Il-2 on a movie

An unusual camouflage pattern

Updated on January 6, 2014
back to VVS research index
back to Il-2 index

 

This Il-2 appears in a movie, probably taken during the tests of ROFS-132, a shrapnel/explosive variation of the RS-132, that is bigger than the normal RS-132.

All these screenshots show the same plane. It is an Il-2 with metal wings and wooden rear fuselage, probably built in z.18.

There is an external aiming device of the curved type on the engine cowling, and the reflective gunsight in the cockpit.

Stiffeners are visible on the rear fuselage; the sliding hood of the canopy has slightly reduced armor on its sides, suggesting an early production plane; on the other hand, the metal wings with VYa-23 mm guns were introduced in late 1941 or early 1942; this suggests that this Shturmovik was modified with pieces of other planes and then repainted.

The camo pattern is unusual for its predominance of green over black and for the low demarcation line with blue undersurfaces; besides the red stars are unusually small and don't have the thin white outline that is a characteristic mark of the planes built in z.18 in that time.