WW II - Diesel birds?

Peter Stickney wrote in message ...
snip

The Soviet Pe-8 heavy bomber also was originally Diesel powered.
During the summer of 1941, they launched a dozen or so of them on a
raid on Berlin. I don't think any got back to their original base -
they all force landed due to engine failures.


The failure of their M-40 diesel engines sent their designer to the labour camp... and
success of M-30 back from it! (well, it was a kind of success :-)

The "success" was the other diesel-powered bomber. That was Ermolayev Er-2 which used
various diesels, M-30 and M-30b (later ACh-30b) being most sucessful. Long-range,
twin-engined, twin-tailed aircraft with gull wings was made in small series with various
aircraft engines (almost all available except radials!) troughout the war. Its latest
version, with ACh-30b diesels, actually beat Il-4 in trials and was used until the end of
the war (and developed after the war!). However, there was always the production quality
problem of the diesels built in small series, and the Chief Designer died from meningitis
in 1944.

Nele

NULLA ROSA SINE SPINA