Petlyakov VI-100

Petlyakov (OKB-29) · Soviet Union · first flew 1939 · fighter

The Petlyakov VI-100 was a Soviet high-altitude twin-engine escort fighter prototype of 1939 that was redesigned on Stalin's order into the Pe-2 dive bomber — one of the most important Soviet aircraft of World War Two.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• twin-engine high-altitude escort fighter with twin tail fins
• pressurised cockpit for extreme altitude operations
• sleek mid-wing monoplane with pointed nose

A sleek twin-engine monoplane with twin vertical tail fins — the configuration that would become the Pe-2. The mid-wing layout and twin-fin tail are characteristic. Distinguished from the contemporaneous German Bf 110 by the more tapered wing and Soviet proportions.

Specifications

• The Petlyakov VI-100 has a length of 13 m (43 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 17.15 m (56 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 535 km/h (332 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Vladimir Petlyakov designed the VI-100 while imprisoned in the NKVD's sharashka design bureau, tasked with creating a high-altitude interceptor to escort Soviet strategic bombers. The pressurised prototype flew in 1939 and showed good performance, but Stalin abruptly redirected the programme to produce a dive bomber. The resulting Pe-2 retained the twin-fin layout and basic structure but was substantially modified for the new role.

Variants

The VI-100 prototype had no production variants; its direct descendant is the Petlyakov Pe-2 dive bomber.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service as a fighter; the sole prototype was used for testing before the redesign to Pe-2 configuration.

Related aircraft

• Arsenal VG-33
• Avia B-135
• Beriev MBR-7
• Bisnovat SK-1

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