Ilyushin Il-10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-10

The Ilyushin Il-10 (Cyrillic ????´??? ??-10, NATO reporting name: "Beast") was a
Soviet ground attack aircraft developed at the end of World War II by the
Ilyushin construction bureau. It was also license-built in Czechoslovakia by
Avia as the Avia B-33.

The airframe was a one engine two-seat monoplane, with a metal-covered frame. It
was highly armoured. The front part of the fuselage, with the cockpit, was a
shell of armour plates 4–8 mm thick; the thickest, 8 mm, were under the engine,
there was no armour above the engine. The front windshield was made of armour
glass 64 mm (2.5 in) thick. Also armoured we the roof above the pilot, side
window frames in the pilot's cab, the wall between crew seats, and the rear wall
behind the cab. Total armour weight was 994 kg, including its attachment. The
wing consisted of a central section, with two bomb bays, and two detachable
outer panels. The undercarriage was retractable. The main wheels folded to the
rear after rotating by 86°.

Early Il-10s had two 23 mm VYa-23 autocannons (150 rounds each) and 2 7.62 mm
ShKAS machine guns (750 rounds each) fixed in the wings, and a 12.7 mm UBT
machine gun in a rear gunner station BU-8, with 150 rounds. The horizontal angle
of the rear machine gun field of fire was 100°. From 1947, the aircraft were
armed with four NS-23 23 mm cannons in the wings (150 rounds each) and 20 mm
B-20T cannon in a rear gunner station BU-9 (150 rounds). The IL-10M had four 23
mm NR-23 cannons in wings (150 rounds each) and 20 mm B-20EN cannon in a rear
gunner station BU-9M (150 rounds). Avia B-33 had four 23 mm NS-23RM cannons in
wings and 20 mm B-20ET cannon in a rear gunner station BU-9M.

The Il-10 engine was a 12-cylinder inline V engine Mikulin AM-42, liquid-cooled,
power: 1,770 hp continuous, takeoff power: 2,000 hp. Three-blade propeller
AV-5L-24 of 3.6 m diameter. Two fuel tanks in the fuselage: upper 440 l over
engine, ahead of the cockpit, and lower tank of 290 l under the cockpit. The
aircraft had a radio set and a camera AFA-1M in a rear section of the fuselage.


Role
Ground attack aircraft

Manufacturer
Ilyushin, Avia

First flight
18 April 1944

Introduction
1944

Retired
1962 (Czechoslovakia)

Primary users
Soviet Air Force
Czechoslovak Air Force
Polish Air Force

Produced
1944–1954

Number built
6,166 (4,966 Il-10 + 1,200 B-33)

Developed from
Ilyushin Il-2

In October 1944, the Il-10 first entered service with training units in the
Soviet Air Force. In January 1945, the first Il-10 combat unit entered service
with the 78th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, but it did not enter action due
to unfinished training. However, three other Il-10 units managed to take part in
the final combat actions of World War II in Europe. They were the 571st Assault
Aviation Regiment (from 15 April 1945), the 108th Guards Assault Aviation
Regiment (from 16 April 1945), and the 118th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment
(on 8 May 1945). About a dozen aircraft were destroyed by flak or engine
breakdowns, but the Il-10 appeared to be a successful design. One was shot down
by an Fw 190 fighter, but a crew of the 118th Regiment shot down another Fw 190
and probably damaged another. On 10 May 1945, the day after the official Soviet
end of the war, (Victory Day), there were 120 serviceable Il-10s in Soviet Air
Force combat units, and 26 disabled ones.

After the war, until the early 1950s, the Il-10 was a basic Soviet ground attack
aircraft. It was withdrawn from service in 1956. At the same time, work on new
jet-powered dedicated armoured ground attack planes (like the Il-40) was
canceled, and the Soviets turned to multipurpose fighter-bomber aviation. The
Il-10 and its licensed variant, the Avia B-33, became a basic ground attack
plane of the Warsaw Pact countries. From 1949 to 1959, the Polish Air Force used
120 Il-10s (including 24 UIl-10), and 281 B-33s. In Poland, the B-33 was
modified to carry 400 l fuel tanks under its wings. From 1950 to 1960,
Czechoslovakia used 86 Il-10s, including six UIl-10s, and about 600 B-33s. From
1949 to 1956, the Hungarian Air Force used 159 Il-10s and B-33s. From 1950 to
1960, the Romanian Air Force used 14 Il-10s and 156 B-33s. Bulgaria also used
these aircraft.

In the late 1940s, 93 Il-10 and UIl-10s were given to North Korea. They were
then used in the 57th Assault Aviation Regiment during the early phase of the
Korean War. They were initially used with success against the weak anti-aircraft
defense of South Korean forces (following the US refusal to supply the south
with "heavy weapons"), but then they suffered heavy losses in encounters against
the USAF fighters and were bombed on the ground themselves. After several weeks,
about 20 remained. In the summer of 1950, North Korea received more aircraft
from the USSR. The North Koreans claimed to sink a warship on 22 August 1950
with Il-10s, but it was never confirmed.

From 1950, Il-10s were used by the People's Republic of China, in two regiments
of an assault aviation division. They were used in combat during a conflict with
the Republic of China, (Taiwan), over border islands in January 1955. They
remained in service until 1972 (replaced by Nanchang Q-5). From 1957, Yemen used
24 B-33s.


Specifications (Il-10)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 11.06 m (36 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 11.06 m (36 ft 3 in)
Height: 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (tail up)
Wing area: 30.00 m2 (322.9 sq ft)
Empty weight: 4,680 kg (10,318 lb)
Gross weight: 6,335 kg (13,966 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 6,535 kg (14,407 lb)
Fuel capacity: 747 L (164 imp gal; 197 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Mikulin AM-42 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,320 kW (1,770 hp)
(maximum continuous power, 2,350 rpm)
Propellers: 3-bladed AV-5L-24, 3.60 m (11 ft 10 in) diameter

Performance
Maximum speed: 551 km/h (342 mph; 298 kn) at 2,800 m (9,200 ft); 507 km/h (274
kn; 315 mph) at sea level
Cruise speed: 310 km/h (193 mph; 167 kn) at 500 m (1,600 ft)
Range: 800 km (497 mi; 432 nmi) at 500 m (1,600 ft)
Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
Time to altitude: 5 minutes to 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

Armament

Guns:
2× 23 mm Vya-23 cannon (150 rpg) and 2× 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns (750 rpg) in
wing (war time production aircraft) or 4x 23 mm NS-23 (150 rpg) in wing
(post-war time production aircraft) and
1× 20 mm Berezin B-20 cannon (150 rpg) or 12,7 mm UBT machine gun (150 rpg) in
rear turret

Rockets: 4× RS-82 or RS-132 rockets
Bombs:
6× 50 kg (110 lb) bombs or
4× 100 kg (220 lb) bombs or
2× 250 kg (550 lb) bombs






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