AirLife Ilyushin IL-28 Beagle Light Attack Bomber

Ilnrshinn-28r Beagle

LIGHTATTACI( BOMBER

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Yeftm Gordon and Dmitriv Komissarov

Airlife

Copyright @ 2002 Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov

First published in the UK in 2002by Airlife Publishing Ltd

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DotaA catalogue record for this bookis available from the British Librarv

ISBN I 84037 3512

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduc€dor transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system, withoutpermission from the Publisher in writing.

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AcTNowLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to express their gratitude to Nigel Eastway of the Russian Aviation ResearchTrust (RART), who, as usual, provided assistance with photos from his extensive archive; to SergeyKomissarov who also supplied several previously unpublished photos; to Andrey Yurgenson forthe line drawings and sergey Yershov for the excellent colour side views.

Introduction

1 Breeding the Beagle2 The Il-28 Family3 The Beagle in Service4 Beagles World-wide5 The Il-28 in DetailAppendix I Acronyms and GlossaryAppendix II Detail Plans

Index

CoNTENTS

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Thcl i t t r ro l tsSovietaircral ic1esigner 'SergcvVlacl inr i r .or ' ichI lvLrshirr . t l . refbr-r l lc lerof .OKB.240andthecfcatofoLltstandin-q aircral j incltrcl ing thc I l-2E lact ical bon-rber. ' . \r ,r !r ' r Lrtul Dntirt i t Kortt i . tsurot lr t l t i t t , t

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T ike the other Allied nations, the Soviet Union

I was very active designing new types ofI-Jweapons and militarv technoloeies in theearly yearj after the Second World War.-The adventof the turbojet engine affected first and foremostfighter design. Jet fighters enjoyed top priority,while jet bombers were in effect relegated to secondplace, although the turbojet inevitably found its wayto bombers as well. Having examined German warbooty aircraft and the state of Nazi Germany'saeronautical research, US, Brit ish and Soviet air-craft designers reached the same conclusion: indige-nous jet designs were needed. Research in this fieldeventually led to masterpieces of aviation engineer-ing, such as the North American F-86 Sabre andMikoyan/Gurevich MiG-l5 (NATO code nameFagot ) fighters, the English Electric Canberrabomber and, some time later, the Boeing B-52Stratofortress, Tupolev Tu-16 Badger and Tu-95Bear heavy bombers. (The latter is admittedly a tur-boprop aircraft; however, turboprops are gas tur-bine engines as well, so the Tu-95 deserves mention,too.)

The well-known Soviet I lyushin Il-28 tacticalbomber can also be regarded as an extraordinaryaircraft. Few jet fighters of the time could keep upwith the Il-28 in terms of production.

According to contemporary Soviet mil itary strat-egy, conventional and nuclear strikes against targets

IxrnoDUCTroN

in the enemy's tactical area were to be made by tacti-cal (i.e. light) bombers. Development work on jettactical bombers in the USSR was probably kickedoff in 1945 by the design bureau led by ArkhipMikhailovich Lyulka which was then working onthe 1,300 kgp (2,865 lb st) TR-1 axial-f low turbojet- the first indigenous jet engine to reach the hard-ware stage. (Pre-war projects developed by Lyulkaremained paper engines. The only other jets avail-able to Soviet aircraft designers at the time werereverse-engineered versions of the German turbo-jets the BMW 003 and Junkers Jumo 004.)

Jet bombers were under development at OKB-156 led by Andrey Nikolayevich Tupolev, OKB-240led by Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin and OKB-51led by Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi. Even OKB-1 led bythe German war booty designer Brunolf W. Baadejoined the race.l

Early studies by Ilyushin in this direction resultedin the l l-22 (the first aircraft to carry this designa-tion),r the first Soviet four-jet bomber. It had a cir-cular-section fuselage, shoulder-mounted straightwings, a conventional tail unit, a tricycle landing

I OKB = opl,tno-konstrooktorskovc by,uro experimental designbureau. The number is a code allocated lor security reasons.

2 The designat ion was reused much later fbr a purpose-bui l t a i r -borne command post version of the I l - I 8D turboprop air l iner(NATO code name Coot; the I l -22 was code-named Coot-C).

Thell-22 was the Ilyushin OKB's first jet bomber. Though not a successful design, lessons learned with it accounted in alarge degree for the success of the I l-28. ( Sargc: tmtl Dnil.it Kontissarot urthiya )

l0 . lrvusHrN L-28 Bt,tr;tt

The experimental 'aircraft 71' (Tu-12) bomber which was a straightforward development of the Second World War-vintage Tu-2. ( Ycli,t, Gortkn urthitt,)

gear with a twin-wheel nose unit and large singlemainwheels. The TsAGIT l-A-10 aerofoil was uti-l ized on the inner wings and the TsAGI l-V- l0 aero-foil on the outer wings, with a 12 per centthickness-to-chord ratio in both cases. The fourTR-l turbojets were carried almost entirely aheadof the wing leading edge on short horizontal pylons;this was a first in world jet aircraft design.

All the bombs were to be carried internally, andthe largest weapon carried by the l l-22 was a3,000 kg (6,613 lb) bomb, which was also the air-craft 's maximum ordnance load. The defensivearmament comprised a pair of Berezin B-20E20 mm (.78 calibre) cannon in an electrically pow-ered remote-controlled dorsal barbette and a single23 mm (.90 calibre) Nudelman/Sooranov NS-23cannon in an l l-KU-3 tail turret designed in-house.'Another NS-23 cannon was mounted on the star-board side of the forward fuselage, firing forward.The five-man crew consisted of two nilots seatedside by side in an extensively glazed nose lreminis-cent of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress), a naviga-tor/bomb aimer, a gunner/radio operator whoworked the dorsal barbette, and a tail gunner.

According to the project the ll-22 was to have arange of 1,250 km (776 miles) with a 2,000 kg(4,409 lb) nominal bomb load. The maximum take-off weight was 24,000 kg (52,910 lb) and the never-exceed speed was set at 800 kmlh (432 kt), or Mach0.15.

Development and prototype construction pro-ceeded extremely fast; piloted by two brothers,Vladimir and Konstantin Kokkinaki. the 11-22made its maiden flight on 24 July 1947. However,tests quickly showed that its performance wasclearly inadequate mainly because the engines.which suffered from teething troubles, had to bederated to 940 kgp (2,072Ib st). Hence the MTOWhad to be l imited to 20,000 ke (44,091 lb) for themanufacturer's flight tests. The range turned out to

be merely 865 km (537 miles) and the top speed at7,000 m (22,965 ft) was 718 km/h (388 kt) instead ofthe required 800 km/h. Hence the Ilyushin OKBchose not to submit the aircraft for State acceptancetrials; all further development work was discontin-ued and the sole prototype was relegated to theBureau of New Hardware (a division of theMinistry of Aircraft Industry), where it could bestudied by leading industry experts. The Il-22 wasno more than a stepping stone to more efficientdesigns.

Meanwhile, Tupolev came up with the Tu-77experimental bomber (aka Tu-12), a heavily modi-fied Second World War-vintage Tu-2 with twoturbojets and a tricycle landing gear, and later theTu-73iTu-78iTu-81/Tu-89 family. The last aircraft inthe series was eventually to see limited productionand service as the Tu-14 (NATO code name Bosun).The German team led by Baade refined the JunkersEF l3l project which culminated in the Type 140,an experimental bomber with forward-swept wings.

Sukhoi built a prototype of the Su-10 four-jetlight bomber, but it was scrapped without ever beingflown when OKB-51 was dissolved in 1949. Therewas yet another contendeq Vladimir MikhailovichMyasischchev with his VM-24 (aka RB-17) four-turbojet bomber project. However, it never materi-alized because Myasischchev was out of favour withSoviet leader Josef Stalin and consequently his proj-ects received a thumbs-down at the time. This wasbasically the situation in which the Il-28 was bornthe Soviet Union's first operational jet bomber,which entered service with the YYS (Voyenno-vozdooshnyye seely [Soviet] Air Force) in 1949.

3 TsAGI = Tsentrahl'n!y aero- i ghidrodinamicheskiy institoot -Central Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics Institute, namedafter Nikolay Yegorovich Zhukovskiy.

4 KU stands l'<tr kournvayu fstrelkovayal oostunovku tail bar-bette.

f[lh. Il-28 project was conceived in late 1947.I On 3l October that year Sergey V. Ilyushin

I wrote to the then Minister of AircraftIndustry, Nikolay A. Bulganin, proposing atacticalbomber powered by two Rolls-Royce Nene I cen-trifugal-flow turbojets, with a first flight date tenta-tively set for July 1948. This tight schedule was duein no small part to the experience accumulated withthe Il-22 which would allow the new bomber to bedeveloped quickly. The objective was to achieve aperformance far superior to that of thell-22 and theprojected tl-24 bomber (again the first aircraft touse this designation).r This was made possible byreducing the crew and rethinking the defensivearmament concept.

The Il-28's general arrangement was similar to itspredecessor's. However, the aircraft was rathersmaller and differed in a number of importantrespects. This was because of the new bomber'shigher speed and different service conditions: unlikethe ll-22, the Il-28 was designed to operate mainlyfrom tactical airfields with unpaved strips.

The crew was reduced to three - pilot, naviga-tor/bomb aimer and tail gunner/radio operator. Thedecision to eliminate the co-pilot and forward gun-ner was dictated first of all by the limited missiontime of a tactical bomber. At a cruising speed of650-750 km/h (361*416 kt) a sortie would typicallylast 2 or 2.5 hours - four hours at the most. Anautopilot would be installed to ease the pilot's work-load during cruise.

The armament would probably best be describednow, because the Il-28 was, as one Russian writerput it, 'designed around the tail'- or, to be precise,the tail turret. Trials of thell-22 had shown that theremote-controlled dorsal barbette was inefficientbecause the tail unit created large blind sectors.Also, the gunner's station was located well awayfrom the barbette; hence some areas where the can-non could be brought to bear on the target wereconcealed from the gunner's view by the wings andfuselage. Various armament arrangements werestudied. Eventually the engineers decided that a sin-gle tail turret offered adequate protection againstenemy fighter attacks from the rear hemisphere,providing the traversing/elevating angle and speedof the cannon were increased and the bomber made

BngprING THE Ba,qcm

appropriate defensive manoeuvres. Besides, the useof only a single tail turret reduced empty weight andimproved aerodynamic effi ciency.

Yet designing a new tail turret turned out to bequite a challenge; the engineers had to meet strin-gent specifications while keeping the unit's weight toa minimum. The Il-22's tail turret turned out to betoo sluggish; a new power drive and remote controlsystem had to be developed. The result was thehighly eflicient Il-K6 ball turret2 - originally mount-ing the same NS-23 cannon which were laterreplaced by Nudelman/Richter NR-23s with 225rpg. The new weapons had the same calibre but amuch higher rate of fire (850 rounds per minute ver-sus 550 rpm for the earlier model).

The Il-K6 was the first Soviet electrohydraulicallypowered remote-controlled turret; it had a travers-ing angle of +70o and an elevating angle of +60o to-40o. In normal mode the cannon moved at a rate of15-17" per second, the motion increasing to up to36o per second in boost (emergency) mode. Thepower drive enabled the turret to operate adequatelyat airspeeds in excess of 1,000 km/h (555 kt). At340 kg (7501b), the turret was relatively lightweight.By comparison, the DK-3 turret used on the Tu-4Bull bomber (a reverse-engineered Boeing B-29)had traversing and elevating angles of only +lQ',while weighing nearly 390 kg (8601b).

The power drive of the Il-K6 turret was builtaround an unorthodox swivelling hydraulic pumpunit driven by two 5 kW electric motors. The out-put of the pumps and hence the motion speed of thecannon depended on the angle at which the pumpunit was tilted; with the pump unit in a neutral posi-tion the turret remained motionless. This made itpossible to dispense with slide valves, reservoirs andother unreliable components, resulting in a simpleand safe hydraulic system. The ammunition boxeswere built into the bodv of the turret. allowins the

I A derivative of the Il-22 powered by four 3,300 kgp(7 ,275lb st) Mikulin AM-TKRD-01 turbojets and equippedwith an Il-KU-4 twin-cannon tail turret. The desisnation waslaler reused for the Il-24N long-range ice reconna-issance air-craft - another spin-off of the Il-18D.

2 Once again, K stands for kormovaya strelkovaya oostanovka- tail barbette.

l2 . Ir-vusnrN Ir-28 Bntcrc.

customary belt feed and tightening mechanisms tobe dispensed with, which again made for higher reli-ability.

The turret was electrically controlled by means ofa highly reliable and precise potentiometric trackingsystem. Targeting was done by a computing gun-sight which automatically made adjustments for thetarget's motion, shell velocity and trajectory, can-non traversing angle, flight altitude and airspeed.The sight received feedback from the turret to mini-mize miscoordination between the two. Thus, mis-coordination in the horizontal plane was three timesless than the l imit set by general operational require-ments of the time.

The Il-28 also featured two fixed forward-firingNR-23 cannon with 100 rpg installed on both sidesof the nose on quick-release mounts. These werefired by the pilot and could be removed by simplydisconnecting an electrical connector and turning alocking lever.

The decision to use only a single power turret andreduce the crew to three enabled the designers tomake the Il-28's fuselage nearly 3.5 m ( I l ft 5.79 in.)shorter than that of the l l-22 and reduce wing areaby 13.7 m1 (147.3 sq. ft), which led to a significantreduction in empty weight. Hence the second majordifference was the powerplant. The basic projectedsize and weight allowed the new bomber to be pow-ered by two Rolls-Royce Nenes rated at 2,270 kgp(5,000 lb st) .

