The Be-4 ship reconnaissance aircraft has become a significant step forward in the domestic seaplane industry. At the time of its creation, this flying boat was in no way inferior, and in a number of parameters it surpassed the best foreign aircraft of a similar purpose. The success of the design of this aircraft is confirmed by the fact that the Be-4 was the only Soviet seaplane that was mass-produced during the war. However, created for service on the ships of the Big Ocean Fleet, which they did not manage to build before the start of the war, the Be-4 was practically left “without work”. And the naval battles of the Second World War, becoming the pinnacle in the development of ejection reconnaissance aircraft, became their finale at the same time. But first things first.
At the end of 1938, an ambitious program of building a large sea and ocean fleet began to gain momentum. In the third five-year plan (1938-1940), the USSR was supposed to start building the largest ships - battleships and heavy cruisers. It was planned to build 15 battleships, 43 heavy and light cruisers and 2 aircraft carriers. And this whole armada should have required ship-based aircraft of various classes - from reconnaissance aircraft to bombers. There was something to hold their breath for the designers-aviators. In 1938, the battleships Sovetsky Soyuz and Sovetskaya Ukraina were laid on the stocks, the development of heavy cruisers armed with 305-mm guns was in full swing, in the fall of 1939 they began to build two lead ships of this type - Kronstadt and Sevastopol. Also, reconnaissance aircraft were to be based on the Kirov-class light cruisers under construction and the armored destroyer leaders under development.
All these giants were supposed to have 2-4 aircraft for reconnaissance and shooting adjustments, these aircraft were to be launched from a catapult. The KOR-1 ship reconnaissance biplane KOR-1, developed in the Beriev design bureau and being built at the Taganrog aircraft plant No. 31, was already recognized as unsatisfactory by the Navy leadership by this time, so it required a new machine, designated as KOR-2.
The use of aircraft based on ships has been practiced in the Russian navy since the very inception of aviation. Back in the First World War, successful experiments were made in the use of airplanes from hydrotransports, called aircrafts. In 1930, the first catapults and aircraft launched from them appeared on the Black Sea. The K-3 catapult and the HD-55 (KR-1) reconnaissance aircraft, developed by the German designer Heinkel, were used on the Paris Commune battleship and the Krasny Kavkaz cruiser. The catapult unit on the ships received the designation "Warhead-6" (BCH-6). In 1934, the development of a domestic ship reconnaissance aircraft began. Two years later, the first domestic aircraft of this purpose, KOR-1, was created.
Now, at the end of 1938, a new machine was required with significantly higher flight performance and devoid of the design flaws of its predecessor. A small hangar was designed to store ship reconnaissance on board battleships and cruisers, which imposed restrictions on the dimension of the new vehicle. KOR-2 was supposed to have a length not exceeding 9.5 m, a wingspan not exceeding 10.4 m. The flight weight was within 2500 kg. The aircraft was planned to be used as a reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber, for which it was required to equip it with the necessary weapons and equipment. If necessary, the KOR-2 was supposed to be used as a rescue aircraft, for which the car needed good seaworthiness. It was under such conflicting requirements that it was proposed to develop an aircraft.
The first to start development was the designer Igor Chetvirikov, he then headed the department of naval experimental aircraft construction (OMOS) of the aircraft plant No. 45 in Sevastopol. Of the two options he proposed - boat and float - at a meeting of the Scientific Committee on December 21, 1936, preference was given to the flying boat option. The project was a strut-braced high-wing aircraft equipped with an in-line water-cooled engine M-103 or M-105. According to calculations, this version of the KOR-2 was supposed to have a maximum speed of up to 425 km / h.
A couple of weeks later, the project of the experimental department of the Leningrad Aviation Plant No. 23 was submitted for consideration. Its author was the designer Vasily Nikitin, known for a number of successful sports aircraft. His car was made according to the scheme of a single-float biplane equipped with an M-62 aircraft engine, and in general was a development of the NV-4 aircraft. The aircraft designer Vadim Shavrov, also a big fan of seaplanes, also developed his own version. In Shavrov's version, the M-105 engine was on the fuselage (boat), the elongated shaft through a bevel gear connected to the propeller mounted on the pylon. Such a scheme had a number of advantages, although it implied certain difficulties in fine-tuning the propeller group.
