Ilyushin Il-1

The Ilyushin Il‑1 was a short‑lived Soviet ground‑attack prototype developed by the Ilyushin design bureau in 1943‑44. Conceived as a high‑speed evolution of the earlier Il‑2 “Shturmovik,” the Il‑1 was intended to combine the Il‑2’s heavy armament and armor with a more aerodynamic low‑wing monoplane layout. Powered by a single Klimov VK‑105PF2 liquid‑cooled V12 engine delivering 1 200 hp, the aircraft featured a streamlined fuselage, a retractable single‑wheel undercarriage, and an all‑metal stressed‑skin construction. Its armament comprised four ShVAK 20 mm cannons—two mounted in the wing roots and two in the forward fuselage—as well as provision for up to 400 kg of bombs on underwing racks. Extensive armor protected the pilot, engine, and fuel system, giving the Il‑1 a combat survivability comparable to its predecessor.

Only two prototypes were built and flown in 1944; flight tests revealed handling problems at low speed and insufficient power for the intended attack role. Although the Il‑1 never entered mass production, the data gathered informed the design of the later Il‑2 and Il‑10, influencing Soviet low‑level strike concepts throughout World War II and the early Cold War. Its brief existence therefore marks an important experimental step in the evolution of armored attack aviation.