# Russian beauty



## VALENGO (Mar 27, 2017)

Hi, gents, did you know this russian beauty?, DB LK. Bomber. Nice.


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## T Bolt (Mar 28, 2017)

I've seen a model of that thing somewhere but I can't remember where. Very strange.


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## dogsbody (Mar 28, 2017)

I've got this drawing. Not sure of the original source. I think I got it from the old AirWarFare forum years ago.


Chris

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## Old Wizard (Mar 29, 2017)




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## herman1rg (Mar 29, 2017)

Does it have a name? (in English)


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## T Bolt (Mar 29, 2017)

Belyayev DB-LK

Here's some pictures

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## T Bolt (Mar 29, 2017)

And the model I remember seeing

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## VALENGO (Mar 30, 2017)

Interesting shape have the rear canopies, something like the FW 189. Thanks all for adding information.


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## Robert Porter (Mar 31, 2017)

What was the role this aircraft was meant for?


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## herman1rg (Mar 31, 2017)

Belyayev DB-LK - Wikipedia


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## Gnomey (Mar 31, 2017)

Good stuff!

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## VALENGO (Apr 1, 2017)

Robert Porter said:


> What was the role this aircraft was meant for?


Wiki says it was a long range bomber. If you look at the performance, range and speed was very good for the time it flew.

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## fubar57 (Apr 2, 2017)

VALENGO said:


> Interesting shape have the rear canopies, something like the FW 189. Thanks all for adding information.



That's what I thought when I first saw it. With 10,000lbs difference between empty and gross weights, what do you think would be an optimum bombload? With the defensive MG fire, if I was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, after my first encounter with these I would concentrate all my next attacks from dead ahead and low

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## Wayne Little (Apr 2, 2017)




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## CATCH 22 (Apr 2, 2017)

fubar57 said:


> That's what I thought when I first saw it. With 10,000lbs difference between empty and gross weights, what do you think would be an optimum bombload?


The bomb load of this a/c is usually given as 1000kg. There were 2 different configurations: standard and long range bomber. They differ by the fuel capacity. The standard version had 1320kg fuel capacity and the long range version had 2500kg. AFAIK the maximum range of 2900km was only calculated and never tested.
The difference you mention is between the empty weight of 6004kg (13 236lb) and the max. weight of 10 672 kg (23 528lb) for the long range version. The standard version had gross weight of 9061 kg (19 976 lb).


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## nuuumannn (Apr 2, 2017)

Information from Gunston in Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft; Initials DB LK stood for Long range bomber, flying wing, crew of four, pilot in left fuselage, navigator in right, two gunners, one in each tail cone with access to operate radio equipment in fuselage. Bomb load carried in fuselage immediately behind undercarriage legs, 2x FAB-1000 (1,000kg each), or 4x FAB-250, 2x FAB-500 and two Der-19 or Der-20 containers or 58 small bombs. Fitted with 6 SHVak machine guns in total, two firing forward in the centre wing.

Prototype completed November 1939, ready for flight early 1940. All round performance outstanding, but unable to displace Il-4 even in projected form with ASh-71 engines. Powered by two 1100 hp M-88. Performance ; max speed 395 km/h (245 mph) at sea level, 488 km/h (303 mph) at 5,1 km (16,730 ft), max rate of climb 6,15 m/s (1210 ft/min), ceiling 8.5 km (27,890 ft), range with 1,000 kg bomb load, 1270 km (789 miles) at normal gross wt, 2900 km (1,800 miles) at overload wt.

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## VALENGO (Apr 3, 2017)

In one picture that T Bolt uploaded I can see the two front mg´s, but I can´t see the other 4 mg´s. I assume that they was rear guns. Perhaps 2 of them was mounted in that kind of pilons under rear canopies.


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## Thos9 (Jan 27, 2020)

VALENGO said:


> Hi, gents, did you know this russian beauty?, DB LK. Bomber. Nice.
> View attachment 369655


Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder!

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## at6 (Jan 27, 2020)

It's ugly enough to be semi attractive.

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## nuuumannn (Jan 28, 2020)

Crumbs...Looks like "Flight Of The Phoenix" Bolshevik style.


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