In 1947, the military industry of the USSR received a license for the manufacture of English turbojet engines from the Rolls-Royce company, with Ning centrifugal compressors and a take-off thrust of 2270 kgf. In 1948, they began designing a front-line jet bomber, which was the Il-28 aircraft. According to experts, this model is reliable and unpretentious in use. In the mid-1950s, the aircraft was the main strike of the Soviet front-line aviation. The history of creation and technical description of the Il-28 aircraft are presented in this article.
Introduction
The Il-28 is the first Soviet jet front-line bomber capable of transporting tactical nuclear weapons. In the NATO classification, this model is listed as the Beagle "Hound". The Il-28 aircraft (photo below) was designed in the experimental design bureau of the aviation complex named after S. V. Ilyushin. A group of designers was awarded the Stalin Prize.
About the history of creation
In June 1948, the government of the USSRdecided to create a front-line bomber using a turbojet engine of the British company Rolls-Royce. At that time, it was already produced under license in the territory of the Soviet Union. In 1949, state tests of the Il 28 aircraft took place, with the installed RD-45F engine. Testing lasted for 75 hours. For 84 flights, the expert commission revealed 80 defects in the design. To eliminate them, the developers had to spend 4 months. The design was carried out in conditions of fierce competition with an experienced design bureau named after Tupolev. From this design bureau, their aircraft models, the Tu-37 and Tu-78, were also delivered for testing. Unlike the Il 28 aircraft, the Tupolev aircraft carried numerous defensive weapons, had a large mass and crew. Soon testing continued with the participation of a new model from OKB im. Tupolev - Tu-14, a twin-engine bomber, the crew of which consisted of three people. This aircraft used one aft gun mount. Despite the fact that the Tu-14 was designed for a long flight range, it would be problematic to release it and also operate it.
Result
In May 1949, I. V. Stalin held a special meeting at which the characteristics of the Il 28 aircraft were considered in detail. In order to increase the speed of the aircraft up to 900 km/h, the designers decided to install a more powerful VK-1 engine on it, takeoff thrustwhich amounted to 2700 kgf. In August, the already modified Il-28 was sent for state testing again. Testing took place in the Moscow Military District. It was decided to show the Il 28 aircraft (photo of this aviation unit in the article) on Victory Day in 1950 over Red Square to the general public.
About production
Serial production of aircraft was organized in Moscow at plant No. 30, Voronezh (No. 166) and Omsk (No. 64). Additionally, Il-28 was also produced at factories No. 1 and 18. In 1950, an aircraft unit for training purposes was ready. In the technical documentation, it is listed as IL-28U. A year later, they created an aircraft for transporting torpedoes (Il-28T). Reconnaissance tasks were to be carried out using the Il-28R aircraft. In total, the military industry of the Soviet Union produced at least 6300 units. For painting aircraft used "silver". Exported Il-28s to other countries were painted with various types of camouflage. The dashboard was painted black, the chassis and cargo compartment were painted gray. According to aviation experts, it happened that the cargo compartments and niches were only primed.
About design
Aircraft with pressurized and soundproofed cabin, straight two-spar monobloc trapezoidal wing. Its mechanization is carried out by means of conventional flaps, which deviate at an angle of 50 degrees during landing and 20 during takeoff. Made of D16T duralumin alloy. The ailerons were used to control the roll of the aircraft. IL-28 is equipped with a symmetrical keel andstabilizer Naca-00. The rudder and ailerons are electrically controlled. The RV trimer is adjusted by means of mechanical cable wiring and gear mechanisms. The aircraft was equipped with two starter-generators GSR-9000 DC and two batteries 12-A-30, which were used in the car as a source of electricity.
About engines
The location of the VK-1 power units was underwing nacelles. To control the engines in the aircraft there is a cable wiring. During launch, each VK-1 is spun using an electric starter. The fuel system is represented by fuselage soft rubber tanks. Their total capacity is 7908 liters. Only the left engine is equipped with a hydraulic pump. If the hydraulic system suddenly fails, then the flaps are lowered from the pneumatic system, and the wheels are braked in an emergency. Also, with the help of air, the cargo compartment opens, namely the bomb bay doors. Both engines are equipped with pneumatic pumps. In addition, IL-28 with emergency cylinders containing compressed air.
About chassis
Aircraft with tricycle undercarriage for which air-oil damping is provided. The chassis consists of a front leg and two main struts. Aircraft manufacturers decided to use an alcohol-glycerin mixture as a hydraulic shock-absorbing fluid. The front leg is contained in the fuselage, and the racks are in front in the engine nacelles. Landing gear extension and retraction is controlled by an air system, which was later replaced by hydraulics.
