TheSikorskyIlya 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 commercialairliners and militaryheavy bombers used during World War I by theRussian Empire.[1] The aircraft series was named afterIlya Muromets, a hero inRussian folklore.[2] The series was based on theRussky Vityaz or Le Grand, the world's first four-engined aircraft, designed byIgor Sikorsky.[3] The Ilya Muromets aircraft as it appeared in 1913 was a revolutionary design, intended for commercial service with its spacious fuselage incorporating a passenger saloon and washroom on board. The Ilya Muromets was the world's first multi-engine aircraft in production and at least sixty were built.[4] During World War I, it became the first four-enginebomber to equip a dedicatedstrategic bombing unit.[5] This heavy bomber was unrivaled in the early stages of the war, as theCentral Powers had no aircraft capable enough to rival it until much later.[6]
The Ilya Muromets (Sikorsky S-22) was designed and constructed byIgor Sikorsky at theRusso-Baltic Carriage Factory (RBVZ) inSaint Petersburg in 1913.[7] It was based on his earlier S-21Russky Vityaz, which started out as the twin-enginedLe Grand, then as the twin tandem-enginedBolshoi Baltisky before placing all four of theBaltisky's engines in atractor configuration along the lower wing's leading edge to create the Russky Vityaz — which had played an important role in the development of Russian aviation and the multi-engine aircraft industries of the world.
The Ilya Muromets was first conceived and built as a luxurious aircraft. It was the first aircraft to have an insulated passengersaloon, containing wicker chairs, a bedroom, a lounge, as well as the first airborne toilet. The aircraft also had heating andelectrical lighting.[8] The S-22 cockpit had sufficient space allowing several persons to observe the pilot. Openings on both sides of the fuselage permitted mechanics to climb out onto the lower wings to service the engines during flight. A hatch on the left side provided an entry to the main cabin, behind the cockpit. The main cabin featured two large windows on each side. Further back was a private cabin that included a berth, a small table, and a cabinet. Lighting was provided by a wind-driven generator and heating was supplied by two long engine exhaust pipes that passed through the corners of the cabin.[4] Despite many advancements, the flight instruments on the Ilya Muromets were primitive. They included fourtachometers, one per engine, acompass, a crudealtimeter and airspeed indicator, two glass U-shaped tubes and a ball for bank indication, and a series of horizontal bars situated vertically on the nose of the fuselage for measuring climbs and descents.[9] Later, in the bomber variants, a drift indicator and elementary bombsight were added to aid bombing.[10]
In 1913 the Ilya Muromets No. 107 flew for the first time, and on 11 February 1914, the second prototype (factory airframe 128) took off for its first demonstration flight with 16 passengers aboard, marking a record for number of passengers carried.[11][12] From 30 June to 12 July 1914, it set a world record by making a trip fromSaint Petersburg toKiev, a distance of some 1200 km, and back. The first leg took 14 hours and 38 minutes, with one landing for fuel atOrsha, and the return one, with a fuel stop atNovosokolniki, took even less time, about 13 hours.[13] According to Sikorsky, "The 1,600 miles (2,600 km) flight proved conclusively the value of large multi-motored airplanes. The Army placed an order for ten four-engined airplanes of theIlia Mourometz type and the factory personnel was overjoyed by this final approval of the results of two years of hard work."[14] The acclaim received by Sikorsky includedTsar Nicholas II presenting him with theOrder of St. Vladimir, Fourth Degree, arranging for an exemption from the wartime draft to allow him to continue his design work, and a promise of a grant worth 100,000 rubles from the State Duma.[N 1] During an Imperial military review atKrasnoye Selo in July, Nicholas II decorated and christened the Ilya Muromets Type B Military Prototype, No. 128, the "Kievsky."[16][17]
During testing, the Ilya Muromets were fitted with both skis and pontoons in anticipation of new variants being produced. If it had not been for World War I, the Ilya Muromets would probably have started passenger flights that same year.[5]
With the beginning of World War I, Sikorsky was encouraged by the results of the proving flights to redesign the aircraft to become the "Military Ilia Mourometz, Type V", the world's first purpose-designed heavier than air bomber.[18][N 2] The new heavy bomber was slightly smaller and lighter than the Type A. Internal racks carried up to 800 kg of bombs, and positions for up to nine machine guns were added for self-defense in various locations, including the extreme tail. The Muromets (in its S-25 Geh-2 variant, March 1916) was the first aircraft in history to incorporate atail gunner position.[20] The engines were protected with 5 mm-thick armor.[5] The military version was designed expressly for long-range flying in both bombing and reconnaissance roles.[15]
Yosip Stanislavovich Bashko, pilot of "Ilya Muromets" based in Kiev
