Ilyushin IL-4

History

In many respects, the Ilyushin IL-4 was a "forgotten" WWII bomber - at least in the West - although it formed the bulk of Soviet bomber wings and more than 5,000 were produced shelf. The system worked well and was robust in design, although poor defensive equipment eventually resulted in high and unacceptable casualties, so production was completed by 1944 (though the aircraft continued to serve until the end of the war).

Regardless, the system was an essential part of Soviet air and naval operations, and was the first Soviet bomber to launch an attack from Berlin airspace.

The IL-4 appears to be a very capable design with a low-wing monoplane. Each wing is equipped with an engine, and between them is the cockpit. The glass head section provides good visibility, and the streamlined body design continues to an important point. A recognizable turret is located in the center of the tail, and a vertical fin surface occupies the fin.

The crew quarters have only four people. Defensive armament consisted of machine guns - albeit in individual cases - mounted in the nose, dorsal turret positions and ventral emplacements. It should be noted that early models of these guns were fairly small in the 7.62mm range, but later models will come with a more impressive 12.7mm caliber.

Nonetheless, these guns were used in single-seat form, and the defensive weapons were never improved upon. Where the IL-4's defense failed, the system's offensive nature matched the aircraft's intended roleup to three 1,102-pound torpedoes onboard instead of the standard limit of 2,205-pound drop bombs.

The original IL-4 design appeared in flight form in 1935 and was designated TsKB-26. Although the aircraft entered production under the designation DB-3B ("DB" means "long-range bomber" in Russian), the system was renamed the IL-4 in 1940.

The first combat successes of the aircraft (especially in the war with Finland) and its crew came quickly, mainly based on insufficient protection of more ordinary fighters. Despite the disadvantage, the aircraft remained in service and eventually participated in the aforementioned attack on Berlina strategic note that would long be part of the Soviet strategy in air combat as the conflict unfolded.

There were eventually a few variants, but all were very similar to the original production design - except for the defensive machine gun caliber improvements.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes