FD scale Aircrafts 13

[Krakatoa]

I don't normally comment on FD stuff, but you have done a marvellous job on the Pe-2 and Tu-2 sets of drawings Eswube.

Big 'Awesome' from me.

[eswube]

Thanks Krakatoa!

So now the time has come for the Sturmoviks.

Starting with The Sturmovik - the Il-2 - with 36 thousand of them it was the most produced combat aircraft in history and one of the weapons that won the WW2 (albeit more due to the numbers, rather than the quality, as it had mediocre performance, poor visibility from cockpit, limited payload and - despite the claims of Soviet propaganda - wasn't actually that hard to shot down, thanks to exposed cooler and fragile connection between armored metal front part of fuselage and wooden rear/tail part). Developed in 1939, initially as two-seater, entered production in early 1941 as single seater and initially with metal rear part of fuselage, which in the early stages of war was changed to wooden one due to shortage of metals caused by loss of much of metallurgical industry to Germans. These wooden rear fuselages were initially of abysmal quality (even for Soviet standards) that necessitated application of metal elements to keep it in shape. Autumn 1941 saw experiments with M-82 radial engine (which Soviets tried to apply to almost every aircraft type they had) and with 37mm cannons, as well as with rear gunner, but they were not applied at that time as it could cause unacceptable delays in deliveries. On the front line though, the rear gunner was seen as necessity, hence many Il-2's were converted into two-seaters in field workshops, which in turn led to "official" attempts to create such version, which eventually entered production in Autumn 1942 as Il-2m. Stalingrad battle had some Il-2's achieve air victories over German transport aircraft trying to resupply besieged 6th Army, which in turn led to Il-2I heavy fighter, but by the time they were ready there was no use for them, so few were made. Mid-1943 saw next round of trials of 37mm cannons, this time leading to production series (of relatively limited size), come conversions for torpedo armament (Il-2T), and, most importantly, also to introduction of the new wing (called "strelka" - the arrow, due to it's shape in top-view) in the Il-2m typ 3 model. This version was also used for artillery correction as Il-2KR. In late 1944 improved industrial situation allowed an attempt to re-introduce the metal rear fuselage, although sources disaggree wether such planes were produced as new, or if only rear metal fuselages were produced as kits to be applied during refits (most of them after the war). Additionaly, already in 1942 the demand for training version appeared and was initially met by some improvised conversions, but eventually turned into UIl-2 production model.

Ilyushin Il-2 (Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Yugoslavia)










In 1943-1944 Ilyushin developed a low-altitude armored fighter Il-1, whose concept was related to Il-2I. However by the time it was ready there was no longer need for it's service, so instead it was developed into Il-10 attack aircraft.

Ilyushin Il-1 (Soviet Union)


Initially the planned successor to the Il-2 was to be the Il-8 (sadly, the sources I have show significant differences of the prototype's appearance, so I decided not to draw it at this point), but the Il-10 adapted from Il-1 showed to be more promising design and so it was ordered into serial production in the summer of 1944. These planes entered limited service few months later and took part in final stages of WW2. Later they were exported to Soviet allies and took part in Korean war, as well as were license-produced in Czechoslovakia (as Avia B-33). Some success these planes achieved in Korea led to decision to re-introduce the Il-10 into production in modified version Il-10M. In total over 6 thousand of these aircraft were produced.

Ilyushin Il-10/UIl-10 (Soviet Union, Bulgaria, China, Indoniesia, Hungary, North Korea, Poland, Romania, USA)
Avia B-33/CB-33 (Czechoslovakia)








Il-16 was an attempt to create smaller and lighter attack plane than Il-2 and Il-10, but with stronger engine and better performance. Unfortunately, problems with engine led to cancellation of the program in 1946.

Ilyushin Il-16 (Soviet Union)

[Redhorse]

Voluminous representations! Far more time and patience than I have.

[darthpanda]

North American P-51 Mustang Operators

[Krakatoa]

Wonderful work from Eswube and Darth Panda.

The attention to detail just keeps getting better, well done guys.

[odysseus1980]

Τhumps up from me also, for the Sturmovick and the Μustang.

[Hood]

Excellent additions guys, you keep producing the goods!

There was me expecting one drawing for every one of the 36,000 built!

[Gollevainen]

great additions from both of you!

[signal]

Many thanks, Eswube. Brilliant work.

[Rhade]

We can't repel the firepower of such magnitude!