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Lisunov Li-2T HA-LIX , Hungarian Gold Timer Foundation, Sunflower Livery. Budapest, Hungary , 20.8.2005 Red Bull Air Race flight show . To the coutesy of / © AustrianAviationArt
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History
As told in [1] , [2] and [8].
The USSR bought 21 DC-3s direct from Douglas between November 1936 and March 1939. At least two of these were delivered unassembled to serve as patterns for license production.
Boris Pavlovich Lisunov was assigned to supervise the technical side of licence agreement with Douglas Aircraft for DC-3. He studied production methods at the Douglas Santa Monica plant between November 1936 and April 1939 and was put in charge of adapting the design to Soviet methods on his return home. Primary objective was to produce a civil aircraft for Aeroflot. Production was started at Plant No. 84 near Moscow in 1940. First designation was PS-84 (P=passenger aeroplane ).
"Early aircraft were powered by the 900 hp Shvetsov M-62 - a developed version of the license built Wright SGR-1820F which powered the DC-2 and gave the PS-84 engine nacelles a narrower chord than the R-1830 fitted to later DC-3s . Later the ASh-62 1) was used and the power increased to 1200 hp, but the nacelle shape remained much the same."[1] p.17
"In 1941 German advances forced the transfer of production to Tashkent (and on 17 September 1942 the designation was changed to Lisunov Li-2). Production continued until 1945 when estimates suggest that between 2,000 and 2,800 Li-2s had been built. " [1], p 17
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Histry
" Despite wish to avoid changes, 1,293 engineering change orders on original Douglas drawings involving part design, dimensions, materials and processes. Engine installation totally different even from Cyclone- powered DC-3....Hucks-dogs on all standard models. No cooling gills, many later fitted with front baffle in winter to reduce cooling air flow (see picture 1 ). Span slightly reduced, airframe locally reinforced and thicker skin in many vulnerable places adding to empty weight. " [2] p 173
The variants with some of these changes are listed and described in [1] and [2] and [8]. I quote only 3 here:
Li-2P: basic passenger ersion built for Aeroflot pre war . Passenger door on starboard, baggage doors on port.
LI-2G : Civil freighter for Aeroflot
LI-2T : Military feighter with cargo floor, tie-downs and door on left side 1,52x1,63m (59-8 x 64-2 in). Front left window deleted from -2T and left and right windows added behind flight deck as standard on all models.
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Remarks
(1) It is not clear to me which engine, was used in later variants and what was the performance of both.
According to Gunston(1995) [2]
"... original ASh-62IR driving VISh-21, 1940 to AV-7N (or AV-7NE) later AV-161.
According to to [7] ASh-62JR was derived from the licence -built Wright R1820 M-25. T/O Power is given as 1,000 hp. "Shvetsov engines had been prefixed later by both ASH
and M".
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References
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Books and Magazines
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| [1] |
Gradidge, J.M.G. : The Douglas DC-3 and it´s Predecessors.
Tonbridge : Air Britain , 1984 ISBN 0851301193
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| [2] |
Gunston (1995) Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft.
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| [3] |
Hillman / Jessup / Morris /Ottenhof (2000) Half a century. Soviet Transports. |
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| [6] |
Aviakollektsiya 3 / 2005 Li-2 |
Russian language periodical. Title in latin letters quoted left is from the invoice from the seller. Cannot read the text so I show a
picture of the title.
Closeup pictures of technical details,
( e.g. bulged glazed upper part of crew door for observing paradrop of LI-2VP, front baffles of engines ). Color profiles (e.g. CCCP H-328 from Aviaartika (see below) but with skis, a civil Li-2 CCCP-63885 from Aeroflot 1964 , and an early aircraft designated PS-84, perhaps the prototype.
I cannot read the text , but I likethis booklet very much ! |
| [7] |
Janes´s All the World´s Aircraft 1948 |
Section Engines p. 61d |
| [8] |
Bowers, Peter : The DC-3. 50 Years of Legendary Flight. First edition, second printing. Blue Ridge Summit : TAB , 1986.
ISBN 0 8306 8194 9 (paperback) |
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Magazines
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[4]
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During , Rainer W. : Die russische DC-3
Flugzeug Classic , August 2005 pp 64
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German language magazine |
| [5] |
Scale Aviation Modeller 05 / 2005 & 09 / 2005. Series DC-3 deliberations by Julian R.B. Edwards Part 5 & 6.
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Describes the conversion of an 1:72 Italieri DC-3 /C-47plastic kit nto a Lisunov LI-2 transport with gun turrets . Drawings of cold weather baffles , hints to so called "hucks starter dogs" on propeller hubs .
Color profiles in part 6. My favorite: a civil transport CCCP H-328 from Aviaartika (Krasnoyarsk-Dudinka Service) , circa winter 1947 in natural metal with red trim .
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Websites
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Revised last: 06.10.2005
Author: C.J.K.
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Header picture : .
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