IL-2 M-82

IL-2 M-82

IL-2 M-82

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.7	2.7	2.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Strike aircraft

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

The IL-2 M-82 is a premium gift rank II Soviet attacker with a battle rating of 2.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Starfighters" as a reward for World War Mode Season 3: Road to the West. This unique IL-2 variant is fitted with a Shvetsov M-82 engine rather than the standard Mikulin AM-38, and also benefits from having a rear gunner. Its poor flight performance and low top speed make it lacklustre in an air-to-air role, but its effective weapons and great secondary payload options make it a highly effective ground attacker in both air and mixed battles.

General info

Flight performance

The IL-2 M-82 has characteristics relatively in-line with those found on other variants of the IL-2 family. It has a very slow top speed, meaning that almost every fighter at its BR can catch up to it. It also has a slow climb rate, especially in RB. On the plus side, the Sturmovik actually has a very good turn rate and can even out-turn some fighters when flown correctly. However, this should not be used excessively as the aircraft has horrible energy retention and will lose speed ferociously in extended turns.

The Shvetsov M-82IR engine found on this IL-2 variant produces almost 2,000 hp at takeoff, much more than its original AM-38 powerplant. This gives the IL-2 M-82 a slight performance advantage over other IL-2 variants at low altitudes, where its engine performs the best. However, this engine will quickly suffocate at high altitudes as it was not designed for high-altitude performance.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 2,500 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	382	374	6500	24.0	25.1	4.2	4.2	400
Upgraded	414	397		21.9	22.9	10.3	7.1

Details

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

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

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 320	< 320	< 370	> 341

Survivability and armour

• 4 mm steel around fuel tank and oil cooling system
• 6 mm steel behind engine
• 6 mm steel underneath bottom oil cooling system
• 6 mm steel beside fuel tank
• 6 mm steel beside and on top of pilot
• 8 mm steel in front of and below gunner
• 64 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
• 64 mm bulletproof glass between pilot and gunner
• Self-sealing fuel tanks, with neutral gas pressurization system (1 underneath pilot and 1 in front of pilot)

(Note: the gunner is rear-facing)

Armaments

Offensive armament

The IL-2 M-82 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons, wing-mounted (210 rpg = 420 total)
• 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

Suspended armament

The IL-2 M-82 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (400 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg total)
• 8 x RS-82 rockets
• 8 x RBS-82 rockets
• 8 x RS-132 rockets
• 8 x RBS-132 rockets
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 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-50 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)

Defensive armament

The IL-2 M-82 is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (280 rpg)

Usage in battles

The IL-2 M-82's effective frontal armament and excellent loadout options make it an excellent ground attacker in both Air and Mixed battles. Its lacking flight characteristics and slow top speed make it unsuitable for air-to-air engagements, as it will be quickly shredded by enemy fighters.

The IL-2 M-82 differs from earlier IL-2 variants by having the Shvetsov M-82 engine in place of the standard Mikulin AM-38 engine. This new engine provides greater power, giving the IL-2 a slight performance boost, but lacks armour protection, unlike the other IL-2 variants. As a result, greater care must be taken to avoid soaking up too much ground fire, as any stray flak could easily damage the aircraft's engine or set it on fire.

However, this aircraft also benefits from having a rear gunner, equipped with a 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun. This weapon is highly effective and can easily set enemy aircraft on fire with several bursts. However, it lacks the punching power of heavier cannons, meaning that more hits will be necessary to deal the same damage.

Usage in Air Arcade Battles:

In Air AB, the IL-2 M-82 can be very well utilised as a ground attacker. Its RS-82 rockets are well-suited for destroying soft targets while the larger RS/RBS-132 rockets and bombs (100+ kg) can be used against harder targets like pillboxes and tanks. In particular, the 2 x 250 kg FAB-250 loadout is very effective against hard targets, and will often destroy medium/heavy tanks or light pillboxes with even a near miss - a direct hit guarantees a kill. This aircraft also benefits from an excellent initial turn rate in AB, giving it some air-to-air capability. However, its poor energy retention prevents it from performing well in a dogfight, so it is recommended to only engage enemies that are already distracted or dogfighting. As well, the Il-2 M-82 inherits the strong fuselage of prior Il-2 variants, meaning that it is quite capable of soaking up enemy fire. However, the wings, tail, control surfaces and engine are all rather vulnerable, so it is not recommended to engage too many bogies at once.