The Nene, which entered licence production inthe USSR rn 1947 as the Klimov RD-45,r had bythen reached a high degree of reliability andboasted a 25-30 per cent lower specific fuel con-sumption as compared to the TR-1. On the otherhand, a major drawback of this engine was its largediameter, caused by the centrifugal compressor.This, and the necessity to keep the air intakes as faraway from the ground as possible in order to avoidforeign-object damage (FOD) - a must since the air-craft was to operate from dirt airstrips led thedesigners to mount the engines in nacelles adheringdirectly to the lower surface of the wings (i.e. with-out pylons).

For centre-of-gravity reasons the engines werelocated well forward in the nacelles. Thus, the largediameter of the engine's compressor and the smalljetpipe allowed the main gear units to be relocatedfrom the fuselage to the engine nacelles, giving awide track which was a bonus on semi-preparedstrips. The shock struts were attached to thenacelles'main frames, and as they retracted forward

the single mainwheels turned through 90' by meansof a simple mechanical link to lie flat in the bottomof the nacelles beneath the jetpipe (behind the com-bustion chambers). Incidentally, here the IlyushinOKB made a virtue out of necessity: the landinggear struts were noticeably longer than on thell-22,giving a large ground clearance under the fuselageand easing the bomb-loading procedure. ln con-trast, the 11-22 had a very small ground clearance,needing to be jacked up when 2,500 kg (5,51I lb)and 3,000 kg (6,613 lb) bombs were hooked up.

To meet the high speed requirement the Il-28'swings employed a new TsAGI SR-5S high-speedaerofoil developed under the guidance of Yakov M.Serebriyskiy and Maria V. Ryzhova - again with a12 per cent thickness-to-chord ratio. This enabledthe bomber to reach a maximum speed of Mach0.82 at 7,000-8,000 m (22,965 26,246 ft) withoutany adverse effects on stability and control charac-teristics caused by shock wave formation. The pro-vision of simple slotted flaps assured the Il-28 goodfield performance.

The high design speeds called for a swept tail unitwhich ensured good stabil ity and handling through-out the speed range. The tail unit employed symmet-rical aerofoil sections with a slightly higherthickness-to-chord ratio than that of the Il-22. Thefin was swept back 4lo at quarter-chord, while thestabilizers were swept back 30"; this delayed danger-ous Mach buffeting to a speed well above the air-craft's never-exceed speed. In addition, thesweepback increased the rudder and elevator arm,which allowed the area and weight of the tail sur-faces to be reduced.

One of the complaints voiced by the l l-22's pilotsduring flight tests concerned the flight deck glazing(which was blended entirely into the nose contourii laB-29). The curved glazing panels distorted theview and generated annoying reflections, and theheavy framework created numerous blind spots.Since the Il-28 would be flown by a single pilot, theengineers provided him with a fighter-type cockpitenclosed by a sideways-opening bubble canopy witha bullet-proof windscreen. The extensive nose glaz-ing was still there of necessity, but now thenavigator/bomb aimer had the glazed nose all tohimself.

The crew was seated in two pressurized compart-ments - one for the pilot and navigator/bomb aimer.the other for the gunner/radio operator. At low alti-tudes these were pressurizedby the slipstream; from1,700 m (5,580 ft) upwards the compartments \r 'eresealed off and pressurized by engine bleed air via lll-ters. The pressurization system was combined u'iththe heating and ventilation systems. The cockpit3 RD= reuktivnyy dvigutal' jetengine

BngpotNc tne Bo,lcm.13

and navigator's compartment were equipped withupward-firing ejection seats; ejection was triggeredbyjettisoning the canopy or entrance hatch respec-tively. The gunner baled out via the ventral entrancehatch; the hatch cover doubled as a shield protect-ing him from the slipstream.

As had been the case with the Il-22, the ll-28'swing panels and tail surfaces had a manufacturingjoint running along the chord line. Each half of theunit consisted of a number of panels incorporatingstringers and ribs. This allowed different panels tobe manufactured simultaneously at different work-stations while improving working conditions; noisyand labour-intensive manual riveting was replacedwith high-quality machine riveting.

The fuselage was also designed in two halves witha manufacturingjoint running the full length of it: itwent together just like a plastic model kit! For thehrst time in Soviet aircraft production, al1 structuralmembers of the fuselage were readily accessible,allowing riveting and assembly operations to bemechanized and various internal equipment to befitted quickly and efficiently. The fuselage was alsodivided lengthwise into four sections, facilitating theinstallation of equipment in bays which would notbe accessible once the structure was fully assembled.Finally, the fuselage had longitudinal recesses onboth sides covered by removable skin panels. Thesefacilitated installation of all wiring and pipelinesduring manufacturing, as well as checking them andreplacing faulty components in service. This featurereduced pre-flight check time and enhanced combatefficiency.

The slight weight penalty (about 4 per cent)incurred by the new technology more than paid off.The surface finish was significantly improved;labour intensity was cut by 25 30 per cent for pro-duction airframes and by 30-40 per cent for internalequipment installation. As a result, the twinjetbomber was hardly more complicated to build thana tactical fighter. Also, this allowed Ilyushin toavoid a problem which affected some early Sovietjets - the propensity to uncommanded bank at highairspeeds, called val'ozhka in Russian. (This prob-lem, which had manifested itself on theMikoyan/Gurevich MiG-9 Fargo and the MiG-15Fagot-A, was caused by aerodynamic asymmetrycaused by the wings having slightly different aerofoilsections because of insufficiently high manufactur-ing accuracy. This structural asymmetry meant thatthe wings produced different amounts of lift; thiswas not critical at low speeds, but as airspeedincreased the difference became appreciable.)

The Ilyushin OKB had accumulated a lot ofdesign and operational experience with hot air

de-icing systems and put it to good use when work-ing on the Il-28. The turbojet engines powering theaircraft supplied lots of bleed air, enabling theengineers to quickly create the most efficient de-icing system of the time. This was the Soviet Union'sfirst automatic hot air de-icing system; it was light-weight, reliable and simple to operate and had noparts disrupting the airflow This feature greatlyimproved the bomber's combat efficiency and flightsafety in adverse weather - particularly because therelatively thin aerofoils used in the wings and tailunit made icing much more dangerous than in thecase of slower piston-engined aircraft utilizing thickaerofoils.

All-weather and night-flying capability wasensured by the provision of a comprehensive avion-ics and communications suite which enabled thecrew to navigate the aircraft and detect, identify anddestroy ground targets without maintaining visualcontact with the ground. The avionics suite includedan OSP-48 instrument landing system (lLS) for usein instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).The ground part of the system included two rangebeacons, three marker beacons. communicationsradios and an HF or VHF radio direction finder tofacilitate approach and landing in bad weather. Thesystem's components installed on the aircraft com-prised an ARK-5 Amur (a river in the Soviet FarEast; pronounced like the French word amour)automatic direction finder, an RV-2 Kristall(Crystal) low-altitude radio alt imeter and anMRP-48 Dyatel (Woodpecker) marker beaconreceiver.'The OSP-48 was fairly simple and had fewcomponents, which rendered the ground part suit-able for use on ud hoc tactical airfields (in truck-mounted form). The aircraft was also equipped withan AP-5 autopilot and an identif ication friend-or-foe (IFF) transponder.

Unlike the Il-22, the Il-28's normal bomb loadwas 1,000 kg(2,204lb); the maximum bomb load inoverload condition remained the same at 3,000 kg(6,613 lb). The bomb bay located in the centre fuse-lage featured four bomb cassettes and one beam-type bomb cradle. The former could carry bombs of50-500 kg (110 1,102 lb) calibre, while the latterwas designed for bombs weighing from 1,000 to3,000 kg (2,204-6,612 lb).

In visual meteorological conditions (VMC) thenavigator/bomb aimer used an OPB-5S optical

4 OSP = oboroodovaniye slepoy posahdki-blind landingequip-ment; ARK = avtomaticheskiy rahdiokompas - ADF; RV =rahdiovysotomer radio altimeter; MRP = rzarkemy-y rahdio-preeyomnik. The MRP-48 has also been designatedKhrizantema (Chrysanthemum) in some sources.

14 . Ir-vusurN lt-28 Br,tcr.r-.

bomb sight (opticheski): pritsel bontburdirovochnyy)which enabled him to take aim automatically atstationary and moving targets in level f l ight.Interestingly, the navigator had to leave his ejectionseat and sit sideways on a special jump seat in theextreme nose on the starboard side to use the sight.The OPB-5S computed the sighting angles anddropped the bombs automatically at the correctmoment by means of an electric release mechanism.The sight was gyrostabil ized to prevent the aircraft 'smanoeuvres from affecting bombing accuracy andlinked to the autopilot, enabling the navigator toset the aircraft 's course on its bombing run. InIMC. bomb-aiming was assisted by the PSBN-Msearch/bomb-aiming radar (pribor slapovrtbontbomctahniya i nuvigahtsii - blind-bombing andnavigational device) with a 360' f ield of view. Theradar was located in the aft fuselage just ahead ofthe gunner's station and enclosed by a flushdielectric fairing.

Taking a risk

General Designers Sergey V. I lyushin approved theIl-28 advanced development project on l2 January1948, giving the go-ahead to complete a set of man-ufacturing drawings and start prototype construc-tion. By then, however, Tupolev's OKB-I56 theSoviet Union's leading authority in bomber designhad received an assignment to design and build asimilar jet-powered tactical bomber. OK8-240 hadno such assignment. Sti l l , I lyushin's belief in his air-

craft was so strong that he decided to carry on withthe 11-28 and build a prototype at his own risk allthe more so because the Soviet Air Force was in des-perate need of a tactical bomber meeting the strin-gent new requirements. (lt is worth noting here thatGhenrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov, who succeededIlyushin as the OKB's head in 1970, started hiscareer at the Ilyushin OKB by taking part in thepreparation of the I1-28 prototype's manufacturingdrawings.) The Il-28 was not officially included inthe Ministry of Aircraft Industry's experimentalaircraft construction plan unti l l2 June 1948, whenthe Soviet Union's Council of Ministers issueddirective No. 2052-804 to this effect one monthbefore the prototype was rolled out.

Bearing no serial or even national insignia, theprototype (powered by authentic Rolls-Royce Neneturbojets imported from the UK) commencedground tests at Moscow-Khodynka on 29 May1948. On I July the aircraft was dismantled andtrucked to the Flight Research Institute named afterMikhail M. Gromov (LII Lyotno-issledovatel'skiyin.\t itoot) in Zhukovskiy, south of Moscow, wheremost Soviet aviation OKBs had their f l ight testfacil i t ies. V. N. Boogaiskiy was assigned engineer incharge of the fl ight tests.

The company chief was as good as his word: thebomber took to the air for the first t ime on 8 July1948 with I lyushin OKB chief test p i lot Vladimir K.Kokkinaki at the controls: N. D. Sorokin was the

/l ight engincer (.sit ' obviously the navigator) andB. A. Yerofevev was the radio operator. Kokkinaki

The Rolls-Royce Nene-powered first prototype of the Il-28 was totally devoid of markings. Note the complex frameworkof the cockpit canopy and the flush installation of the navigation/bomb-aiming radar. r Yelim Gttrdon urchit,1

BnssorNc rup Bt'tctp. 15

Tupolev's'aircraft 73',the three-engined forerunner of the Tu-14 bomber; note the air intake andnozzleof the centreengine. This configuration was to change soon... ( yeJim Gordon art.hive )

was pleased with the aircraft's handling, saying thatthe Il-28 was easy to fly, both during take-off and incruise, and climbed well.

Speaking of serials, until the mid-1950s Sovietmilitary aircraft had three- or four-dieit serialnumbers. These allowed more or less positiie identi-fication, since they tied in with the aircraft's con-struction number - usually the last one or two digitsof the batch number plus the number of the aircraftin the batch.

In 1955, however, the VVS switched (probablv forsecurity reasons) to the current system of two-digittqctical codes which, as a rule, are simply the air-craft's number in the unit operating it, making posi-tive.identification impossible. Three- or foui-digittactical codes are rare and are usually *o.n bydevelopment aircraft only, in which case they still tiLin with the c/n or fuselage number (manufacturer'sline number).. At the same time the star insisnia onthe aft fuselage were deleted, remainins in thewings and vertical tail only. So far, hoieveq noSoviet Air Force Il-28s with pre-1955 serials relatedto the cin have been identified.

5 The official title of Soviet OKB hearls.6 On military transport aircraft, however, three-digit tactical

codes do not relate to the c/n or l/n; they are the lisr three ofthe fiormer civil registration (many Soviet/Russian Air Forcetransports were, and still are, quasi-civilian).

7 PSR = porokhovaya startovaya raketa - solid-fuel rocketbooster.

8 The Tu-73 was powered by two RR Nenes in wing-mountednacelles and one RR Derwent V in the rear lusetie. On theotherwise identical Tu-78 these were replaced bv two RD_45Fs and one RD-500 respectively (rhe RD-500 was thelicence-built version of the Derwent).

_ The Il-28 had good directional and lateral stabilitythroughout its operational envelope. When properlytrimmed the aircraft flew stably in level fligtLteven when the controls were released. Low-speedhandling was quite good, with no tendency to stallor spin. Straight and level f l ight with one deadengine was no problem either, the yaw being easilycountered without excessive loads on the rudderpedals.

