IL-8 (1944)

Description

The IL-8 (1944) is a premium gift rank Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced during Update "Air Superiority" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season XIV, "Airborne General".

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The IL-8 (1944) is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
• 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

Suspended armament

This aircraft is really useful in Ground RB due to its impressive bomb load. Use the 6x 100 kg bombs for the purpose of quickly obliterating most medium and light tanks at its BR. The 2 x 500 kg and the 2 x 500 kg Armor Piercing bombs to destroy the heavy tanks and the the tank destroyers at its BR. However, be careful due to the face that unlike other strike aircraft, the lack of air brakes hinder the aircraft a lot, so be cautious of dive bombing tanks.

Defensive armament

The IL-8 (1944) is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (150 rpg)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great at CAS, can help teammate greatly by bombing enemy-held points.
• Quite easy to spawn to Ground RB, only needs to destroy about one tank to spawn.
• Very effective payload of bombs
• 23 mm cannons can generally penetrate most ground targets.

Cons:

• Only has one machine gun for defense
• Lack of dive brakes makes it harder to dive on targets.
• Rather low top speed for its BR

History

Devblog

At the height of WWII, Ilyushin’s design team was tasked with improving the IL-2 attack aircraft by creating two new versions. The first with improved performance characteristics and a reduced payload, and the second with enhanced armor and increasing the payload to 1000 kg. The engine for both versions was to be the new AM-42, and in addition to this numerous improvements to flight and operational characteristics were implemented. The test program for the first prototype of an attack aircraft with enhanced armor, designated the IL-8 AM-42, ended in March 1944. Despite successful test results, this aircraft did not go into production.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the IL-8 (1944) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Battle Pass Vehicles: IL-8