IL-2 Sturmovik flies in WA (P-47D too!)

[DennyA]

My son and I went to Everett, WA to see Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection's IL-2M3's first public flight today. The IL-2M3 was rebuilt from a couple of wrecks (mostly from two planes, but parts from four aircraft total), and has an Allison engine from a P-38 as they weren't able to obtain a workable/reliable original engine. (Interestingly, they used a P-38's Allison because the prop spins the "wrong" way, and the contra-rotating props on the P-38 meant one engine was reversed from the typical Us Allison direction.) It's not a reconstruction that would please hardcore restoration purists, but it's an amazing thing to see in the air; it's the world's only flying IL-2.


They also flew a P-47D along with it. Really amazing to see an IL-2 in the air; one of the first times an IL-2 has been flown for a public audience in the western hemisphere ever.

You can see the whole gallery of photos I took here:
http://dennya.smugmug.com/Airplanes/...5389414_kP68bm

Here are a couple of sample shots:



I took shots of both sides of the planes, as well as top/bottom, in case anyone's looking to do a repaint for a flight simulator model.

[aircav1970]

Some great shots Denny,man,I love the Jug and that one's a beauty,the IL-2 is really a unique bird,glad there is still one flying.

[robert41]

Thanks for the shots Denny. Never realised how big the IL2 wing is.

[Bomber_12th]

Great shots, Denny, and thank you for sharing them! It is awesome that you had the opportunity to see today's event. The Flying Heritage Collection (and the Historic Flight Foundation, just accross the runway) is at the very top of my list of must sees if I ever find myself near to Seattle/Everett.

The FHC P-47 is absolutely spectacular - the most authentic example currently flying, and one of only two that have the turbochargers functioning (the other is the example owned and flown by Westpac Restorations (Westpac also did the restoration of the FHC P-47)). There is a bubbletop P-47 project in the works for FSX/P3D, and it is largely being developed from a great supply of resources from the FHC and Westpac P-47's (as well as the very exciting "Dottie Mae" restoration (about a year or so away from completion - it will be the only combat vet P-47 flying, when completed)), on top of original data, photos, and drawings of course. Although it won't have the systems modeling that seems so important in most people's eyes lately, it will look very different and new compared to past P-47 simulation efforts, as it will be as near to 100% visually accurate as possible, along with all of the various factory details not seen depicted before.

[Daveroo]

wow bomber,,i cant wait for that...and i love the IL2-3m..i would have liked to see a P400 with it someday

[Bomber_12th]

Thanks for the shots Denny. Never realised how big the IL2 wing is.

In the videos I've seen of it landing, you can 'see' the lift and ground effect generated from those big wings. In this video, these were the very first practice landings done by Ross Granley (the fourth person to have flown the aircraft since completion - the original test pilot in Russia, Steve Hinton who did the first test flights here in the States, and Jim Martinelli being the first three). Note some of the landings are seen to be done with no flaps (commonly done when checking out in an aircraft like this for the first time), while others (and an attempt) have partial flaps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnqMQdg1ElM


In this video filmed yesterday (practice for today's event - pilot this time being Jim Martinelli), the landing is perfectly executed, with full flaps and near full back stick on touchdown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojofpsFqoDU

[DennyA]

Yep, the landing yesterday was smooth and perfect. If you look closely, you can see the tire smoke.