The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, named after the Ilya Muromets a hero from Slavic Mythology, was a 4-engine heavy bomber used by the Imperial Russian Air Service throughout World War One and later during the Russian Civil War by the Soviet Air Forces where they were used as transport and trainer aircraft.
History
The Ilya Muromets was designed by Igor Sikorsky in the Russo-Baltic Carriage Factory in Saint Petersburg Russia in 1913. First designed as a luxury airliner the Muromets was the first aircraft to have an insulated passenger area which included wicker chairs, a bedroom, a lounge space, heating and electrical lighting, and the first airborne toilet.
The first Ilya Muromets flew on the 11th of February 1914. The second prototype broke the record for the most passengers carried at one time with 16 passengers onboard when it took flight. The second prototype broke another record by making a trip from St Petersburg to Kiev, a 1200km flight, and back. The first trip took 14 hours and 38 minutes with a refuelling stop at Orsha, the return trip took 13 hours with a fuel stop at Novosokolniki.
At the beginning of the war the Muromets was redesigned to become the worlds first purpose-designed heavier than air bomber, the Military Ilya Muromets Type V. It was fitted with internal racks which carried up to 800kg of bombs and positions for up to 9 machine guns for self defence. The S-25 Geh-2 variant in 1916 was the first aircraft in history to incorporate a tail-gunner position.
The Muromets was first sent on a combat mission on the 12th of February 1915 with a raid on multiple German frontline positions. Due to their heavy defensive armament, German fighters were hesitant to attack however when they did they often found themselves to be buffeted by the propeller wash of the Muromets 4 large engines. On the 12th of September 1916 the first Muromets was shot down in an encounter with 4 German Albatros fighters, of which the crew managed to shoot down 3 of the attackers, this was the only reported loss of a Muromets during the war.
There were 83 Ilya Muromets built for the Imperial Russian Air Force between 1913 and 1918, they recorded many firsts in the history of military aviation including, the first use of heavy bombers, performing the first strategic group bombing raids on enemy positions, photographic bomb damage assessment, and the first night bombings.
The Ilya Muromets performed over 400 sorties and dropped 65 tons of bombs throughout the war. However by 1917 only 4 Muromets remained as dedicated bombers, the rest had been delegated to being trainer aircraft. After the armistice between Russia and the Central Powers and the Russian Civil war around 30 Muromets were captured and destroyed. They were retired from service in 1922.
Specifications
*Crew - 8
*Engine
4 x Renault 12F V-12 water-cooled piston engines - per engine 220hp (160kW)
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Size
Length - 18.8 m (61 ft 8 in)
Upper wingspan - 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in)
Lower wingspan - 26.6 m (87 ft 3 in) -
Weight
Empty - 5,000kg (11,023lb)
Max - 7,460kg (16,446lb) -
Fuel Capacity - 920kg (2,028lb)
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Armament
Guns:
8 x Machine Guns
Bombs:
Up to 800kg (1,764lbs). Individual bomb sizes limited to 410kg (904lbs).
Performance
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Speed - 130kph (81mph)
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Range - 560km (350mi)
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Endurance - 4.4 Hours
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Service Ceiling - 3,200m (10,500ft)
Pictures
Ilya Muromets with it’s crew.
A full scale replica of the Muromets in the Monino Air Force Museum
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