Zvezda 1/72 Petlyakov Pe8ON Stalin's Aircraft Kit

Often referred to as the Soviet B-17, the Pe8 was the only four-engine heavy bomber the USSR built during World War 2. The Pe8 was also used to ferry VIP personnel, including Stalin and other dignitaries. One such long-distance flight was used to fly the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister), Vyacheslav Molotov, from Moscow to the United States in 1942.

The maiden flight of the first Pe-8 prototype was in December 1936. With a wingspan of 39 m and length of 23 m, the giant aircraft had a speed of up to 405 km/h. Carrying 2 000 kg of bomb- load, the bomber could repulse attacks of enemy fighters by cannons and machine-gun fire. On the night of August 8, 1941, Pe- 8 squadrons bombed Berlin for the first time. In the battle of Kursk, the bombers were successfully used to bomb the German Army. Pe-8s were used for bombardments of Koenigsberg fortifications. The Pe-8 was the most successful Soviet long-distance bomber. Only 93 aircraft were produced