 combat missions and dropped 60 tons of bombs on the heads of enemies; up to 12 enemy fighters were destroyed in air battles. In addition to bombing, airplanes were also actively used for reconnaissance. One Ilya Muromets was shot down by enemy fighters, and two more aircraft were destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery fire. At the same time, one of the airplanes was able to reach the airfield, but could not be restored due to severe damage.

Much more dangerous than enemy fighters and anti-aircraft guns for pilots were technical problems; more than two dozen airplanes were lost because of them.

In 1917 Russian empire quickly fell into the Troubles. There was no time for bombers here. Most of The air squadron was destroyed by its own due to the threat of capture by German troops. Shidlovsky, along with his son, was shot by the Red Guards in 1918 while trying to cross the Finnish border. Sikorsky emigrated to the USA and became one of the most famous aircraft designers of the 20th century.

Description of the aircraft "Ilya Muromets"

"Ilya Muromets" is a biplane with two-spar wings and six struts between them. The fuselage had a short nose and an elongated tail. The horizontal tail and wings had a large elongation. The design of all modifications of the aircraft was identical, only the dimensions of the wings, tail, fuselage and engine power differed.

The fuselage structure was braced, its tail section was covered with canvas, and the nose section was covered with 3 mm plywood. On later modifications of the Ilya Muromets, the cockpit glass area was increased, and some of the panels could be opened.

All main parts of the aircraft were made of wood. The wings were assembled from separate parts: the upper wing consisted of seven parts, the lower wing - of four. Ailerons were located only on the upper wing.

The four internal racks were brought together and water-cooled engines and radiators were installed between them. The engines stood completely open, without any fairings. Thus, access to all engines was provided directly in flight, and a plywood path with railings was made on the lower wing. Pilots of that time often had to repair their aircraft in flight, and there were many examples when this saved the airplane from a forced landing or disaster.

"Ilya Muromets" model 1914 was equipped with two internal Argus engines with a power of 140 hp. With. and two external ones - 125 l each. With.

On the underside of the upper wing were brass fuel tanks.

R Russian plane "Ilya Muromets":
Wingspan: upper - 30.87 m, lower - 22.0 m; total wing area - 148 m2; weight empty plane- 3800 kg; flight weight - 5100 kg; maximum speed near the ground - 110 km/h; landing speed - 75 km/h; flight duration - 4 hours; flight range - 440 km; climb time - 1000 m - 9 minutes; take-off length - 450 m; run length - 250m.

- THE WORLD'S FIRST BOMBER! This is an aircraft that received name after the Russian epic hero, began to be created in August 1913. Name Ilya Muromets became a common name for various modifications of this machine, built by the Petrograd branch of the plant from 1913 to 1917.

Back in the winter of 1912-13, the world's first four-engine aircraft was created as an experimental aircraft for strategic reconnaissance. Russian Knight. Aviation experts predicted this project would be a complete failure. Nevertheless, the first flight on May 10, 1913 was successful. Despite the success, people outside Russia mistook the news of the flight as a hoax. On August 2, 1913, a world record for flight duration was set on the Russian Vityaz - 1 hour 54 minutes.

Inspired by success Vityaz, Sikorsky planned to build a bomber version of it. The prototype was ready by December 1913, and its first flight took place on the 10th. On this device, between the wing box and the empennage there was a middle wing with boars for attaching braces, and an additional middle landing gear was made under the fuselage. The middle wing did not justify itself and was soon removed. After successful tests and a number of achievements of the first constructed aircraft, the Main Military Technical Directorate (GVTU) signed on May 12, 1914 contract 2685/1515 with RBVZ for the construction of 10 more airplanes of this type.

