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Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik close support^1,3
Ilyushin Il-2 Stormovik²
Bronirovanni Shturmovik (Bsh) "armored attacker"³

Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik close support:

Ilyushin Il-2M3 Shturmovik close support:

Design

The Ilyushin Il-2 was designed by Sergei Ilyushin.² It's designation started out as the TsKB-55 or Bsh-2.³

The Il-2 started out as a single seat plane.¹ In February 1942 the two seater version was introduced.¹ Many of the single seaters were converted in the field to two seaters.¹

Armored Shell

An integral part of the structure of the Il-2 was the armored shell that protected the crew, engine, and fuel tank.³ It weighed about 1,540 lb / 700 kg.³

Engine

There was an armored plate underneath the Il-2's engine protecting it from ground fire.¹

Tail wheel

The tail wheel retracted partially into the fuselage.¹

Fuselage

The rear of the fuselage and tail were made out of wood and fabric.¹

Prototype

In (December 30, 1939³) late 1939 V. Kokkinaki flew the TsKB-57 prototype for the first time.²

It had an AM-35A engine (1,350 HP).³ This was soon replaced by the AM-38 and the prototype first flew on October 12, 1940.³

Production

Early on there were production difficulties and Premier Josef Stalin cabled the workers at the factory and told them that "The Red Army needs the Il-2 as it needs air and bread. I demand more. This is my last warning."^1,2

Total: Over 36,000¹, 36,136³

Production of the Il-2 started in March 1941.³ The production of the Il-2 reached 1,000 per month.¹ The production of the Il-2M started in September 1941.³

Variants

TsKB-57: Prototype.^2,3
Il-2: First production model.³
Il-2M: Due to vulnerability to fighters the rear crewman returned with a MG in the rear turret.³
Il-2 Type 3 / Il-2m3: Had AM-38A engine.³
Il-2 Type 3M: 37 mm cannons.³
Il-2m3: Two seater.² Appeared in August 1942.²
Il-2m3(mod):
Il-2??: Had M-82 radial engine installed but never produced.¹
Il-2T: Built for the Soviet navy that could carry a 21" / 53.3 cm torpedo.^1,2,3
Il-2U: Conversion to two seat trainer.¹

Usage

Called the Schwarz Tod "Black Death" by the Germans.^1,2

There were some women pilots for the Il-2.¹

Invasion of Soviet Union

There were 249 produced before the Germans invaded in June 1941.²

Kursk

The Il-2m3(mod) was used at the Battle of Kursk.²

Korean War

Used against the UN troops.¹

	Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik³	Ilyushin Il-2M3 Shturmovik^1,2,3
Type	Close support³ Ground attack³	Close support¹ Ground attack²
Crew	1 or 2³	1 or 2¹, 2² Pilot, gunner / radio operator¹
Engine (Type)	Mikulin AM-38³	Mikulin AM-38F piston¹ piston²
OR	Mikulin AM-38F³
Cylinders	V 12³	Inline²
Cooling
HP	AM-38: 1,600³ AM-38F: 1,720³	1,720¹, 1,770²
Propeller blades	3³	3¹
Fuel capacity
Dimensions
Span	47' 11"³ 14.6 m³	48'¹, 48' 0.5"² 14.6 m^1,2
Length	38' 2.5"³ 11.65 m³	38'¹, 38' 0.5"² 11.6 m², 11.65 m¹
Height	11' 2"³ 3.4 m³	11'¹, 11' 1.5"² 3.4 m^1,2
Wing area		414 ft² ¹, 414.4 ft² ² 38.5 m² ^1,2
Weight
Empty		7,150 lb¹, 9,590 lb², 9,976 lb³ 3,250 kg¹, 4,350 kg², 4,525 kg³
Loaded		12,920 lb¹, 14,021 lb^2,3 5,872 kg¹, 6,360 kg^2,3
Performance
Speed @ 4,920' / 1,500 m		251 mph^2,3 404 kph^2,3
Speed @ 22,000' / 6,700 m		267 mph¹ 430 kph¹
Cruising speed
Climb		490'/minute³ 149 m/minute³
Climb to 16,405' / 5,000 m		12 minutes³
Service ceiling		19,685'², 19,690'³, 31,825'¹ 6,000 m^2,3, 9,700 m¹
Service ceiling with bomb load		21,320'¹ 6,500 m¹
Range		373 miles², 375 miles¹, 475 miles³ 600 km^1,2, 764 km³
Armament
Forward firing		2: 23 mm VYa² 2: 7.62 mm ShKAS²
Rear cockpit		1: 12.7 mm MG³ 1: 12.7 mm UBT²
Wings	2: 20 mm³ 2: 7.62 mm MG³	2: 20 mm^1,3 2: 7.62 mm MG³
AND / OR		2: 37 mm^1,3
Outer wings - bombs		1,320 lb¹ , 1,321 lb² 600 kg^1,2
OR		8: RS-82 rockets¹
OR		4: RS-132 rockets¹
OR		Rockets²
Bombs - under wings	4: 220 lb³ 4: 100 kg³	4: 220 lb³ 4: 100 kg³
AND
Rockets - under wings	8: 82 mm³	8: 82 mm³

Sources:

Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998