IL-2 (1942)

IL-2 (1942)

IL-2 (1941)

IL-2-37

IL-2 (1942)

IL-2 (1941)

IL-2-37

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	3.0	2.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:9 200

Purchase:16 000

Show in game

This page is about the Russian attacker IL-2 (1942). For other uses, see IL-2 (Family).

Description

The IL-2 (1942) in the garage

The IL-2 (1942) is a rank II Russian attacker with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB) and 2.7 (SB). This attacker has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	9500	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	9500	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	X	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
620	320	???	~??	~?

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

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

Survivability and armour

• No armour plating
• No armour glazing
• Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• More fuel tanks located in wings near the fuselage

Armaments

Offensive armament

      Main article: Bombs-->

Usage in the battles

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator
II		Compressor	Airframe
III	Wings Repair	Engine
IV		Engine Injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 23 different payload arrangements including bombs and rockets of varying size, flexible ground attack options
• Powerful pair 23 mm VYa canons, increased firepower, ample ammo capacity
• Strong protection surrounds the pilot and engine
• Can be used as a makeshift fighter

Cons:

• Lacks defensive armament
• Heavy plane
• Can't carry bombs larger than 250 kg, difficult to destroy more than one target
• Restricted visibility from the cockpit in Simulator Battles due to protective armour
• Higher battle rating

History

The famous IL-2 Sturmovik was a Soviet WWII-era attack aircraft created by the Ilyushin Design Bureau and nicknamed Hunchback by Red Army troops due to the distinct fuselage shape. While the designers nicknamed their aircraft the Flying Tank, Luftwaffe pilots, due to the IL-2's incredible ability to withstand battle damage, instead called it the Betonflugzeug (Concrete Plane). German ground troops, conversely, despised and feared the IL-2, giving it a slew of unpleasant nicknames, such as Schlachter (Butcher); Fleischwolf (Meatgrinder); Eiserner Gustav (Iron Gustav) and Schwarzer Tod (the Black Death). Some historians believe that the Black Death was actually a successful invention of the Soviet propaganda machine that caught on with the Germans.

The IL-2 was the most mass-produced military aircraft in history. However, early in the war German air superiority coupled with the absence of rear gunners on early variants and poorly organized Soviet fighter escorts led to high rates of losses for the type. A favourite attack tactic for IL-2 pilots was a low-level attack run, first letting loose with rockets at 600-700 meters, then firing onboard armament from a distance of 400 to 600 meters. Bombs would be dropped in subsequent passes from an altitude of 100-200 meters, using an impact fuse. The recommended tactic for attacking concentrations of soft targets was a strafing run in a shallow dive from 100-200 meters and a subsequent dropping of bombs at a low level when exiting the dive.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read 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.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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