The aircraft had good field performance andcould operate from existing airbases and tacticalairf ields. At a normal gross weight of 17,220 kg(37 ,9631b), the take-off run was just 560 m ( l ,837 ft ji f the aircraft was fitted with two pSR-1500-15 iet-assisted take-off (JATO) rocketsT with a l3-secondburn time developing 1,600 kgp (3,52j lb sr) each.The Il-28 could easily operate from dirt strips; infact, the test pilots expressly recommended operat-ing the bomber from dirt strips in order to prolongthe tyres' service life.

During manufacturer's flight tests the Nene-pgwgled first prototype attained a top speedof 833 kmlh (462 kt) ar 5,000 m 06.404 fr).and reached Mach 0.79 ar 7.000 8.000 m(22,966 26,246 ft). The test pilors reported that theaircraft behaved normally at these speeds and couldgo even faster if appropriate changes were made.Hence the OKB set about streamlinins the airframeand installing more powerful engines.

The Tu-73 and Tu-78 trijet bomber prototypesswere undergoing manufacturer's flight tests at thesame.time. One day General Designer Andrey N.Tupolev saw the Il-28 prototype at the airfiel,C ofLII. Being, by many accounts, an ill-tempered per-son and a man who did not care about compet i i ion

16. f r-vusnrN L-28 Be,tctz

(to say the least), Tupolev was openly scornful atfirst. 'Humph! Whose bastard child is this?' heasked the technicians working on the aircraft.However, after examining the competitor's productclosely and studying the specifications he had a longtalk with his aides, and it was easy to see that he wasvery displeased. The reason for Tupolev's displeas-ure was obvious: on their jet bombers the Tupolevengineers had copied the defensive weaponsarrangement of the piston-engined Tu-2, which ledto excessively large overall dimensions, an exces-sively large crew and hence excessive weight, not tomention the decidedly complex powerplant. Theultimate Tu-81 (Tu-14) and Tu-89 (Tu-14T) dis-pensed with the centre engine and two remote-con-trolled gun barbettes in favour of a single tailgunner's station - inspired by the Il-28, no doubt.

On 30 December 1948 the second prototype Il-28powered by production RD-45F engines" enteredfl ight test, again flown by Vladimir Kokkinaki. Newmodels of tyres were tested concurrently with theaircraft itself, as the original ones were totally wornout after just ten landings on concrete strips. The

best results were attained with tyres made ofperlone, a synthetic rubber, which lasted for morethan l00landings.

Apart from the powerplant, the second prototypediffered from future production ll-28s in avionicsand equipment fit. The aircraft was equipped withRSB-5 and RSU-10 radios, an SPUF-3 intercom,an MRP-46 marker beacon receiver, AFA-BA andAFA-33/50 or AFA-33/75 aerial cameras, twoGSN-3000 generators, three sets of KP-14 breath-ing apparatus with 8-l itre (l.76 imp. gal.) l iquid oxy-gen bottles, an RUSP-4S ILS, etc."'

After the successful completion of the initialflight test programme, the second prototype wasturned over to the Soviet Air Force ResearchInstitute (NII VVS - Naoochno-issledovutel'skiyinstitoot voyenno-vozdooshnykh see[) for Stateacceptance trials, which lasted from February toApril 1949. The formal act of acceptance was signedon 18 May.

The specifications of the RD-45F-powered sec-ond prototype 11-28 attained at the State acceptancetrials are detailed in Table 1.

Table l. RD-45F-powered second prototype; specifications attained in State acceptance trials

Length overallHeight on groundWing spanWing areaWing loadingPower loading at sea levelNormal al l-up weightMaximum al l-up weightFuel loadTop speed: at sea level

at 5,750 6,000 m (18,864 19,685 f t )at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Landing speedRate of climb: at sea level

at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Time to height: 5,000 m10,000 m

17.45 m (57 ft 3 in.)6.0 m ( l9 f t 8.22 in.)

21.45 m (70 lt 4.48 in.)60.8 mr (653.76 sq. ft)288 kg/m' ( 1,400 lb/ftr)3.38 kg/kgp (lb/lb st)1 7,500 kg (38,s80 lb)20.000 kg (44,091 lb)6,300 kg (13,888 lb)750 km/h (405.4 kt)*843 km/h (455.67 kt)820 km/h (443.24kt)

178 km/h (96.2 kt)10.9 m/sec (2,145 ft lmin)8.3 m/sec (1,633 ft lmin)3.6 m/sec (708 ft/min)

8.6 min22.6min

Range: at20,000kgTOW, 5,000m and542km/h(293 kt) 1,8l5km(l ,127miles)at 20,000 kg TOW, 10,000 m and 546 km/h (295 kt) 2,370 km (1,472 miles)

Endurance at 10,000 m cruising altitude and 546 km/h cruising speed 4 hr 13 minTake-off run 1,150 m (3,713lt)1650 m (2,132 ft)**Take-off distance 2,540 m (8,333 ft)/990 m (3,248 ft)**Landing distance 1,730 m (5,678 f0***

Notes:* Speed limited at altitudes up to 1,750 m (5,741 ft) owing to 2,'700kglm' (13,122lb/ft') dynamic strength limit.{<* Without boosters/with two PSR-1500-15 JATO bottles.*'<*' With a 13,500 kg(29,7621b) landing weight.

BnpporNc rl:p Bo,qcrc. 17

Table 2. Performance comparison between the Il-28 and Tu-14

Tu-14 It-28

Empty weight, kg (lb) 14,940 (32,936) 12,795 (28,207)

All-up weight, kg (1b):normalin overload configurationmaxlmum

2r,000 (46,296)25,350 (55,886)25,350 (55,886)

18,400 (40,564)21,069 (46,448)23,069 (50,87s)

Top speed at take-off power/normal AUW, km/h (kt):at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

84s (4s6.7s)8l l (438.37)

8e3 (482.7)850 (459.45)

Top speed at take-off power/maximum AUW, km/h (kt):at S/Lat 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

774 (4r8.37)823 (444.86)773 (4r7.83)

800 (432.43)8s7 (463.24)823 (444.86)

Service ceiling at normal AUW, m (ft) n,200 (36,745) 12,300 (40,3s4)

Maximum range at 10,000 m/normal AUW, km (miles) 2,870 (1,782) 2,415 (1,500)

Take-off run, m (ft) 1,200 (3,937) e65 (3,166)

Landing run, m (ft) I ,100 (3,609) 960 (3,14e)

Bomb load, kg (lb):normalmaximum

1,000 (2,204)3,000 (6,613)

r,000 (2,204)3,000 (6,613)

Table2 gives a performance comparison of the Il-28and Tu-14. Note that the figures stated for the Il-28differ from those in Table 1; however, in both casesthey originate from official documents. A possibleexplanation is that different examples of the Beaglewere involved - or that whoever prepared the com-parative table was not very honest, doctoring thefigures to benefit the Il-28.

The T[-14 was being tested concurrently; the PowersThat Be were to choose between the two, so that ineffect Ilyushin and Tupolev had a flyoff, even thoughthe term was unknown in the Soviet Union at thetime. Hence the WS top brass was in a turmoil; someof the generals and marshals lobbied for the Tu-14,which had somewhat longer range, while others sup-ported the Il-28, which was much easier to build andoperate. The discussion raged on at ministerial level;the chief of NII WS denounced the Il-28 andstrongly urged the Minister of Aircraft IndustryNikolay A. Bulganin, to give the go-ahead for theTu-14. Still, even Bulganin failed to resolve the issue.

9 F = forseerovannyy - tprated.l0 AFA = aerofotoapparaht - aircraft camera; KP = kislorodnyy

preebor - oxygen equipment.

Finally, on 14 May 1949 a special commissionchaired by Stalin himself analysed the test resultsand compared the performance of the two types.According to llyushin, after examining the reportscarefully and listening to his military advisers,Stalin picked the Il-28. Howeveq Ilyushin wasrequested to increase the speed of production air-craft immediately to 900 km/h (486 kt) by re-engin-ing the Il-28 with more powerful and fuel-efficientKlimov VK-1 turbojets; Council of Ministers direc-tive No. 1890-700 to this effect appeared on thesame day. (It makes you wonder if the pro-Ilyushinlobby had prepared the directive in advance, fore-seeing this victory!) The VK-1 was a version of theRD-45F uprated to 2,700 kgp (5,950 lb st). As aconsolation prize, Tupolev was requested to developa version of the Tu-14 (likewise powered by VK-ls)for the Naval air arm.

Defining and refiningBuilding on the results of numerous wind tunneltests at TsAGI, the Ilyushin OKB developed newengine nacelles for the production VK-l-poweredform of the Il-28. Unlike the prototypes' nacelles,which were bulged around the middle, the new oneswere distinctly area-ruled, the waist being narrowest

l8 . f lyusHrN L-28 Brrctr.

In designing the 'aircraft 8l ' , a derivative of the '73'and '78'tr i jets which entered production as the Tu-14, the TupolevOKB clearly borrowed Ilyushin's defensive armament concept employed on the Il-28. ( yalitrt Gorthtn urchiv1

where the wing section was at its thickest. This sig-nificantly reduced harmful interference betweenwing and nacelle, especially at transonic speeds,resulting in a major improvement in the l l-28'sperformance. (As a point of interest, in the USAthe area rule was formulated in parallel byR. Whitcomb, but did not f ind practical use unti l1954, when Convair brought out the F-102 DeltaDagger interceptor.)

Other changes were made after the init ial f l ighttests and State acceptance trials. The PSBN-Mradar was relocated from the aft fuselage to a posi-tion immediately after the nosewheel well in orderto improve its operating conditions and enclosed bya teardrop-shaped radome. The rudder's horn bal-ance was enlarged to reduce rudder forces. Some

minor changes were made to the hydraulic systemand the nosewheel steering actuator/shimmydamper. The fuselage fuel cells were equipped with anitrogen pressurization system to reduce the dangerof explosion if hit by enemy fire, enhancing survlv-abil ity. The angular cockpit windscreen of the pro-totypes gave way to a more streamlined onefeaturing an ell iptical Triplex windshield and curvedsidelights, and the frame of the hinged canopy por-tion was simplif ied by introducing a two-pieceblown transparency. The navigator's glazing wasalso modified.

The pre-production Il-28 powered by VK-lscommenced flight tests on 8 August 1949; the crewwas the same as on the day of the type's maidenflight a year earlier. At a normal gross weight of

*

An uncoded pre-production Il-28 powered by Klimov VK- I engines in area-ruled nacelles. This view illustrates well thesleek lines of Ilyushin's jet bomber. / yt'Jint Gonton urchilc 1

BnEEotNc; tus Bt.t t ; t .r , . 19

.,r;r{}

Three-quartersrearviewof thesameaircraf t ,showingthe I l -K6bal l turrct . t t t l iurc ior thnurthi t t , )

18,400 kg (40,564 lb), the aircraft had a top speed of906 km/h (503 kt) at 4,000 m ( 13,123 f t ) . The pi lotsnoted the aircraft was stable at any speed; controlforces could be trimmed down easily. At the maxi-rnum allowed speed of Mach 0.78 the back pressureon the control column gradually increased; then, ifclevator trim remained unchanged, the loadreversed" the control column would move forwardand the aircraft would tend to go into a dive. If ele-vator trim was selected up, the aircraft could reachMach 0.81 or 0.82. but th is caused severe Mach buf-l-et, warning the pilot to slow down. The produc-tion-standard Il-28's top speed at various altitudes isindicated in Table 3.

With a 1.000 kg (2,204lb) normal bomb load and a21,000 kg(46,296Ib)MTOW the I l -28 had a maxr-mum range of 2,455 km (1,525 mi les) and wasgenerally superior in performance to the piston-engined Tu-2 which was the mainstay of the VVS'stactical bomber force at the timc.

On 24 August 1949 thc product ion-standardVK-l-powered aircraft was handed over fbr Stateacceptance trials and passed thcm with l1yingcolours. On l6 September the State Commissionrecommended that production be started forthwith,and so it was. Starting in September 1949, it enteredproduction at three major aircrafi l 'actories: No. 30Znamya truda (Banner of Labour. pronounced

Table 3. Production-standard ll-28's top speeds at various altitudes

Indicated airspeed Mach number

at cruise power at lul lmil i tary power

at cruise power at tirllmil i tary powcr

sea level

4.500m(14,763i t )

5.250 m (17.224 fI)

8.000 m (26.246 fI)

I 2,000 m (39.370 ft)

786 km/h(424.86 kt)846 km/h

(457.29 kt)848 km/h

(4s8.37 kt)837 km/h

(452.43 kt)710 km/h

(383.78 kt)

800 km/h(432.43 kt)900 km/h

(486.48 kt)897 km/h

(484.86 kt)876 km/h

(473.51 kt)805 km/h

(435. r 5 kt)

0.642

0.73

0.738

0.7 59

0.67

0.655

0.776

0.782

0.19

0.7 5'.7

20 . Irvussrx lL-28 BEAGLE

Individual factory construction number systems

System 1: 4 Red, c/n 50301 106: 50 year of manufacture (1950);30 = Moscow Machinery Plant (MMZ) No. 30;I I batch number;06 number of aircraft in the batch (up to 100?).

The c/n is stencilled on the fuselage nose and sometimes under the horizontal tail as well.

System 8: unknown, cln43051230l:. 4 in-house version designator: izdelie (product) 4 = Il-28R;30 =MMZNo.30;5 I year of manufacture ( 195 I );23 batch number;0l number of aircraft in the batch.

System 3: I 2 Red, c/n 53005 I I 2: 5 in-house version designator: izdeliye (product) 5 = Il-28, izdeliye 6 = ll-28U;

3 year of manufacture (1953);Q = MMZ No. 30 (the first digit is omitted for security reasons to confuse

would-be spies);051 batch number;12 number of aircraft in the batch (up to 100?).

The c/n is sometimes stencilled on the fuselage nose and under the horizontal tail.

System4: l84Black, c|n5901207: 5 yearofmanufacture(1955);9 - Irkutsk aircraft factory No. 39 (the first digit is omitted for security

reasons):012 batch number;07 number of aircraft in the batch.

System 5: code unknown, c/n 6450301: 64 factory number (Voronezh aircraft factory);50 year of manufacture (1950);3 batch number;0l number of aircraft in the batch.

System 6: 0l Red, c1n2402101: 2 year of manufacture (1952);y', = Voronezh aircraft factory No. 64 (the first digit is omitted for security

reasons):021 batch number;0l number of aircraft in the batch.

The c/n is sometimes stencilled on the fin or under the horizontal tail.

System 7: unknown, c/n 0416601: 04 batch number;166 factory number (Omsk aircraft factory);0l number of aircraft in the batch.

System 8: 33 Red, c|n56605702: 5 year of manufacture (1955);66 = Omsk aircraft factory No. 166 (the first digit is omitted for security

reasons):057 batch number;02 number of aircraft in the batch.

The c/n is sometimes stencilled under the horizontal tail.

BnEEorNc rse. Bntctt .21

gt1t

*

=:i---fr

a;; -' -' '--!

. - -- ' -Y3- -

;iif

znahmya troodah) at Khodynka airfield right in thecentre of Moscow, No. 64 in Voronezh and No. 166in Omsk - started gearing up to build the Il-28. Afourth factory, No. 39 in lrkutsk, also began Il-28production shortly afterwards (see next chapter).rlEach factory had its own construction numbersystem(s), explained on page 20:

After the type's first public appearance at the 1950May Day parade in Moscow, NATO's Air

Standards Co-ordinating Committee (ASCC) ini-tially allocated the code name Butcher to the Il-28.However, this was promptly changed to Beagle toavoid confusion with the Tupolev Tu-16 mediumbomber, which was code-named Badser.

l l Some sources state the I l -28 was also bui l t by plants No. I ,No. l8 (both in Kuibyshev, now Samara) and No.23 in Fi l i ,then a suburb of Moscoq but this appears highly unlikely.

;#* u

i.l4&**

Thel l -28rvasbui l tbyseveralSovietaircraf t factor ies.Thesetwo Beagles,26Blueand2TBlue,weremanufacturedbytheMoscow Machinery Factory No. 30; the former aircraft carries the cln 55006424 on the nose. / yt,lirtt c,rttrn urthi,t,)

2.Tup Ir-28 FaurY

ll-28 Beagle bomber

l-f lh. basic bomber version was built in

I Moscow, Voronezh and Omsk; the first pro-I duct ion aircraf t lef t the Moscow product ion

line in March 1950. The aircraft was built in hugenumbers (no fewer than 6,316 copies of all versionswere built in the USSR alone in 1950 5!), becomingone of the most prolif ic types in service with theVVS. MMZ No. 30 in Moscoq which was the mainmanufacturer of the type, turned out more than 100aircraft per month at peak periods.

Various improvements were introduced in thecourse of production. Among other things, the Il-28received more effective formation lights for station-keeping during fl ights of bomber formations atnight. The cockpit windshield received an electricde-icing system, and hot air de-icing was introducedon the engine air intake leading edges. Optically f latwindshield sidelights were tested (probably on anuncoded example with the cln 52005714) in an effortto reduce distortions and improve cockpit visibil i ty,but this feature was apparently not f itted to stan-dard production aircraft.

Four shut-off valves were introduced in the fuelsystem to seal off a punctured tank in the event ofbattle damage, preventing loss of fuel (eventuallythe Beagle got self-sealing fuel tanks, which theoret-ically took care of the problem). Fuel cell No. 3 wasdivided into cells Nos. 3,A and 3B; the capacity ofthese cells was carefully calculated in order to pre-serve the CG position as the fuel was burned off,obviating the need for fuel transfer.

(Note: Some sources claimed that the CG shiftproblem associated with fuel burn-off was still thereand was, in fact, the Il-28's only major shortcomingwhich was never eliminated, because of the lack ofan automatic fuel transfer system maintaining CGposition. Since the forward fuel cells accommodatedmore fuel than the rear fuel cells. the l l-28's CGgradually shifted forward. This was especiallyunwelcome during landing; the pilot had to keep aneye on the fuel meters and activate the fuel transferpump at the right moment. The pump workedslowly, and as the pilot had to concentrate on flyingthe aircraft during the landing approach he often

ltl_

The I l-28 incorporated various changes made in the course of production; among other things, the transparency imme-diately aft of the cockpit where the DF aerial was located was replaced by an opaque dielectric fairing. ( yelim Gonton urchie )

Trrr , I r . -28 F.qrrrn ' . 23

"t

A tr io ol ' rccl-cot lccl Bcu{ lc c l r . r iscs in V l i r l r t r i r t ion. t YL,t i r r t ( i . r l . t r r t r r l t i r<

*

\ng:-- -**ua*

-5 1 l l luc.

J'€:

This v ie l i i l lustratcs t l ie c lcan l incs ol- thc Bczrglc. as u 'e l l us thc lurgc c l ianrctcr-ol ' thc cncinc nucel lcs.Kot t t i .s :ur t ty r tn I t i v t

t

24 . Ir-yusHrN L-28 Btaau.

This Il-28, 30 Red, is unusual in having three non-stan-dard rod aerials under the aft fuselage. ( yefim Goruton urchiw )

forgot to turn it off in time. As a result, the CGwould now be too far aft and the aircraft assumedan excessively nose-high attitude, with high anglesof attack which were difficult to counter by elevatorinput. To make up for the missing system, 11-28pilots would ask the navigators to remind them toswitch off the pump in time.)

New ejection seats were fitted, replacing the ear-lier model; these featured leg restraints, a face pro-tection visor and a seat belt tightening mechanism.Finally, a brake parachute was provided to shortenthe landing run; this feature was tested on Il-28 c/n2007' pursuant to a Ministry of Aircraft Industry(MAP) order of ll January 1951. Howeve! every-thing comes at a price, and these modifications wereexpected to increase empty weight by 240 kg (529lb). Hence Ilyushin engineers took measures toachieve an identical weight reduction, lightening therear fuselage structure, tail unit and Il-K6 turret,removing the anti-flutter weights from the wings,etc. Additionally, air bleed valves were incorporatedin the engine nacelles to prevent engine surge, and

Table 4. Manufacturing changes introduced at production lines

l0 Red, another Il-28 bristling with non-standard aerials.( Sergey and Dmitriy Komissarov arthive )

the OSP-48 ILS was replaced by a more advancedSP-50 Materik (Continent) ILS.

Table 4 details the changes introduced at theproduction lines.

For the development of the Il-28 bomber, SergeyV. Ilyushin, M. F. Astakhov, Valeriy A. Borog,V. N. Boogaiskiy, N. F. Zotov, A. Ya. Levin,G. M. Litvinovich, M. I. Nikitin, B. V. Pavlovskiy,K. V. Rogov, Ye. I. Sankov and V. A. Fyodorov wereawarded the prestigious Stalin Pize (2nd Class) on12 March 1951 for outstanding inventions andimprovements in the field of machinery design.

The basic bomber soon evolved into a range ofspecialized versions which expanded the Beagle'scombat potential perceptibly.

I Only the batch number and number of aircraft in the batchwere stated in MAP documents; however, considering thetime when the order was issued, the aircraft was probablyMoscow-built and the full c/n may be 50302007.

Modification Incorporated (starting with aircraft c/n ...)

Plant No. 30 Plant No. 64 Plant No. 166

Round ventilation window moved from hinged canopysection to port windshield sidelight to improve visibilityand canopy strength; ventilation window reduced indiameter and glazingthickness reduced for bettertransparency

50301408 all aircraft(from c/n6450001onwards)

all aircraft(from c/n0016601onwards)

Anti-flutter weights between wing ribs 28 and 32 deleted 5300s00s 3402701 36603509

Anti-surse bleed valves installed 5030 I 801 6450301 0416601

THB Il-28 Farlrry . 25

A night-time shot of a typical production Beagle. ( yclirn Gortton urcttiv )

ax*-* , '

Wl"

.l--.f *.*r,;,t,"

'l

'{ht

I l -28U trainer undergoing evaluation with the Soviet Air Force in early 1950. yj i , t tThe unserial led prototype of theGor&n urchiyt )

*.* ! . - e; . t

Another unserialled example, this time a production Masc,ot. ( yefint Gortton u.t,hrtt,)

Il-28U Mascot trainerSpecialized versions began appearing before long.Predictably, the first of theie *a, 1 conversiontrainer easing the transition from Second WorldWar-vintage piston-engined types to the jet bomber.The OKB was immediately iasked with crearrns

such an aircraft; development work began inS_eptember 1949, and on 14 October Seigey VIlyushin approved the advanced developmeni proj_ect of the Il-28U trainer (oochehnyy- tri ining, usedattributively) powered by VK-l engines.

26. I lvusttrr ' r l t -28 Br.. tr ;r . t

*

SovictAir l i r rccl l - l l lLJE5Rcdcontcsintoland. r t t t i r t t ( ior t lot t r r r r t t i r r

Thc I l -28U erroncoLrsly cal lcd UII-28 in sonrcsoLlrccs di l lcred l }om the basic bortrber or i r raf i lvi r r h i rv ing u nc\ \ r ' l ( ) \c glal ' tcd t r r r in pl l rc 'c t r l ' t l r r 'cxte nsivcly glazcd navigator 's stat ion (up to l 'usclagcl l 'an-rc No. 6). I t incorporatccl thc instructor 's cock-pi t wi th a stcppcd windscrsen. rathcr l ike thc l l ightc leck ol-arr a i r l iner ct t t t r i t r iuturL ' : t l tc t ra i r . ree pi lot sat

- g;,.-(l|I....,:lb

in thc stanclald cockpi t . According to sol t le Westcrnruuthors. what l lyLrshin dic l was thc bcst way to r l l l l tthc s lcck l ines of- thc l l -2u; thc resul t certainlylookcr i b izarrc. bLrt both t l re t ra inee and the instruc-tol cnjoyccl an unrcstrictcd f icld ol- view.

Thc traincc's cockpi t was vir tual ly ident ical tctlhat ol ' t lrc standarcl bclntbcr cxccDt fbr u cr"rt-out in

' - { f# .* . - ! . , -.,..-WkF

i l lustol lackcd armantent ancl radar. i lt,lint (ior&rn urchitL tThis vicl" ol '87 Red shows clearlv that thc

Tue Il-28 F,qvnv . 27

the instrument panel permitting visual contact withthe instructor, which required some of the flightinstruments to be relocated. The front cockpit fea-tured a complete set of flight controls and instru-ments; the instructor had complete control over thetrainee's actions and could take over if necessary byflipping some switches, barring the trainee from fly-ing the aircraft.

All armament and bomb-aiming equipment,including the radar, were deleted. Still, the Il-28Ucould be used for training gunners/radio operators,for which the former gunner's station was suitablyequipped. The capacity of the fuel system wasreduced to 6,600 lit. (1,452 imp. gal.) and the fuelload to 5,500 kg (l2,l25lb). To maintain CG posi-tion the Il-K6 tail turret was substituted by 250 kg(551 lb) of ballast on the prototype. According toOKB calculations, production aircraft were to have200 kg (440 lb) of ballast, but it was found possibleto reduce this to 130 kg (286 lb).

Other changes included removal of the RV-10radio altimeter and the fuel tank inert gas pressur-ization system. The Il-28U was equipped with anRSIU-3B radio (instead of the bomber's RSU-5),an AP-5 autopilot, a Bariy-M (Barium-M) IFFtransponder, an SPU-5 intercom, an RV-2 radioaltimeter and a Materik-B ILS with SD-l distance-measuring equipment.

On 21 February 1950 a standard Beugle wasdelivered to Ilyushin's experimental shop atKhodynka (l l l lz No.240), straight off the MMZ

No. 30 production line, for conversion into theIl-28U prototype. Piloted by Vladimir K.Kokkinaki, the trainer took to the air on l8 March,with B. A. Goloobev as fl ight engineer andB. A. Yerofeyev as radio operator; A. P. Vinogradovwas the engineer in charge of the flight tests.

It was soon discovered that performance andhandling were virtually identical to that of the stan-dard bomber, except for the marginally better climbrate. The ll-28u was stable throughout its flightenvelope, remaining well balanced at Mach 0.78. Itperformed all manoeuvres the bomber version wasto make; turns with 70-80' bank could be madewithout any trouble and the aircraft gained 2,000 m(6,560 ft) during a yo-yo manoeuvre. Flying the air-craft from the instructor's seat was just as simpleand enjoyable as from the rear cockpit. Like theother versions, the trainer could be fitted withPSR- I 500- 1 5 JATO boosters.

The specifications of the Il-28U prototypeobtained at the manufacturer's f l isht tests are indi-cated in Table 5.

