Store / IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles

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C-47A

The C-47 Skytrain, which was a militarized version of the highly successful DC-3 civilian transport and airliner, was the workhorse cargo carrier of the USAAF during WWII. It also served with the U.S. Navy as the R4D-5 and with British forces where it was known as the Dakota. The C-47 was reliable, versatile and rugged. It could drop supplies to beleaguered ground forces, drop paratroopers during an invasion, tow gliders behind enemy lines and deliver desperately needed supplies to forward airfields all over the world.

The C-47 saw action in every WWII theater including both the Western and Eastern Fronts. The version specially designed to carry paratroopers was known as the C-53 Skytrooper, but were produced in much smaller numbers and generally also identified as a C-47 upon first glance. The C-47B had turbo-superchargers added so they could fly over the Himalaya Mountains or the ‘Hump’ as it was known into China from India to re-supply Allied troops there.

Over 5,300 C-47A models were built during the war. The C-47 was affectionally called the ‘Gooney Bird’ by soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allies. The RAF received over 2,000 aircraft as part of the Lend-Lease program and were used wherever British troops saw action.

So successful was the basic design that there was a Soviet license-built version called the Lisunov Li-2 which served not only as a transport, but also a bomber in emergency situations. There was even a Japanese built version called the L2D codenamed ‘Tabby’ by the Allies.

Much like our beloved and popular German Junkers Ju 52, you will be able to use our C-47A is just as the Allies did. You will be able to fly important supply missions and drop airborne troops behind enemy lines in Normandy, the Low Countries and even Germany itself near wars end.

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Hurricane Mk.II

The legendary British-built Hurricane came to fame during the Battle of Britain where it did the heavy lifting for the RAF in that pivotal battle. Unlike popular belief, it was the sturdy and more numerous Hurricane and not the sexier Spitfire that really made the difference. The Hurricane was built in large numbers and the Mk.II series was sent to all corners of the war to fly and fight, including the Eastern Front where the Soviet VVS put them to good use in several sectors. The Hurricane Mk.II saw action over the sands of North Africa, the ports of Malta, the jungles of the Far East and protected convoys in the Atlantic. Hurricanes even saw action over Leningrad, Murmansk and many other battles over the vast Russian steppe. It was a true WWII legend and workhorse.

The Hurricane Mk.II series which consisted of the a, b, c and d variants was outfitted with a few different armament configurations. This included either the 12 x .303 machine guns in the wings or 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons also fitted in the wings. Many of the Mk.II’s were of the «Hurribomber» variety with wing racks for 250lb or 500lb bombs. One later variant could also carry two 40mm cannons for anti-armor duty.

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Yak-9T series 1

One of the first models of the Yak-9 family was Yak-9T ("tank"), that appeared in early 1943. In addition to one 12.7mm UBS MG it was armed with a 37mm engine-mounted cannon model 11P (later NS-37) instead of a 20mm SHVAK. The installation of such a heavy and large weapon required reinforcing the airframe in the nose section and moving the pilot cabin 40 cm (1.31 ft.) rearward, which resulted in worse forward and underside visibility.

Frontline trials were conducted from July 5th till August 26th, 1943 on Central, Bryansk and Western Soviet fronts. The trials showed that Yak-9T is capable of not only engaging bombers and various ground targets, but it could also hold its own as dogfighter. Its flight characteristics were only marginally worse than Yak-9 while it packing a much bigger punch. Its production started in March 1943 and ended only in June 1945 with a total of 2,748 units produced.

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Yak-9 series 1

The Yak-9 was the first model in the most mass-produced family of the WWII Soviet fighters - with its many modifications the total amount of units produced reached 16,769. The work on the new long-range recon and fighter plane began in the Yakovlev design bureau during Spring 1942 and it resulted in the creation of Yak-7DI, which was adopted by the VVS as early as August 6th of that same year under the designation Yak-9. The new model had a boosted M-105PF engine, a lighter wing of composite structure, and the lower spine with a bubble canopy that significantly improved the rearward visibility. In comparison to the earlier Yak-7b, the armament was reduced to one nose-mounted 12.7mm UBS MG and one 20mm SHVAK engine-mounted cannon firing through the propeller hub.

The mass production of the new fighter and its arrival to the frontline units begun only in 1943. In combat, the Yak-9 proved itself as very maneuverable and easy to control fighter, earning the love and respect of many Soviet pilots along with volunteer French from the Normandie Niemen fighter regiment.

