The armoured ground attack airplane, Il-2 was a fighting vehicle unique to the Great Patriotic War, with no analogue in any other air force. More Il-2s were built by the Soviet Union than any other aircraft of the war (36163 units). The Il-2 attack airplane played an outstanding role in the war and had a significant effect on operations in the Soviet-German front.
    Testing of the Il-2 attack airplane began in 1939. The Il-2’s test flight occurred on October 2, 1939, piloted by V.K.Kokkinaki. This plane was outfitted with an AM-35 1350 h.p. motor. The armoured outer shell of its streamlined form protected each of the plane’s crew and vital systems (motor, cooling, fuel).
    English help by Peter Gunther