Ilyushin IL-1

History

The Ilyushin Design Bureau was established in Moscow, Russia in January 1933, and its services were in high demand during World War II (1939-1945). In 1939, the company delivered what was probably its most famous and successful product of all time, the IL-2 "Sturmovik" armor-piercing ground attack aircraft. This platform helped turn the tide of the war against Germany, which invaded the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941 to open the Eastern Front.

Over 36,000 such examples were made during the war, many of which were still in circulation in the years following the Great Conflict.

One of Ilyushin's lesser-known contributions to the war effort was an aircraft designed to meet new Soviet air force requirements for well-armored close air support (CAS) with fighter-like qualities ) platform. Its intended role on the battlefield included the destruction of armored ground forces and columns, while maintaining inherent performance and maneuverability against the best low-flying aircraft the Luftwaffe could muster - primarily the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke -Wulf Fw 190 type.

Development of the Ilyushin began in 1943 with a design approach involving two similar but distinct designs - a single-seat model and a two-seat variant, eventually named IL-1 and IL-10, respectively. Aside from the latter's two-seater capability, the two are largely identical in form and function - the wings are low-mounted outrigger types, and the fuselage is streamlined from nose to tail. The tail uses a small-area vertical tail, and the horizontal plane is set low. The armored cockpit is located midship, behind a long nose assembly, which houses a Mikulin AM-42 12-cylinder in-line piston engine rated at 1,973 hp.

Proposed armament includes 2 x 23mm VYa-23 series guns, one for each wing, and support for ordnance carry - conventional throw and missiles - up to 440 pounds. In the event of an interception attempt, ten AG-2 "air grenades" could be thrown behind the aircraft.

The IL-1 prototype first flew on May 19, 1944. Tests show a top speed of 360 mph and a range of up to 620 miles. Service is capped at 28,215 feet. The specs are decent, although they don't surpass the Soviet fighter jets already shown by suppliers like Mikoyan-Gurevich and Yakovlev.

The IL-1 also carries limited standard armament, and its bomb load is quite small.

By late 1944, the dynamics of the Eastern Front were clearly pro-Soviet, followed by dominance in the air. The IL-2 was consistently good at ground attack, and it was clear that there was little demand for the compact IL-1. The prototype was only evaluated by the company and was never submitted to the governing body for approval, so the only airframe became the company's only product.

It was eventually abandoned when it became clear that there was no interest in studying the IL-1 design. The two-seat IL-10 performed better and was eventually adopted as the successor to the IL-2, which itself enjoyed a healthy post-war career with thousands of units produced.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes