Il-2 Sturmoviks flying over Berlin.
The Il-2 Sturmovik (Russian: Ил-2) was a Soviet ground-attack aircraft designed in the late 1930s by Ilyushin. It was produced in very large numbers during World War II: combined with its successor, the Il-10, there were over 42,000 planes built, making it the most produced aircraft ever. It was a two-man aircraft and was known to have an exceptional performance against tanks with accurate dive bombing and powerful 20, 23 or even 37 mm guns that could penetrate the tank's rear armor.
Battlefield 1942[]
In Battlefield 1942, the Ilyushin is the Red Army's dive bomber issued to them in patch 1.6v, replacing the second Yak-9s on Kursk and Kharkov. It spawns along with a Yak-9 on Eastern European theater maps. It has space for two players: a pilot who flies the aircraft and controls the forward machine guns and bombs, as well as a gunner who mans the rear-facing dual machine guns.
The Ilyushin, like all dive bombers, is slower and less maneuverable than fighters. However, it is more heavily armored and has much better armament for attacking ground targets. With its ability to drop two bombs at once, it can destroy or heavily damage a medium tank with relative ease, while lighter targets will surely be destroyed.
The Ilyushin is prone to damage from fighters, heavy machine guns, and anti-aircraft guns. It can potentially hold its own against fighters, as its dual machine guns are nearly as effective as a fighter's machine guns, though it can be easily outmaneuvered.
It is the Russian equivalent to the German Ju-87 Stuka.
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