Il-2
A heavily armored ground-attack monoplane, the backbone of the Soviet ground-attack units in WWII. Its deadly efficiency originated not only from powerful weapon, but also from unprecedented (and for years not overcome) armoring of all vital elements: pilot cockpit, engine, cooling system, internal bomb bays. Other earlier and contemporary aircraft (with few exceptions) had armour as a addition to the airframe, and suffered from its passive weight. In case of the Il-2 armour became a part of aircraft structure, carrying substantial part of structural functions. This resulted in great weight savings. Plus armour itself was specially designed to withstood small caliber (and so fragile!) shells, bullets and shrapnel. This protection allowed pilots to perform multiple bomb/strife runs over target area, to spend more time aiming... General layout of the Il-2 made it maneuverable enough to allow skilled pilots to perform active air-to-air combat against fighters... Unfortunately there were not enough time for pilots to get enough training, and they had to learn it in a real combat, paying heavy toll in lives. The first production modification of Il-2 had no rear gunner position. This was just ordered by Kliment E. Voroshilov (then Commissar and Chairman of the Red Air Force), who felt that the rear gunner position is not necessary. Though come heavy losses from fighters in first months of the Great Patriotic War, when Il-2's were forced to operate without both escort and rear defense. Despite excellent armour and firepower of Stormovik, German fighters had enough time for multiple attacks, specially when Stormoviks were on target. The second crewman with the gun for rear protection in production aircraft was introduced in fall 1942 , in the Il-2M version. But as early as in May-June 1942 some regiments started to improvise with rear gunner position on their own, adopting turrets from old reconnaissance biplanes such as R-5;
Technical data
| Type | Il -2 | Il-2M | Il-2 Type 3 | Il-2 Type 3M |
| Function | Ground attack | |||
| Year | March 1941 | September 1942 | December 1942 | March 1943 |
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Engines | 1*1600 hp AM-38 | 1*1700/1780 hp AM-38F | ||
| Weight | Empty 4200 kg Maximum 5788 |
Empty Maximum 6740 kg |
Empty 4525 kg Maximum 6360 kg |
Maximum 6103 kg ? |
| Wing Span | 14.60 m | |||
| Length | 11.6 m | |||
| Height | 4.11 m | 4.17 m | ||
| Wing Area | 38.50 m 2 | 38.50 m 2 | 38.50 m 2 | 38.50 m 2 |
| Speed | on ground level 433 km/h on 2460 m 450 km/h |
on ground level on 2460 m |
404 km/h | 387 km/h on ground level 410 km/h |
| Range | 740 km | 765 km | 764 km | ? |
| Ceiling | service 4000 m | 6360 m | service 3500 m | ? |
| Cannons | 2*20 mm ShVAK 500/gun | 2*20 mm ShVAK or 2*23 mm "VYa" 300/gun |
2*g23 mm "VYa" | 2*g37 mm "NS-37" |
| Machineguns | 2*7.62 mm "ShKAS" 750/gun | 2*7.62 mm "ShKAS" 1*12.7 mm "UBT" |
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| Bombs | 400 kg | 400 kg | 750 kg | 600 kg |
| Rockets | 8*RS-82 mm or 8*RS-132 mm | 4*RS-82 mm or 4*RS-132 mm | 4*RS-82 mm or 4*RS-132 mm | 4*RS-82 mm or 4*RS-132 mm |
| Sub-machinegun | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Reward-firing grenade launcher |
- | - | - | DAG-10 |
| Anti-tank cluster bombs | - | - | - | 4 containers 192 PTAB each |
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