When WWI broke out, only two Ilya Muromets bombers were completed out of an initial production run of ten aircraft.[21] In August 1914, the Ilya Muromets was introduced to theImperial Russian Air Service and on 10 December 1914, the Russians formed their first ten-bombersquadron, slowly increasing the number to 20 by mid-1916.[22] Operations with the heavy bombers began on 12 February 1915 with a raid on German frontline positions.[23]
German Fighter Pilots often were reluctant to attack Ilya Muromets in the air due to their defensive firepower including the unique tail gun position, and the difficulty in bringing down such a large aircraft.[15] Once engaged, small fighters also found that they were buffeted by propeller wash of the four large engines.[24]
On 12 September 1916 (Julian calendar), the Russians lost their first Ilya Muromets in a fight with four GermanAlbatros, three of which it managed to shoot down. This was also the only loss to enemy action during the war; three others were damaged in combat, but managed to return to base to be repaired.[15]
83 Ilya Muromets bombers were built for the Russian forces between 1913 and 1918. They recorded a number of firsts in the history of military aviation, like bombing from heavy bombers, performing bomber groupraids on enemy targets,night bombing, andphotographic bomb damage assessment. They were also the first to develop defensivetactics for a single bomber engaged in an air combat with several enemy fighters.[25]
The Ilya Muromets performed more than 400 sorties and dropped 65 tons of bombs during the war. By 1917, attrition from constant flying had reduced the bombing fleet substantially and only four bombers remained at the front line; the other Ilya Muromets were relegated to trainer duties.[15] The heavy bombers of other participants appeared in 1916, all resembling the Russian pioneer to a certain degree.[23] The Russian government and Sikorsky himself sold the design and production license to the British and French governments. TheGermans tried to copy its design, using the fragments of the Ilya Muromets they had shot down over their territory in September 1916. By the end of 1916, the design was generally believed to be at the end of its development cycle, with ensuing modifications to individual aircraft, such as additional armor and weapons, making the aircraft too heavy and not suitable for operational use. Continual changes in the field as well as the factory led to many aircraft being redesignated as a new variant.[15]
From 1921 Ilya Muromets were used as civil airliners on routes fromMoscow toSevastopol (viaKharkiv) and fromSarapul toYekaterinburg.[26] The last airworthy Ilya Muromets was a G-series aircraft, powered by four domestically builtRBVZ-6 engines, which crash-landed into a cabbage field in July 1922.[31]
Experimental airliner, 1913; fitted with four 100 hp (75 kW)Argus As I engines, later refitted with two 200 hp (150 kW)Salmson 2M7 and twoArgus 115 hp engines.[32]
Ilya Muromets No. 107 Hydroplane
Hydroplane modification of airframe No. 107, fitted with two 200 hp (150 kW)Salmson 2M7 and twoArgus 115 hp engines.[32]
^One of Sikorsky's prized possessions was a personal gift from the Tsar, a diamond-studded gold watch that arrived later in the mail, also in recognition of his achievements with the Ilya Muromets. Sikorski retained the watch throughout his lifetime.[15]
^Sikorsky used the French transliteration of "Ilya Muromets."[19]
^Woodman, Harry. "Ilya Muromets."Airfix Magazine, May 1985, p. 352.
^Palmer 2006, p. 63, "Named after Russia's most beloved folkloric hero, theIl'ia Muromets was unveiled to the public in a spectacular series of demonstration flights...".
^Finne, K.N. (1987).Igor Sikorsky: The Russian Years. translated and adapted by Von Hardesty; Carl J. Bobrow and Von Hardesty, eds. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 118.ISBN0-87474-274-9.
^Finne, K.N. (1987).Igor Sikorsky: The Russian Years. translated and adapted by Von Hardesty; Carl J. Bobrow and Von Hardesty, eds. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 174.ISBN0-87474-274-9.
^Finne, K.N. (1987).Igor Sikorsky: The Russian Years. translated and adapted by Von Hardesty; Carl J. Bobrow and Von Hardesty, eds. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 40.ISBN0-87474-274-9.
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Finne, K. N.Русские воздушные богатыри И. Сикорского (Russian Air Warriors: I. Sikorsky) (Russian). Moscow: AST, Harvest, 2005.ISBN985-13-2878-2
Gunston, Bill (1995).The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. Oxford: Osprey.ISBN1-85532-405-9.
Kharuk, Andriĭ.Вiйськово-повiтрянi сили Украi:ни,1917-1920 (Wings of Ukraine: Ukrainian Air Force 1917 - 1920) (Ukrainian). Tempora, 2009.ISBN9789668201714.
Lake, Jon.The Great Book of Bombers: The World's Most Important Bombers from World War I to the Present Day. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2002.ISBN0-7603-1347-4.
Mackworth-Praed, Ben.Aviation: The Pioneer Years. London: Studio Editions, 1996.ISBN1-85170-349-7.
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Miller, Russell.The Soviet Air Force at War. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life books, 1983.ISBN0-8094-3371-0.
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