Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Oct 6, 2010 17:51:42 GMT -5
Ilyushin Il-4 (Part 1 of 2)
Always overshadowed by its Western counterparts, the IL-4 was produced in great quantities, and one of the best bomber aircraft of World War II. It was derived from the Ilyushin DB-3, a record-breaking long-range bomber that first flew in prototype form in 1935. The second prototype, the TsKB-30, amazed the world when it flew from Moscow to Canada, a distance of 4,971 miles. The DB-3 served in great numbers with the Long Range Aviation and Naval Aviation elements of the Soviet Air Force, and carried out early bombing raids on Germany in World War II. The 0.30 in. rifle-calibre armament of the DB-3 proved inadequate against Finnish fighters in the 1939-40 Winter War, but was never significantly improved.
An improved version, the DB-3F, was developed in 1938, one of the requirements being that assembly was to be very straightforward for mass production. The new version bore little resemblance to its predecessor, having a streamlined and extensively glazed nose. It was also more heavily armored than its predecessor, more so when it saw action because the gunners proved to be a popular target for enemy fighter pilots.
Test-flights were concluded by June 1939 and the type, redesignated Il-4 in 1940, was ordered into production. After the German invasion, production had been disrupted by moving the lines to the safety of Siberia. During the production run in 1942, wood was introduced in place of some metal components made of scarce light alloys. Metal was reintroduced as soon as it became available. Manufacture of the IL-4 continued until 1944, by which time 5,256 had been built.
A fourth crew member, the "hatch" gunner, was added to improve defense, and two external fuel tanks were also added, which resulted in an 18 percent increase in fuel capacity and an additional 373 miles to the range. The outer wing was redesigned with leading-edge sweepback, thus improving stability and control. New, more efficient propellers and bigger split-flaps were added to improve short-field operations.
The Il-4 was used for long-range bombing missions, but was equally efficient hauling its maximum bomb load of 5,502 lb. over short distances to attack tactical targets. The first Soviet bombing raid on Berlin was carried out by naval IL-4s on the night of 8-9 August 1941.
Always overshadowed by its Western counterparts, the IL-4 was produced in great quantities, and one of the best bomber aircraft of World War II. It was derived from the Ilyushin DB-3, a record-breaking long-range bomber that first flew in prototype form in 1935. The second prototype, the TsKB-30, amazed the world when it flew from Moscow to Canada, a distance of 4,971 miles. The DB-3 served in great numbers with the Long Range Aviation and Naval Aviation elements of the Soviet Air Force, and carried out early bombing raids on Germany in World War II. The 0.30 in. rifle-calibre armament of the DB-3 proved inadequate against Finnish fighters in the 1939-40 Winter War, but was never significantly improved.
An improved version, the DB-3F, was developed in 1938, one of the requirements being that assembly was to be very straightforward for mass production. The new version bore little resemblance to its predecessor, having a streamlined and extensively glazed nose. It was also more heavily armored than its predecessor, more so when it saw action because the gunners proved to be a popular target for enemy fighter pilots.
Test-flights were concluded by June 1939 and the type, redesignated Il-4 in 1940, was ordered into production. After the German invasion, production had been disrupted by moving the lines to the safety of Siberia. During the production run in 1942, wood was introduced in place of some metal components made of scarce light alloys. Metal was reintroduced as soon as it became available. Manufacture of the IL-4 continued until 1944, by which time 5,256 had been built.
A fourth crew member, the "hatch" gunner, was added to improve defense, and two external fuel tanks were also added, which resulted in an 18 percent increase in fuel capacity and an additional 373 miles to the range. The outer wing was redesigned with leading-edge sweepback, thus improving stability and control. New, more efficient propellers and bigger split-flaps were added to improve short-field operations.
The Il-4 was used for long-range bombing missions, but was equally efficient hauling its maximum bomb load of 5,502 lb. over short distances to attack tactical targets. The first Soviet bombing raid on Berlin was carried out by naval IL-4s on the night of 8-9 August 1941.
