The Ilyushin Il-4 was a long-range bomber used by the Soviet Union during World War II. Very reliable, with an impressive performance, it would become the workhorse of the Soviet Air Force and Naval Aviation units. The Soviet Navy employed it also as a torpedo-bomber. During the Cold War, it would keep seeing combat action in Korea as it was used by the communist forces.
The Ilyushin Il-4 was a redesigned version of the DB-3 bomber. The conversion included an upgrade of its powerplant with new 1,100-HP engines and it was fitted with a streamlined glazed nose. The internal bomb bay capacity was increased to 1,000-kg (2,200-lb) of bombs, plus additional 1,500-kg of ordnance on external hard-points. Thus, the DB-3F variant was redesignated Il-4, which first flew in January 1940, entering service in March 1942. It was massively produced with more than 5,200 aircraft built by 1945.
Technical Description
The Ilyushin Il-4 was a twin-engine, medium-size monoplane, which was fitted with straight, cantilever, low wing. Both the wing leading and trailing edge tapered towards the tip. The fuselage was of all-metal construction. However, the first 500 batch had wooden front fuselage due to the shortage of metal. The landing gear was retractable. The aircraft was powered by two Tumansky M-88B, 14-cylinder, air-cooled, radial piston engines, each of which generated 1,100 horsepower.
Specifications
Type: long-range, medium bomber/torpedo-bomber.
Length: 14.79 m (48 feet, 6 inches)
Wing Span: 21.44 m (70 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Area: 66.70 m2 (718 square feet)
Height: 4.20 m (13 feet, 9 inches)
Powerplant: two 1,100-HP, Tumansky M-88B, 14-cylinder, radial engine.
Maximum Speed: 448 km/h (278 mph)
Maximum Range: 3,300 km (2,051 miles)
Service Ceiling: 10,000 m (32,808 feet)
Crew: 4 (pilot, navigator/bombardier, and two gunners)
Armament: ten 100-kg bombs in internal bomb bay; 1,500-kg of bombs on hardpoints/ or one anti-ship torpedo; one 12.7-mm machine gun mounted in dorsal turret; two 7.62-mm machine guns, one in nose, the other on ventral turret.
Below, the Ilyushin Il-4 in flight in 1943.
The DB-3F prototype, which would be designated Il-4 in 1942.
Below, two Il-4s of the 119th Naval Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment prepare for a mission in July 1943.
The famous Russian bomber with the pilot and a crew member. You can see the ten 100-kg bombs it could carry in its inner bomb bay.
