Polikarpov SPB

Polikarpov · Soviet Union · first flew 1940 · bomber

The Polikarpov SPB (D) was a Soviet twin-engined dive bomber designed before the Second World War. A single prototype and five pre-production aircraft were built.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	11.2 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-engined dive bomber with a prominent canopy and nose glazing
Two liquid-cooled V12 engines slung underneath the wings
Main undercarriage legs retracting aft into the rear of the engine nacelles

Armament was a single ShKAS machine gun for the bombardier-navigator, a retractable dorsal Berezin UB gun and a ventral ShKAS. The bomb bay carried up to 800 kg internally, with a further 700 kg under the wings.

Specifications

The Polikarpov SPB has a length of 11.2 m (37 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17 m (56 ft).
Its maximum speed is 520 km/h (323 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

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

History

It closely resembled the Polikarpov VIT-2 but was an entirely new, smaller design with a monocoque fuselage. The first flight was flown by Boris Kudrin on 18 February 1940.

Variants

The prototype was followed by five pre-production machines ordered before the first flight. The aircraft had two 1,050 hp Klimov M-105 V12 engines.

Where you'll see it

The first prototype crashed on 27 April 1940, and on 30 June the second disintegrated in flight during a flutter test. The programme was cancelled on 29 July 1940 in favour of the Petlyakov Pe-2.

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