Ilyushin IL-2 Shturmovik (Bark)

History of Ilyushin IL-2 Shturmovik (bark)

As the T-34 medium tank contributed to the success of the Soviet ground forces in World War II (1939-1945), so did the Ilyushin IL-2 "Shturmovik" ground attack aircraft. The single-engine, two-seat IL-2 was so critical during this period that between 1941 and 1945 its total production reached over 36,000 units. This type was further adopted in the postwar period by countries allied with the Soviet world, which included Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland and Yugoslavia.

Its successor was the similar Ilyushin IL-10 "Beast" (detailed elsewhere on this page), which was produced 6,166 times in peacetime.

The IL-2 remains the most-built fighter in history (2018). During the flight, the IL-2 was known by various names, including the famous "Shturmovik". "Flying Tanks" and "Humpbacks" were so popular with Soviet Army personnel that NATO code-named them "Bark".

For obvious reasons, the Germans dubbed the machine the "Black Death"that's how much it affected the morale of the German army.

Background and Development

As early as the 1930s, the modern Soviet military was experimenting with the idea of ??a specialized ground attack that would provide direct armor protection for pilots and critical operating systems such as engines and fuel storage. These early attempts invariably lacked performance, putting many plans on hold, but fortunes changed in 1938 when Sergey Ilyushin designed the single-engine, two-seat "TsKB-55", which featured "armored" hull" to support its crew (approximately 1,500 lbs. total).

To withstand the rigors of flying, the wing main aircraft is the key support/carrying element of the entire fuselage.

The basic idea is to deploy a "flying tank" or something, a precise (and useful) combination of armor protection, performance and firepower to neutralize armored and non-armored ground targets - operating in fiercely hostile ground conditions Firepower and the threat of direct interception by enemy warplanes.

The IL-2 (M-82) was intended as an emergency war measure in case the production line of Am-35 and AM-38 aircraft engines was interrupted in the event of the German advance to Moscow. The M-82 is an in-line fighter engine designed to replace the original Mikulin unit, but testing has shown that the pairing has poor performance and control in the required low-altitude flight range.

The IL-10 (NATO codename "The Beast") was another post-war/post-war development of the IL-2, which entered service in 1944 (and was manufactured under license from Czechoslovakia as the Avia "B-33") .The type detailed elsewhere on this page became the future ground attack standard for the Soviet Air Force and was used by the Koreans in the upcoming 1950-1953 Korean War.

The IL-16 appeared in up to three prototype forms to meet the needs of modern post-World War II ground attack. It is a further development of the in-service IL-10, but no further development.

The related IL-1 (described in detail elsewhere on this page) was developed as a platform to closely support the competing Sukhoi Su-7. Powered by a 1,973 hp Mikulin AM-42 12-cylinder engine, with a single-seat cockpit and appearance similar to the IL-2 series, the aircraft first flew on June 19, 1944 (despite its designation IL-1) . It appeared after IL-2).

However, Soviet advances in the war negated the model's usefulness, and further development was eventually abandoned - leaving only an airworthy IL-1 prototype available for investment.

Conclusion

The IL-2 was in service until the Cold War (1947-1991), when it was supplied to Soviet allies across Europe. Bulgaria took over a fleet of 120 IL-2 attack aircraft and 10 IL-2U trainers in 1934 and operated it until 1954. Likewise, the IL-2 was part of the Hungarian Air Force, and these aircraft entered service in 1952. Czechoslovakia used 33 IL-2 attack aircraft and 2 trainers in the 1944-1949 war.

Mongolian Army Aviation operated 71 IL-2 aircraft from 1945 and actively supported them until 1954 with less than 10 Luftwaffe squadrons - the last of which was retired in 1954.

The legacy of the IL-2 lives on today in the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, the Soviet response to the American Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (warthog). Like the IL-2, the Su-25 is equipped with an extensive arsenal (missiles, gun bays, etc.) and is designed for low-altitude operations with survivability such as ejection seats, a twin-engine configuration, as well as armored systems and subsystems, and more Not to mention active and passive warning and countermeasure systems.

The IL-2 is still flying in various airshow demonstrations in Russia, especially those focused on the "Patriotic War" related to World War II. The plane is also the subject of several long-standing and well-preserved chair pilot flight simulators.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes