IL-28

IL-28

IL-10 (1946)

IL-28Sh

IL-28

IL-10 (1946)

IL-28Sh

USSR

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.0	8.0

Class:

Bomber

Jet bomber

Research:105 000

Purchase:300 000

Description

The IL-28 is a Rank V Soviet jet bomber with a battle rating of 8.0. It was introduced in Update 1.43.

Being a jet bomber, the Soviet post-war IL-28 occupies the traditional role of "fast bomber" previously endowed to aircraft like the Pe-2-359 Peshka. Thus, its major advantage is being able to quickly swoop down to the target area and dispense its payload without being caught by enemy aircraft. The IL-28 relies on speed, acceleration, bomb capacity, and defensive capabilities to survive. Unlike some of the aircraft the IL-28 may face, it is able to quickly accelerate, leaving would-be attackers in the dust. This single facet of the aircraft's performance is often a gamechanger, as it allows the IL-28 to quickly disengage from any dogfight or bombing run. This aircraft features a wide range of payload options including up to 3000 kg of bombs stored in the aircraft's internal bomb bay. To the naked eye, this rather minuscule payload may seem insignificant. However, by utilizing this aircraft's strengths pilots may find themselves able to single-handedly win the match by destroying all of the enemy's ground targets and running down their ticket count. This tactic of attrition is more than plausible, especially on realistic battles maps like Korea, where ground targets are often fairly centrally located and thus easy to destroy.

Unlike its American and British counterparts, the IL-28 features a heavy-hitting defensive armament of two 23 mm NR-23 cannons mounted in the tail barbette. This turret setup is unique in that it features an extremely high degree of maneuverability, able to almost fire straight up and down. This single aspect of the IL-28 is what truly makes it a legendary aircraft, especially among the War Thunder community. Often described as being able to fire "23 mm lasers", the IL-28's tail cannons are capable of equipping belts composed entirely of destructive fragmentation incendiary tracer ammunition. The NR-23 cannons also fire unusually quickly, which makes the aircraft's one second burst mass very high. This makes the aircraft more than capable of defending itself, an invaluable asset in Rank V battles. There are also several 105 mm armored glass plates surrounding the tail gunner which makes him very hard to knock out. The IL-28 also wields two of these weapons in forward-facing positions under the nose, which allows the aircraft to destroy softer targets like AAA and artillery.

While the 23 mm cannons are extremely potent when they strike both ground and air units, the fact that they fire so quickly makes it very possible to run out of ammunition even when firing in short bursts. Thus, a good aim is essential for success when using these weapons. The same issue applies to the IL-28's tail guns, which utilize the same cannons but with a larger ammunition pool. Having the crew "reload speed" upgrade maxed out allows the aircraft's tail guns to reload much faster which can be invaluable during an engagement. The tail gun can also be used to finish off softer ground targets after a failed frontal attack.

The IL-28 starts off with twelve 100 kg bombs which in some cases are not enough to make a true impact on the match's result. Therefore, attaining the "KD-3" and "BD-4" bomb upgrades is essential. Having these allows the IL-28 to destroy heavier ground targets such as heavy and medium tanks, pillboxes, and various heavy naval units like destroyers.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	?,000	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	?,000	??.?	??.?	?.?	?.?	?

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
850	400	600	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 500	< 600	< 600	> ???

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
0 m	2550 kgf	No WEP

Survivability and armour

• 10 mm Steel plate under the nose.
• 10 mm Steel plates in the front seat.
• 10 mm Steel plates in the pilot's seat.
• 105 mm Bulletproof glass in front of tail gunner.
• 10 mm Steel plates in front of tail gunner.
• 30 mm Steel plate under tail gunner.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The IL-28 is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm NR-23 cannons, nose-mounted (100 rpg = 200 total)

Suspended armament

The IL-28 can be outfitted with the following ordinance:

• 12 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (1,200 kg total)
• 8 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 1 x 1,500 kg FAB-1500M-46 bomb (1,500 kg total)
• 1 x 3,000 kg FAB-3000M-46 bomb (3,000 kg total)

Defensive armament

The IL-28 is defended by:

• 2 x 23 mm NR-23 cannons, tail turret (225 rpg = 450 total)

Usage in the battles

Due to its impressive low-altitude maneuvering capabilities (for a medium bomber), the IL-28 can be utilized in a variety of roles. In all game modes, if a teammate is struggling to evade an assailant, the IL-28 may be able to provide supporting fire with its dual 23 mm cannons. The aircraft is hampered in this role partly because of its mediocre roll rate and low ammunition count for its forward-firing cannons. If its bomb load is expended, the IL-28 is also a very capable "gunship", or a bomber aircraft whose role is to attract, distract, and destroy enemy aircraft. Other aircraft that can perform this role include the G8N1 Renzan, IL-10 (1946), B-29 Superfortress, and B-24D Liberator, among others.

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Compressor		Offensive 23 mm
II			Airframe	New 23 mm Cannons	KD-3
III	Wings Repair	Engine		Turret 23 mm
IV			Cover	New 23 mm Cannons (turret)	BD-4

The most valuable modules of this aircraft are among the most difficult to attain; the KD-3 bomb upgrade is fairly mandatory for destroying any type of heavy ground target successfully, and having the Turret 23 mm and New 23 mm cannons (turret) upgrades increase the effectiveness of the aircraft's tail guns. However, being able to outrun an enemy before even engaging is often extremely useful as well.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful rear 23 mm cannon turret
• Very fast - many early jet fighters cannot catch it at top speed
• Powerful and flexible ordnance capacity
• Highly armored tail gunner position
• Gunner can cover a large area of the rear and the sides because of the turret design
• Good acceleration

Cons:

• Fuel tanks are not protected by any armor
• Fairly small payload compared to its counterparts
• Able to be intercepted by Korean War jet aircraft
• Poor roll rate; any wing damage will often result in a roll that is impossible to pull out of
• Cockpit features no rear visibility

History

The IL-28 was created to meet a requirement for a bomber to carry a 3,000 kilogram payload at 800 kph (500 mph). Although there were several previous attempts to create such an aircraft the IL-28 was the first successful design. It incorporated the new Rolls-Royce Nene engines, produced as the unlicensed "RD-45". After the completion of testing in 1949 the aircraft was ordered into production on 14 May 1949, with the new Klimov VK-1, an improved version of the previous RD-45. The IL-28 was widely exported, and was utilized by almost all of the Warsaw Pact nations along with various Middle Eastern and African nations. It was license built in China as the Harbin H-5 and in Czechoslovakia as the Avia B-228. It is known to still be in service today in the Korean People's Air Force (KPAF). Although few in number, they provide North Korea with a means of strategically bombing targets.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

• [Vehicle Profile] Ilyushin IL-28

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
• other literature.