Unique WWII Soviet fighter reassembled in Everett

[El Duce]

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/bo...#photo-2479151

From a friend.

[coppertales]

thanks for posting..................chris3

[Penguin]

That is cool thanks for posting that. Given how many were built it is amazing to me that so few still exist in any condition. This is the only flyable one I know of. I would like to see it some day. The Il-2 is one of my favorite planes.

[gpwasr10]

The first A-10. Hell of an aircraft.

[ltorlo64]

That is pretty cool. The history of the various planes that were used to build it was pretty interesting as well.

[l921428x]

That is a good looking aircraft.

[Warthogg]

The first A-10. Hell of an aircraft.

Yup.....even armor for the pilot. Surprised Stalin allowed such a thing.


Wart

[was_peacemaker]

The first A-10. Hell of an aircraft.

Would it be a stretch to say a predecessor to the SU-25 Frogfoot?

[ATAK, Inc.]

Not surprised at the lack of an original engine, the Russians still lag in that area.

Would it be a stretch to say a predecessor to the SU-25 Frogfoot?

The Il-2/Il-10 were inspiration for the whole tank buster role.

[mrkalashnikov]

I found this tidbit to be the neatest part of the article:

The plane is painted in the colors of twice-awarded Hero of the Soviet Union Air Marshal Alexander Efimov of the 298th Air Division, who flew Il-2s in combat during World War II. Efimov is known not only for destroying 126 enemy tanks, but also for engaging flying German aircraft with his heavy attack plane. When Germany surrendered, he had flown 288 combat missions and destroyed seven enemy planes in air-to-air combat. Today, Efimov is 86 and still lives in Moscow.



Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/bo...#ixzz1mSaVCzeZ

[Shadow Walker]

When you consider that around 20,000 of these aircraft were built, that only one is still flyable, is hard to believe.

Russia did not destroy their aircraft and other equipment after the war ended, like the USA did. Maybe Russia failed to mention they have thousands in their aircraft boneyard.

[5.56NATO]

The first A-10. Hell of an aircraft.

Wouldn't that be a Stuka with the at cannons?

Anyway, I consider it blasphemy to run that thing with a p38 engine.

[Warthogg]

When you consider that around 20,000 of these aircraft were built, that only one is still flyable, is hard to believe.

Russia did not destroy their aircraft and other equipment after the war ended, like the USA did. Maybe Russia failed to mention they have thousands in their aircraft boneyard.

The Il-2 Shturmovik was a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft. Adding in the up-rated Il-10, more than 42,330 were built, making it the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history, according to the Flying Heritage Collection.

Wart

[ATAK, Inc.]

Wouldn't that be a Stuka with the at cannons?

Anyway, I consider it blasphemy to run that thing with a p38 engine.

The Ju-87 was a dive bomber, not a "Tank Buster".

While I'm a purist, with zero original engines available, making it airworthy was a great feat to modify the Allison to work and get this great bird back in the air!

[Warthogg]

Anyway, I consider it blasphemy to run that thing with a p38 engine.

Actually a pretty decent engine at low altitude as a buster of tanks but sukkked donkey dick as an engine for a high altitude fighter. (If I remember correctly.)


Wart

[5.56NATO]

The Ju-87 was a dive bomber, not a "Tank Buster".

While I'm a purist, with zero original engines available, making it airworthy was a great feat to modify the Allison to work and get this great bird back in the air!

(holy crap!)

[mriddick]

I found this tidbit to be the neatest part of the article:

The plane is painted in the colors of twice-awarded Hero of the Soviet Union Air Marshal Alexander Efimov of the 298th Air Division, who flew Il-2s in combat during World War II. Efimov is known not only for destroying 126 enemy tanks, but also for engaging flying German aircraft with his heavy attack plane. When Germany surrendered, he had flown 288 combat missions and destroyed seven enemy planes in air-to-air combat. Today, Efimov is 86 and still lives in Moscow.



Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/bo...#ixzz1mSaVCzeZ

Quite the record for a 18 yr old.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Yes, the Ju-87 evolved into a tank buster, but was not originally designed for that, it was a high AOA dive bomber, the large cannon were a later modification.

The Il-2 was designed from the ground up as a tank buster.

[mriddick]

http://www.thomasgenth.de/html/junkers_ji.html
Could be thought of the grandfather of these ground attack types.

[gpwasr10]

Yup, armored cockpit, high probability of surviving ground fire, large caliber cannon, high wing loading, slow but steady platform. The Sturmovik's were definitaly designed with knocking out armored vehicles in mind.

The "Soviet Stuka" would have been the Petlyakov Pe-2.