Sikorsky Ilya Muromets

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets (Russian: Сикорский Илья Муромец; versions S-22, S-23, S-24, S-25, S-26 and S-27) was a class of Russian pre-World War I large four-engine commercial airliners and military heavy bombers used during World War I by the Russian Empire. Named after Ilya Muromets, a hero in Russian folklore, these aircraft were based on the Russky Vityaz, the world's first four-engined aircraft, designed by Igor Sikorsky.

The Ilya Muromets was a revolutionary design when it first appeared in 1913. It was intended for commercial service and featured a spacious fuselage with a passenger saloon and even a washroom on board. It held the distinction of being the world's first multi-engine aircraft to go into production, with at least sixty built.

During World War I, the Ilya Muromets became the first four-engine bomber to equip a dedicated strategic bombing unit. In the early stages of the war, it was unmatched, as the Central Powers did not have any aircraft capable of rivaling it until much later. This made the Ilya Muromets an important and advanced aircraft in its time.

Design and development

The Ilya Muromets was designed by Igor Sikorsky in Saint Petersburg in 1913. It was based on an earlier aircraft called the Russky Vityaz, which was important for early aviation. The Ilya Muromets was first built as a luxurious passenger plane. It had many modern features for its time, like a comfortable passenger room, heating, and electric lighting.

Later, it was changed into a military bomber for use in World War I. This version could carry bombs and had places for machine guns to defend itself. It was one of the first planes designed specifically for bombing missions.

Operational history

When World War I began, only two Ilya Muromets bombers were ready, but production quickly increased. By mid-1916, Russia had formed a squadron of ten bombers, growing to twenty. These large aircraft were tough targets for enemy fighters due to their strong defenses and size.

The Ilya Muromets achieved several milestones in military aviation, including the first heavy bomber raids, night bombing, and photographic damage assessment. They flew over 400 missions and dropped 65 tons of bombs. By 1917, wear and tear had reduced the active fleet, and the aircraft were later used for training. After the war, some were used as civilian airliners until the early 1920s.

Main articles: Imperial Russian Air Service, Russian Civil War, Soviet Air Forces

Variants

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets had several versions, each designed for different purposes. The Ilya Muromets No. 107 was an experimental airliner from 1913, and there was also a hydroplane version of this model. The Ilya Muromets Kievsky No. 128, another experimental airliner, appeared in 1914.

The S-22 Type A served as an unarmed trainer, while the S-23 Type B(eh) Bomber was used for military purposes starting in August 1914. There were many variations of the S-23, with different engine setups. The S-24 G-1 Series and S-25 Series were also bombers, with the S-25 having 55 built. The S-26 D-1 DIM Series and S-27 E (Yeh-2) Series were later bomber models, each with unique engine configurations.

Argus As I
Salmson 2M7
Argus 115 hp
Salmson engines
Sunbeam Crusader
Sunbeam 225 hp
RBVZ-6
Beardmore 160 hp
Renault engines of 220 hp

Operators

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets was used by several countries for both military and civilian purposes. In the military, it served with the Imperial Russian Air Service, the Soviet Air Forces, and the Polish Air Force. For civilian use, the aircraft was operated by the Soviet Union Civil Air Fleet.

Replica

A replica of the Ilya Muromets S-22 can be seen at the Monino Air Force Museum near Moscow. This copy was built in 1970 and shows how these early airplanes looked long ago.

Specifications (Ilya Muromets Type S-27 E-2)

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets Type S-27 E-2 was a large aircraft made before World War I. It needed a crew of 8 people to operate and was quite big, stretching 18.8 meters (about 61 feet and 8 inches) long. It had four engines, each driving a propeller, and could carry enough fuel to fly for about 4.4 hours.

This aircraft could reach a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour (about 81 miles per hour) and could travel up to 560 kilometers (about 350 miles). It was armed with 8 machine guns and could carry up to 800 kilograms (about 1,764 pounds) of bombs.