This Il-2 served with the 3rd Czechoslovak Combat Air Regiment when on April 20, 1945 it was hit by AA fire and crash landed with a full bomb load in no-mans-land. The plane was eventually retrieved and repaired, going on to serve after WWII ended with the Czechoslovak AF (30th Air Regiment) until 1948. It was then transferred to the National Technical Museum but was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. The plane was rediscovered in a hangar at Kbely in 1967 and underwent extensive restoration so that it is now a fitting addition to the WWII Hangar at the Letecké Muzeum Kbely.

This Il-2 served in the Bulgarian Air Force as 14337. It later went to the Yugoslav Air Force as 4154. The Il-2 was phased out in 1955 and this one was assigned to the Muzej Vazduhoplovstva Beograd in 1961.

Built in 1943 and shot down in 1944. Remains were found in a lake in 1991. It was restored to flying condition using parts from three other IL-2s.

This Il-2 served with the 3rd Czechoslovak Combat Air Regiment when on April 20, 1945 it was hit by AA fire and crash landed with a full bomb load in no-mans-land. The plane was eventually retrieved and repaired, going on to serve after WWII ended with the Czechoslovak AF (30th Air Regiment) until 1948. It was then transferred to the National Technical Museum but was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. The plane was rediscovered in a hangar at Kbely in 1967 and underwent extensive restoration so that it is now a fitting addition to the WWII Hangar at the Letecké Muzeum Kbely.

[Olympus PEN E-PL2 + M.Zuico 14-42mm]

Museum Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw. [Nikon D300 + Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm/2,8G VR]

Engine section of an unknown Soviet Air Force Ilyushin 2.

This Il-2 (serial?) was built in April, 1944 at Zavod 1. On 14th Dec. 1944, piloted by Lt. Timofeyev with gunner S.Mjr. Udalov, it took-off from Szabadszállás, along with other Il-2s from 715 ShAP, to attack German vehicles on the shore of Lake Balaton. It was hit by anti-aircraft fire and ditched in the lake, from which the crew apparently survived but were lost in the cold water and their bodies never recovered (RIP). The wreckage was retrieved in 1999 and is now on display at the super RepTár Szolnoki Repülőmúzeum.

This aircraft is on display at the Military Museum close to the centre of Warsaw. No serial or codes are carried. Whilst these Sturmoviks were built in vast numbers, very few still exist and it is a pity that this aircraft has been allowed to deteriorate on open air display.

The Flying Heritage Collection's beautifully restored Il-2 is pictured enjoying some downtime. Note even the oil buckets are in pristine condition at the FHC!!

Original Il-2 Shturmovik exhibited in WW2 Soviet AF markings

This Il-2 was shot down into Lake Balaton towards the end of WWII.

With the exception of the Cessna 172, the Il-2 "flying tank" is the most produced aircraft in history, with 36,163 built. Despite this, only about eight examples survive worldwide. In the immediate post-war years, the Il-2 formed the backbone of the fledgling JRV (Yugoslav AF), with about 300 operated. As the rear fuselage and tail surfaces were made from wood, the Ikarus aircraft factory in Yugoslavia manufactured metal replacements to increase service life, the last Il-2s flying till 1955