Kraków 2022-11-17
Ilyushin Il-10 attack aircraft.
The Ilyushin Il-10 is a Soviet ground attack aircraft developed at the end of World War II at OKB Ilyushin. The Il-10 aircraft was mass-produced at CCCP. Also after the war, it was produced in Czechoslovakia as the Avia B-33.
In 1943, the CCCP Defense Committee deemed it necessary to introduce newer types of combat aircraft, especially fighter and attack aircraft. The Office of P. O. Suchoj presented the designs of the Su-6/III and Su-8 attack aircraft. The office of S. V. Ilyushin presented the Il-8 and Il-10 projects. Both types were based on experience from the operation of Il-2 aircraft. Projects Su-6/III, Su-8 and Ił-10 were selected for implementation. In February 1944, in factory No. 18 "Znamia Truda", where Il-2 aircraft were built in series, three prototypes of Il-10 aircraft were built. The first prototype flew in March 1944, followed by state tests. The pilots were A. K. Dolgov and W. K. Kokkinaki. On July 9, 1944, the tests were completed. At that time, comparative tests were made with OKB Sukhoi aircraft. The Il-10 aircraft turned out to be the best. On August 23, 1944, the State Defense Committee decided to start serial production of Ilyushin Il-10 aircraft. The first serial aircraft was flown on September 27, 1944.
In October 1944, the first planes were delivered to school regiments. The first combat use took place in the battles on the Nysa River. By May 1945, there were over 100 copies of Il-10 aircraft at the front, which were equipped with four regiments. After the end of hostilities, the construction continued to be developed. In the gunner's cabin, the 12.7 mm UBT machine gun was replaced with a 20 mm UB-20 cannon. The armament placed in the wings was also replaced with four NS-23 cannons, cal. 23 mm.
In CCCP, after the war, Il-10 aircraft were produced at Voronezh Aviation Works, Aviakor, and CSKB-Progress. The school version marked UIł-10 was put into production. The instructor sat behind the student pilot. This aircraft had only two 23 mm NS-23 cannons.
From 1949, Il-10 aircraft began to be delivered to countries dependent on the CCCP. In 1951, license production started in Czechoslovakia, the factory in Czakowice, as Avia B-33. Czechoslovak aircraft also had Mikulina M-42 engines produced in Czechoslovakia.
The armament of the Avia B-33 aircraft consisted of: 4 NS-23RM cannons. There was a BNT-20E (B-20) cannon in the gunner's cabin. There were 4 launchers of 2RU324 N-150 missiles under the wings. An S-13 type photo rifle was mounted. The aircraft had an IFF identification device marked SzCz-3M.
In the period 1953 - 1954, about 600 Avia B-33 aircraft were delivered to Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. 1,200 aircraft were built in Czechoslovakia and production ceased in 1955. A total of 6,170 Il-10/Avia B-33 aircraft were built.
Ił-10 / Avia B-33 in Poland.
The first planes were delivered to Poland in January 1949. In August 1949, the Polish Army already had 210 copies in: 4. PLSz, 5. PLSz, 6. PLSz, OSL, SEL MW. In the period 1953 - 1954, there was another large delivery of Avia B-33 aircraft. In 1957, the process of withdrawing aircraft from assault regiments began, and PZL Lim-1/2 aircraft were introduced in their place. The last machines were taken out of service in 1960.
Three aircraft have been preserved in Poland. The first Iliuszyn Il-10 at the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw Il-1 nb 011, serial number 5523. The aircraft was donated to the Museum by the Air Force Command on October 15, 1957. The aircraft's permanent armament consists of two 23 mm WJa cannons and two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. The second Avia B-33 nb 11 aircraft at the Museum in Drzonów. The aircraft has 4 rail launchers for missiles under the wings. The third Avia B-33 aircraft at the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow. The aircraft is armed with four NS-23 cannons of 23 mm caliber.
Ilyushin Il-10 design.
The aircraft is aerodynamically based on the Il-2 aircraft. Oil and water coolers were placed in the center wing, and the air supply was placed on the leading edges of the wings. The main landing gear and tail wheel are fully retractable. The airframe received armor.
The drive was the Mikulina AM-42 engine, 12-cylinder, V-shaped, in-line, with a power of 1,472 kW (2,000 hp). Initially, the armament was taken from the Il-2m3 aircraft. Later, other more powerful armament was used, in various variants.
Data T-T Ił-10:
Span 13.40 m. Length 11.12 m. Height 4.10 m. Curb weight 4,650 kg. Take-off weight 6,300 kg. Top speed 507 km/h. Rate of climb to an altitude of 5,000 m, 9 min 70 s. Ceiling 7,250 m. Range 800 km. Armament load capacity 400 kg.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman