The Il-2 Shturmovik epitomized the Red Air Force’s primary function of providing tactical support for the Red Army. Built by Ilyushin, it was an armored tactical attack aircraft built in larger numbers than any combat aircraft before or since.
In all, 36,163 aircraft left the plants, but about 70 percent were lost during the war, only half of that in combat. The roots of Soviet aviation lay in the Soviets’ experience in the Spanish Civil War. Continue reading…
