On Friday the 16th of June, an Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik made its maiden flight in Novossibirsk, Russia. Only two Il-2 are currently airworthy, the first one being part of Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum.
This aircraft was shot down in November 1943 and landed on a frozen lake near Murmansk, from which it was recovered in 2015.
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Amazing to see another one in the air! Always think of that Erich Hartmann story when he was flying a combat patrol and saw 3 Shturmoviks in a tight vic formation flying below. Telling his “Staffel” to remain upstairs as top cover, he rolled inverted and dived down behind the Russians. His fellow pilots watched him make one pass across and behind the Shturmoviks before zoom climbing back to join the them. The Shturmoviks continued for a moment before wobbling out of formation as all three propellers froze. Hartmann had nailed all three Shturmovik’s huge belly coolant radiators…… in just one firing pass…..this was often the difference between other pilots and the air aces. Not so much flying ability…..the aces could shoot!