How many of you actually fly an IL2?

[OrLoK]

Hello there

 

Back in the original (1999/2000?) releaae i flew this unknown monster of an aircraft but since owning BoX havnt done so until recently, preferring to fly zippy fighters or classic bombers.

 

But ive just rediscovered the il2 again and am amazed how stable, maneuverable and powerful it is.

 

It could easily become a bit of a favourite of mine.

 

Does the il2 receive the user love it deserves or is it neither a bomber or a fighter and therefore unused?

 

If you, like me, have ignored or simply forgotten the roots of the game, i urge you to take an il2 out for a spin.

 

They're rather splendid!

 

The variants are very different too.

 

Rgds

 

LoK

[dburne]

I owned the original IL-2, then Forgotten Battles and Pacific Fighters and all iterations since.

Ironically I have never flown the IL-2.

Edited January 19, 2018 by dburne

[Danziger]

Love the Il-2. I've just put in a bug report on SP single mission in BoM says it's for Il-2 mod 41 but in hangar it's the BoS mod 42 that is actually used for the mission. It's a great plane for attacking. Sometimes I'll even manage a fighter.

[Finkeren]

I do. I always mainly fly fighters, but when I'm not, the IL-2 is my go-to.

[DaveP63]

Perhaps a handful of times, no more than that. Not sure why, to be honest.

[OrLoK]

I owned the original IL-2, then Forgotten Battles and Pacific Fighters and all iterations since.

Ironically I have never flown the IL-2.

Heresy!

Perhaps a handful of times, no more than that. Not sure why, to be honest.

Ditto. I hope to change that.

Love the Il-2. I've just put in a bug report on SP single mission in BoM says it's for Il-2 mod 41 but in hangar it's the BoS mod 42 that is actually used for the mission. It's a great plane for attacking. Sometimes I'll even manage a fighter.

I do. I always mainly fly fighters, but when I'm not, the IL-2 is my go-to.

Why do you guys think its not more popular? Or is it?

[216th_Jordan]

People want fighters. They think ground attack is boring, when the opposite is true. Low flying with the Il-2 around a target is the shit!

[Herne]

Heresy!

 

Ditto. I hope to change that.

 

 

Why do you guys think its not more popular? Or is it?

 

as far as ground pounding goes, it's probably the most potent most survivable AC we have in game. In multiplayer I see it often. I was practising with aiming rockets with it on the Finnish dynamic server last night, then took it for a spin on WoL

 

Edit:

 

I'm also my own biggest enemy, for some reason, I just love to clip trees

Edited January 19, 2018 by =11=herne

[Mad_Mikhael]

Great aircraft overall. Good ground attacker, with 23mm cannons - excellent. Nice cockpit layout (kinda important without arcade technochat), easy engine managment. Excellent pilot survivability! Fly as low as possible and even if you hit a ground with 300km/h, IL-2 will protect you. In early war scenario nice fighter. Great machine.

[Finkeren]

Honestly I think the main reason it isn't that popular online is the low top speed. As a ground attacker in MP you have to get in fast, complete your attack - preferably in one run - and get out fast. The IL-2 is pretty much the antithesis of that.

 

That's also the reason why I think the A-20 will be super-popular once it gets here.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Finkeren

[Luftschiff]

Certainly, I don't like the Pe-2 all that much, so the IL2 is rolled out regularly. It might be shelved when the A20 is available, but the handling, performance and, most of all, flexibility of the IL2 makes it a very solid choice.

[Chief_Mouser]

Edit:

 

I'm also my own biggest enemy, for some reason, I just love to clip trees

You are a natural for the 216th! We never miss an opportunity to fly the Il-2 as low as possible, and have hit so many trees that the devs are having to release a new de-forested version of the Stalingrad map. The open steppe is down to us! We won't rest until we've cleared out ALL of those Luftwaffe trees.

 

Cheers.

Edited January 19, 2018 by 216th_Cat

[Danziger]

I don't care for the 37mm cannons though. If I want to do quick strafing type passes I'll just take 23mm cannons and the larger 132mm rockets. The 23mm is good for anything apart from tanks and the rockets will kill the tanks and anything else.

[ShamrockOneFive]

I fly it all the time both in multiplayer and single player. It's easily one of the best and most efficient ground pounders and it can do almost anything... Even the odd defensive dogfight.

[Mad_Mikhael]

I don't care for the 37mm cannons though. If I want to do quick strafing type passes I'll just take 23mm cannons and the larger 132mm rockets. The 23mm is good for anything apart from tanks and the rockets will kill the tanks and anything else.

But 23mm AP is great for tanks busting. Getting six kills with those is very easy.

[Feathered_IV]

Of the available aircraft, I fly the Il-2 the most.

[Herne]

You are a natural for the 216th! We never miss an opportunity to fly the Il-2 as low as possible, and have hit so many trees that the devs are having to release a new de-forested version of the Stalingrad map. The open steppe is down to us! We won't rest until we've cleared out ALL of those Luftwaffe trees.

 

Cheers.

 

Are you flying reds this time for TAW ? if so I might just take you up on that. 

[Ribbon]

In old il2 beside corsair i flown it the most, i loved that landing gear extracting/retracting (i know very stupid reason).

Back than i played with k&m, easy settings (i was high school kid)!

I pretty much ignored il2 in BoX until recently when destroying tanks become important (finnish), it is very nice ground pounder, still pe2 remains my main weapon against ground objectives.

This remind me to try ju52 in VR!

[Danziger]

But 23mm AP is great for tanks busting. Getting six kills with those is very easy.

Is it? I'll have to try with solid AP. Haven't had any luck with the mixed load.

