Best Russian Fighter Plane???

Any Ideas on Il-10? Came late into the war but seems like a great plane to follow Il-2.

Il-10 'Sturmovik'
Type: Ground support plane Nationality: USSR
Built by Illyouchine
Succesor of the Il-2, it took over all the essential components of it but with a more aerodynamic shape and a more powerful armement and armor. That careful finishing up paid up since the Il-10 was faster than its model despite being heavier and that contributed much to a lessened vulnerability.
The Il-10 was judged a great improvement over the Il-2 in nearly every area, falling behind only in payload and endurance.
Entered in service during the offensive on the Oder in Febrauary of 1945, it had not time enough to supersede its predecessor before the end of the conflict. It continued its career afterwards and was delivered in quantity to most of the allies of the USSR.

General

Span: 13.90 meters
Length: 12.20 meters
Height: 3.50 meters
Weight empty: 3 400 kilo
Weight loaded: 6 336 kilo

Armament
4 x 20 mm VYa
2 x 7.92 mm ShKAS
1000 kg of bombs

Maximum speed: 500 kph
Ceiling: 6 500 meters
Range: 600 km

Production
From: June of 1944
To: 1956
Production: 5 000 units
First flight: at the beginning of 1944

 

Well, I've noticed many sources states it missed the war, like the one you posted, while in fact it seems to have missed only the war in Europe.

Check this out:
http://www.aeronautics.ru/il10.htm

Seems like it was used not only when it was obsolete in the Korean War, like I thought, but also against the Japanses in Manchuria towards the end of the war.

 

Thanx Heartland for the info,

This was from the mentioned site. Do you know if it´s true, as I read that the gunners in Il-2 were often men under punishment for breaking army rules or other "criminals", as it was considered a dangerous place to be. It was not armoured?
That´s the reason??

 

Yes, they did. With the risk of being repetitive I'm going to post yet another quote from that "I Remember" Russian site. This one is from Il-2 pilot Yurii Khukhrikov.


Here the punishment part is confirmed:

***
A.D. Were there penal ground attack squadrons?
No. They would send offending officers to us, not necessarily pilots. They would fly 10 sorties as rear gunners.
***

On the other hand, an earlier question is:

***
A.D. They say that there were 7 killed gunners for each killed pilot, is that true?
No. Let me explain. We had 105 pilots and 50 gunners killed, why? Because the regiment fought from the beginning to the end of the war. The first half of the war in one-seater aircraft. And the second half -- in two-seaters. And most of the time, they died together. A ground attack aircraft pilot, according to the statistics, managed to fly 7-8 sorties and then died. Such were statistics.
***

My guess is flying as a gunner is both dangerous and quite unnerving, especially for officers and pilots, since they are used to being in control. A gunner on the other hand, has a very limited influence on things, and places his life entirely in the hands of the pilot. Plus the mortality rate quoted above. Speculation on my part, but seems likely. For example, would Erich Hartmann have enjoyed being assigned as a Stuka gunner for 10 missions? I seriously doubt it!

The original Il-2 was a single seater as I'm sure you know, and had an armoured "bathtub" containing the pilot, engine and fuel tank. During the early part of the war the need for a gunner became apparent when fighters attacked from behind with impunity. At first, machinegun dummies were installed, but didn't work too well(!). Then, already in late 1941, units started making field modifications where a gunner was squeezed in behind the fuel tank. Unfortunately this improvised compartment, where the gunner sat on a piece of stretched canvas and quite exposed to the elements, did not fit inside the armoured cell.

In early 1942 these considerations were implemented in production Il-2s, with minimal changes to existing lines. A thin armour plate (6mm) was installed in front of the gunner, and the armoured glass canopy streched back to cover slightly from above. So after this there was some protection, and the Il-2M in 1943 incorporated an enclosing turret for the gunner. But I don't think they ever managed to fit the gunner into the real armoured compartment.

