IL-2.Shturmovik
Technical
data for Il-2
Type:
IL-2 Il-2M IL-2 Type 3 IL-2 Type 3M
Function:
Ground attack
Year:
March 1941 September 1942 December 1942 March 1943
Crew:
1 2
Engines:
1*1600hp
AM-38 1*1700/1780hp AM-38F
Weight:
Empty 4200kg
Maximum
5788 Empty
Maximum
6740kg Empty 4525kg
Maximum
6360kg Maximum 6103kg ?
Wing
Span:
14.60m
Length:
11.6m
Height:
4.11m 4.17m
Wing
Area:
38.50m2 38.50m2 38.50m2 38.50m2
Speed:
on ground level 433km/h
on
2460m 450km/h on ground level
on
2460m 404km/h 387km/h on ground level
410km/h
Range:
740km
765km 764km ?
Ceiling:
service 4000m 6360m service 3500m ?
Armament:
(standard)
Cannons:
2*20mm
ShVAK 500/gun 2*20mm ShVAK
or
2*23mm VYa 300/gun 2*g23mm VYa 2*g37mm NS-37
Machine-guns:
2*7.62mm ShKAS 750/gun 2*7.62mm ShKAS
1*12.7mm
UBT
Bombs:
400kg
400kg 750kg 600kg
Rockets:
8*RS-82mm
or 8*RS-132mm 4*RS-82mm or 4*RS-132mm 4*RS-82mm or 4*RS-132mm 4*RS-82mm
or 4*RS-132mm
Brief
History
Thousands
of Russian women and girls courageously fought for their Rodina (Motherland),
serving with the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Air Forces, in Russian). In
1942, three air regiments were formed from female volunteers:
The
586th Women's Fighter Regiment (initially equipped with Yakovlyev YaK-1s
and later YaK-7Bs)
The
587th Women's Day Bomber Regiment (flying Petlyakov Pe-2 2-engined bombers)
The
588th Women's Night Bomber Regiment, the famous "Night Witches"
(flying Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes)
Many
other women also served integrated with men with other aviation units.
For example, in 1944, 1,749 girls served with Zabaikalsky Front, 3,000
women and girls served with the Far East 10th Air Army, 437 women served
with the 4th Air Army of the Second Belorussian Front that comprised the
crack 46th Guards Women Air Regiment that comprised 237 women-officers,
862 sergeants, 1,125 enlisted women and 2,117 auxiliaries. They also served
flying and as gunners in the famous IL-2 and Il-2M3 Shturmovik tank busters,
the "Flying Bathtub".
Women-pilots of female air regiments engaged in dogfights, cleared the
way for the advancing infantry and supported them in ground support missions.
The fighter pilots of the all-women 586th IAP (Russian abbreviation for
Fighter Aviation Regiment, same as Fighter Air Regiment) flew a total
of 4,419 sorties (per pilot) and participated in more than 125 separate
air battles, in which they massed a total of 38 confirmed kills. That
is, the sorties when the enemy was actually encountered.
Sexism
in the V-VS was high initially, male pilots refusing to fly with women
as "wingmen", or fly airplanes that had been repaired or serviced
by women mechanics and ground crew. But the demonstrated, and often superior,
courage and great skill of these female soldiers proved their better than
average competence to fulfill their duty. The USSR highly praised the
combat deeds of female pilots: thousands won orders and medals. 29 won
titles of Hero of the Soviet Union. 23 of these went to the Night Witches.
Sergej
Vladimirovich Ilyushin
1894-1977
