Yermolayev Yer-2

The Yermolayev Yer‑2 was a Soviet long‑range bomber that entered service in the early 1940s. Designed by Vladimir Yermolayev and built in the Ilyushin plant, the aircraft was an evolution of the earlier DB‑3 bomber, featuring a larger wing and a streamlined fuselage that allowed a payload of up to 2 000 kg of bombs and a range of roughly 4 500 km when equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks. Powered by two Shvetsov ASh‑82 radial engines delivering 1 700 hp each, the Yer‑2 could attain a top speed of 460 km/h at altitude and operate at a service ceiling of 10 500 m. Production began in 1940, but the outbreak of World War II shifted priorities to fighter and tactical bomber programmes, limiting the Yer‑2 to a modest series of 250 aircraft. Nevertheless, it saw combat on the Eastern Front, performing strategic night raids against German logistical hubs and later serving as a long‑range transport during the later war years. The Yer‑2 demonstrated the feasibility of a heavy, twin‑engine bomber with intercontinental reach, influencing post‑war Soviet designs such as the Tu‑4 and establishing a foundation for Soviet strategic air power development.

Ilyushin

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Design & Classification