Ilyushin Il-2 Stumovik
Name
Length
Wingspan
Weight
Max Bomb-load
Armament
Speed
Ceiling
Range
Empty
Max Take-Off
Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik
38’
48’
7,150 lbs.
12,920 lbs.
2,640 lbs.
2x20mm or 37mm; 1x12.7mm
267 mph
31,825’
375 mi.
Ilyushin Il-2 “Sturmovik†Tactical Bomber
ID: Plastic “tactical bomber†gaming piece: Ilyushin Il-2 “Sturmovik†tactical bomber from the game Axis & Allies Europe 40-2nd Ed.
The Story of the Il-2 “Sturmovik:†The Il-2 “Sturmovik†attack plane was nothing short of a legend in Soviet service! Designed for accurate dive bombing and for strafing runs, it was eventually fitted with a powerful 37mm cannon. It became known as the most deadly anti-tank aircraft in the Soviet arsenal. What’s more, carefully placed armor plates were incorporated right into the plane’s load-bearing frame made the plane much more resistent to fire from both interceptors and ground anti-aircraft guns... and of course made the plane much more surviveable for its pilots. Like all attack planes, it was still vulnerable to faster and more maneuverable dedicated fighters, causing the crews to retro-fit a rear-gunner to existing models and its designers to incorporate a buit-in rear gun station into their later models. At first, the rear gunner’s position was not as well armored, leading to high losses of rear gunners until the armored box was extended rear-ward to give them more protection. Production delays in two factories even caused Stalin himself to write the managers an angry (even threatening) letter, in which he famously proclaimed that the Sturmoviks were as vital to the Red army as “the air it breathes†and “like the bread it eats!†Needless to say, the threats motivated the managers, but the emotional endorsement of the plane also motivated the production workers, whose efforts soon brought the plane into the field in unprecedented numbers. By the end of the war, it would become the most-produced military aircraft of all time!
Usage Notes: Use this piece for “Global 1939†and “Invasion of Italy†Variants as a tactical bomber unit. Other Soviet aircraft of interest may be: Pe-8 Strategic Bomber & Yakovlev “Yak†Fighter. Rival ground attack planes of interest are: the German Ju-87 “Stuka†dive bomber, Japanese Aichi “Val†dive bomber, US Douglass SBD “Dauntless†dive bomber, and the British De Havilland Mosquito light bomber.
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