I would imagine there were plenty of cases where the gunner was killed by shrapnel, small caliber fire or other things that did not touch the pilot or bring the aircraft down. The quote seems to indicate otherwise, but seems strange, don't you think...?

 

The Russian reward system for pilots by Stalin:

Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR
No.299 of 19 August 1941.

In order to encourage and reward the flight personnel of the Red Army Air Force in the fight against German Fascism, I ordain the following order of nominating the flyers, commanders and commissars:

I.

A. Fighters.

1. For each shot-down enemy aircraft - bonus 1,000 Roubles.

2. Additionally to the money bonus, the fighter pilot is awarded

- Decoration from the Government for 3 kills;
- The second decoration for the next 3 kills;
- The Hero of the Soviet Union for 10 kills.

3. For successful attacks on ground targets the flyers are awarded as follows:

- For 5 combat missions with bonus of 1,500 Roubles;
- For 15 missions the pilot of the fighter is awarded with the decoration from the Government and bonus of 2,000 Roubles;
- For 25 missions the pilot is awarded with the second decoration and bonus of 3,000 Roubles;
- For 40 missions the pilot of fighter is awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union and bonus of 5,000 Roubles.

In all cases the results and effectiveness must be confirmed by the commanders of the ground troops or by reconnaissance.
4. For the destruction of the enemy's aircraft on the ground fighter pilots are awarded as follows:

- For 4 missions on the attack of airfields the pilot is awarded 1,500 Roubles;
- For 10 missions at the daytime or 5 missions at nighttime the pilot is awarded the decoration and bonus of 2,000 Roubles;
- For 20 missions in daytime or 10 missions in nighttime the pilot is awarded the second decoration and bonus of 3,000 Roubles;
- For 35 missions in daytime or 20 missions in nighttime the pilot is awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and bonus of 5,000 Roubles.

The results of actions against the enemy's airfields must be confirmed by photographs or reconnaissance.
The pilot, who rammed the aircraft of the enemy, is also awarded the decoration.
The number of shot-down aircraft is determined in each specific case by witnessing of the pilot at the place of crashing aircraft or by determining the place of the crash of the aircraft by the commander of the air regiment.

B. Ground attack and tactical bombers.

1. For 10 missions at the daytime or 5 missions at the nighttime for bombing and destruction of objects each crewmember is awarded with the decoration and bonus of 1,000 Roubles.

2. For 20 missions at the daytime or 10 missions at the nighttime for bombing and destruction of objects each crewmember is awarded with the second decoration and bonus of 2,000 Roubles.

3. For 35 missions at the daytime or 20 missions at the nighttime at bombing and destruction of objects each crewmember is awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union and bonus of 3,000 Roubles.

In all cases the results must be confirmed by the photos taken during the raid or by the reco photos in 3-4 Hours after the raid.

4. Independ of the number of carried out missions, the pilot, navigator or gunner, who personally shot down an enemy aircraft is awarded with:

- Bonus of 1,000 Roubles for 1 aircraft;
- The decoration and bonus of 1,500 Roubles for 2 aircraft;
- The second nomination and bonus of 2,000 Roubles for 5 aircraft;
- The Hero of the Soviet Union and bonus 5,000 Roubles for 8 aircraft.

C. Long-range and heavy bombers.

1. For raids on the industrial and defense targets the crews are awarded as follows:

- For each successful bombing each crewmember receives 500 Roubles;
- For 5 successful raids each crewmember receives a decoration additional to the bonus;
- For 8 successful raids additional to the bonus each crewmember is bestowed with the second decoration;
- For 12 successful raids each crewmember is awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and bonus;

2. For the successful action in the tactical rear of the enemy the crews of the long-ranged and heavy bombers are awarded in the same order as the crews of the close-support and ground-attack aviation.

3. For the raids on the political centre (capital city):
- For each raid each crewmember receive 2,000 Roubles;
- For 3 successful raids each crewmember is bestowed with the decoration;
- For 5 successful raids each crewmember is awarded with the second decoration;
- For 10 successful raids each crewmember is awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union.

