Myasishchev DB-108

After Vladimir Petlyakov's death in January 1942 Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev continued the development of the Petlyakov Pe-2, beginning with the DB-108. DB stood for long range bomber and 108 was a NKVD, rather than design bureau, number. The three prototypes were identified by their designer's initials, VM.

All three had the same basic layout. Their cantilever wings were mid-mounted and had rectangular panels between roots and engines, with radiators in their leading edges. The engines were mounted ahead of the leading edges in long fairings that also housed the main landing gear. The oil radiators were nearby in the leading edges of the outer wing panels which tapered strongly to semi-elliptical tips and had about 5° dihedral.

Their fuselages were oval in cross-section and tapered rearwards to pointed extremities. Each had a glazed or semi-glazed nose and a cockpit, under raised, multi-part glazing, placed ahead of the leading edge. At the rear tetragonal plan, mid-mounted tailplanes with marked dihedral carried vertical endplate fins which, with their rudders, were roughly oval in profile. The trailing edges of broad chord elevators were slightly curved, with inboard trim tabs. A retractable tailwheel was positioned just ahead of the tailplane leading edge.

The first prototype, the VM-16, was crewed by just a pilot and navigator/gunner/bomb-aimer, seated alongside but facing rearwards. He remotely operated a {{cvt|12.7|mm|in}} calibre tail gun from this position but went into the semi-glazed nose for bombing. Development concentrated on increasing defensive armament. The ground-tested but unflown second prototype, the VM-17, added another crew member to operate its four guns. It was eventually modified into the Myasishchyev VB-109, described briefly below. The final prototype, the VM-18, had a 16% increase in span and 10% in length, with a fourth crew member in an extended rear cockpit to operate its guns, one in his cockpit and two more in remotely operated dorsal and ventral barbettes. There was also a forward firing gun.

The VM-16 was first flown on 30 December 1944. The VM-17 was not flown until late 1945, after modification into the VB-109; the VM-18 was flown in 1946, though flight tests were not completed before programme cancellation.

Data from Russian Aircraft 1875-1995

;VM-16: Two-seater. Single remotely operated {{cvt|12.7|mm|in}} calibre tail gun. First flown 30 December 1944. One only.

;VM-17: Three crew and extra armament. Empty weight increased by {{cvt|559|kg|}} but dimensions unchanged. Ground-tested but unflown until converted into the VB-109. Four guns, three {{cvt|20|mm|in}} calibre, the other {{cvt|12.7|mm|in}}. One only.

;VM-18: Four crew, cockpit modified for gun. Span increased to {{cvt|20.06|m|ftin}} and length to {{cvt|15.02|m|ftin}}. Four guns, one fixed, forward firing {{cvt|20|mm|in}} and the others {{cvt|12.7|mm|in}} calibre, rearward firing. It was flown in 1946 but its tests were not completed when the programme was abandoned. One only.

;VB-109: Rebuilt two-seat VM-17, with the same span as the VM-16 and VM-17 and a length of {{cvt|14.17|m|ftin}}. It had two seats in a pressurized cabin and was more heavily armour-plated than its predecessors. There were two {{cvt|20|mm|in}} guns, one remotely operated in the tail as in the VM-16 and another fixed. It was intended to have upgraded, two-stage supercharged Klimov VK-109 engines, though interim Klimov VK-107As powered its first flight, made in late 1945. One only.

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Russian Aircraft 1875-1995.

|prime units?=met

|genhide=

|crew=Two

|length m=13.47

|length note=

|span m=17.8

|span note=

|height m=

|height note=

|wing area sqm=43.0

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=6953

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=9431

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Klimov VK-108

|eng1 type=liquid-cooled V-12 engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=1800

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|prop blade number=Four

|prop name=VISh-107

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=583

|max speed note=at sea level

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|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

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|range km=

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=2250

|combat range note= with {{cvt|2000|kg|lb}}

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=12000

|ceiling note= service

|g limits=

|roll rate=

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|climb rate note=

|time to altitude= 5 min to {{cvt|5000|m|ft}}

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|more performance=

• Take-off distance: {{cvt|420|m|ft}}
• Landing run: {{cvt|485|m|ft}} from {{cvt|140|km/h|mph kn}}

|guns=One remotely controlled {{cvt|12.7|mm|in}} calibre tail gun

|bombs= {{cvt|2000|kg|lb}}

}}

{{aircontent

|related=

• Petlyakov Pe-2

|similar aircraft=

• de Havilland Mosquito
• Junkers Ju 88
• Messerschmitt Bf 110
• Fokker G.I
• Lockheed P-38 Lightning
• Tupolev Tu-2

|lists=

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

}}

{{Commons category}}

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite book |title= The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875-1995|last=Gunston|first=Bill|year=1995 |publisher=Osprey (Reed Consumer Books Ltd) |location=London |isbn= 1-85532-405-9|page=256}}

}}

{{Myasishchev}}

Category:1940s Soviet bomber aircraft

Category:Mid-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1944

Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft

DB-108

Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear