IL-2M type 3

This page is about the Soviet strike aircraft IL-2M type 3. For other variants, see IL-2 (Family).

IL-2M type 3

IL-2M type 3

Description

The IL-2M type 3 is a rank Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 1,400 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	387	371		49.2	50.3	6.1	6.0	800
Upgraded	430	409		46.9	47.9	11.4	8.6

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
		447	418	270	~13	~13

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 320	< 320	< 320	> 329

Survivability and armour

• 4 mm steel surrounding engine and frontal fuel tank
• 4 mm steel above pilot
• 5 mm steel underneath rear fuel tanks
• 6 mm steel surrounding pilot
• 6 mm steel underneath belly oil cooling system
• 6 mm steel in front of gunner*
• 6 mm steel disc behind propeller spinner
• 12 mm steel behind gunner*
• 64 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks, with neutral gas pressurization system (1 in front of pilot's feet, 1 under pilot, 1 behind gunner*)

*Note that the gunner is rear-facing

Armaments

Offensive armament

The IL-2M type 3 is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
• 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

Suspended armament

The IL-2M type 3 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (400 kg total)
• 4 x RS-82 rockets
• 4 x RBS-82 rockets
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg total)
• 4 x RS-132 rockets
• 4 x RBS-132 rockets
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
• 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)

Defensive armament

The IL-2M type 3 is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (150 rpg)

Usage in battles

The most interesting feature of the IL-2M type 3 is its above-average weapons. Especially, its 2 x 23 mm cannons are very effective because of its high velocity and excellent damage. It can and will make short work of enemy aircraft as long as you hit. Pilots flying the IL-2M type 3 should use this as their advantage at all times.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Two 23 mm cannons make the plane very effective in head on situations

Cons:

• The plane can be rather 'slow' compared to other planes

History

In-game description

On 21st July 1941 the lead designer of the IL-2 Sergey Ilyushin sent a request to the People's Minister of Aviation, calling for improvement of the IL-2 by upgrading the engine to a 1,675-HP M-82 and increasing the aircraft's armor. The request was extremely urgent, considering that the rapidly advancing German troops at the time threatened serial production of the engines then used on the IL-2. Several influential Party members also called for upgrading the IL-2's engine. Another crucial change, in conjunction with the engine, called for converting the aircraft into a two-seater, based on combat experience. The second crewman would mainly deal with protecting the rear section of the Sturmovik from aerial attack, making it, in the designer's opinion, "nearly invincible". An aft fuel tank, previously installed behind the pilot in the armored tub, was replaced with a gunner compartment under a stretched canopy, armed with a 12.7mm (.50-cal) UBT machine gun with 280 rounds of ammunition. The gunner position, just like the pilot's, was well armored.

Once the prototype was tested, all test pilots concluded that flight performance of the new variant was worse than that of the earlier IL-2 AM-38 variant; however, no changes in overall behavior were noted, the armor was very effective, and no shortcomings that made flying dangerous were uncovered. Therefore, the new prototype was accepted for serial production.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

Ilyushin Design Bureau (Илью́шинa Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Bombers	DB-3B · IL-4
Jet Bombers	IL-28* · IL-28Sh
Strike Aircraft	IL-8 (1944)
Il-2	IL-2 (1941) · IL-2 (1942) · IL-2M type 3 · IL-2M "Avenger" · IL-2M (1943) · IL-2-37 · IL-2 M-82
Il-10	IL-10 · IL-10 (1946)
Export/Captured
Bombers	␗DB-3A · ◊IL-28 · ◔IL-28
Strike Aircraft	▀IL-2 (1942) · ␗IL-10 (1946) · ◔IL-10
	* The Chinese Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation built unlicensed copies of the Il-28 known as the H-5.