About weapons
Destroy the target crew of thisaircraft could by means of FAB-100 bombs. In total, the IL-28 had 12 such shells. Also, the bomber could be equipped with 8 FAB-250M46, or two FAB-500M46, or one FAB-1500M46. Torpedo models (Il-28T) were equipped with one rocket-propelled torpedo RAT-52, mines AMD-100 and AMD-500 "Desna", "Lira". For torpedoes, an external suspension was used, for mines and bombs - cargo compartments. Later, the Il-28T was equipped with two torpedoes. Torpedoes were launched using PTN-45 sights. To install it on an aircraft, Soviet aircraft manufacturers had to slightly change the glazing in the navigational cockpit. Small arms are represented by two fixed NR-23 cannons. The place of their installation was the nose of the fuselage. For the Il-28T and Il-28R, one cannon was provided. But one rifle unit was supposed to have 100 shells. In addition, the aircraft had two stern guns, which were remotely controlled using a hydraulic drive. It was possible to fire 225 shells from one barrel.
About radio equipment
Il-28 was equipped with the PSBN-N radar system, the ARK-5 radio compass, the RV-2 and RV-10 radio altimeters, the RSIU-ZM radio stations, the SRO radar transponder and the SPU-5 intercom. The aircraft, which are designed to perform reconnaissance missions, provide for the presence of photographic equipment: three AFA-33, AFA-BA-40, AFA-75MK. The IL-28 has a FRL-1M photo attachment, with the help of which information is recorded from the screen of the radar system. In December 1953 came outgovernment decree, according to which the PSBN was replaced by the Kurs radar. Reconnaissance aircraft have containers that contain ASO-28 chaff and special Natrium equipment, the task of which is to reproduce radio interference.
TTX
The bomber has the following performance characteristics:
- Wingspan - 2150 cm, height - 670 cm.
- Total wing area is 60.8 square meters
- Weighs a fully equipped aircraft 18,400 kg, empty - 12,890 kg.
- The crew consists of three people.
- The maximum takeoff weight is 23,200 kg.
- Aircraft with two turbojet engines (TRD) VK-1A, with a thrust of 2700 kgf.
- At maximum speed, the Il-28 covers 906 thousand meters per second, at cruising - 700.
- The bomber's practical range is 2370 km, the ferry range is 2460.
- An aircraft with a takeoff run of 965 m has a rate of climb of 15 m/s.
- A load of 291 kg/m sq. is applied to each wing
- The minimum load in the bomb bay is 1,000 kg, the maximum is 3,000 kg.
- Il-28 is equipped with two NR-23 23mm cannons in the bow compartment and two NR-23 guns in the stern.
About operation
Deliveries of IL-28 to the People's Republic of China were arranged. Soon in the PRC, local designers mastered production and began to produce similar aircraft at the plant in Harbin, but already as the H-5. Six such aviationunits from China were bought by Romania. Finland also purchased Il-28 from the USSR, where 4 bombers were used to tow targets. In 1955, 30 Soviet aircraft were delivered to Egypt. Operating countries include Algeria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Vietnam, North Korea, Yemen, Morocco, Cuba, Somalia, Syria, Indonesia and Nigeria. The IL-28 was used quite successfully in the mountainous terrain in Afghanistan. In the Soviet Union itself, the aircraft was not used for long.
At the end of the 1950s. it began to be replaced by the Yak-28. The IL-28 was written off and disposed of, according to eyewitnesses, in the most barbaric way: they trampled it down with the help of tractors and bulldozers. Part of the aircraft was converted into training. Some Il-28s before 1980 were used as target tugs.
Model of the Il-28 aircraft
Judging by the reviews, a lot of people are fond of bench modeling. For those who are interested in this topic, in March 2007, the Internet project "Karopka.ru" was created. The IL-28 aircraft, namely the set of parts for it, is one of the most purchased.
Those fans of modeling who have difficulties during assembly have the opportunity to ask questions and consult with specialists at Karopka.ru. Mostly beginners have problems with masks for the model. A mask in bench modeling is a protective layer that is applied to a surface that is not painted with an airbrush. After painting the rest of the maskremoved. The result should be a border between the painted and unpainted area. Judging by the numerous reviews, Trumpeter masks are suitable for the IL-28 aircraft model. The set consists of 178 parts. For the manufacture of 169 gray plastic is used, for the rest - transparent. Comes with instructions and decals with Soviet and Chinese identification marks. You can buy the model for 700 rubles.