Despite the aforementioned author's undertakings, the fate of the project of a new shipborne aircraft was unexpectedly decided at the beginning of 1939. By a joint order of the People's Commissariats of the aviation industry and the Navy of February 27, 1939, the task for the development of KOR-2 was transferred to the design team of Georgy Beriev. This decision was primarily due to the fact that Beriev's design bureau had by that time considerable practical experience in creating such machines. It continued to fine-tune the KOR-1 and was quite familiar with catapults. In early spring, a technical assignment was sent to Taganrog, which soon became the object of heated disputes between representatives of the Navy and designers. Beriev proposed to the Navy a project of a flying boat (there was also a float version, but it was quickly rejected) with a wingspan of 12 meters and a length of 11 meters. In the case of a decrease in size, Beriev did not guarantee satisfactory seaworthiness. Sailors, constrained by the lack of free space on the ship, demanded a more compact car. Nevertheless, Beriev managed to defend his version, which subsequently had a very favorable effect on the qualities of the aircraft.
The final approval of the ship reconnaissance project took place on June 9, 1939, but many different casuistic hooks were found, and therefore, the final form of the terms of reference was transferred to Taganrog on July 31, 1939. The preliminary design was completed on August 7. In this final form, KOR-2 (also called MS-9) was a strut-braced, high-wing boat with an M-63 air-cooled aircraft engine. In the fall of 1940, the first copy of KOR-2 was completed and sent for flight tests. On October 8, the plane made its maiden flight. For several more months, the machine was being fine-tuned and preparations for state tests were carried out. This final check of the qualities of the new shipborne reconnaissance was carried out in Sevastopol, by the LII of the Navy Air Force in the period from February 2 to February 18, 1941. During the testing period, a second flying machine was manufactured, which also took part in them.
The overall assessment of KOR-2 was positive. It was recognized that the prototype aircraft meets the requirements of the Aviation Administration of the Navy, passed the tests and is recommended for adoption. In terms of piloting technique, the new machine was recognized as simple and could be easily mastered by pilots who had previously flown on the MBR-2. In addition to serving as a ship reconnaissance, KOR-2 was also planned to be used as an aircraft for protecting water areas, for which it was proposed to increase the capacity of gas tanks and, accordingly, the flight range. For more effective use as a dive bomber, it was proposed to increase the total bomb load from 200 kg to 400 kg.
No serious remarks were found during the tests, however, the testers, Captains Reidel and Yakovlev, were alarmed by the fact that KOR-2 had a steep glide path, which they considered a drawback. The pilots, not without reason, assumed that when flying in calm weather, and especially in the dark, landing on KOR-2 would be difficult. In still calm water, "mirrors" are formed, when it is difficult for a pilot to determine the true flight altitude in the absence of landmarks. This phenomenon is well known to pilots of seaplanes, it has caused many accidents and disasters. Further tests of the KOR-2 were supposed to be carried out already from the catapult, the production of which was being completed by this time at the Leningrad Kirov plant. The finishing of the ship reconnaissance and preparation for serial production was transferred to the plant number 288, located in the north of the Moscow region.
The fact that the series was supposed to be in a new location was associated with another perturbation of the Soviet aviation industry. Already at the end of 1939, it was decided to move the naval aircraft industry closer to Moscow, for this in the town of Savelovo on the Volga, an aircraft factory number 30 was organized. On March 4, 1940, the next government decision followed on the creation of a new enterprise on the basis of the Savelovsky plant - plant number 288. In February 1941, Beriev's design bureau was transferred there, as well as a reserve for the KOR-2 aircraft was delivered for the deployment of serial production. As for the Taganrog aircraft plant No. 31, this enterprise was reoriented to the manufacture of BB-1 aircraft designed by P. O. Sukhoi - later these machines became known as the Su-2.
Initially, it was planned to build 20 copies of KOR-2 at the new location. Already in the course of this work, the new name of the Be-4 aircraft began to be used. Under this designation, the car passed through many official documents. Nevertheless, sailors, out of habit, continued to use the old designation.
The first production vehicle was completed on August 11, 1941. The serial device differed from the experimental ones by the installed M-62 engine. Although less powerful than the M-63, this engine had a more solid service life and, therefore, more reliability. The aircraft was equipped with a flashlight emergency release mechanism and a pilot's armored backrest borrowed from a GST flying boat. The war was already going on, the plant was in a hurry to hand over the combat vehicle to the military and in every possible way forced the testing. On September 9, during the sixth flight, an accident occurred. The plane was piloted that day by Major Kotikov, besides him on board were OKB engineer Morozov and 1st rank technician Sukachev. During the landing approach, the steep glide path of KOR-2 affected. In calm and stagnant water conditions, the pilot fell under the deception of the "mirror" and the flying boat crashed into the water at high speed. They managed to save two crew members, military technician Sukachev died along with the car. On September 20, the first flight of the second production aircraft took place.
