Pe-2-31

This page is about the Soviet bomber Pe-2-31. For other versions, see Pe-2 (Family).

Pe-2-31

Pe-2-1

Pe-2-83

Pe-2-31

Pe-2-1

Pe-2-83

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.3	3.7

Class:

Bomber

Frontline bomber

Dive bomber

Research:5 600

Purchase:22 000

Show in game

Description

The Pe-2-31 Peshka is a rank II Soviet bomber with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB) and 3.7 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. In some localisations, this aircraft is known as Pe-2-21, instead of Pe-2-31. There is no difference between them.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Max speed

at 5 100 m530 km/h

Turn time28 s

Max altitude8 400 m

Engine2 х Klimov VK-105R

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight9 t

The Pe-2-31's flight performance is relatively good for an aircraft at its BR, but remains mediocre among twin-engined light bombers. The climb rate and acceleration are both quite low, but the aircraft is quite fast, capable of reaching ~500 km/h in level flight and over 600 km/h in a dive.

The aircraft's turn performance is quite underwhelming, as is common among twin-engined light bombers, and energy retention is quite lackluster. Given its role as a dive bomber, the Pe-2-31 is equipped with wing-mounted airbrakes.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 5,100 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	511	495	8400	29.6	31.3	7.2	7.2	326
Upgraded	550	530		26.5	28.0	12.4	9.6

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	✓	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
740	450	508	477	320	~11	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 380	< 380	< 440	> 307

Survivability and armour

Crew3 people

Speed of destruction

Structural740 km/h

Gear450 km/h

The Pe-2-31 is actually quite survivable, given its larger size and spaced-out components. The aircraft's fuel tanks are located the wings and behind the cockpit, and are all self-sealing and feature an inert gas pressurisation system to prevent fires. As such, some fuel tank fires are survivable, though this cannot be relied on.

However, the Pe-2-31's engines and cockpit are all quite susceptible to damage, with no armour protecting the engine and just 8 mm of steel behind the pilot and gunner. Lucky shots to the engines can knock them out easily, and given that the Pe-2-31 is quite underpowered, it is quite difficult to make it back to base with a single engine.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB803 → 1 040

RB1 333 → 1 727

SB2 551 → 3 306

Total cost of modifications10 380

13 730

Talisman cost750

Crew training6 300

Experts22 000

Aces250

Research Aces220 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

50 / 110 / 180 %

124 / 124 / 124 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 420 Cost: 560 90 Radiator Research: 420 Cost: 560 90 Airframe Research: 580 Cost: 770 120 Compressor Research: 580 Cost: 770 120 Wings repair Research: 520 Cost: 690 110 Engine Research: 520 Cost: 690 110 Cover Research: 840 Cost: 1 100 175 Engine injection Research: 840 Cost: 1 100 175		shkas_belt_pack Research: 420 Cost: 560 90 shkas_turret_belt_pack Research: 420 Cost: 560 90 DZ-40 Research: 420 Cost: 560 90 shkas_new_gun Research: 580 Cost: 770 120 shkas_turret_new_gun Research: 580 Cost: 770 120 ub_belt_pack Research: 520 Cost: 690 110 ub_turret_belt_pack Research: 520 Cost: 690 110 RO-132 Research: 520 Cost: 690 110 ub_new_gun Research: 840 Cost: 1 100 175 ub_turret_new_gun Research: 840 Cost: 1 100 175

The DZ-40 and RO-132 modifications should be your first priority in order to unlock the Pe-2-31's suspended armament options. After that, focus on flight performance upgrades, especially the engine and engine injection modifications, to improve handling. The weapon belts can be upgraded last as their performance advantage is minimal.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Pe-2-31 is armed with:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, nose-mounted (150 rpg)
• 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, nose-mounted (430 rpg)

Suspended armament

The Pe-2-31 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
100 kg FAB-100sv bombs		1	1	1	4	1	1	1
250 kg FAB-250sv bombs			1	1		1	1
220 kg BRAB-220 (1930) bombs			1	1		1	1
500 kg FAB-500sv bombs				1		1
500 kg BRAB-500 (1938) bombs				1		1
M-13UK rockets	5								5
RBS-132 rockets	5								5
Maximum permissible loadout weight: 1,065 kg

Default weapon presets
Without load 6 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (600 kg total) 10 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (1,000 kg total) 4 x 250 kg FAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total) 2 x 500 kg FAB-500sv bombs (1,000 kg total) 10 x M-13UK rockets 10 x RBS-132 rockets 4 x 220 kg BRAB-220 (1930) bombs (880 kg total) 2 x 500 kg BRAB-500 (1938) bombs (1,000 kg total)

Defensive armament

The Pe-2-31 is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, ventral turret (230 rpg)
• 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, dorsal turret (750 rpg)
• 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, 2 x beam turret (225 rpg)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Competitive rate of climb which makes interception far more difficult for the enemy
• Manoeuvrable due to overall light weight and build
• Has a great variety of armament
• Very fast, can outspeed enemies and reach the bombing targets quicker than the average bomber

Cons:

• Relatively low bomb load
• Large silhouette makes this bomber very easy to spot by enemy interceptors
• The rifle-calibre MGs can be ineffective against many of the aircraft it faces
• Airbrakes can break easily if the user is not careful

History

Archive of the in-game description

Since the Pe-2's mass production had begun, its defensive armament was recognized by the military as weak for a modern bomber. Beginning with series 13 (launched in April to May of 1941), the ShKAS hatch mount was replaced with a VUB-2 turret with a 12.7mm BT machine gun and a magazine capacity of 200 rounds. The starboard ShKAS machine gun mounted to port forward was replaced with a 12.7mm BK machine gun with 150 rounds. Also, the magazine capacity of the port ShKAS was decreased to 450 rounds. By June 22, 1941, when Germany invaded the USSR, factories had managed to produce 490 new dive bombers. Subsequent upgrades of the Pe-2 were then made based on combat experience. Series 22 saw the installation of M-105RA engines with floatless carburettors, which improved the aircraft's behavior when diving. Beginning with series 23, an extra ShKAS machine gun with 225 rounds was installed in the radio operator/gunner's cockpit. It was designed to fire from side ball mounts and through the upper fuselage hatch. The area of the navigator's and the radio operator/gunner's protective armour was increased, and the robustness of the fuel system was improved. The aircraft was equipped with an inert gas filling system, and duralumin tanks were replaced with fiber ones, which were more effective at dealing with bullets. By series 32, the aircraft could be fitted with guide rails to hold 10 RS-132 unguided rockets under the wings. Some Pe-2s were equipped with RO-82 launchers to fire RS-82 unguided rockets backwards, to defend against any fighters attacking from the aircraft's lower rear. Since September 1941, the Pe-2's bomb load was upgraded by adding KMB-Pe-2 bomblet clusters, which enabled the efficient bombing of soft area-type targets. A total of 1,671 dive bombers were manufactured by four mass production factories during 1941. The new plane served on all front lines from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. The Pe-2s were received not only by regiments of the Air Force of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army but also by aviation units of the Northern, Baltic, and Black Sea Fleets. From February 1942 (series 64) on, the side ball mounts were replaced with pivot mounts and the turret's sighting angle was increased. Series 80 saw yet another defensive upgrade: the navigator's and the radio operator/gunner's positions were given upgraded armour. On 12 January 1942, chief designer V. M. Petlyakov died in an air crash while flying in a Pe-2. His position was filled by his deputy, A. M. Izakson, who was later replaced by another of Petlyakov's colleagues, A. I. Putilov.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pe-2-31 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Talisman Series, PE-2-31. Dont try this at home! - Joseph 2000

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.