[Jade_Monkey]

I don't fly it often but it's a great plane.

Took out the 43 version for a spin last night in coconut's expert server, killed someone with rockets (on ground) and run out of fuel just as i made it back to my airfield. I crash landed very close to it getting the successful landing message. Good times

[smink1701]

Never

But I enjoy shooting them down.

[drivertwopoint0]

Its the only one i fly, atleast "professionally".

[OrLoK]

In old il2 beside corsair i flown it the most, i loved that landing gear extracting/retracting (i know very stupid reason).

Back than i played with k&m, easy settings (i was high school kid)!

I pretty much ignored il2 in BoX until recently when destroying tanks become important (finnish), it is very nice ground pounder, still pe2 remains my main weapon against ground objectives.

This remind me to try ju52 in VR!

the ju52 is lovely in VR.

 

Stick your head through the wall and look at the paras in the rear compartment.

Edited January 19, 2018 by OrLoK

[Dakpilot]

I owned the original IL-2, then Forgotten Battles and Pacific Fighters and all iterations since.

Ironically I have never flown the IL-2.

 

A nice introduction to the joys of the IL-2

 

 'Sturmoviks over Stalingrad' mission pack for BoS. Juri_JS

 

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/19048-sturmoviks-over-stalingrad-mission-pack/

 

Cheers, Dakpilot

Edited January 19, 2018 by Dakpilot

[CanadaOne]

I probably fly the IL2 as much as all other planes combined.

 

Love them 37s.

[sinned]

I hardly ever see people flying il-2.

It puts a smirk to see many pretenders.

I love the line "a great plane but i dont fly it"

[Ribbon]

the ju52 is lovely in VR.

 

Stick your head through the wall and look at the paras in the rear compartment.

Thank you for that tip, can't wait to try it!

Did you try the same in heinkel?

[Herne]

I hardly ever see people flying il-2.

It puts a smirk to see many pretenders.

I love the line "a great plane but i dont fly it"

http://ts3.virtualpilots.fi:8000/en/pilot/2530/=11=herne/?tour=19

 

http://il2stat.aviaskins.com:8008/en/sortie/2819174/?tour=30

[Nocke]

Are you flying reds this time for TAW ? if so I might just take you up on that.

Unfortunately we decided to go blue this time, the first time actually. Except once upon a time when we signed up as blue, but then never flew because of tremendous imbalance in favor of blue whenever we entered the server. This seems to have improved, though, in the recent campaigns.

[Oubaas]

 

I'm the Soviet Union's leading IL-2 ace.

[Boneboys]

Jack of all trades, master of none...

 

The IL-2 is the greatest plane of WW2, the airborne IS2 (or, how I won the war) 

 

I fly IS-2, come fly with me !

 

(Polls my dear Orloks,,,polls)

Edited January 19, 2018 by Boneboys

[ST_ami7b5]

 

I'm the Soviet Union's leading IL-2 ace.

Great pic, post it into Screenshots.

[Y-29.SugaBizkit]

I fly it at least 20 percent of my playtime.

 

100kg bombs and rockets, and ap 23's makes for fun ground attack missions.

 

Other 20 percent is peshka, rest are fighters

[=SqSq=Sulaco]

Last time we flew TAW we spent 90% of our time in IL2's, they absolutely dominate when it comes to tank crushing, I love flying 'em.

[Warpig]

I'm just a Fighter Jock at heart. Maybe one day I'll try some ground attack aircraft.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Warpig

[Danziger]

Good god. So many pretenders in here making sinned smirk. Shame on you all!

 

I suppose next you people will try to make us believe people actually fly the Ju-52...

Edited January 19, 2018 by BorysVorobyov

[56RAF_Roblex]

I am surprised anyone actually asked that question.  When my squad wants to attack ground targets it is about 50/50 between the PE-2 and the IL-2. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

The PE-2 is faster and the rear guns are bigger and it carries bigger bombs but the IL-2 is more versatile as it also has tank killing guns,  rockets and PTABs.  Also where the PE2 can get in and out faster, the IL2 does not care so much as it can dodge the guns easier and absorb any hits better.

[No105_Swoose]

The IL-2 Sturmovik has been my favorite and most flown aircraft since the original IL-2 Sturmovik game debuted in 2001.  It's relatively easy-to-fly, doesn't have nasty habits, and, like the Timex watch commercials a long time ago when I was a kid, "can take a licking and keep on ticking".  Every virtual pilot has his or her own style, preferences, and temperament and the IL-2 seems to suit those factors for me.  I like the challenge of dropping ordnance in ground attack missions.  There are some very good videos on You Tube that have helped me improve my techniques.  I'm fortunate that in my job I work with RL former air crew (an Air Force F-4 Phantom II Weapons System Officer and a Navy A-6 Intruder Bombardier/Navigator) who have given me some good tips on how to employ different types of weapons.  When fighters attack I try to get them in head-on's where I can employ the concentrated fire of my 20mm or 23mm cannon and ShVAK machine guns.  

 

When Battle of Kuban comes out I'll want to check out the P-39, A-20, La-5FN, and Bf-109G.  But I know I'll come back to the IL-2 for the vast majority of my flying.  

 

That's my two cents.   Swoose

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Life is quite hard for Il-2 pilots in this sim. The effective AAA, unforgiving flight models, tough tank targets, and dangerous trees make ground attack difficult. 

 

The old Il-2 could shrug off AAA, ignore trees, and destroy dozens of tanks in a single sortie. That kind of action is no longer easy to achieve. At least that's how I remember it. 

[LLv24_Zami]

I've flown it offline quite a bit over the years. Legendary ground pounder and nice plane to fly.