Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
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Shturmowik...
On October 12, 1939, the undisputedly most successful - and at the same time most built! - Fighter aircraft of the Great Patritotic War started for the 1st time:
It's the "Iljuschin" Il-2...:
The Soviet pilots affectionately call the robust and easy-to-fly machine "Штурмовик" ("Shturmovik" = Storm Gull), which came to the troops from autumn 1941 (just in time!) and was built in many different versions.
The Germans gave the Il-2 a completely different, but equally appropriate name: "Flying Tank", because it was very difficult to shoot down due to its unusually heavy armor for an aircraft on all vital parts.
Important parts of the technology such as engine, cooling and fuel tanks were protected in the early versions with up to 7 mm, later with up to 12 mm thick armor steel, the pilot's cell was practically bulletproof with armored glass with a thickness of 64 mm.
The rear gunner in the two-seater variant was initially classified as "not vital" because, unlike pilots, rear gunners could be trained and replaced quickly: Its position initially remained unarmoured...:
Only after more powerful engines were available was the rear stand included in the armor.
A total of 36,163 Il-2 were built as single-seater...
... or two-seater...
... built, of which 23,600 were lost, 12,400 of them in combat, with more than 7,800 airmen losing their lives...:
About the same amount was destroyed on the ground or lost in accidents...:
The statistical life expectancy of an Il-2 crew member was 53 sflights in combat.
The Il-2 was the flying counterpart of the famous T-34 tank: a weapon that was decisive for the war in every respect!
On October 12, 1939, the undisputedly most successful - and at the same time most built! - Fighter aircraft of the Great Patritotic War started for the 1st time:
It's the "Iljuschin" Il-2...:
The Soviet pilots affectionately call the robust and easy-to-fly machine "Штурмовик" ("Shturmovik" = Storm Gull), which came to the troops from autumn 1941 (just in time!) and was built in many different versions.
The Germans gave the Il-2 a completely different, but equally appropriate name: "Flying Tank", because it was very difficult to shoot down due to its unusually heavy armor for an aircraft on all vital parts.
Important parts of the technology such as engine, cooling and fuel tanks were protected in the early versions with up to 7 mm, later with up to 12 mm thick armor steel, the pilot's cell was practically bulletproof with armored glass with a thickness of 64 mm.
The rear gunner in the two-seater variant was initially classified as "not vital" because, unlike pilots, rear gunners could be trained and replaced quickly: Its position initially remained unarmoured...:
Only after more powerful engines were available was the rear stand included in the armor.
A total of 36,163 Il-2 were built as single-seater...
... or two-seater...
... built, of which 23,600 were lost, 12,400 of them in combat, with more than 7,800 airmen losing their lives...:
About the same amount was destroyed on the ground or lost in accidents...:
The statistical life expectancy of an Il-2 crew member was 53 sflights in combat.
The Il-2 was the flying counterpart of the famous T-34 tank: a weapon that was decisive for the war in every respect!
