Sikorsky Ilya Muromets
Encyclopedia
The Ilya Muromets refers to a class of Russian pre-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
large four-engine commercial airliners and heavy military bombing aircraft
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
used during World War I by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. The aircraft series was named after Ilya Muromets
Ilya Muromets
Ilya Muromets is a Kievan Rus' epic hero. He is celebrated in numerous byliny . Along with Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich he is regarded as the greatest of all the legendary bogatyrs...
, a hero from Russian mythology
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
. The series was based on the Russky Vityaz
Sikorsky Russky Vityaz
-See also:...
or Le Grand, the world's first four-engined aircraft, designed by Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
. The Ilya Muromets aircraft as it appeared in 1913 was a revolutionary design, intended for commercial service with its spacious fuselage incorporating a passenger saloon and washroom onboard. During World War I, it became the first four-engine bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
to equip a dedicated strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
unit. This heavy bomber was unrivaled in the early stages of the war, as the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
had no aircraft capable enough to challenge it until much later.
Design and development
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Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
at the Russo-Baltic Carriage Factory (RBVZ)
Russo-Balt
Russo-Balt was one of the first Russian companies that produced cars between 1909 and 1923.- Russo-Baltic Wagon Corp. :...
in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in 1913. It was based on his earlier S-21 Russky Vityaz
Sikorsky Russky Vityaz
-See also:...
(or Le Grand) which had played an important role in the development of Russian aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and the multi-engine aircraft industries of the world.
Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
had a chance to become the birthplace of the first multi-passenger and multi-engine airliner. The Ilya Muromets was first conceived and built as a luxurious aircraft. For the first time in aviation history, it had an insulated passenger saloon, comfortable wicker chairs, a bedroom, a lounge and even the first airborne toilet. The aircraft also had heating and electrical lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
. The S-22 cockpit had sufficient space allowing several persons to observe the pilot. Openings on both sides of the fuselage permitted mechanics to climb out onto the lower wings to service the engines during flight. A hatch on the left side provided an entry to the main cabin, behind the cockpit. The main cabin featured two large windows on each side. Further back was a private cabin which included a berth, small table and a cabinet. Lighting was provided by a wind-driven generator and heating was supplied by two long engine exhaust pipes which passed through the corners of the cabin. Despite many advancements, the flight instruments on the Ilya Muromets were primitive. They included four tachometer
Tachometer
A tachometer is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute on a calibrated analogue dial, but digital displays are increasingly common...
s, one per engine, a compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, a crude altimeter
Altimeter
An altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth underwater.-Pressure altimeter:...
and airspeed indicator, two glass V-shaped tubes and a ball for bank indication, and a series of horizontal bars situated vertically on the nose of the fuselage for measuring climbs and descents. Later, in the bomber variants, a drift indicator and elementary bomb sight was added to aid bombing.
On 10 December 1913, the Ilya Muromets No. 107 flew for the first time, and on 11 February 1914, took off for its first demonstration flight with 16 passengers aboard, marking a record for number of passengers carried. From 30 June – 12 July 1913, it set a world record by making a trip from St Petersburg to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, a distance of some 1200 km, and back. The first leg took 14 hours and 38 minutes with one landing for fuel at Orsha, and the return one, with a fuel stop at Novosokolniki, took even less time, some 13 hours. The acclaim received by Sikorsky included Tsar Nicholas II presenting him with the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
, Fourth Degree, arranging for an exemption from the wartime draft to allow him to continue his design work, and a promise of a grant worth 100,000 rubles from the State Duma. During an Imperial military review at Krasnoye Selo
Krasnoye Selo
Krasnoye Selo is a municipal town in Krasnoselsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia. It is located south-southeast of the city center. Population:...
in July, Nicholas II decorated and christened the Ilya Muromets, No. 107, the "Kievsky."
During testing, the Ilya Muromets were fitted with both skis and pontoons in anticipation of new variants being produced. If it had not been for World War I, the Ilya Muromets would probably have started passenger flights that same year.
With the beginning of World War I, Sikorsky was encouraged by the results of the proving flights to redesign the aircraft to become the "Military Ilia Mourometz, Type V," the world's first purpose-designed bomber. The new heavy bomber was slightly smaller and lighter than the Type A. Internal racks carried up to 800 kg of bombs, and positions for up to nine machine guns were added for self-defense in various locations, including the extreme tail. The engines were protected with 5 mm-thick armor. The military version was designed expressly for long-range flying in both bombing and reconnaissance roles.
Operational history
Imperial Russian Air Force
The Imperial Russian Air Force existed in the Russian Empire between 1910 and 1917....
and on 10 December 1914, the Russians formed their first 10-bomber squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
, slowly increasing the number to 20 by the summer of 1916. Operations with the heavy bombers began on 12 February 1915 with a raid on German front line positions. During World War I, the Germans
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
often were reluctant to attack Ilya Muromets in the air due to their defensive firepower including a unique tail gun position, and the difficulty in bringing down such a large aircraft. Once engaged, small fighters also found they were buffeted by propeller wash. On 12 September 1916, the Russians lost their first Ilya Muromets in a fight with four German Albatros
Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer best known for supplying the German airforces during World War I.The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded by Walter Huth and Otto Wiener on December 20, 1909. It produced some of the most capable fighter aircraft...
, three of which it managed to shoot down. This was also the only loss to enemy action during the war, while three others were damaged in combat, but managed to return to base to be repaired.
The Russians built 73 Ilya Muromets bombers between 1913 and 1918. During this period, they were the first in aviation history to perform bombing from heavy bombers, bomber group raids
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
on enemy targets, night bombing and photographic bomb damage assessment. They were also the first to develop defensive tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
for a single bomber engaged in an air combat with a number of enemy fighters. Due to systematic weapon upgrades, the effectiveness of bomb-dropping reached 90%.
The Ilya Muromets performed more than 400 sorties and dropped 65 tons of bombs during the war. By 1917, attrition from constant flying had reduced the bombing fleet substantially and only four bombers remained at the front line; the other Ilya Muromets were relegated to trainer duties. The heavy bombers of other participants appeared in 1916, all resembling the Russian pioneer to a certain degree. The Russian government and Sikorsky himself sold the design and production license to the British and French governments. The Germans
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
tried to copy its design, using the fragments of the Ilya Muromets they had shot down over their territory in September 1916.
By the end of 1916, the design was generally believed to be at the end of its development cycle, with ensuing modifications to individual aircraft, such as additional armor and weapons, making the aircraft too heavy and not suitable for operational use. Continual changes in the field as well as the factory led to many aircraft being re-designated as a new variant. Further designs based on the original Ilya Muromets bombers included a more dedicated attack version and a navalized version incorporating minelayer and anti-submarine capability that were not built. Even though the English, French and German bombers were faster, Sikorsky decided to switch to a new type of aircraft, he would call the Alexander Nevsky.
Russian Revolution and aftermath
Following the February Revolution in 1917, the Ilya Muromets bombers continued to fly with the Russian Imperial Army but others were seized by the provisional government with pilots also defecting to the Ukrainian squadron of Hetman and General Pavlo SkoropadskyPavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi 3 May 1873, Wiesbaden, Germany – 26 April 1945, Metten monastery clinic, Bavaria, Germany) was a Ukrainian politician, earlier an aristocrat and decorated Imperial Russian Army general...
, with at least one Ilya Muromets being flown by Polish forces. The remainder of the aircraft flew with the Red Army until mid-1919.
The Ilya Muromets continued in production after the war with a handful still being produced. From May–October 1921, the aircraft was utilized in its originally intended role of passenger transport on the Moscow-Kharkov line, six survivors continuing in service as both a civilian passenger airliner and mail plane. After carrying 60 passengers and two tons of freight, the Ilya Muromets were considered too difficult to maintain as engines and airframes were worn out and on 10 October 1922, the airliners were retired. The last flight of an Ilya Muromets bomber took place in 1922 at the Air Shooting and Bomb-dropping School in Serpukhov
Serpukhov
Serpukhov is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which is situated at the confluence of the Oka and the Nara Rivers. It is located south from Moscow on the Moscow—Simferopol highway. The Moscow—Tula railway passes through the town. Population: -History:...
.
Variants
Ilya Muromets No. 107- Experimental airliner, 1913; fitted with 4 x Argus engines of 100 hp.
Ilya Muromets Kievsky No 128
- Experimental airliner, 1914; fitted with 2 x Argus engines of 140 hp each and 2 x Argus engines of 125 hp.
Ilya Muromets S-22 Type A
- Unarmed trainer, one built 1913, used in Gachina Air School in 1914
Ilya Muromets S-23 Type B(eh) Bomber
- Bomber, First flight 1914, in service August 1914, original armament 1x 3.7, 1 x 0.8 mg; six built (heavily modified).
- Type B No 135, 1914; fitted with 4 x Argus engines of 130 hp each.
- Type B No 136, 1914; fitted with 2 x Salmson engines of 200 hp each and 2 x Salmson engines of 136 hp each.
- Type B No 137, 1914; fitted with 2 x Salmson engines of 200 hp each and 2 x Salmson engines of 136 hp each.
- Type B No 138, 1914; fitted with 2 x Salmson engines of 200 hp each and 2 x Salmson engines of 136 hp each.
- Type B No 139, 1914; fitted with 2 x Salmson engines of 200 hp each and 2 x Salmson engines of 136 hp each.
Ilya Muromets S-23 V(eh) Series
- Bomber, First flight 1914, fitted with 4 x Sunbeam Crusader V8 engines of 148 hp each
- Type V No 151, 1915; fitted with 4 x Argus engines of 140 hp each.
- Type V No 159 Trainer aircraft, 1915; fitted with 2 x Sunbeam engines of 225 hp each.
- Type V No 167, 1915; fitted with 4 x RBVZ-6 engines of 150 hp each.
Ilya Muromets S-24 G-1 Series
- Bomber, First flight 1914; 18 built.
Ilya Muromets S-25 Series
- Bomber, First flight 1915; 55 built.
Ilya Muromets S-25 G-2 "Russobalt"
- Bomber, fitted with 4 x RBVZ-6 engines of 150 hp, 170 kg Bombs, 5 MG.
Ilya Muromets S-25 G-3 "Renobalt" Series
- Bomber, fitted with 2 x Renault engines of 220 hp each and 2 x RBVZ-6 engines of 150 hp, 190 kg bombs, 6 MG
Ilya Muromets S-26 D-1 DIM Series
- Bomber, First flight 1916, fitted with 4 x Sunbeam engines of 150 hp; three built.
Ilya Muromets S-27 E (Yeh-2) Series
- Bomber, First flight 1916, fitted with 4 x Renault engines of 220 hp each; two built.
Operators
Military
Russian Empire
- Imperial Russian Air ForceImperial Russian Air ForceThe Imperial Russian Air Force existed in the Russian Empire between 1910 and 1917....
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
- Soviet Air Forces
- Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
- Ukrainian State
Civilian
- Soviet Union Civil Air FleetAeroflotOJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
