Pe-8 ON VIP transport
Updated on September 14. 2013
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During the long flight to the US in 1942 on a standard Pe-8, the minister Molotov and his delegation were without any basic commodities; so, in 1943 it was proposed to create a more adequate plane for long range travels of important delegations.

In 1944, two of the last Pe-8 built, s/n 42612 and 42712, were completed as VIP transport planes.

The internal structures of the bomb bay and of the dorsal turret were suppressed, while the front machine gun, the rear turret with 20 mm gun and the UP positions behind the nacelles were preserved to defend the plane. The vertical tail surface had been enlarged to improve the directional stability.

The planes, built at end of 1944, were powered with four ACh-30B diesel engines each, the same of Ye-2 long-range bomber; this type of engine was much perfectioned from the time of its first use in 1940-41, that had been troublesome.

The planes were widely tested during the spring of 1945.

 

The Pe-8 ON

Pe-8 s/n 42712,

It had an uniform finish; according to some sources, overall A-33 grey top with A-28 light blue bottom. According to other sources, the color of the uppersurfaces should be green. It's difficult to say what is right, because the standards introduced in 1943 prescribed a green-brown-black or green-brown-grey livery, while those of 1945 a two-grey camo as the fighters, but there is not any evidence of the application of this latter standard to Pe-8s and to the vast majority of types.

The


http://heavybomber.narod.ru/42712.htm

Right: diagram of the internal arrangement of the passengers bay. We can recognize 12 seats, a vane with two beds on the front and a toilet on the rear.

On s/n 42612, the seats and walls were covered with light grey fabric of good quality, while 42712 employed beige fabric.

Below: three photos of the ladder and of the bay. On the third one, the beds bay is closed by a curtain.

There are many windows on the sides, even if scarcely visible on these photos.