Russian Knight

In February 1914, Sikorsky raised Ilya Muromets into the air with 16 passengers on board. The weight of the lifted load that day was already 1190 kg. During this memorable flight, there was another passenger on board, the favorite of the entire airfield - a dog named Shkalik. This unusual flight with numerous passengers was an unprecedented achievement. The payload during this flight over St. Petersburg was 1300 kg. Following the example of Grand, he made many flights over the imperial capital and its suburbs.

Quite often it flew over the city at a low altitude - about 400 meters. Sikorsky was so confident in the safety provided by the plane's multiple engines that he was not afraid to fly at such a low altitude. In those days, pilots who flew small single-engine airplanes typically avoided flying over cities, especially at low altitudes, because a mid-air engine stall and the inevitable forced landing could be fatal.

During these flights made Ilya Muromets, passengers could sit comfortably in an enclosed cabin and overlook the majestic squares and boulevards of St. Petersburg. Every flight Ilya Muromets led to a stop of all transport, as whole crowds gathered to look at the huge plane with its engines making a lot of noise.
By the spring of 1914, Sikorsky had built the second Ilya Muromets. It was equipped with more powerful Argus engines, two 140 hp inboard engines and two 125 hp outboard engines. The total engine power of the second model reached 530 hp, which was more than the power of the first Ilya Muromets at 130 hp Accordingly, greater engine power meant greater load capacity, speed and the ability to reach an altitude of 2100 meters. During the initial test flight, this second one carried 820 kg of fuel and 6 passengers.

On June 16-17, 1914, Sikorsky made a flight from St. Petersburg to Kyiv with one landing in Orsha. In honor of this event, the series was named Kyiv.

By its design, the aircraft was a six-post biplane with wings of a very large span and aspect ratio (up to 14 at the upper wing). The four internal struts were brought together in pairs and engines were installed between their pairs, standing completely open, without fairings. Access to all engines was provided in flight, for which a plywood walkway with wire railings ran along the lower wing. There were many examples when this saved a plane from an emergency landing. On several aircraft, four engines were supplied in two tandems, and in several cases training Muromtsy had only two engines. Design of all Muromtsev was also almost the same for all types and series. Its description is given here for the first time.

Both wings were two-spar. The span of the upper one was, depending on the series and modification, from 24 to 34.5 m, the lower one - 21 meters. The spars were located on average at 12 and 60% of the chord length. The wing profile thickness ranged from 6% chord in narrower wings to 3.5% chord in wider ones.

The spars were of a box-shaped design. Their height was 100 mm (sometimes 90 mm), width 50 mm, and plywood wall thickness 5 mm. The thickness of the shelves varied from 20 mm in the center section to 14 mm at the ends of the wings. The material of the shelves was originally imported Oregon pine and spruce, and later - ordinary pine. The lower wing spars below the engines had shelves made of hickory wood. The spars were assembled using wood glue and brass screws. Sometimes a third one was added to the two spars - behind the rear one, an aileron was attached to it. The brace crosses were single, located at the same level, made of 3 mm piano wire with tanners.

The wing ribs were simple and reinforced - with thickened shelves and walls, and sometimes with double walls made of 5 mm plywood, with very large oblong lightening holes, the shelves were made of 6x20 mm pine slats with a groove 2-3 mm deep, into which the rib fit walls. The ribs were assembled using wood glue and nails. The pitch of the ribs was 0.3 m throughout. In general, the design of the wings was light. In later types Muromets the fuselage behind the wing box was detachable.

Horizontal tail Muromtsev was load-bearing and had relatively big sizes- up to 30% of the wing area, which is rare in aircraft construction. The profile of the stabilizer with elevators was similar to the profile of the wings, but thinner. Stabilizer - two-spar, spars - box-shaped, rib spacing - 0.3 m, rim - pine. The stabilizer was divided into independent halves, attached to the upper fuselage spars, the tetrahedral boar and to the top of the crutch pyramid. Braces - wire, single.