The manufacturer's flight test programme was com-pleted on 30 March 1950. By then a bomber regi-ment commanded by Lt-Col A. A. Anpilov, Hero ofthe Soviet Union, was taking delivery of productionIl-28 bombers. Therefore it was decided to handover the Il-28U prototype to that unit for evaluationin order to speed up conversion training. Thisenabled Anpilov's unit to achieve init ial operational

Table 5. Il-28U prototype specifications obtained at manufacturer's flight tests

Length overal lHeight on groundSpanWing areaWing loadingPower loading at sea levelOperating empty weightNormal al l-up weightPayloadFuel loadTop speed: at 3,000 m (9,842 ft)

at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)Rate of cl imb at sea level with a 17,020 kg(37,522Ib) TOWClimb t ime to 5,000 m with a 17,020 kg TOWMaximum range with a 17,020 kg TOWTake-off runLanding run

17 .65 m (57 f t 10.88 in.)6.0 m ( l9 f t 8.22 in.)

21.45 m (70 ft 4.48 in.)60.8 m'(653.76 sq. f t )288 kg/m'( 1.400 lb/ft ')3.25 kg/kgp (lb/lb st)11,760 kg (25,92s1b)*I 7,560 kg (38,7 l2 lb)5,800 kg ( 12.786 lb)5,500 kg (12,125 lb)843 km/h (455.67 kt)820 km/h (443.24kt)

17.0 m/sec (3,345 ft/min)5.5 min

2,400 km ( 1,490 miles)800 m (2,624 lt)**

I ,170 m (3,838 f t ) ' r ' *

Notes:* With 250 kg (551 lb) of ballast.{<t' I lyushin OKB data.

28 . Irvusnrlrr Ir-28 BetcLe

An Il-28U makes a flypast during a military parade, flanked by two MiG-19P Farmer-B all-weather interceptors. lBoniVtluvcnko )

!

*

An Il-28U about to become airborne. The picture does not show how close the bird on the risht is to the aircraft.( Ydint Gordon urthiv )

capability in time to participate in the 1950 MayDay parade in Moscow (which of course was largelya matter of prestige); the trainer prototype tookpart in this parade, together with productionBeagles. Then the I1-28U was turned over to NIIWS for State acceptance trials which took place on13 27 May; the act of acceptance was signed bySoviet Air Force C-in-C Air Marshal P. F. Zhigarevon 8 June.

The type entered large-scale production atMMZNo. 30 pursuant to an MAP order of 2l July 1950(all Il-2SUs were built in Moscow), and remainedthe principal trainer for Soviet and WarPac tacticalbomber pilots well into the 1970s. Soviet trainers

were assigned NATO code names in the miscella-neous aircraft category at the time - a practice laterdiscontinued; accordingly the Il-28U was code-named Mascot. On production Il-28Us the emptyoperating weight rose to I1,900 kg (26,234Ib) andthe all-up weight to 17 ,700 kg (39,021 lb), reductionin ballast notwithstanding.

The transition from the Il-28U to the bomber ver-sion did not require additional training. The reportof the State commission said that a pilot with350-400 hrs' total time on anything from thePolikarpov Po-2 ab initio trainer to the Tu-2 bombercould fly the Il-28 solo after only two to four flightson the trainer version. The Naval Air Arm (AVMF

Tun Il-28 Faurrr-v . 29

Stil ls from a motion picture showing an Il-28U in action.

- Aviahtsiya voyenno-morskovo flotu) also operatedthe Mascot: the first naval aviation unit to receivethe Il-28U in October 1951 was the 943rd MTAP(minno-torpednyy aviupolft - minelaying and tor-pedo-bomber regiment).

Il-28U ejection trainer versionOn 10 December 1953 the Minister of AircraftIndustry issued an order concerning the develop-ment of a version of the Il-28U specially modifiedfor training Beuglc crews in ejection techniques.This aircraft's raison d'?tre was that the crews wereapprehensive about the bomber's first-generationejection seat, fearing serious injuries in the event ofan ejection at low altitude or on landing, when mostaccidents happen. It was necessary to overcome thispsychological obstacle and bui ld up the pi lots 'con-fidence in the aircraft.

( Stt'gt.t u n d Dni I r' i t' Ko nt i s su rot, u x l t i t' t' )

The Ilyushin OKB delivered a set of manufactur-ing documents for the ejection trainer to MMZ No.30 on 5 March 1954. Unfortunately it is not knownhow many Mu,yc'ots, if any, were built in this config-uration.

Il-28R tactical reconnaissance aircraft

On 5 March 1950 another Moscow-built Il-28 pow-ered by VK-l engines was delivered to MMZ No.240 for conversion into the prototype of the Il-28R(fsanolyot-] ra:vedchik) reconnaissance aircraft.The unserialled aircraft entered fl ight test onl9 Apr i l 1950, one month and one day af terthe first f l ight of the Il-28U, flown by pilotVladimir K. Kokkinaki, f l ight engineer I. B. Ktissand radio operator B. A. Yerofeyev. Once againA. P. Vinogradov was in charge of the fl ight tests.

The Il-28R was intended for tactical photo

The prototype of the Il-28R photo reconnaissance aircraft. ( yt'firn Gorrton urchite I

30 . In usrrr . r l r -28 Bt.cGtr

iJ",n., view of the I l-28R prototype. Note the twin rod aerials on the upper f uselage. ( y,/ int Gonton ur<hit,L,)

reconnaissance (PHOTINT) to meet the obiectivesol f ronts ( in a war scenar io) . f leets and air armies.For day reconnaissance the aircraft could carry aPHOTINT suite comprising two AFA-33/100 orAFA-33/75 cameras on AKAFU mounts in theforward and centre parts of the (former) bombbay for high/medium-altitude photography, oneAFA-33/20 or AFA-42120 (AFA-RB/20) down-ward-looking camera in the rear part of the bombbay and one AFA-33/50 or AFA-33/75 cameramounted obliquely on the port side in a specialcamera bay in the aft fuselage. Alternatively, someaircraft were fitted with two AFA-421100 orAFA-42175 cameras on the forward mount.

For night reconnaissance the Il-28R carriedeither two NAFA-3S/50 cameras or oneNAFA-MK-75 (or NAFA-MK-50) camera in theforward part of the bomb bay. The rest of the baywas occupied by twelve 50 kg (110 lb) FotAB-50-35flare bombs;' this number was reduced to six if along-range fuel tank was fitted. The bombs weredropped using an NKPB-7 bomb sight which couldbe used at up to I 1,500 m (37,729 ft). (It should benoted that one Russian source gives rather differentdata: three AFA-33 cameras with varying focallengths (100, 75 and 20 cm) and one AFA-RBcamera for day sorties and two NAFA-3S camerasfor night sorties, assisted by FotAB-100-60,FotAB-50-35. SAB-100-55 or SAB-100-35 flarebombs.) The cameras were installed in snecial con-tainers heated by air from the cockpit heating andpressurization system to prevent the lubricant from

freezing at high altitude; the night cameras, how-ever, did not have such containers.

To extend range the capacity of the fuel systemwas increased to 9,550 l i t . /8,000 kg (2,10t imp.gal.l lT,6361b). This was done by install ing a 750lit.( 165 imp. gal.) long-range tank in the aft portion ofthe bomb bay, which required the standard fuelcellNo. 3 to be removed, and two 950 lit. (209 imp. gal.)drop tanks at the wingtips. As compared to the stan-dard bomber, this amounted to 1,650 lit. (363 imp.gal.) of additional fuel.r The increased mission time(up to five hours) necessitated the provision of addi-tional oxygen for the crew.

Depending on the equipment fit the reconnais-sance version's MTOW was 22,685-22,720 kg(50,01 I 50,088 lb). Therefore the main landing gearunits were reinforced and fitted with bigger wheelsmeasur ing 1,260x 390 mm (49.6x 15.35 in.) insteadof the usual 1,150 x 355 mm (45.27 x 13.97 in.) ;besides, the landing gear was actuated hydraulically,not pneumatically, and retracted in just eight

2 NAFA = nothno! aerofotoappuraht - aircraft camera lbrnight operations; AKAFU = uytomaticheskuya kacha)'usch-t'hayas,va aerofotoustanovka automatic tilting mount foraircraft cameras; FotAB = .fbtograJicheskav-u aviahomba .photo bomb (i.e. flare bomb lor aerial photography); SAB =svetyascltchuyuaviabomba flarebomb.

3 Some sources quoted a figure of 2,660 lit. (585.2 imp. gal.) ofadditional fuel. Also. some documents state that the addi-tional fuselage rank held 760I]|'. (167.2 imp. gal.), making fora total internal fuel volume of 9,560 l i t . (2,103.2 imp. gal . ) ,and the drop tanks each held 900 l i t . (198 imp. gal . ) .

32 . IrvussrN It-28 Bntcrc

seconds - much faster than on the standard bomber.The higher gross weight of the Il-28R also led thedesigners to introduce a unique feature minimizingwear and tear on the tyres: the mainwheels werespun up automatically by hydraulic motors whenthe gear was extended. According to the crews,this resulted in an exceptionally smooth touch-down.

Owing to the installation of camera controls thestarboard fixed NR-23 cannon had to be deleted asa weight-saving measure. The PSBN-M radar wassometimes removed as well; in that case I l0 kg(242.5 |b) of ballast was carried in the navigator'scompartment for CG reasons. Some changes weremade to the avionics fit: the reconnaissance versionfeatured a Magniy-M (Magnesium-M) IFF inter-rogatol an RSB-5 communications radio with aUS-P receiver, an RSIU-3 command radio, anSPU-5 intercom, RV-2 and RV-10 radio alt imeters,an SP-50 Materik ILS, etc. For overwater flightsthe I1-28R could carry an LAS-3 inflatable rescuedinghy (lodka avareeyno-spasahtel'naya) in thebomb bay; this could be dropped by either thepilot or the gunner and inflated automatically by arip cord.

The performance of the Il-28R was broadly

similar to that of the basic bomber, except thatrange in high-altitude cruise increased to 3,150 km(1,702 nm); the combat radius 740 km (400 nm) at5,000 m (16,404 ft) and 1,140 km (616 nm) at10,000 m (32,808 ft). Indicated airspeed was limitedto 750 km/h (416 kt) at up to 4,000 m (13,123 ft),and Mach 0.78 above that altitude. Kokkinakireported that handling and cockpit visibilityremained unchanged. High-speed aerial photogra-phy at various altitudes did not affect piloting tech-niques. The autopilot, as well as the heated andpressurized cockpits, reduced crew fatigue, which isespecially important for a reconnaissance aircraft.

Initial flight testing was completed on 29 June1950. After passing the State acceptance trials on 23November, the Il-28R was ordered into productionon 8 December l95l and joined the VVS inventory.Initially the reconnaissance version was built inMoscow, but from 1953 onwards Il-28R productionwas passed on to aircraft factory No. 39 in lrkutsk,which had previously built the Tu-14T.

The performance of the production Il-28 andIl-28R is compared in Table 6.

The field performance of the bomber and recon-naissance versions is comoared in Table 7.

Table 6. Performance comparison: production Il-28 and Il-28R

Empty weight, kg (lb) 12,120 (28,042) t3,250 (29,2r0\

All-up weight, kg (lb):normalin overload configuratton

18,400 (40,564)22,000 (48,500)

20,020 (44,13s)22,490 (49,581)

Fuel capacity, lit. (imp. gal.) 8,000 (1,760) 9,550 (2,101)

Top speed, km/h (kt)at altitude, m (ft)

e02 (487)4,s00 ( 14,763)

816 (413)5,000 (16,404)*

Service ceiling, m (ft) 12,400 (40,682) 12,300 (40,354)

Time to service ceiling, mrn 42

Range, km (miles):at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)

cruising at, km/h (kt)at 1 0,000 m (32,808 ft)

cruising at, km/h (kt)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

cruising at, km/h (kt)

1,790(1,111)556 (300)

2.450 (1,s21)698 (377)

2,s80 (1,602)6e0 (373)

2,020 (r,242)s47 (295)

2,780 (1,126)610 (362)

3,040 (1,888)670 (362)

Note:* The Il-28R's indicated airspeed below 4,000 m ( 13,1 23 ft) was limited to 750 km/h (405 kt); the Mach limit above

4.000 m was 0.78.

THp Ir--28 Fevrry.33

Table 7. Comparison of field performance: bomber and reconnaissance versions

rofl kg(lb) Unstick speed,km/h (kt)

Take-off run,m (ft)

Landing speed,km/h (kt)

Landing run,m (ft)

a) paved runway[-28 20,100 (44,312)

r-28R r9,800t22,200(43,650t48,941)

240 (r29)

259t274(140/148)

l,400 (4,593)

|,610t2,rs0(5,28217,0s3)

200-20s(108- l 10)220-225

(1te-t2t)

1,s00 (4,921)

1,620 (5,315)

b) unpaved runway (dirt strip)r-28 20,100 (44,312)

Il-28R r9,800t22,200(43,650t48,941)

240 (t2e)

259t274(140/148)

1,700 (5,s77)

1,720t2,300(s,643t7,546)

200-205(r08-r 10)220-22s

( l 19- l2 l )

t,200 (3,937)

1,300 (4,265)

II-28RTR ELINT aircraftApart from the Il-28R PHOTINT aircraft,the Beagle also had an electronic intelligence(ELINT) version designated II-28RTR ([samolyot]rahdiotel&nicheskoy razvedki) reconnaissance air-craft powered by VK-l engines. Outwardly it couldbe identified by a second teardrop-shaped dielectricfairing installed in lieu of the faired-over bomb baydoors. The II-28RTR was supplied to both the WSand the air forces of some of the Soviet Union'sallies, including Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

II-28REB (?) ECM aircraftAnother specialized version was intended for elec-tronic countermeasures (ECM). Some sourcesclaim the aircraft was designated II-28REB(rahdioelektronnaya bor'bah - ECM). The mainidentification feature of this version was thecylindrical wingtip pods reminiscent of theIl-28R's drop tanks, but featuring dielectric frontand rear portions concealing emitter antennas.The ECM version was also supplied toCzechoslovakia.

A Hungarian Air Force II-28RTR ELINT aircraft, showing clearly the dielectric teardrop fairing over ELINT equip-ment aft of the standard radome. ( yefim Gordon archive,

34 . It-vusHIN L-28 Bt.tot.n

L,' .:t....,i-:.,:.:l:

rlil. l3:,; . . hF '

A Czech Air Force example ol ' the ECM version sometimes referred to as I l-28 R EB . ( Yt'fin Gottkn un ltit'c )

Il-28 radiation reconnaissance aircraft

The Soviet Air Force's 647th Special CompositeSupport Air Regiment operating in support of the

7l st Nuclear Weapons Proving Ground in Totskoye,

Orenburg Region, operated two ll-28s fitted with air

sampling pods for radiation reconnaissance.Compressed-air bottles were installed in the bomb

bays to pressurize the cockpits, ensuring that

radioactive products would not enter. As an addi-tional protective measure the cockpit walls were

lined with lead, and radiometers were provided for

the crew. Together with similarly modified aircraftand helicopters of various types, these Beagles flew

through radioactive clouds in the wake of nuclear

tests, measuring radiation levels.

Il-28 torpedo-bomber conversion

The AVMF also operated the Beagle after August1951 ; this aircraft suited the Soviet Navy better than

the Tu-14, being l ighter and more agile. lnit ially the

naval Il-28s were operated in standard bomber con-

figuration; however, as early as I June 1950 the

Council of Ministers ordered the development of a

torpedo-bomber version. The bomb bay was modi-

fied to carry one RAT-52 rocket-propelled torpedointernally. Developed by NII-2,a this weapon was

conceived as a homing torpedo, but the guidance

system was considered too complicated and was

deleted in the production version' The torpedo

weighed 627 kg(1,382Ib) and had a243kg (5351b)

warhead.Before dropping the torpedo the navigator set its

travel depth (2 8 m|6.5-26 ft), charged the torpedo'scondensers and began the run-in to the target as

usual. At the appropriate moment the bomb sight

automatically triggered the drop mechanism. Onesecond later the small propeller-shaped drag para-

chute deployed and the torpedo descended verti-

cally, dropping quickly l ike a bomb' The main

parachute deployed at 500 m (1,640 ft), reducingdescent speed. It separated after the torpedo enteredthe water, then the foreplanes were brought intoplay to turn the torpedo horizontally and were jetti-

ioned immediately afterwards. Then the solid-fuelrocket motor fired and the torpedo accelerated to

58 68 kt (107 130 km/h); by comparison, conven-tional torpedoes with steam turbines could not

travel faster than 40-45 kt. Time from drop to

impact was only about 35 seconds, which left the

target no time for evasive action.The chief shortcoming of the RAT-52 was the

rocket motor's short burn time, resulting in a range

of only 550 600 m ( I ,804-1 ,968 ft), which took the

bomber uncomfortably close to the target (within

range of the ship's air defences). On the other hand,

4 Later became the State Research Institute of Aircrafi

Systerns (GosNII AS Gosootlahrslvennly nuoochno-issle-

d ov ut e l'.s k i1, ins t ito ot ar i (1 t s e e onny k h s is t e m).

THU lr-28 F.c\,rrrr ' . 35

'::;*s,*

ll:f

An I l-28 convcrtccl i tr lo a torpcdo-bomtrcr is about to bc loaclccl with u RAT--52 lorpcclo. Notc 1hc l i rrcpluncs onwcrtporr 's rrt tsc b| inging thc lorpcclo into lcvcl utt i luclc al icr splashclowl.r. , ) i , /r) i i ( ; t) t t t t) i l !r t t t i t t )

$}e 'p;

l0 Rcd. another Bca.qlc cotrvcrted lbr torpedo-bomber duties. is pleparcd lor a mission (notc l i rcl hoses). r t t l i r t t ( i .nt.rt

, } ."

36 . Ir-vusrrrx l t-28 Bt-,. tr ;r , t

->

a

,}

Thc sccond prototypc ol ' thc pulposc-bui l t I l -28T tolpcclo-bonrbcr. Thc non-stanclard nosc glaziug is clcarly visible. asarc thc irngulurcockpit winclshiclcl ancl unclcrnosc bl islcr l i rr thc PTN--52 optical si-uht. r ) i , /nr i ( i ,uhtrt trcl t i r l

the torpedo could be droppcd at any al t i tudebetween 1.500 m (4,920 f i ) and the aircral i 's scr\ icccei l ing at a speed of Lrp to 800 km/h (444 kt) . whichwas of part icular importance fbr jct torpcdo-bombcrs. Live drops at the Sovict Navy's tcst rangeshowcd a k i l l probabi l i ty o l ' l7 38 pcr ccnt in asinglc- torpedo at tack.

Dur ing t r ia ls held ou thc Black Sca inSeptember Novcmbcr 1952" Tu- l4T and rrodi f iedIl-28 torpedo-bombers sr-rccessfully dropped 54RAT-52 torpedoes, both inert and l ive; targct ingwas done using an OPB-6SR sight on both aircraf i .Thc RAT-52 was officially included in thc AVMFinvcntory on 4 February 1953. I t could bc carr icd byTLr-l4T torpedo-bombers and convcrtcd Il-28s(deliveries of the latter began the same year). Withone torpedo thc rnodified Il-28T had an 18,400 kg(40.564 lb) TOW and a top speed ol' 906 km/h(503 kt); service ceil ing and range were 12,500 n-r(41 .010 f t ) and 2.400 km ( 1.490 mi les) respect ively.

However. the converted Il-28 had some senousdeficiencies. lt carried only about one third of itsdesign payioad and could not carry other models oftorpedoes internally, as they were too long to fit intothe standard bornb bay. Also, the Soviet Navzil AirArm had large stocks of pre-war 45-36MAN torpe-

does ( i .c. 450 mrn/ l l . l i t " t . cal ibrc. 1954 rnodel ,MAN = ltorpedul urotlcrtt izecrt)vtnnu.t 'u, utiu Lsiott-rttt.ttr, niikot'.t 'sottluyu updated aircraft torpcdo forlow-ul t i tude at tacks) which i t wished to use on thcI l -28. However. i t turned out that the bombcr 's highspeed rendered these torpedoes unsuitablc. Thcweapon had to undergo a lengthy upgradc pro-gramme. emerging in 1956 as the 45-56NT torpedo(NT = nizlto)'a torpefuttuetahnivc low-altitude tor-pcdo at tack) which could be dropped at 120 230 nr(393 t 54 fi) and 550 600 kmlh (291 324 kt).

Il-28T torpedo-bomber (first use ofdesignation)Apparently the cnginecrs wcre aware of the short-comings of thc quick-fir torpedo-bomber conver-sion all along, because development of a dedicatedtorpedo-bornber, designated Il-28T (torpadonoset.s).also began in 1950. The mock-up rcview commls-sion signed the act of acceptance on 7 July that year.

The aircraft was intended for high- and low-alti-tude torpedo attacks and minelaying. It differedfiom standard Il-28s and those converted into tor-pedo-bombers primarily in having a weapons baylengthened from 4.18 m (13 l t 8.56 in.) to 6.66 m

Tsn Ir--28 Fnurry . 37

i l I

":'r

The same aircraft. pictured most probably at Moscow-Khodynka, with an I l-12 air l iner in the background. The c/n50301 104 is visible on the nose. ( yal im Gonton urdri t t ,)

(21 ft 10.2 in.) and having the wings moved back 100mm (3.93 in.), with appropriate changes to the fuse-lage structure. The modification of the weapons bavand the provision of an LAS-3 .escu. dinghyrequired changes to fuel cells Nos. 2,3 4 and 5. Thisreduced internal fuel capacity from 8,000 lit.(1,760 imp. gal . ) to 4,770t i t . (1,269.4 imp. gal . )andthe fuel load from 6,600 kg (14,550 lb) to 5,080 kg( l l , l99 lb) . To compensate for th is the I l -28T hadprovisions for 950 lit. (209 imp. gal.) t ip tanks, eachholding 750 kg ( I ,653 lb) of fuel , as on rhe I l -28R.

The starboard fixed NR-23 cannon and its roundcounter were deleted, as was the AFA-33175 (orNAFA-MK) camera. Instead. rwo AFA-BA/400vertical cameras and an AKS-l hand-driven crne-camera were installed to record the strike results.Other new equipment items included a Magniy IFFinterrogator, a PTN-45 low-altitude sighl (pritsettorpednyy nizkovysotnyy sight optimized for low-level torpedo drops) and a separate pp-l high-alti-tude sight also used for dropping anti-shippingmines; a Model 1010 electric heater was provided todefrost the sighting window of the PTN-45. Someof the existing equipment items were relocated, andadditional armour protection was provided for thepilot and navigator.

The normal ordnance load was 1,000 kg(2,204lb), which permitted carriage of one torpedoof various models (45-36AVA. TAS. TAV. RAT-52or A-2), or two AMD-500 anti-shipping mines, orone AMD-1000, AMD-M orType A mine. I f neces-sary the I l -28T could carry up to 3,000 kg (6,613 lb)of weapons at the expense of a reduced fuel loadand hence shorter range. In that case possibleweapons configurations were two 45-46AMV torpe-does total l ing 1,940 kg (4,2761b), or one 1,500 kg(3,306 lb) TOZ torpedo, or one I ,100 kg (2,425 lb)AMD-1000 mine, or four AMD-500 mines (2,000k914,409 lb), or two Serpey mines (2,500 kg/5,511lb), or two Lira (Lyre) mines (1,940 kgl4,276 lb), ortwo Desna mines (1,500 kg).s

Despite the relocated wings, the external dimen-sions were identical to those of the I1-28R. TheIl-28T could be refitted and used as a conventionalbomber with a bomb load equal to that of the stan-dard Beuglt,.

Prototype conversion was completed in 1950. Thefirst prototype Il-28T (c/n 50301 106) first f lew on

5 The meaning ol the name Scryey is not known but it soundssuspiciously like an anagram of Pcrsey (Perseus).

38 . IrvusurN lt -28 BBrcLn

Table 8. Il-28T specifications

Manufacturer'sestimates

Manufacturer'sflight tests

State acceptancetrials

Wing loading, kg/m: (lbhq. ft)Power loading at S/L, kg/kgp (lb/lb st)Empty weight, kg (lb)Normal AUW, kg (1b)Maximum AUW, kg (lb)Landing weight, kg (lb)Internal fuel load, kg (1b)Fuel load with tip tanks, kg (lb)Payload, kg (lb): normal

maxlmumTop speed (with tip tanks), km/h (kt):

at 1,000 m (3,280 ft)

at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)

at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Landing speed, km/h (kt)Rate of climb, m/sec (ftlmin):

at S/Lat 5,000 mat 10.000 m

Climb time. min: to 5.000 mto 10,000 m

Service ceiling, m (ft)Maximum range with tip tanks and one45-36AMV torpedo, km (miles)Endurance with tip tanks and one45-36AMV torpedo, km (miles)Take-off run, unassisted, m (ft)

Take-off run with JATO bottles, m (ft)Take-off distance, unassisted, m (ft)

Take-off distance with JATO bottles, m (ft)Landing run, m (ft)n.a.Landing distance, m (ft)

308 (1,4e7)3.4

13,085 (28,847)18,400 (40,564)21,330 (47,023)13,840 (30,51 l )3,600 (7,936)6,580 (14,506)5,315 ( t 1,717)8,245 (t8,t76)

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a,

2,200 (1,366)***

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.n.a.

308 (1,497)3.48

13 ,37 0 (29 ,41 s)18,760 (41,358)*21,620 (47,663)*

n.a.3,800 (8,377)6,475 (14,274)5,390 (l l ,882)8,250 (18,187)

802 (433.5)

874 (472.4)

836 (451.8)

n.a.

13.4 (2,637)7.8 (1,53s)2.3 (4s2)

8.026.4

1,s00 (37,729)1,64412,221#(r,02vr,379)3 hr 03 mini

3hr33min#875/1,4s0 t

(2,87014,7s7)770 (2,s26) I1,570t2,460 |(5, l sl/8,070)l,3oo (4,265) Ie40 (3,084) II

n.a.

308 (1,4e7)3.48

13,370 (29,475)t8,763 (4r,364)*21,630 (47,685)*

n.a.3,800 (8,377)6,48s (14,296)5,390 (l 1,882)8,260 (18,209)

785/800**(424.3t432.4)

8271877**(447.01474.0)

802/840**(433.s14s4.0)

178 (e6.2)

14.7 (2,8e3)e.05 (1.781)

3.3 (64e)7.12t.4

l l,950 (39,206)2,t49 (t,334) ##

3hr 29 minl3hr41.5minf f{

950/1,395 t t(3,n614,s76)l,020 (3,346) I2,00012,630lI(6,s6u8,628)

2,410 (7,906) I

2, t2s (6,97r) I I

n.a.n.a.n.a.

Notes:* With one 45-36AMV torpedo.*'k At N (engine speed) = 11,200 rpm/11,560 rpm respectively.**{' With a 1,000 kg(2,2041b) weapons load at 10,000-12,700 m (32,808-41,666 f0.

At 5,000 m(16,404 fty543 kn/h (293 k0 and 10,000 m (32,808 ft)l645kmlh (348 kt) respectively.At | 0,000 m (32,808 ft) and 652 km/h (352 kt) with a 21,632kg 97,689Ib) AUW.With an 18,768 kg (41,3751b) normal AUW and a2l,620kg(47,663Ib) maximum AUW.With an 1 8,760 kg ( 4l ,357 lb) normal AUW and a 21,620 kg (47 ,663 lb) maximum AUW.with a 22,100 ks(48,721Ib) TOVIWith a 15,000 kg (33,068 lb) landing weight.At 10,000 m (32,808 ft) and 6521569 km/h (3521307 kt) respectively with a 21,632kg (47,689lb) AUVI

I

l l+

**i++

Tur I l-28 Favty .39

Table 9. Torpedo attack configuration

Ordnance typeQuantityOrdnance weight, kg (lb)Fuel load, kg (1b)Take-off weight, kg (1b)

45-364MI

1,043 (2,29e)6,48s (r4,296)21,600 (47,6t9)

TASI

1,533 (3,379)6,485 (14,296)22,090 (48,699)

A-2I

61s (1,3s5)6,485 (t4,296)2r,063 (46,435)

45-364MV2

2,128 (4,691)s,550 ( I 2,235)

2t,63s (47 ,696)

Table 10. Minelaying configuration

Ordnance type AMD-500 AMD- Lira SeroevI 000

Quant i ty24l12t2Ordnance 1,018 2,018 1,018 988 1,958 1,268 2,518weight, kg (lb) (2,244) (4,448) (2.244) (2,t78) (4,316) (2,795) (5,s5t)Fuel load, 6,485 5,550 6,485 6,485 5,700 6,485 4.800!s(lbl (14,296) (t2,23s) (14,296) (14,296) (12,566) (14,296) (10,582)TOW' kg ( lb) 2t ,57 s 2t ,640 21 ,s7 5 2l ,s45 Zl ,616 21 ,825 21 ,0s4

(47,s64) (47,707) (47,s64) (47.497) (47,6s4) (48,us) (46,503)

Desna IGDM(on BD-4 rack)

768 1.518( 1 ,6e3) (3,346)6,485 6, I 50

(14,296) (13,558)2t,325 21,626

(47,0t2) (47,676)

I1,268

(2,794)6,485

(14,296)2t .825(48, r r5)

8 January l95l with Vladimir K. Kokkinaki at thecontrols; N. D. Sorokin was the flight engineer andA. P. Vinogradov was the engineer in charge of thefl ight tests. The second prototype (c/n 50301104)joined the programme on l2 March 1951, makingits maiden flight from Khodynka again at thehands of Vladimir K. Kokkinaki. Outwardly theIl-28T prototypes differed from standard Beagles inhaving a small Perspex blister under the noseaccommodating the lower part of the PTN-45 sight,a non-standard navigator's glazing framework anda non-standard angular cockpit windshield with arectangular windscreen and optically flat sidelights.

The manufacturer's tests were completed on l7April 1951 (the test report was endorsed six dayslater). Then the Il-28T was submitted to the SovietNavy's Research Institute No. 15 for State acceDt-ance trials, which proceeded from 7 June to 25 Julyl95l and also went successfully. In August 1951 thecomplete set of manufacturing documents wastransferred to one of the production factories; thetype entered limited production and service with theAVMF.. For this achievement a group of OKB-240employees was again nominated for the Stalin Prize.

The specifications of the Il-28T are given inTable 8.

Tables 9 and l0 detail the Il-2ST's weapons options.

Il-28T torpedo-bomber conversion (seconduse of designation)

In 1954 the improved 45-54VT torpedo (i.e. 450 mmcalibre, 1954 model, YT - vysotnoye torpedometah-niye -high-altitude torpedo attack) was included in

the AVMF arsenal, followed by the 45-56NT tor-pedo two years later. Both types were powered bysteam engines and were carried by the Tu- | 4T alongwith the RAT-52. In order to standardize the arma-ment carried by Soviet torpedo-bombers andincrease their punch, it was decided to upgrade theIl-28s then in service.

To this end a standard Il-28 toroedo bomber wasretrofitted with two external BD-4T torpedo racks(hahlochnyy derzhahtel' beam-type [weapons]rack). The increased payload meant that the centrefuselage frames had to be reinforced. The aircraftwas also fitted with the new PTN-55 low-altitudesight, albeit incomplete, which was concurrentlybeing tested on a modified Tu-14T. This allowed thenavigator to programme the torpedo to move in azigzag (this feature was believed to increase kil lprobabil ity but demanded a substantial increase inthe torpedo's range) and feed target data into thetorpedo's control module up to the moment ofrelease.

The modified aircraft - which, rather confusingly,was again designated Il-28T could carry threeRAT-52 torpedoes (two externally and one inter-nally) or two 45-54VT or 45-36NT torpedoes exter-nally; alternatively, two AMD-500 anti-shippingmines could be carried externally. The weaponswere dropped at alt itudes of 40,400 m (l3l f ,312ft) and speeds of 360-800 km/h (200 444krJ.

However, the Navy was displeased, claiming the

6 Some sources, though. claim the Il-28T did not enter produo-tion because of the protracted development ol the 45-56NTtorpedo and the inability to carry two RAT-52 torpedoesinternally.

40 . Irvusurn It-28 Br,totr

required modifications were too extensive. Besides,the high-drag external stores impaired the aircraft'sperformance and caused some restrictions on pilot-ing techniques. Rotation at take-off became verydifficult; the aircraft experienced severe vibration athigh speed, almost certainly caused by the turbu-lence generated by the external torpedo racks.Tailplane buffet was commonly encountered in ashallow dive when two torpedoes were carried exter-nally; if one torpedo was carried it generated somuch drag as to render turns in the opposite direc-tion impossible.

The aircraft completed its trials programme in1955. All i ts shortcomings notwithstanding, theNavy expected to modify some of its I1-28s to thisstandard. However, this conversion programmenever materialized because the 11-28 was gettinglong in the tooth and the Soviet bomber and tor-pedo-bomber force was re-equipping with the moremodern Tu-I6. Still, the PTN-55 sieht did find itsway into service.

Il-28N (Il-28A) nuclear-capable bomberThe Soviet mil itary doctrine of the early 1950sdemanded that tactical aviation was to possessnuclear capability. Several types of small tacticalnuclear weapons, including the RDS-4 Tat'yanabomb, were under development at the time, and theSoviet government issued a directive demanding thedevelopment of new tactical bombers capable ofdelivering them. However, this would clearly be atime-consuming process, so it was decided to mod-ify existing aircraft in service with the WS, includ-ing the Il-28, for the nuclear role.

First, two Il-28s were specially modified byOKB-30 (the design bureau of MMZ No. 30) fortesting the RDS-4 according to the specificationspassed by OKB-l l, which had developed the bomb.Among other things, the modification involved heatinsulation and heating of the bomb bay, installationof special equipment to monitor the weapon's sys-tems status, as well as test equipment to measure theparameters of the explosion, including cine-cam-eras capturing the development of the famousmushroom cloud.

The first drop of an RDS-4 from the Il-28 tookplace on 23 August 1953. On that occasion thebomb was in the so-called check configuration withdata link sensors and a conventional warhead.The aircraft was flown by pilot V. I. Shapovalov,navigator/bomb aimer A. V. Koz'minykh and gun-ner/radio operator B. S. Soodakov. The weapon wasdropped at I 1,000 m (36,089 ft), detonating success-fullv at the oreset altitude. Four RDS-4 bombs were

This Beagle, with a non-standard deep radome and droptanks, is probably an Il-28N (ll-28A) nuclear-capablebomber. ( Yclim Gonlon urchivc 1

dropped, with a day's interval in each case, between29 September and 5 October 1954. All in allthe testprogramme involved more than fifty flights, fifteenof which were weapon drops; the safety of landingwith an unused bomb was checked, among otherthings.

After the successful completion of the trials theRDS-4 entered production; so did the nuclear-capa-ble version of the Beagle, which was designatedIf-28N (nositel' lspetsboyepripahsul - carrier ofspecial, i.e. nuclear, munitions). Apart from thechanges to the bomb bay, the aircraft differed fromthe standard bomber in having an updated avionicssuite. The PSBN-M ground-mapping radar wasreplaced by an RBP-3 unit (rahdiolokutseeonnyybombardiyovochnyy pritsel - radar bomb sight) in amuch deeper radome.' It indicated headings, dis-tance to ground waypoints, altitude above such way-points, ground speed and aircraft position. Thebomb bay was provided with a heating system tokeep the nuclear bomb's systems from freezing up,and the cockpits featured shutters protecting thecrew from the flash of the nuclear explosion. AnRSIU-5V UHF communications radio, a US-8receiver, and RV-18 and RV-2 radio altimeters werefitted. The electrical system was modified to includePO-3000 (main) and PO-3000A (reserve) single-phase AC transformers.

The I1-28N's empty weight was 13,040 kg(28,141 lb) 150 kg (330 lb) more than the standardbomber's;TOW was 18,550 kg (40,895 lb). The CGhad shifted slightly aft, but this had virtually noeffect on the aircraft's handling and performance.

Forty-two Il-2SNs were briefly deployed to Cubain1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. This versionis sometimes referred to as Il-28A (ahtomnyy -atomic, i.e. nuclear-capable).

Tse l l -28 Favty.4l

It-28S tactical bomber projectIn 1949 50 OKB-240 sought ways of furtherimproving the design of the basic il-Zg. The marnobjective was to increase the bomber's speed andrange. This was to be achieved by mat ing the exist_ing fuselage and tail surfaces with all-iew winssswept back 35o at quarter-chord and installine

-oi.powerful and fuel-efl lcient Klimov VK_5 c.-ntrifu_gal-flow turbojets. The VK-5 was a derivative of theproduction

YK-1A uprated to 3,100 kgp (6,g34 lbst) for take-off and2,760 kgp (6,0g4Ib sljfor cruise,differing mainly in having a more efficient comores_sor; the engine's dry weight and external dimeniionsremained unchanged. This undoubted achievementwas made possible by the use of new heat_resistantullglt, a higher turbine temperature and moreefficient cooling. Specific fuel consumption (SFC)was 6 per cent lower than that of the productionVK-IA._ However, preliminary design studies showed that

the swept-wing Il-28S (strelovidnoye krylo _ sweprwings) offered no significant advantages over theproduction Beagle. Moreover, the incoiporation ofnew wings would incur major technological prob_lems. Hence development of the Il-2gS-was aban_doned - a decision later proved correct by the chiefcompetitor's negative experience. The Tupolev OKBhad achieved scant success with the experimental

'aircraft 82' (Tu-82) swept-wing tactical bomber(which, incidentally, closely resembled the would_beil-28S).

II-28RM experimental tacticalreconnaissance aircraft

Meanwhile, the Ilyushin OKB attempted to intro_d.uce the new VK-5 powerplant on production ver_sions of the straight-wing Il-2g. Several governmentdirectives and MAP orders were issuedlenvisagrngthe installation of VK-5s on all three princioa-iversions of the Bcagla conventional

'bombeq

torpedo-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.The last version received the highest priority,

since the WS was desperate to extend the ieach ofits tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The pHOTINTaircraft then under development at the Mikoyan(OKB-I55) and yakovlev (OKB-115) dejignbureaux were a priori handicapped by inadequaterange, being derived from tactical fishters; con_versely, the Il-28R and .aircrafr Za'ltu_Zb, tnePHOTINT version of the Tu-14) were based onbo^mbers designed to have much longer range. The3,000.km (1,863 mile) range rarget was to behet byinstalling more fuel-efficient eneines.

On 3 August 1951 the Council of Ministers issueddirective No. 2817-1388ss, ordering the develop_ment of the Il-28RM {,samolyoT-l ra:vedchik,modifitse,erovannyy - reconnaissance aircraft,modified) powered by VK-5 engines. The deadlinefor submission for State acceptance trials was set at

7 Some sources claim the Il-28N was outwardly identical to thestandard bomber.

-:s

- l

The Il-28RM prototype; note the angular cockpit windshield. ( yefittt Gorcrtnt urchive )

42 . 1r-r r - srrrr I r -28 Bi ro l

a

" ;' i '

t ' l ' i, . , . \rgH- r-n.lS8l"i

*F"t i, .*..4{ffi#1lT*l*,{;*..*t';t$r,Jt:,s-.*.i.{"-*!

Thc sanrc aircnr l i wi th thc drop tanks lcr . r . rovccl , rcvcal ing thc vcrt ical ly cu1-ol l 'winel ips wi th drol ' r tank l i t t ings inslcacl o ithc usr,ral rv ingt ip la i l ings. r l i l i t t r ( i r t r&t t t t t rc l t iv)

15

; ir-"';

:;?;$ffi

fllgF

-la! ;-

illi:i' " ''*. ' . i+^a

' . ' l :',1 ' ' l);,a*:r

Head-orr v iew of the l l -28RM. i I t l i t t t ( jonlort unhir t , )

TsE L--28 Favry .43

Table 11. I|-28RM specifications

State acceptancetrials

Manufacturerosflight tests

Length overallHeight on groundSpanWing areaWing loading, kg/m, (lb/ft,)Power loading at sea level, kgikgp (lb/lb sQOperating empty weight, kg (lb)Normal all-up weight, kg (lb)Maximum AUW (with drop tanks), kg (lb)Fuel load, kg (lb):

internalwith drop tanks

Payload, kg (lb):normal

_ in overload configuration (with drop tanks)Top speed, km/h (kt):

at4,250 m (13,943 ft)

at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)

at 6,600 m (21,653 ft)

at 7,000 m (22,965 ft')at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Rate of climb, m/sec (ftlmin):at sea levelat 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Climb time, min:to 5,000 m(16,404ft)to 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Service ceiling, m (ft)

Range without drop tank separation, km (miles)Range with drop tank separation, km (miles)

Endurance without drop tank separationEndurance with drop tank separation

Take-off run, m (ft)

Take-off distance, m (ft)

17.65 m (57 f t 10.88 in.)6.0 m (19 ft 8.22 in.)

