October 2, 1939: Prototype of Il-2 first flew

On October 2, 1939, the prototype of the Il-2 first took to the skies.

The Il-2 prototype successfully passed tests, and in March 1941, the first serial aircraft rolled off the assembly line at the Voronezh Aviation Plant.

🔸Predator of a new type

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the USSR had over 200 Il-2 aircraft. Later, a rear gunner seat was added, and in 1942, upgraded ground-attack aircraft entered service.

🔸Simple and reliable

The Il-2 ground-attack aircraft was low-maintenance: it could land belly-down with minimal damage after 100 hits to the fuselage, and could be repaired even in field conditions—unlike foreign models.

🔸Aircraft of aces

Leonid Beda, a legendary double Hero of the Soviet Union, completed 241 combat missions on the Il-2. He fought at Stalingrad, liberated Ukraine and Belarus, pursued the enemy through Lithuania, Poland, and into East Prussia. After the war, he continued serving in military aviation and in the 1970s became commander of aviation for the Belarusian Military District.

📍Interesting fact

On June 23, 1944, the offensive operation 'Bagration' began to liberate Belarus from Nazi invaders. Il-2 ground-attack aircraft served as the primary strike force supporting Soviet troops.