IL-2 STORM ATTACK: THE MOST MASS IMPACT

In the first half of the 30s, the Red Army did not feel the immediate need for special aircraft for attack at low altitudes - it was believed that ordinary machines like the same R-5 could cope with this. But Spanish experience has shown that this is clearly not enough. It was necessary to create an aircraft carrying a diverse arsenal of weapons - each for its own task. And so that the fire can carry from the ground steadily - after all, every first one will take a shot at a low-flying attack aircraft.

The concept of a ground attack aircraft built around an armored corps covering the most important parts of the car dates back to the times of World War I. Therefore, designer Ilyushin, who got down to business, did not invent a bicycle. However, all this had to be reproduced at a new technological level, correctly balancing the pros and cons, and one should not forget about the peculiarities of domestic industry.

Ilyushin was wise enough to understand: you are in the army now and even armored attack aircraft operating at low altitudes are a risk factor. They will “receive” from anti-aircraft artillery regularly and, therefore, will be repaired too. And those that will not return to the airfields will replenish the loss lists - and they will need to be replaced. Therefore, the aircraft should be convenient for both production and field repair shops.

The calculation was correct - this is exactly what was needed on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. But you had to pay for everything: for example, weak (for the first modifications) flight qualities. It was required either to reduce the bomb load, or to remove the shooter covering the rear hemisphere. The designers settled on the second option - as time showed, erroneously.