The fuselage occupied an almost horizontal position when parked. Because of this, the wings were installed at a very large angle of 8-9°. The position of the aircraft in flight was almost the same as on the ground. The installation angle of the horizontal tail was 5-6°. Therefore, even with the unusual design of the aircraft with the center of gravity located behind the wing box, it had a positive longitudinal V of about 3° and the aircraft was stable.

The engines were mounted on low vertical trusses or on beams consisting of ash shelves and braces, sometimes covered with plywood.

Gas tanks - brass, cylindrical, with pointed streamlined ends - were usually suspended under the upper wing. Their bows sometimes served as oil tanks. Sometimes the gas tanks were flat and placed on the fuselage.

By the beginning of the war (August 1, 1914), four Ilya Muromets. By September 1914 they were transferred to the Imperial Air Force. By that time, all airplanes of the warring countries were intended only for reconnaissance, and therefore Ilya Muromets should be considered the world's first specialized bomber aircraft.

On December 10 (23), 1914, the emperor approved a resolution of the military council on the creation of a bomber squadron ( Airship Squadron, EVC), which became the world's first bomber formation. M.V. Shidlovsky became its head. The Directorate of the Aircraft Squadron was located at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. He had to start work practically from scratch - the only pilot capable of flying Muromtsy There was Ivan Ivanovich Sikorsky, the rest were distrustful and even hostile to the very idea of heavy aviation; they had to be retrained, and the machines should be armed and re-equipped.

The squadron's aircraft flew for the first time on a combat mission on February 14 (27), 1915. Throughout the war, the squadron made 400 sorties, dropped 65 tons of bombs and destroyed 12 enemy fighters, losing only one aircraft directly in battles with enemy fighters. (September 12 (25), 1916) 09/12/1916 during a raid on the headquarters of the 89th Army in the village of Antonovo and the Boruny station, the plane (ship XVI) of Lieutenant D. D. Maksheev was shot down. Two more Muromets were shot down by anti-aircraft battery fire: on November 2, 1915, the plane of Staff Captain Ozersky was shot down, the ship crashed, and on April 13, 1916, Lieutenant Konstenchik’s plane came under fire, the ship managed to reach the airfield, but due to the damage received, it could not be restored.

In April 1916, seven German airplanes bombed the airfield in Segewold, resulting in damage to four Muromets. But the most common cause of losses were technical problems and various accidents. Because of this, about two dozen vehicles were lost. Himself IM-B Kyiv flew about 30 combat missions and was later used as a training aircraft.

During the war, the production of aircraft of the B series, the most widespread (30 units produced), began. They differed from the B series in being smaller in size and faster. The crew consisted of 4 people, some modifications had two engines. Bombs weighing about 80 kg were used, less often up to 240 kg. In the fall of 1915, an experiment was carried out to bomb a 410-kilogram bomb.

In 1915, production of the G series began with a crew of 7 people, G-1, in 1916 - G-2 with a shooting cabin, G-3, in 1917 - G-4. In 1915-1916, three D-series vehicles (DIM) were produced. Aircraft production continued until 1918. G-2 aircraft, one of which (the third with the name Kyiv) reached an altitude of 5200 m and were used in the Civil War.
Not a single combat mission was flown in 1918 Muromtsev. Only in August-September 1919 was the Soviet Republic able to use two vehicles in the Orel area. In 1920, several sorties were made during the Soviet-Polish War and military operations against Wrangel. The last combat flight took place on November 21, 1920 Ilya Muromets.

On May 1, 1921, the first postal and passenger airline Moscow-Kharkov in the RSFSR was opened. The line was served by 6 Muromtsev, heavily worn out and with exhausted engines, which is why it was liquidated on October 10, 1922. During this time, 60 passengers and about two tons of cargo were transported.
In 1922, Socrates Monastyrev flew along the Moscow-Baku route by plane.

One of the mail planes was transferred to the School of Aerial Shooting and Bombing (Serpukhov), where it made about 80 training flights during 1922-1923. After that Muromtsy did not rise into the air.