Mar 10
Petlyakov Pe-8 Soviet Heavy Bomber
The Petlyakov Pe-8 (originally designated TB-7) was a Soviet heavy bomber developed in the mid-1930s to meet requirements for a modern long-range strategic bomber to replace the aging Tupolev TB-3. The design team was led by Vladimir Petlyakov in the Tupolev design bureau, and the aircraft first flew on 27 December 1936. It entered service in 1940 and remained the only four-engined bomber fielded by the Soviet Air Forces in World War II. Production was limited by technological and supply challenges, and only about 93 aircraft were built by 1944.