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P-38J-25

The P-38J-25 was a late model variant flown by the USAAF and saw action over Europe as well as in the Pacific. The P-38 had a unique configuration with twin booms housing the engines, superchargers and landing gear while a center section contained the nose gear, cockpit and guns. This arrangement gives it a very distinct look that is unmistakable. The P-38J-25 series also incorporated a set of dive flaps that could be quickly deployed to help with instability during a high-speed dive which had plagued earlier models.

The P-38 or ‘Fork Tailed Devil’ as it was sometimes referred to as, was in production throughout the war and saw action on all American involved fronts. Its armament consisted of four .50 cal. machine guns and a single 20 mm Hispano cannon. The inclusion of a cannon was rare for an American fighter. It could also carry two bombs or drop tanks and had excellent range. It was used as a bomber escort, interceptor and later in the war it focused greatly on ground attack missions.

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Fw 190 D-9

Development of the Fw 190 D-9 started in 1942 as a high-altitude interceptor to counter the Allied air threat on the Western front. The ‘Dora’ as it was known, included many cutting-edge technologies of the time. Its elongated nose housed the high-altitude liquid cooled Jumo 213А-1 engine equipped with MW-50 water-methanol injection system that enabled it to develop power up to 2100 HP. The armament consisted of two 13mm MG131 machine guns in the nose and two 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in the wing root. It started to appear above the front lines during Autumn 1944 and although it got a cold initial reception from the German pilots, it later earned their trust and is considered to be the best German piston-powered fighter of the late war period. The Dora would often be used to protect Me 262 jets during their vulnerable landing phase. Allied pilots would try to down the hapless jets as they were low on fuel and trying to land.

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U-2VS

The U-2 aircraft was designed under N.N. Polikarpov’s supervision from 1923 to1928 as a simple, sturdy, and easy to handle two-seater aircraft for flight schools. Production began in 1929. Flight instructors and pilot candidates liked the plane because it was forgiving of the sorts of mistakes pilot trainees typically made. The U-2 was hard to stall and easy to recover with predictable behavior at high angles of attack. It also had a low landing speed which left a large margin of safety for young pilots. Many future aces learned to fly in this 'flying school-desk' as it was the first aircraft flown by the majority of VVS pilots during the war.

Its military version known as the U-2VS was mainly used as a low altitude light bomber and recon plane. The military variant could carry up to 300kg of bombs and was equipped with a defensive 7.62mm ShKAS machine gun operated by the observer/radioman. One modification allowed it to carry a wing-mounted forward facing ShKAS gun. It was a very hard target for enemy fighters at low altitudes because of its low speed and maneuverability, resulting in its relatively high survivability rate. It was used by the famous all female "Night Witches" of the 46th Guards night bomber regiment which harassed German troops when the sun went down. The U-2 was later renamed the Po-2 to honor N.N. Polikarpov after his passing in 1944.

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Spitfire Mk.VB

The Supermarine Spitfire is a legendary example of British aircraft engineering and one of the best fighter aircraft of WWII. It flew in Europe, Africa and the Pacific. The first Spitfire Mk.Vs were upgraded from earlier I and II models and were operational in early 1941. A total of 6,641 airframes were produced. More than a hundred of RAF squadrons used Mk.Vs and they were also sent to British dominions and used by other Allied countries. The VB modification was equipped with the Merlin 45 or 46 engine (the latter was better suited for higher altitudes), two 20mm cannons and four 7.7mm machineguns. 143 of them were given to USSR and saw action in the skies of Kuban during Spring 1943.

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Hs 129 B-2

The Hs 129 was designed to be a general purpose armored ground attack plane, but during the second part of the war it became the main anti-tank aircraft flown by the Luftwaffe. Armed with powerful weapons, the ‘Duck’ as it was called first appeared in May 1942 in the southern sector of the Soviet-German front. It saw action at the battles of Stalingrad, Kuban and Kursk salient and was also used in North Africa. Anti-tank squadrons equipped with these aircraft were sent to the frontline where the enemy threat was the greatest. Having many unique features, the Hs 129 B-2 was armed with a wide assortment of weapons including the 30mm MK 101 and MK 103 cannons.

