Airworthy Il-2 !

[RMAllnutt]

There is a good video coverage of a wreck being salvaged from a lake in Hungary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoR3JU4IgbI&feature=related part1/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJoPd0EHpRY&feature=related part2/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpQfnUoOOb4&feature=related part3/3

Best wishes,

Bülent Yilmazer
yilmazer@tr.net
History of Aviation
Department of History
Middle East Technical University
Ankara - Turkey
http://www.ae.metu.edu.tr/~ae474/

Fascinating...

The guy in the red jacket commented on the (relatively) poor construction quality (bad rivets, etc.).
The box they were cleaning turned out to be something to do with "heating the bomb-bay" (maybe
the bomb-bay compartment was heated...???). It says to turn the heat on below 15 degrees Celcius
and turn it back off after the bomb(s) have been dropped.

Then they're trying to determine if the engine was under power during the ditching or not (based upon
the damage to the propeller).

There are comments about the aft fuselage being made of made of wood.

Bela P. Havasreti

Interesting details... I imagine the heating was for the bomb rack. You wouldn't want your bombs to hang up or have a delayed release, as they'd be way off target or perhaps fall off when you landed if they really froze.

Cheers,
Richard

[Rob Mears]

Zoiks!! Want your warbird restoration to go completely unnoticed by the Western world? Have it restored in Russia!

How many folks had any kind of clue at all that this project was taking place? PLEASE somebody bring that sweetheart to the USA.

[flypa38]

Wow!!!! Dig that landing at the end of the first video!
The number of airworthy Il-2's almost became 0 again already!

[Jerry O'Neill]

FREEKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!
What a great surprise for everyone!

[rwdfresno]

Wow!!!! Dig that landing at the end of the first video!
The number of airworthy Il-2's almost became 0 again already!

I'm not sure it was all that dramatic...

[flypa38]

Wow!!!! Dig that landing at the end of the first video!
The number of airworthy Il-2's almost became 0 again already!

I'm not sure it was all that dramatic...

Maybe not, the video cuts off too soon. Sure looks to be the start of a "porpoise" to me!
I didn't mean permanently un-airworthy by the way.......I was talking prop strike or something "minor" downing it for repairs so soon after becoming airworthy.
Either way I was trying to be light hearted but haven't figured out the smiley face things yet.

[svengi]

So neat to see one in the air, so excellent! It's hard to comprehend just how many il-2's were made, i mean, it just boggles my mind. Landing at the end didn't look bad. I love how tough and formidable it looks, and by history, was.

[svengi]

Does anyone here speak russian?!?! lol

[Ztex]

Partial Google translation...?

Siberian engineers restored and raised to the sky legendary Soviet Il-2. It was restored from fragments found in the marshes near Pskov. Several years of hard work - and a favorite of pilots over the front received a command to take off.

After "the propeller" aircraft begins to accelerate. For a test pilot Vladimir Barsukov's first flight on the legendary IL-2. 200 meter acceleration - and attack aircraft takes off.

To lift the aircraft into the sky, Novosibirsk designers worked long 6 years. Found in the swamps of the Pskov region fragments of ground attack was reduced in the literal sense of millimeters. We had found in the archives, to examine and summarize the dozens of drawings, in which during the war years in several aircraft plants were collected irreplaceable for the Soviet Army of IL-2. "The problem is that they have a different design. There may be elements are different. It is very difficult to fit everything into a single model," - explains the design engineer.

All were released about 40 thousand stormtroopers. Armored aircraft designers nicknamed "flying tank". In the restored fuselage of the IL-2 can be counted more than a dozen openings of the fragments exploded shells and bullets. Well preserved and almost all bronekapot bearing housing design. The plane's tail had to be replaced: the original was made of wood, and almost completely rotted away.

Beyond repair and the doors covering the landing gear. New - a replica of relatives. They are fabricated from aluminum, manually giving special characteristic of the IL-2 curve. "It just will not do this part. We do only from the material as before. Do not use plastics. Vykleit One of fiberglass, but it would not IL-2, and that something is not right" - says Chief Designer Victor Lushin.

In general, most of the details and mechanisms of the plane - the original, including instruments in the cockpit. All in good condition and everything working properly.

Aircraft such modifications began to produce after 1942. First attack aircraft production were single. However, in the early years of the war army suffered huge losses of silt that had no military weapons, so it was decided to add the aircraft cabin for the shooter.

White garrison cap on the keel - in the war years, a sign of belonging to the 298th Air Division. Blue cook - as in the 198th regiment assault. This color is restored to attack aircraft have chosen not accidentally. "This is in memory of all the pilots who flew the IL-2. And in this case - is in honor of our great pilot who lives twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal Yefimov," - said president of the Federation of Russia, Boris aviarestavratorov Ossetia.
To his credit - more than two hundred combat missions. Personally, knocked out 126 tanks and dozens of destroyed 8 enemy aircraft on the ground.

[Ztex]

Restoration video...

http://youtu.be/rrdFPJKtmHw

[Chappie]

Thanks for the translation Zane. When I watched the video a second time I thought, but was not 100% sure, that the two medals at the top of his ribbon stack was The Hero of the Soviet Union.


Chappie

[marine air]

I hope it stays over there. It is a truly awesome restoration and maybe they can take it to lots of airshows and aviation events . If the warbird movement could take root like it has in western Europe and elsewhere, surely a lot more treasures would be recovered and put on the world market.
Amazing aircraft and they got it restored fairly quickly. Bet they could build up another one or two!

[Sopwith]

I hope it stays over there. It is a truly awesome restoration and maybe they can take it to lots of airshows and aviation events . If the warbird movement could take root like it has in western Europe and elsewhere, surely a lot more treasures would be recovered and put on the world market.
Amazing aircraft and they got it restored fairly quickly. Bet they could build up another one or two!

That's a good point,I never thought of it that way,but I can see exactly what you mean.

[lmritger]

I hope it stays over there. It is a truly awesome restoration and maybe they can take it to lots of airshows and aviation events . If the warbird movement could take root like it has in western Europe and elsewhere, surely a lot more treasures would be recovered and put on the world market.
Amazing aircraft and they got it restored fairly quickly. Bet they could build up another one or two!

Well, this one's been done for an American collector (per one of the news reports), but I can't imagine the restoration company would just let all those jigs used in rebuiliding it sit idle... even though Russian aircraft aren't my cup of tea, the Sturmovik is something special and holds a very prominent place in Russian aviation history, much as the Spitfire in England or the Mustang in the US. To have one (or more) able to attend airshows over in Russia would be a terrific thing, and allow one last hurrah for the crews who flew them, most of whom are in their 80s and 90s by now. Or, to call back a Cold War memory, can you imagine a May Day flypast of one or more Il-2s over the Kremlin? Aviation photographers around the world would be punching each other to get a good shot...

I hope this isn't the last Il-2 we see from that talented company.

Lynn

[Sopwith]

It would be nice to read a pilot's report on it and also the Mig 3 that went to the States.Anyone know if there is anything in the offing?