Usage in Air Realistic and Mixed Battles:

In Air RB, the IL-2's manoeuvrability is somewhat nerfed due to the realistic flight characteristics. As a result, it will fare much worse in any air-to-air situation. If being pursued by enemy fighters, perform evasive manoeuvres and bait them onto the aircraft's six, where the tail gunner will be able to fight back. As well, never engage fighters with a higher energy level, as they will be able to force the IL-2 into a energy/turn fight where the plane's speed will bleed rapidly.

The Il-2 does very well in air RB as it can use it's payload options to its full potential. Diving attacks are ideal for engaging harder targets as it makes it easier to aim bombs and rockets - however, be aware of airspeed, as the IL-2's control surfaces tend to lock up at speeds above 550 kph.

In mixed battles, the IL-2 M-82 can be used effectively as a CAS aircraft with its large payload options. The RS and RBS 132 rockets are effective against armoured targets, though it is worth noting that the RBS-132 rockets have no warhead, meaning that only direct hits will do damage. The smaller RS-82 and RBS-82 rockets can also be effective, though they have far less punching power. The 20mm Shvak Cannons can be used against soft targets, but are inadequate against harder targets due to their low max penetration of 26mm when using Armoured vehicles Belts. A great strategy for mixed is to dive on an enemy tank, fire rockets/bombs/guns at a high angle, then pull out and disengage, followed by a second bombing run.

Countertactics:

In Air RB, a team of Il-2s can easily win a game if left alone, so ensure to destroy them quickly. An effective option for dealing with the Il-2 is to dive on them while they are engaging ground targets - a 600 kph dive at a 20-30 degree angle allows for plenty of time on target without giving the tail gunner much time to engage. As well, the Il-2's tail gunner has very limited lateral (left-right) range, so engaging the aircraft from the side will also be effective.

The Il-2 has a sturdy airframe, meaning that it can tank hits very well. This means that any machine guns will take a while to destroy it. However, the aircraft's wings and tail are quite flimsy, and kills can often be achieved by destroying the aircraft's tail control.

Manual Engine Control

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

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 12 mm	Offensive 20 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs (turret)		RO-82
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 7 mm	New 20 mm cannons	Der-21
IV	95 octane fuel usage	Engine injection	Cover	New 7 mm MGs		RO-132
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Expansive payload options including rockets and bombs up to 250 kg
• Adequate frontal armament with big ammo reserves
• Heavily armoured, especially around the pilot cabin area
• Great initial turn time in Air AB
• Has a tail gunner, unlike previous Il-2 variants
• Premium benefits, helps speed up research

Cons:

• Poor top speed of just 400 kph in level flight
• Bad climb rate and overall flight characteristics
• No capability to carry large ordnance (i.e. bombs 500kg+), unlike it's German counterpart, the Ju-87 Stuka
• Wings and tail are flimsy, can easily be shot off with machine guns

History

In early July of 1941, due to the rapid advance of German troops into central Russia, there was a threat of a reduction in the supply of IL-2 AM-38 aircraft engines. Anticipating possible issues, Sergey Ilyushin suggested adapting the Sturmovik engine to the more common M-82 engine to the Soviet military aviation authorities. In a very short time, the aircraft engineers in the Ilyushin design bureau built a prototype attacker aircraft for testing with the new engine. The prototype also featured a much anticipated defensive turret with a position for an air gunner, the need for which became evident after the first IL-2 sorties in WWII. Unlike the production version, the IL-2 with the M-82 engine did not have engine compartment protection - the armored capsule was shortened and ended with an armored plate between the pilot and the engine. The new engine also required the installation of an updated propeller. The gunner's seat was positioned to the rear of the cockpit, where a blister turret with a 12.7mm UBT machine gun with armored glass was located. Tests of the new version of the attack aircraft demonstrated that such a design does not have critical problems despite its inferior speed to the regular IL-2. By the spring of 1942, a prototype with the M-82IR engine appeared, which was better suited for low altitudes, from which the attack aircraft was operating most of the time. Flight characteristics have been improved, but by that time the production of native AM-38 engines was normal and there was no need to modify the IL-2 with M-82 engines any more.

- From Devblog

Media

Images

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  Bicolor camouflage rewarded for collecting 5 World War Stars

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Videos

The Shooting Range #207 - Metal Beasts section at 00:29 discusses the IL-2 M-82.

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

• [Development] Vehicles of World War: IL-2(M-82) and M60 AMBT