IL-2M type 3
| This page is about the Soviet strike aircraft IL-2M type 3. For other variants, see IL-2 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The IL-2M type 3 is a rank III Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
The IL-2M type 3 is an improved version of the famous "Sturmovik" ground attack aircraft.
General info
Flight performance
| 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 | ||
The IL-2M type 3 is an improved version of the famous "Sturmovik" ground attack aircraft. It featured an "arrow wing" design, possessed leading edges that were swept back 15 degrees on the outer panels, giving it a better manoverability and aerodynamic characteristics.
While the Type 3 is still very slow in straight line like the other IL-2s, it retains a good handling characteristic similar to the 1942 version. This, combined with an addition of combat flaps, makes the plane very flexible and can take on almost every enemy at its BR.
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 | 447 | 418 | 270 | ~13 | ~13 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 320 | < 320 | < 320 | > 329 |
Survivability and armour
- 4 mm steel surrounding engine and frontal fuel tank
- 4 mm steel above pilot
- 5 mm steel underneath rear fuel tanks
- 6 mm steel surrounding pilot
- 6 mm steel underneath belly oil cooling system
- 6 mm steel in front of gunner*
- 6 mm steel disc behind propeller spinner
- 12 mm steel behind gunner*
- 64 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
- Self-sealing fuel tanks, with neutral gas pressurization system (1 in front of pilot's feet, 1 under pilot, 1 behind gunner*)
*Note that the gunner is rear-facing
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The IL-2M type 3 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 type 3 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)
- 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-50 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
- 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
- 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
- 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
- 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 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-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 + 4 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
- 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
Defensive armament
The IL-2M type 3 is defended by:
- 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (150 rpg)
Usage in battles
The IL-2M type 3 is an attacker which excels at low altitude. You'll be flying close to the ground in order to hit your targets with your cannons and machine guns, so watch for obstacles and use the IL-2's phenomenal low-speed performance and tight turning circle to get out of harm's way, though beware of the mediocre roll rate and the weak acceleration. Give yourself time to build up a good amount of speed before going for another attack, otherwise, you'll struggle to climb away. Make note of what targets you can eliminate: light pillboxes can be destroyed by your cannons, and even extended MG fire from your 7.62 mm guns, but other pillboxes will be impossible to destroy with your guns, and bombs will need a direct hit. Likewise, light tanks and armoured cars can be destroyed with your guns, but medium tanks will need to be hit from the top or rear to penetrate the thicker armour, and heavy tanks are invulnerable unless you land a direct bomb or rocket hit.
The most interesting additions of the IL-2M type 3 is the wing redesign. An addition of combat flaps and more aerodynamically efficient wing design means that the plane is now more nimble than the single seat IL-2 (1942). This makes the Type 3 capable of executing some tight turns to caught an enemy off guard, or attacking ground targets more efficiently.
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 |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Numerous payload arrangements (24) including bombs and rockets of varying size, flexible ground attack options
- Sturdy airframe as with other versions of IL-2s
- Strong protection surrounds the pilot and engine
- Powerful 23 mm VYa cannons allows it to tackle any kinds of targets
- Redesigned wings with combat flaps significantly improve its turn rate, especially at higher speeds
- Rear gunner is equipped with a powerful 12.7 mm Berezin MG to ward off any chasers
Cons:
- Awfully slow top speed
- Heavy plane; horrible climb rate and sluggish acceleration
- Poor energy retention
- Tail section blocked most of rear gunner's firing range
- Rear gunner carries very limited ammunition
History
In-game description
On 21st July 1941 the lead designer of the IL-2 Sergey Ilyushin sent a request to the People's Minister of Aviation, calling for improvement of the IL-2 by upgrading the engine to a 1,675-HP M-82 and increasing the aircraft's armor. The request was extremely urgent, considering that the rapidly advancing German troops at the time threatened serial production of the engines then used on the IL-2. Several influential Party members also called for upgrading the IL-2's engine. Another crucial change, in conjunction with the engine, called for converting the aircraft into a two-seater, based on combat experience. The second crewman would mainly deal with protecting the rear section of the Sturmovik from aerial attack, making it, in the designer's opinion, "nearly invincible". An aft fuel tank, previously installed behind the pilot in the armored tub, was replaced with a gunner compartment under a stretched canopy, armed with a 12.7mm (.50-cal) UBT machine gun with 280 rounds of ammunition. The gunner position, just like the pilot's, was well armored.
Once the prototype was tested, all test pilots concluded that flight performance of the new variant was worse than that of the earlier IL-2 AM-38 variant; however, no changes in overall behavior were noted, the armor was very effective, and no shortcomings that made flying dangerous were uncovered. Therefore, the new prototype was accepted for serial production.
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
| 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. | |
| USSR strike aircraft | |
|---|---|
| IL-2 | IL-2 (1941) · IL-2 (1942) · IL-2M (1943) · IL-2M type 3 · IL-2M "Avenger" · IL-2-37 · IL-2 M-82 |
| IL-8 | IL-8 (1944) |
| IL-10 | IL-10 · IL-10 (1946) |
| Pe-3 | Pe-3 (e) · Pe-3 · Pe-3bis |
| Su-2 | BB-1 · Su-2 MV-5 · Su-2 TSS-1 · Su-2 (M-82) |
| Su-6 | Su-6 · Su-6 (AM-42) · Su-6 (M-71F) |
| Su-8 | Su-8 |
| Tandem MAI | Tandem MAI |
| TIS MA | TIS MA |
| Tu-1 | Tu-1 |
| Yak-2 | Yak-2 KABB |
