![]() ![]() Casualties among rear gunners were especially high, as these brave souls were not protected by armor the way the pilots and the vital aircraft components were. IL-2's were used with devastating effect against German forces during the war, although they operated best with fighter escort. Strangely, all IL-2's were delivered as IL-2's, with no designation distinction made for the single and two seat versions or for armament variations. Early in its service life, VVS planners realized that a second seat was necessary for defense, and two seat models appeared. cannon as their main armament, while later models had 23 mm weapons. Mass production was ordered in December, 1940, and the first production models appeared early in the following year. Originally designed as a two seat assault aircraft to support ground troops, the plane featured very heavy armor protection, necessitating a reversion to single seat configuration for adequate performance. It was the best known and most produced military aircraft in the world, a total of over 36,000 being delivered to the Soviet air Force during World War II. The Ilyushin IL-2 "Stormovik" was to the Russians what the Spitfire was to the British and the "Zero" to the Japanese. Distributed by Model Rectifier Corporation: History ![]()
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