This aircraft was born under the designation SZ-2 (“Stalin’s task-2”). This project won the competition to create a modern multi-purpose aircraft with high flight performance “Ivanov”, which was initiated by Stalin personally. Testers at the Air Force Research Institute spoke of this bomber as “the first example of a culturally executed machine of Soviet design.” And the notorious Viktor Suvorov dubbed the Su-2 the “jackal plane,” a miracle weapon with which Stalin was supposedly going to win the war in a matter of weeks...

Created with mass production in mind, the Su-2 was supposed to to become one of the main aircraft of the Soviet Air Force, however, already at the beginning of the Second World War it became clear that single-engine multi-purpose vehicles had largely exhausted themselves as a type - they were replaced by dive bombers or attack aircraft. Nevertheless, in the summer of 1941, the Su-2 took the fight and, despite heavy losses, earned the most favorable reviews from the flight crew. 27 pilots and pilots who fought on the Sushki became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and M.P. Odintsov and G.F. Sivkov were awarded the Gold Star twice.

This book is the best study of the history of the creation, production and combat use of the legendary bomber.