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La-5FN series 2

In spite of a long and hard development before going into mass production, this model was a success for the Lavochkin design bureau and an important step on the road to the best Soviet fighter designs of WWII. The La-5FN began its front-line service during Summer 1943 in the central part of the Eastern front. The La-5FN made a sizable contribution in the fight for air superiority. The main improvements compared to the previous design were: boosted M-82FN engine with direct fuel injection, 180 HP more powerful than the previous engine (1850 HP in boosted mode) and many changes to improve the aerodynamics including a bubble canopy and lowered rear fuselage. Front and rear armored glass sheets protecting the pilot’s head were also installed. The La-5FN was used by many famous Soviet air regiments and many famous pilots, including the most successful Allied ace, triple Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub.

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Bf 109 G-6

The Bf 109 G-6 was the most produced Messerschmitt 109 model during the war with over 12,000 aircraft in total being built once production began in February 1943. The main goal of its development was increasing the G-6’s firepower. The small caliber machine guns mounted in the fuselage were replaced with 13mm MG 131 guns and the U4 variant was equipped with a 30mm MK 108 cannon fitted into the engine cylinder block. The Bf 109 G-6 remained in production for more than a year and many more improvements were devised during its production run. These improvements included different engines, auxiliary systems and armament. The G-6 played a major role in middle and late war aerial engagements over Eastern and Western fronts, above the Mediterranean and in Reich air defense actions. They were also supplied to allies of Germany.

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Ju 52/Зm

Designed as a civilian passenger plane in 1930s, the Ju-52/Зm saw widespread use during the entire war, essentially becoming the symbol of Luftwaffe transport operations. The plane started its military service as a bomber in Spanish civil war. It played a tremendous role in many operations including dropping paratroopers over Crete, delivering supplies to the Afrika Corps, evacuating wounded from the Kuban front and rescuing German forces trapped in Demyansk and Stalingrad pockets. Despite being considered obsolete during most of the war, the Ju-52 proved itself as very dependable and sturdy aircraft. Many countries continued to use these planes for a long time even after the war.

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Yak-1b

The Yak-1b, also know as the Yak-1 Series 127, is the pinnacle of the Yak-1 fighter design that includes all of the incremental improvements introduced in 1942. In addition to increasing armor protection and its enhancing aerodynamic capabilities, its weapons were also upgraded. Designers replaced the two small 7.62 mm ShKAS guns with a single, yet more powerful 12.7 mm UBS machine-gun. To allow for a better rear view, its dorsal spine was lowered and a new teardrop-style canopy was installed. This version of the Yak-1 was still in production as late as mid-1944 when it was finally replaced by more advanced Yak-3. Many Soviet aces flew this plane: Arseniy Vorozheikin, Alexander Koldunov, Aleksey Alelyukhin, Sergey Lugansky and others. The famous French volunteer squadron known as the Normandie Niemen, who served on Eastern front, also employed these planes to great effect.

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P-40E-1

One of the most famous piston-engined fighter aircraft of all time, it saw use in all the theaters of WWII, including on the Eastern Front. It was adopted by 26 countries and used in USSR under the Lend-Lease Act. Many famous pilots of different nations piloted this plane, including Soviet pilots Boris Safonov, Pyotr Pokryshev, Fedor Chubukov and others. This isn’t the nimblest fighter, but it compensates with sturdy construction and very powerful armament consisting of six (6) .50 cal. machine guns.

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MC.202 Series VIII

The Macchi C.202 Folgore ("Thunderbolt") was a mainstay of Italian air force during 1942 - 1943. First flown in 1941, the Folgore was the pinnacle of Italian fighter design in WWII. Its performance was superior to many fighter designs flown by other nations during the war. In true Italian style is has beautiful lines and a distinctive silhouette. Several Italian aces flew it, Teresio Vittorio Martinoli, Franco Lucchini and Leonardo Ferrulli. The Macchi is very nimble, allowing a pilot to fly it confidently in a dogfight.

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Fw 190 A-3

Fw-190 struck fear into enemy hearts - the most powerfully armed among all the Eastern Front fighters. It was sturdy and dependable. It could reach high speeds and it made for a dangerous adversary. Walter Nowotny, Otto Kittel, Erich Rudorffer and other German aces flew it. The combat capabilities of this aircraft allow a pilot to be aggressive and engage on his own terms.

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La-5 (series 8)

This is the early version of the legendary Lavochkin produced La-5. This plane was loved by Soviet fighter pilots, having proved itself to be a good aircraft from the beginning of its combat duty. Many Soviet aces flew it: Ivan Kozhedub, Nikolay Gulaev, Georgy Kostylev, Alexey Maresyev. It has good speed, a strong airframe and powerful 20mm armament. When controlled by an experienced pilot, this plane becomes a weapon to be feared.

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