In parallel with the work on the aircraft, they were also engaged in catapults. The issue with them was resolved as follows. Along with the task of creating such launch systems at domestic factories, catapults of the K-12 type were purchased from Ernst Heinkel. In the spring of 1939, the first of the purchased K-12s was tested with the KOR-1 aircraft. Somewhat later, tests of the ZK-1 catapult, made according to the project of designer Bukhvostov, began at the Leningrad Plant of Lifting and Transport Equipment. A year later, the catapult of the Nikolaev plant, designated N-1, was built and tested. All these mechanisms were initially oriented towards the KOR-1 reconnaissance aircraft. For KOR-2, which has a large take-off weight, improvements were required. Another Leningrad catapult ZK-2B (it was lighter and slightly shorter than the ZK-1) was specially adapted for the KOR-2. They installed an accelerating trolley with falling racks, increased the diameter of the starting and brake ropes from 33 to 36 millimeters. The pressure in the working cylinder was increased, allowing to bring the starting acceleration to 4, 6g. After two dozen throws of a three-ton blank, the experiments continued with the plane. The KOR-2 test from the ZK-2B catapult mounted on a barge was carried out in the Oranienbaum area, from July 23 to August 6, 1941. The war was going on, German planes were snooping around, and therefore the work could well be equated with combat. A total of 12 starts were completed. With a flight weight of 2440 kg and flaps deflected by 30 °, KOR-2 normally went into the air even at a reduced speed of about 115 km / h.
Soon the first meeting with the Germans took place. Factory # 288 was evacuated, equipment and unfinished KOR-2 were sent east. On the way, the train was attacked by fascist planes. Not much damage was done, but a few bullet holes in the still unfinished cars remained as a keepsake. Initially, the factory was sent to the Gorky region, but there was no place for production there, and the trains continued to move eastward. The next stop was Omsk, here, on the basis of aircraft plant No. 166, work continued on improving the KOR-2. During this period, the Design Bureau developed a land modification of the ship's reconnaissance aircraft. Some of the vehicles under construction received enhanced offensive weapons. Instead of a course ShKAS, they mounted two large-caliber Berezin machine guns (BK). Although it was planned to assemble five aircraft from the existing reserve, a total of 9 KOR-2s were built in Omsk. We tested ready-made cars on the Irtysh.
In May 1943, the design bureau of Georgy Beriev moved to the city of Krasnoyarsk, to the base of the aircraft plant No. 477. Beriev, by order of the People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry Shakhurin, from May 3, 1943, was appointed chief designer of the aircraft plant number 477. The enterprise itself was a small enterprise, more recently it was the aviation repair shops of the Glavsevmorput. The plant was located next to the Yenisei River, on the bank of the Abakan channel. The section of land, separated from the river by a channel, was known as Molokov Island, where the board and buildings of the above-named organization were located, which was in charge of flights of aircraft with the inscription "AviaArktika". Obviously, it was precisely this neighborhood that led to the fact that two KOR-2 were transferred to the jurisdiction of the aviation of Glavsevmorput. The polar pilot Malkov conducted acceptance tests of several production vehicles, and selected the two that he liked the most for his department. The planes were flown along the Yenisei to the north, where they were supposed to be used to guard polar bases. The facts of the combat use of KOR-2 in that area, however, are not known.
In Krasnoyarsk, work continued to improve KOR-2. Like many domestic combat aircraft, they were armed with RS-82 rockets. There were experiments with the installation of eight RS-82, four under each wing plane. The first such aircraft was KOR-2 No. 28807. Subsequently, only two rockets were placed under each wing. The bomb armament was also increased - in the version of the KOR-2 dive bomber it now took four FAB-100 minesweepers, and in the version of the anti-submarine aircraft - four PLAB-100. The ship reconnaissance was clearly turning into a strike aircraft, but the flight range, so important for flights over the sea, was not enough. Therefore, from the middle of 1943, KOR-2 began to be equipped with additional fuel tanks with a total capacity of 300 liters. Two such tanks were placed inside the boat, along the sides, in the area of the center of gravity. The range was increased, the aircraft could now operate at a radius of up to 575 km. The apparatus itself became heavier, the take-off weight exceeded three tons. When the next requirement of combat pilots had to be fulfilled, to increase the firepower of the tail unit, the designers were forced to compromise. At the tail gunner, instead of the ShKAS, a large-caliber UBT was installed on the VUB-3 turret, but instead one course machine gun had to be removed. In this version, the KOR-2 was supplied by the plant in 1944 and in 1945, until the end of production. The Krasnoyarsk events, perhaps, should also include one more nuisance associated with the "mirror" phenomenon. On June 27, 1944, at nine in the evening, a Be-4 plane crash occurred in the area of the Abakan channel. In Krasnoyarsk during this period of the year there are practically "white nights", there was enough lighting, but the sun was already low enough and blinded the pilot. Completing the test flight, the pilot of the Air Force Flight Research Institute of the Navy V. N. made a wrong alignment and the plane crashed into the water. The pilot was thrown out of the cockpit, but the navigator of the naval aviation N. D. Shevchenko.
In the summer of 1942, the Black Sea Fleet received ship reconnaissance first. However, one could not even dream of serving on warships, and even more so about ship launches. The difficult situation in the first two years of the war led to the unequivocal conclusion that catapults and aircraft on them are just an extra load and hamper the maneuver of ships. By order of the leadership of the fleet, all property of the BCh-6 was removed until better times. KOR-1 aircraft were lost during the defense of the Crimea, only one reconnaissance aircraft was able to be transported to the rear, to the school of naval pilots.
KOR-2 arrived at the Black Sea Fleet in August 1942. At first, four vehicles, combined into a separate corrective link, were based in Tuapse. In the fall, after the crews finally mastered their new machines, the four became part of the 60th air squadron and relocated to Poti. Together with a dozen MBR-2 aircraft were used here as base reconnaissance aircraft. The main task of the squadron was reconnaissance and protection of the coast, search for enemy submarines and floating mines. There were also meetings with German planes. Seaplanes Do-24 and BV-138 were based in the bays of Sevastopol captured by the Germans, acted in the interests of their fleet, guarded ships and conducted long-range reconnaissance. Seeing the KOR-2 for the first time, the Germans were very intrigued by the unfamiliar Soviet vehicle and tried to attack them. According to the recollections of the KOR-2 nilot A. Efremov, there were at least a dozen air battles with fascist flying boats.
There is information about the detection of KOR-2 submarines. On June 30, two Be-4s, patrolling the area of the Poti naval base, found at the point with coordinates: latitude 42 ° 15 ', longitude 47 ° 7', a suspicious object, on which they dropped four anti-submarine bombs. There were similar cases in the following months.
In 1944, the KOR-2 was used as part of the 82nd air squadron. The tasks were the same, however, the main ones were patrolling the coast and searching for mines. On July 1, 1944, the People's Commissariat of the Navy issued an order to form the 24th Naval Aviation Squadron on the Black Sea. From that moment on, the service for which they were created began for KOR-2. For several years the planes were aboard the cruisers Molotov and Voroshilov, on which ejection launches were practiced. It is known that the Spitfire fighter also took part in these experiments. KOR-2 aircraft also appeared in the Baltic at the final stage of the war. Their use here was quite episodic, mainly missions for coastal reconnaissance or rescue operations.
On July 22, 1944, after striking the fascist ships, the Il-2 attack aircraft from the 8th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Finland. The armored attack aircraft quickly sank. Pilot Kuznetsov and air gunner Strizhak got into a rescue inflatable boat. They were looking for their own and others. A pair of Fw-190s tried to attack the small boat, but were driven off by four La-5s. A little later, our fighters pointed the KOR-2, which had flown to the rescue, to this place. Major Aparin, who was piloting the reconnaissance aircraft, found those in distress and delivered them to the naval aviation airfield located on Lake Gora-Valdai.
Little is known about the use of ejection scouts after 1945. In the post-war period, the Soviet Union had 6 quite modern cruisers, which were designed to install catapults and aircraft. Two cruisers - "Kirov" and "Maxim Gorky" - had the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. The cruisers Molotov and Voroshilov were operated in the Black Sea, and the Kaganovich and Kalinin in the Pacific. In the second half of the forties, interest in ejection aircraft throughout the world began to fade. Helicopters were used to provide ships with close-range reconnaissance. In the Soviet Navy, the helicopter first landed on the deck of the Maksim Gorky cruiser on December 7, 1950. It was a small Ka-8.
It is worth saying that back in 1940, the Central Design Bureau of the MS issued a task to create a new shipborne reconnaissance aircraft KOR-3. This machine was also developed in two versions - a float plane and a flying boat. It was planned to use the M-64R engine, which had a power of 1200 hp. According to the assignment, the new car was supposed to have the dimensions of KOR-2. Problems with obtaining the M-64 engine forced to redesign the project for the serial M-87 with a capacity of 950 hp. The appearance in 1941 of the new H-1 catapult made it possible to increase the takeoff weight of the new machine, which the designers did not hesitate to take advantage of. Now the M-89 engine with a capacity of 1200 hp was considered as a power plant. There was also a second option, which involved the use of the M-107 engine (1500 hp) with coaxial propellers. But all work on KOR-3 was stopped with the start of the war.
In 1945, they returned to the topic of the ejection reconnaissance aircraft. KB presented the project of the aircraft KL-145. Externally, the new car was similar to the Be-4 and was equipped with an ASh-21 engine. Despite the fact that the KL-145 remained in the project, it became the prototype for the Be-8 light communications aircraft.