D. For the reconnaissance missions:

- For 10 missions at the daytime or 5 night missions each crewmember is awarded with the decoration and 1,000 Roubles;
- For 20 missions at the daytime or 10 night missions each crewmember is awarded with the second decoration and 2,000 Roubles;
- For 40 missions at the daytime or 15 night missions each crewmember is awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union and 3,000 Roubles.

In all cases the results must be confirmed by aerial photos or by reports from other crews, flying to destroy the found objects, or confirmation by other crews.

II.

Nomination of Red Army AF units and commanders.

Commanders of front Air forces honour air regiments and squadrons with State decorations on the basis of results combined with minimal losses of both personnel and materiel.
Commanders and commissars of regiments and squadrons are nominated if:

A. Fighters.

Squadron leader and commissar are awarded membership of Order of Lenin, if their squadron destroyed not less than 15 enemy aircraft with loss of no more than 3 of their own aircraft.
Regiment commander and commissar are awarded membership of Order of Lenin, if their regiment destroyed not less than 30 enemy aircraft with loss of no more than 5 of their own aircraft.

B. Ground attack and tactical bombers.

Squadron leader and commissar are awarded State decoration, if their squadron fulfilled not less than 100 missions with loss of no more than 3 of their own aircraft.
Regiment commander and commissar are awarded membership of Order of Lenin, if their regiment fulfilled not less than 250 missions with loss of no more than 6 of their own aircraft.

C. Long range and heavy bombers.

Squadron leader and commissar are awarded membership of Order of Lenin, if their squadron fulfilled not less than 50 bombing raids with loss of no more than 2 of their own aircraft.
Regiment commander and commissar are awarded membership of Order of Lenin, if their regiment fulfilled not less than 150 bombing raids with loss of no more than 5 of their own aircraft.

D. Reconnaissance units.

Commissar and squadron leader of squadron performing not less than 100 short-range missions or not less than 50 long-range missions, with loss of not more than 3 of their own aircraft, are awarded membership of the Order of Lenin.

III.

Rewards for saving materiel and aircraft.

Both flight and ground personnel are awarded money bonuses for preserving materiel and for accident-free flights, as follows:

- Pilots of any rank and class for each 100 flights without accident, excluding training, are paid 5,000 Roubles. The loss of orientation in flight prevents award.
- Ground personnel receives 3,000 Roubles for each 100 flights without breakdowns.
- Engineer-officers receive 25 per cent from total bonus sum paid to the technical personnel.
- For each aircraft repaired to high standards, personnel of mobile repair shops each receives 500 Roubles per plane.
- For repair of more than 50 aircraft, personnel of mobile repair shops receive a State decoration.

IV.

Prevention of sabotage.

Commanders and commissars of divisions are to investigate in detail each case of crash landing and other accidents leading to damage to aircraft.
If crash landing or other accident occurred without obvious or reasonable explanation, persons guilty are subject to court martial as deserters.

The present order is in force from August 20, 1941.

People's Commissar of Defense J.V. Stalin

 

Russian fighter pilot tactics: great site but takes time to read it all....but if you want to know you´ll read it...

Summary:



1. Outcome of the fight is decided not so much by the plane capabilities as the correct tactics. Fighter pilot should be able to achieve peak performance in his fighter, including the maximum climb rate, airspeed and minimum turn circle time.

2. Fighters are not intended for defense. Thus, pilots should always try to take initiative and always have freedom of actions.

3. Fighter formations should be correctly echeloned in altitude. A covering group should always be selected, acting as escort and reserve. When combining several types of fighters, faster planes should be higher and maneuverable planes should be lower.

4. Altitude can be converted to airspeed and climb rate, and thus guarantees freedom of actions and initiative.

To be above the enemy, do the following:

- Be correctly echeloned by altitude

- Only use maneuvers that cause altitude to be lost in extreme situations

- Use any available moment to climb during the engagement.

