IL-2 Question

[AdmRose]

Anyone have any tactics for the IL-2? I know it can roll and turn like there is no tomorrow...and I've often surprised the unsuspecting Spit pilot who tries to HO me, but I never seem to survive long enough to land...Any suggestions?

(Note: I do NOT consider using that pop-gun in the second seat to be a useful tactic, esp. with only 200 rounds and that huge tail in the way, so save your fingers)

BTW, I mean using it as a fighter, I already know how to use it in its traditional role.

[SKurj]

its not a fighter...

you won't survive to land it unless you have alot of friendly cover..


SKurj

[Hawklore]

Correction the Il-2 was a fighter/bomber and a very well one too...

They would dive down on there targets release ordinance then go into fighter roll if there mission required it Lilly Livtak a russian female pilot shot down 12 german pilots with an IL-2 ok thats a woman shooting down 12 pilots thats quite alot now if she could do it men should be able to...''Not saying that men are better'':)

She also led men into battles, she later got shot down..so did her fiancee.

[Dennis]

Originally posted by Hawklore
Correction the Il-2 was a fighter/bomber and a very well one too...

They would dive down on there targets release ordinance then go into fighter roll if there mission required it Lilly Livtak a russian female pilot shot down 12 german pilots with an IL-2 ok thats a woman shooting down 12 pilots thats quite alot now if she could do it men should be able to...''Not saying that men are better'':)

She also led men into battles, she later got shot down..so did her fiancee.

It's my understanding that Lilya Litvak got her 12 victories in La5's and Yaks, not Il-2's.  Perhaps this Lilly Livtak you mention was a different person ... ?  

That said, I believe there was an Il-2 intended as a fighter version.  It was a single-seater and not the model represented in Aces High.

I could be wrong.  Wouldn't be the first time.  
Nevertheless, in the AH world, you're not likely to live long in a furball in an Il-2.  You can get air-to-air kills in it, as you've discovered.

Splash1

[AdmRose]

Yes Lilly Litvak flew Yak-1s and La-5s, not the IL-2. She was killed on an escort mission for Sturmoviks in a Yak-1, maybe thats what you meant.

[SKurj]

There were fighter versions of the il2.. i dunno how well they did tho..


SKurj

[Hawklore]

I stand corrected....Ok...yes it was someone else who flew IL-2's and led men into battle also she too was an ace but not as popular as Livtak...Its in this book i got from library but the one that flew il2's flew Observation,Recon missions in slow 100mph planes...


Lily livtak did stand in a big line w/h men to be selected for a fighter group and she asked if she could and they said yes....

I just think thats cool

[AdmRose]

Yep, cheap German bastages. Her Yak-1 was jumped by 8 Me109s when they saw it was her (she had a white lily painted on the side of her fighter). She wasn't awarded the Hero of Soviet Union until 1991 cause they couldn't find her body until then.

[Hristo]

Lilly Litvak wasn't the only one. Mary Monroe got 17 victories in a P-40. But those male ego hurt Japs drew on the bushido and ambushed her.

It was 12 vs 1 and she was shot down and killed only after an unlucky shot disabled her stick. She could not pull out anymore.

Nevertheless, she stacked at least four of those Jap dudes before she went down.

[hogenbor]

I know an awful lot of trivia about WWII air combat, but I never heard about an American female pilot in combat duty during WWII. Ok, there were lots who ferried war planes to the front, but in combat? And with seventeen (!) victories. I'm sure I would have known.

Maybe someone is just being ironic... but there were indeed female Russian aces. There has also been a fighter protype of the IL-2 but it's performance was too low, it has nver been produced like this.

[Hristo]

There are lot of pilot wives who wouldn't be too happy to find out about Mary Monroe's list