IL-2M "Avenger"

IL-2M "Avenger"

IL-2M "Avenger"

USSR

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.3	3.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Strike aircraft

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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This page is about the premium gift Soviet attacker IL-2M "Avenger". For other uses, see IL-2 (Family).

Description

The IL-2M "Avenger" is a premium gift rank III Soviet attacker with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.41.27. The IL-2M "Avenger" is a premium variant of the IL-2M type 3.

This plane is, as with all IL aircraft, a ground attacker. It should avoid confronting any fighter aircraft, as it has terrible manoeuvrability and even worse energy retention. In an emergency, the hitting power of the 23's is more than enough to obliterate enemy fighters, but the dog-fighting should be left to the fighters.

The IL-2M "Avenger" is a rather distinctive vehicle, as it is the only premium IL-2 in the Soviet tree. A very well armoured aircraft, though somewhat unmanoeuvrable, the Avenger is an excellent variant of the IL series aircraft. This particular version has a rear gunner equipped with a 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, capable of dealing with any enemies attacking from the rear, and the forward firepower is nothing to be trifled with.

General info

Flight performance

Though the IL-2M models are improved with the better AM-38F engine, the IL-2M "Avenger" is still sluggish due to the overall plane weight. Speed, maxed out around the 400 km/h range, mean many fighters are able to catch up and outpace the IL-2M and take it down on their terms. Acceleration is decent up until a speed of around 330 km/h before slowing down. Though WEP is available on the plane, it doesn't seem to help assist in acceleration very well.

The roll rate of the aircraft is particularly slow, which is exacerbated with wing-mounted weapons like rockets. Elevator and rudder response are up to par however and can be relied on for more responsive manoeuvres.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 1,400 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	387	371	6000	49.2	50.3	6.1	6.0	800
Upgraded	430	409		46.9	47.9	11.4	8.6

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
620	320	470	470	270	~12	~12

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 320	< 320	< 320	> 330

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
750 m	1,500 hp	1,620 hp

Survivability and armour

IL-2M armour scheme

• 6 mm Steel - Propeller ring
• 4 mm Steel - Armour plates surrounding engine compartment
• 6 mm Steel - Encasing oil cooler
• 5 mm Steel - Cockpit floor
• 6 mm Steel - Cockpit wall/canopy lining
• 12 mm Steel - Pilot/Gunner separating partition
• 4 mm Steel - Upper canopy behind pilot
• 6 mm Steel - Armour plate protecting rear gunner
• 64 mm Bulletproof Glass - Forward canopy

As can be seen by the list of armour types on the IL-2M "Avenger", the plane, like the other IL-series of attacker aircraft, has a capsule of armour surrounding the pilot and most of the plane's modules. While the thickness is not substantial, ranging between 4-5 mm of steel armour, they provide the engine, fuel tanks, and radiators a level of protection not typically enjoyed by other aircraft. The armour collectively also provides substantial protection to the pilot from the front, especially with a 64 mm thick bulletproof glass on the top and the collection of steel armour and modules below.

The pilot's rear armour is also quite substantial with more 6 mm armour platings. However, the crew partition armour of 12 mm combined with the gunner's rear 6 mm of armour means that while the gunner may be knocked out more easily by an enemy at a six o' clock, the pilot can enjoy some more levels of protection for sustained flying.

With the belly of the plane also considerably armoured, the only way to be able to attack the IL-2M "Avenger"'s crew unimpeded is by attacking from above, where there are gaps in the armour for a direct hit onto the pilot.

Though the modules and crew are considerably protected, the control surfaces on the plane are not. As such, the most likely way the IL-2M "Avenger" can be downed is by a shot-off/busted wing, tail, or their respective control systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The IL-2M "Avenger" is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
• 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

Suspended armament

The IL-2M "Avenger" can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (400 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs (200 kg total)
• 4 x RS-82 rockets
• 4 x RBS-82 rockets
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg FAB-250sv bombs (500 kg total)
• 4 x RS-132 rockets
• 4 x RBS-132 rockets
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)

Defensive armament

The IL-2M "Avenger" is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (150 rpg)

Operated by a single gunner, the Berezin UB can provide decent coverage of the IL-2M "Avenger"'s rear. If an enemy loiters around the IL-2's upper six o' clock, the gunner can have a decent chance of reaching out and hitting, or even downing the enemy plane.

Usage in battles

Tactically, as with all IL aircraft, the Avenger is best suited to ground-pounding at low altitude. Avoiding conflict with aircraft is a priority, as, though tanky, the plane will not withstand much-concentrated fire, especially to its wings. When engaging ground targets, approach at a slight climb before nosing down to begin a shallow dive towards them. Bombing in this way will nearly always allow you to get away from the blast wave, and the 1.5-second delay is more than enough for you to gain enough distance, even from the 250 kg bombs. If using both bombs and rockets, lightening the aircraft from the bombs will allow you to more effectively manoeuvre to use rockets before returning to base. Use bombs against tanks and pillboxes, rockets against groups of light armoured vehicles (and occasionally enemy aircraft), and use your machine guns and cannons for AAA, artillery, armoured cars, and enemy aircraft.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 12 mm	Offensive 7 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs (turret)	New 7 mm MGs	Der-19
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 23 mm	RO-82
IV	95 octane fuel usage	Engine injection	Cover	New 23 mm cannons		RO-132
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Extraordinarily long WEP time at low altitudes
• Extremely durable
• Rear Gunner
• Stable platform for rocket and strafing runs
• Faster than the regular IL-2M and IL-37
• Wide variety of payloads
• Decent ammo count, even for the cannons
• Can fly without wingtips

Cons:

• Slower than the early IL-2s
• Rear gunner cannot engage targets beneath the plane
• Unmanoeuvrable with bombs

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Ilyushin Design Bureau (Илью́шинa Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Bombers	DB-3B · IL-4
Jet Bombers	IL-28* · IL-28Sh
Strike Aircraft	IL-8 (1944)
Il-2	IL-2 (1941) · IL-2 (1942) · IL-2M type 3 · IL-2M "Avenger" · IL-2M (1943) · IL-2-37 · IL-2 M-82
Il-10	IL-10 · IL-10 (1946)
Export/Captured
Bombers	␗DB-3A · ◊IL-28 · ◔IL-28
Strike Aircraft	▀IL-2 (1942) · ␗IL-10 (1946) · ◔IL-10
	* The Chinese Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation built unlicensed copies of the Il-28 known as the H-5.