- Hold appropriate airspeed before the engagement. If a sudden encounter is possible, airspeed should be kept higher than normal cruise speed. Especially near the front lines and below cloud cover fighters should fly at near maximum speed; otherwise, they should not waste fuel and put extra strain on their engines.

5. Skies should always be watched. When any planes are noticed and not immediately identified as friendly, our formations should act as if encountering an enemy and close in for identification. If planes encountered are indeed enemy, do the following:

- Identify the plane type and quantity. Make sure there are no enemy planes in the vicinity

- Quickly assess the situation and make a decision whether to engage.

- Note the location where the fight started

- Do not forget to set propeller pitch to low

- If there is enough time, report the engagement to the ground control, including the type and quantity, altitude and possible intentions, etc.

6. Attacks, especially the first one, should be Up and Under attacks. When deciding the course of attack, take your and enemy’s altitude and airspeed in consideration. Try to surprise the enemy and attack from up close. If Up and Under attack is not possible, consider Boom and Zoom.

7. A fighter should always be ready to attack from any position. Targets for attack should be prioritized as follows: fighters engaging friendly fighters, fighters above or behind, enemy formation flanks.

8. Engagement should consist of fast attacks. Do not allow the enemy to draw you into a slow dogfight. Attacks should be performed in rapid succession, with clouds and the sun used to mask your fighter. Do not give enemy the chance to recover.

9. When fighting in pairs, only the leader should attack and fire at the intended target. Wingman protects the leader and attack’s any threats to the leader. Before the attack, formation should be widened to 300-400 meters distance and 20-50 meters interval.

10. Do not get involved in turning fights; do not lose the initiative. If forced to a turning dogfight, turn to the right. Do not change turn directions when enemy is behind.

11. Do not follow a diving enemy fighter. Stay above and attack when enemy exits the dive.

12. Always look around. Even when firing at the enemy know what’s going on around you. Be aware of any incoming enemy attacks to be able to escape before the attack even began.

13. All maneuvers in the engagement should be performed to have the possibility to attack while not setting yourself up for a threat. When fired upon by the enemy:

- Turn into the threat

- Use the clouds and the sun

- Lead the threat towards friendly planes and AAA, if possible

14. Keep together in formations and follow enemy fighters only when directed by flight leader.

15. Never assume the defensive circle. When outnumbered, fight together and shoot enemy off each others’ tails.

16. Follow these rules when firing:

- Save ammunition. Only open fire after you aim

- Open fire at close distance – but be capable of hitting targets from far away

- When firing from the 12-6 line, follow enemy plane with your burst. When firing from the 3-9 line, apply rudder in the direction of the enemy. When firing from other angles, fire long bursts in front of the enemy to cause him to fly through it

- Aim tracers to center of your target by altitude.

- Be certain in your aim. Check your guns often and set convergence yourself.

17. Use all enemy mistakes to your advantage. Never make mistakes yourself, learn from your own flights and from your friend’s experiences

18. Maintain radio discipline. Don’t interrupt your flight leader; make sure all transmissions are as short as possible.

19. Flight Leader must:

- Be always in control of the battle. Control the engagement as he sees fit and not as the enemy tries to dictate it.

- Avoid getting involved in the fight and losing ability to direct others

20. Squadron and Division commanders, as well as their headquarters must:

- Ensure numerical superiority of friendly forces in the air at all times

- Achieve numerical superiority by flexible control of multiple air groups and not by creating one giant formation

- Organize reliable and simple radio communication with airborne fighters

- Have reserve on the ground always ready to take off

- Organize reliable early warning system and communication that guarantees support to airborne fighters, warns them of approaching enemy flights and directs them towards possible threats.

- Review past flights and provide training to new pilots based on other pilot’s experiences

http://luthier.stormloader.com/home.html

 

OK. Great sites and facts!!!

A tribute for those brave men in the Red Air Force.