The Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab), originally designated PS-84, was a license-built Soviet-version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by Factory #84 in Moscow-Khimki and, after evacuation in 1941, at TAPO in Tashkent. The project was directed by aeronautical engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov.
The Soviet Union received its first DC-2 in 1935. A total of 18 DC-3s had been ordered on 11 April 1936, and the government of the USSR purchased 21 DC-3s for operation by Aeroflot before World War II. A production license was awarded to the government of the USSR on 15 July 1936.
| Role | Cargo/passenger utility aircraft and light bomber |
|---|---|
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | GAZ |
| Introduction | 1939 |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Force Aeroflot |
| Produced | 1939-1952 |
| Number built | 6,157 (per latest research 4,937) |
| Developed from | Douglas DC-3 |
Specifications (Li-2P)
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 (5-6 Li-2T)
- Capacity: 24 passengers / (20 troops Li-2T)
- Length: 19.65 m (64 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 28.81 m (94 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 91.33 m2 (983.1 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 2215; tip: NACA 2206
- Empty weight: 7,700 kg (16,976 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 11,280 kg (24,868 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Shvetsov M-62 9-cylinderair-cooled radial piston engines, 670 kW (900 hp) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
- Cruise speed: 245 km/h (152 mph, 132 kn)
- Range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,600 m (18,400 ft)
Armament
- Guns: :* 3× 7.62 mm (.30 in) ShKAS machine guns Li-2T
-
- 1× 12.7 mm (.50 in) Berezin UBK machine gun Li-2T
- Bombs: :* 1,000 kg bombs (normal load) Li-2T
-
- 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) of bombs (short distances) Li-2T
Photos Rob Vogelaar/Marcel van Leeuwen