-
![LANG-CODE-KEY]()
LANG_NAME_KEY
Pilots,
Today we are heading into Russia to take a closer look at an incredibly formidable IL-10. This Soviet aircraft is a ground attack plane – big and slow, optimised for low-altitude flight and for carrying a huge payload of deadly bombs.
In the 1930s, the USSR introduced the Polikarpov I-16 to the world and thoroughly proved that they were a leading power in aviation technology. After that early revelation, the USSR continued to develop ever more increasingly powerful and deadly warplanes. Several visionaries of aviation design emerged in the Soviet Union at this time. As well as the likes of Polikarpov and Sukhoi who all developed numerous ground-breaking aircraft, another influential designer was Sergey Ilyushin.
Sergey Ilyushin came from very poor beginnings. The youngest of eleven children in a peasant household, his prospects were not bright. He taught himself to read and write and then took various menial jobs in the area. His break came when he was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army and had the chance to work in the aviation section as a mechanic. He eventually qualified as a pilot.
After leaving military service, he went to university and then joined the industry, where he went on to found the Ilyushin company. The company survived through the communist era and into the modern age, and has been responsible for the design and development of numerous civilian and military aircraft during the century. Sergey Ilyushin died in 1977 at the impressive age of 82. However, his company continues to run successfully to this day.
World War 2 kept Ilyushin very busy and he designed a lot of planes for the Soviet Forces. One of his greatest successes was the IL-2, known as the Shturmovik. This was an armoured ground attack plane and was instrumental in winning the war on the Eastern front for the Soviets.
However, towards the end of the war, the Il-2 was starting to look a little out-dated. Buoyed by the success of the plane, both Ilyushin and the Soviet Command were keen to develop a replacement.
Ilyushin started with the IL-8, a re-design of the IL-2 featuring more powerful engines and updated components. However, it was shelved in favour of the IL-10, a completely new and contemporary design. This plane featured all-metal construction and an improved aerodynamic form. The layout was vastly improved with an enlarged cockpit allowing the gunner to sit with his back to the pilot, and both crew members were safe inside the armoured shell. The plane also had an improved landing system and new cooling air intakes.
Powerful and manoeuvrable, the plane was initially pitched as a heavy fighter. Heavily armed and armoured, it could have been an interceptor for bomber craft. However, the Soviet Air Force was moving away from using heavy attack fighters, and so the plane was directed back into becoming a ground attack plane.
Nicknamed the ‘Beast’, the IL-10 was big, strong and very fierce. Production began at the end of 1944, and by end of the year, there were already 100 in service. A programme began to swiftly issue IL-10s to the regiments and a large number of them took part of the brief battles against the Japanese that closed the war for good.
The plane proved to be very successful. As well as being effectively able to bomb ground targets, the plane’s high speed, manoeuvrability and effective armour, along with the positioning of the gunner meant it was easily able to engage pursuing fighters, especially at lower altitudes.
This plane was both Beast in name and Beast in nature!
Even though the war had ended, production on the IL-10 continued at a rapid rate. Over 5000 of them were produced and distributed. Some were repurposed as training craft, whilst others underwent modifications and improvements to make them even stronger. A standard upgrade known as the IL-10M was developed. This featured more powerful armament, improved control surfaces and a longer wingspan.
By the mid-1950s the plane was becoming obsolete in the jet engine age. Many were sold under license to the countries of the Warsaw Pact, resulting in numerous IL-10s seeing service in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
A large number were also transferred over to North Korea and were used extensively in the early years of the Korean War with great success against the weak anti-aircraft defences of South Korea. However, they were underpowered against the US and NATO fighters deployed in the war, and were specifically targeted themselves whilst they were on the ground. By the end of the Korean War, despite receiving more as reinforcements from the Soviets, only a handful remained in North Korean hands.
The Il-10 was an extremely powerful aircraft, but like all propeller aircraft, their days were numbered. In the 1950s, development into jet powered aircraft took place at a rapid rate across the world, and the humble propeller craft rapidly fell into obsolescence. By the end of the 1950s barely any remained and were already seen as a relic of a former era.
A handful of IL-10s have survived to the present day and can be found in museums around the world. One can be found in the Polish Army Museum (link in Polish) in Warsaw.
Take to the skies in this Tier VIII Soviet ground attack plane. Relish being at the peak of propeller-driven aircraft before their sad demise at the hands of the jet engine. You are big, powerful and despite being a ground attack craft, more than capable of holding your own against those pesky fighters on your tail.
Keep to low altitude to evade detection, but don’t worry if you do get spotted. Like all bombers, that payload will weigh you down, so drop it as quickly as you can. However, don’t waste it! Choose your targets carefully, for you could make a big difference to your team’s superiority score.
Once you have finished bombing, go wild and pretend that you are a heavy fighter! Show those light fighters why they shouldn’t mess with you!
