The Shavrov Sh-2 (later ASh-2)
[Andersson, 1995, p.222] was a 1930s
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
amphibious sesquiplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy.
Though ...
developed from the Sh-1, with a more powerful engine, slightly increased size and amphibious undercarriage. The Sh-2 could carry three people including the crew.
Design and development
The Shavrov Sh-2 was developed from the Sh-1 flying boat prototype, which had been built in Shavrov's apartment and which first flew on 21 June, 1929. The Sh-2 was a slight enlargement of the Sh-1, with some detail improvements.
[Andersson, 1995, p.221]
The hull was primarily constructed of pine with the keel and longerons being ash, with a 3mm plywood skinning covering 25 frames, of which 4 were watertight bulkheads.
[ The planing bottom was covered with 6mm plywood, and the entire structure was covered in doped fabric.][ The cockpit seated three, with a pilot and passenger in the front, both with controls, and an additional passenger behind them while cargo or additional fuel could be carried in the nose and under the seats.][ The wings formed a staggered sesquiplane, and the outer wing panels, which were given 3 degree of dihedral could be folded back along the fuselage.][ The centre section used the Kol'chugaliminum aluminium alloy and had a dead eye for hoisting onto ships.][ The small cantilevered lower wing served as attachment for the stabilizing floats. The cruciform tail had horn balanced elevators, while the rudder was slightly enlarged over that of the Sh-1.][ The undercarriage retracted by rotating forwards and up in an arc until the axle was level with the cockpit coaming, pulled into position with cables and springs.][ It could also be fitted with skis for winter operations from ice and snow, while some examples had the undercarriage removed, or weren't built with them.][ During 1950s, more powerful versions of M-11 were fitted, and some examples were modified with enclosed cabins.][
]
Operational history
The prototype Sh-2, which had been built at Zavod No.23 in Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
made its first flight on November 11, 1930.[Andersson, 1995, p.223] State Acceptance trials were carried out through 1931, and were passed on 9 May, 1932, without problems, having previously passed its trials for Aeroflot, and series production began in 1933, with the first production batch of 270 being built at Zavod No.31 in Taganrog
Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population:
Located at the site of a ...
.[ Production eventually exceeded 700 aircraft, with the last examples being built in small workshops, in 1952.][
The Sh-2 remained in service until 1964][ and set a number of unofficial flying boat and seaplanes records.
The Sh-2 replaced the obsolete MU-1 floatplane, whose design dated from before ]World War One
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
, with the Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
.[
Examples were operated from the SS Chelyuskin, ]Fyodor Litke
Fyodor, Fedor () or Feodor is the Russian-language form of the originally Greek-language name "Theodore" () meaning "God's gift" or "god-given". Fedora () is the feminine form. "Fyodor" and "Fedor" are two English transliterations of the same Ru ...
and Krasin icebreakers as well as other vessels.[ One example was used as a glider tug for the Gribovsky G-16 hydrofoil flying boat glider prototype.][ Aeroflot was not only a major operator of the Sh-2, they also built them in their own workshops, including 30 to 35 in 1941.][
On 28 August 1942, the Finns captured two Sh-2s and impressed them into service in the liaison role.][Andersson, 1995, p.224]
Variants
;Sh-1
:small flying boat home-built prototype
;Sh-2
:main production variant, used as a utility transport, for liaison, as mailplane, trainer, and flying ambulance, and for agriculture, fishery and forestry protection, ice reconnaissance and frontier patrol, as well as by many executive committees all over Russia.[
;Sh-2S
:ambulance version, 16 built
;Sh-2bis
:version with glazed crew cabin and M-11L-engines
]
Operators
;
* Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...
operated two captured examples[
;
* ]Aeroflot
PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (, ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; , , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. Aeroflot is headquartered in the Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow, with its hub being Sheremetyevo Interna ...
operated large numbers from 1934 onwards[
* Glavryba directorate operated 9 for fisheries patrols from 1934 while the People's commissariat for fisheries operated 14 from 1941
* Sanaviatsiya
* ]Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
** ''Maxim Gorky Agiteskadril'' (En: Maxim Gorky Propaganda Squadron) operated one example in 1934-1935[
]
Specifications (Sh-2 amphibian)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{WWIIUSSRAF
Sh-2
1930s Soviet civil utility aircraft
Flying boats
Sesquiplanes
Amphibious aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1930