21.45 m (70 ft 4.48 in.)60.8 m':(653.76 sq. ft)

321 (1,560)3.12

13,485 (29,728)19,500 (42,989)22,950 (s0,s9s)

5,030 (l 1,089)8,250 (18,187)

6,015 (13,260)9,467 (20,870)

926/n.a.(500.54ln.a.)*

877 t851(47 4.01460.0)*'k

n.a,

n.a.862t827

(465.94t447 .0)**

24. 5 | 17 .0 (4,821 I 3,34s)* *| 5.4t 1 0.3 (3,030t 2,027)* *

6.613.4 (1,299t669)**

4.216.15**12.419.3**

13,050n2,175(42,814t39,944)**

3,007 (1,867)#3,042t3,254

(r,88e/2,021) t4hr40min#4hr 39.5 minl

4 hr 49.5 min t963t1,233

(3,1s9t4,04s) lt|,807 t2,477

(5,e28l8,126) tt

n.a.n.a.

13,467 (29,689)20,200 (44,532)22,930 (50,551)

5,030 ( l t ,089)8,200 (t 8,077)

6,0r5 (13,260)n.a.

n.a.

n.a.89 I /863

(481.62t466.48)**n.a.1863

(n.a.1466.48)**n.a./841

(n.a.1454.59)**

n.a.n.a.n.a.

6.21n.a.**18.0/n.a.**

12,500/1 1,500(41,010t37 ,729)**2,090 (1.298) ##3,250 (2,018) I

n.a.n.a.

995il,295(3,264t4,248) It

2,030t2,400(6,660t7,874) tt

Notes:

I At take-off power (N = 11,560 rpm); other data for N = I1,200 rpm.t('* With normal/maximum AUw - 19,700122,570kg(43,430149,2sy'tU) respectively during manufacturer,s flight testsand20,200122,930 kg(4a,532150,551lb) respectively during State acceptance trials.L Igy ?1'900 kg (50,705 lb), cruise altitude io,ooo m (32,s0;8 ft) and cr'uising speed 670 km/h (362.l6 kt).t# Igy 22,930k9(50,1f 1 lb), cruise altitude s,0oom 1io,4o4 ft) and cruising*speed 560 km/h tjoi] r.tl.i lgy rg000 kg (50'70s lb), cruise altitude 10,000/10,500 12,:50om1ri,aoal:+,44841,0r0ft) and cruising speed

9'!21 69 5 kmlh (368.64137 5.67 kt) respectively.ff With normalimaximum TOW respectivelv.

-

I At optimum cruise alritude and cruising speed 665 km/h (359.45 kt).

44 . IrvussrN lr-28 BntcLt

Table 12. Il-28 VK-S-powered prototype specifications

Manufacturer's fl ight testsc/n 52003701 c/n 52ffi3719

State acceptance trialsc/n 52003701 c/n 52003719

Length overallSpanWing areaWing loading, kg/m' (lb/ft')Power loading at sea level, kdkgp (lb/lb st)Operating empty weight, kg (lb)Normal all-up weight, kg (lb)Maximum AUW (with drop tanks), kg (lb)Fuel load, kg (lb):

internalwith drop tanks

Payload, kg (lb):normalmaximum

Top speed at 19,300 kg(42,548Ib) AUWand N = I1,560 rpm, km/h (kt):

at S/Lat 2,850 m (21,653 ft)at 3,000 m (22,965 ft)at 4,000 m (13,943 ft)at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Landing speed, km/h (kt)Rate of climb at 19,300 kg (42,548Ib) AUWand N = I1,250 rpm, m/sec (ftlmin):

at sea levelat 5,000 mat 10,000 m

Climb time at 19,300 kg AUW andN = 11,250 rpm, min:

to 5,000 mto 10,000 m

Effective range with drop tanks and 2,000 kg(4,409Ib) of bombs, km (miles)Technical range with drop tanks and 2,000 kgof bombs, km (miles)Technical range without drop tanks and withI ,000 kg (2,204lb) of bombs, km (miles)Endurance with drop tanks and 2,000 kg ofbombsEndurance without drop tanks and with1,000 kg of bombsTake-off run, m (ft):

with normal TOWwithmaximumTOW

Take-off distance, m (ft):with normal TOWwith maximum TOW

Landing run, m (ft):no airbrakesairbrakes deployed

Landing distance, m (ft):no airbrakesairbrakes and brake parachute deployed

17.65 m (57 ft 10.88 in.)21.45 m (70 ft 4.48 in.)60.8 m'?(653.76 sq. ft)

3 l l ( l ,5 l l ) 322(r ,s6s)3. l6

13,560 (29,894) 13,113 (28,908)18,920 (41,710) 19,600 (43,209)24,300 (s3,s7r) 24,0s0 (53,020)

3,800 (8,377) 3,800 (8,377)8,000 (17,636) 8,150 (t7,967)

4,360 (9,6t2) 6,487 (14,301)r0,740 (23,677) 10,837 (23,891)

800 (432.43)* 800 (432.43)*n.a. n.a.

9r8 (496.21) 9tr (492.43)921(497.83) n.a.918 (496.21\ n.a.

n.a. 844 (456.2r)186 (100.5) n.a.

le.5 (3,837)t3.r (2,s78)6.7s (r,328)

308 (1,4e6)3.2

t3,3s0 (29,43r)18,7t0 (41,247)24,090 (53,108)

3,800 (8,377)8,000 (17,636)

5,360 ( l 1,816)r0,740 (23,677)

800 (432.43)*9r7 (495.61)

n.a.n.a.

900 (486.48)828 (447.s6)

r89 (102)

2t.s (4,23r)t3.9 (2,73s)6.s (r,279)

4.8513.3

3,000 (1,863)

3,100 (1,925)*

1,298 (806)***

4 hr 51 min*

2 hr 07 min 'r"'*

e20 (3,018)1,4r0 (4,626) I

1,875 (6,151)2,s2s (8,284) |

9r3 (2,99s)607 (r,991)

1,692 (s,551)r,2ss (4,117)

326 (r,s84)

13,365 (29,464)19,850 (43,761)24,220 (s3,39s)

3,800 (8,377)8,050 (17,746)

6,485 (14,296)10,855 (23,930)

800 (432.43)*n.a.

900 (486.48)n.a.n.a.

844 (4s6.2r)n.a.

n.a.n.a.n,a.

n,a.14.0

2,670 (t,6s8)

2,79012,980 ##( l ,733lr ,850)

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

r,0s0 (3,444)r,360 (4,462)

r,9s4 (6,4r0)2,34s (7,6e3)

800 (2,624)660 (2,r6s)

n.a.n.a.

n.a.n.a.n.a.

5.25 n.a.13.8 14.0

3,000 (1,863) 2,710 (1,683)

3,012 (1,870)** 2,820t3,020 #(r,7sur,870)

1,309 (1,870) I n.a.

4 hr 33 min** n.a.

2 hr 02 min f n.a.

94s (3,100) 1,000 (3,280)t,430 (4,69r) fi r,370 (4,494)

2,000 (6,561) r,760 (s,774)2,708 (8,884) tt 2,4ts (7,e23)

n.a. 660 (2,165)s24 (r,7r9) 550 (1,804)

n.a. n.a.(3,618) n.a.

THe Ir--28 Fevny.45

March 1952 a tight schedule which proved impos-sible to maintain. The unserialled II-28RM proto-type (c/n 52003714) first flew on 17 February 1952,but the manufacturer's flight tests were not com-pleted until 12 April (the test report was signed on29 Aprll); thus the State acceptance trials did notcommence until l0 July. The trials were duly com-pleted on l5 January 1953.

The I1-28RM featured the latest version of theintended powerplant - the VK-5E (ekonomichnyy ,fuel-effrcient), incorporating additional measuresaimed at reducing the SFC. This engine passed itsState acceptance trials concurrently with the aircraftitself. The new engines necessitated a redesign of theengine bearers and engine nacelle structure, the enginecontrol system had to be modified and the lower skinsof the outer wings stiffened. No changes were made tothe armament and equipment.

Nevertheless, the good performance of the air-craft and its powerplant did not help. Because of thescrapping of the Il-28S and Tu-93 projects for whichthe new engine was primarily intended (the Tu-93was a VK-5 powered version of the Tu-14), theVK-5 did not enter production - and hence neitherdid the II-28RM. Besides, it was clear by then thataxial-flow turbojets were superior to centrifugal-flow engines.

The specifications of the Il-28RM are detailed inTable I 1.

Il-28 experimental tactical bomber withVK-5 enginesThe next version of the Beagle to be powered byVK-5s was the regular bomber. Logically this air-craft should have been designated Il-28M, but noseparate designation was allocated for some reason,and the designation Il-28M was eventually used foranother version (see below). Development of the re-

engined bomber variant was initiated by Council ofMinisters (CofM) directive No. 5329-2088ss of 29December 1952 and MAP order No.lss of IJanuary 1953.

The two prototypes were converted from stan-dard Moscow-built Il-28s (c/ns 52003701 and52003719). Pursuant to the above-mentioned CofMdirective the first prototype was to be transferred toLII for testing, while the other aircraft was to bedelivered to NII VVS in April 1953 for State accept-ance trials.

Apart from the engines, the bombers had a fewother changes. Both aircraft had wings taken fromthe Il-28R, with wingtip drop tanks to extend theirrange. The second prototype featured enlarged1,260 x 390 mm (49.6 x 15.35 in.) mainwheels bor-rowed from the Il-28R and an automatic wheel-brake system, while the first prototype retainedstandard 1,150 x 355 mm (45.27 x 13.97 in.) main-wheels. The 12-4-30 DC batteries were replaced bynew I2SAM-25 batteries and moved forward to theradar bay to shift the CG forward.

The defensive armament was identical to that ofthe standard Il-28, comprising two nose-mountedNR-23s with 100 rpg and two NR-23s with225 rpgin the tail turret. The normal bomb load and themaximum bomb load were 1,000 kg(2,204Ib) and2,000 kg (4,409 lb) respectively.

Both aircraft were completed within a shorttimescale and duly tested; the manufacturer's flighttests report was endorsed on 28 April 1953, and theState acceptance trials report exactly three monthslater. The specifications of the VK-5-poweredbomber prototypes are given in Table 12.

On 10 September 1953 NII VVS concluded that itwould be advisable to launch series production ofthe VK-S-powered Il-28. However, the upgradedbomber did not enter oroduction for the reasonsstated above.

Notes to Table 12:* TOW 24,170 kg(53,284lb), cruising speed 650 km/h (351.3 kt) and cruise altitude 10,500-l3,200 m

(34,44843307 rt).** TOW 24,330 kg(53,637 lb), cruising speed 680 km/h (367.5 kt) and cruise altitude 10,500 13,100 m

(34,44842,979 ft).x't.F TOW 18,710 kg (41,247lb), cruising speed 650 km/h (351.3 kt) and cruise altitude 10,000 m (32,808 ft).I TOW 18,920 kg (41,710lb), cruising speed 700 km/h (378.3 kt) and cruise altitude 10,000 m (32,808 ft).# TOW 24,050k9 (53,020 lb), cruising speed 668 km/h (361.0 kt) and cruise altitude 10,000 m/l0,000 12,000 m

(32,808/32,808-39,370 ft).## TOW24,220kg(53,3951b),cruis ingspeed668km/h (361.0kt)andcruiseal t i tudel0,000m/10,000 12,000m

(32,808/32,808 39,37 0 ft).t Tow 23,800 kg (52,469lb).t t ToW 24,000 kg (s2,el01b).

46. Ir-vusurN L-28 Brtcu.

4 Red, the Il-28TM torpedo-bomber prototype, photographed during trials in 1953. ( Yalint Gonton urthitc I

- : ) t

Another view of the II-28TM; the c/n 50301106 reveals the aircraft was converted from the first prototype ll-28T.I Yelim Gonlon urthiye )

II-28TM experimental torpedo-bomberThe Il-28TM torpedo-bomber (torpedonosetsmodiJitseerovannyy) was the last of the three Beaglevariants modified to take the VK-5 engine. It wasdeveloped in accordance with CofM directive No.72l8rs of 22 May 1953 and Ministry of DefenceIndustry (MOP - Ministerstvo oboronnoy promysh-lennosti) order No. 295ss of 27 May. The schedulestipulated by the government was extremely tight:the prototype was to be handed over to the Navy'sResearch Institute No. 15 in just one month.

In those days it was customary in the SovietUnion to strictly comply with government ordersand directives concernine the defence industrv.

whatever the cost. OKB-240 managed to completethe prototype within the stated timescale by con-verting one of the Il-28T prototypes (c/n50301106).8 The installation of VK-5 engines withnew extension jetpipes led to several associatedchanges. The front parts (detachable engine cowl-ings) and rear parts of the nacelles were modified,the electric wiring inside the nacelles was reroutedand the engine cooling ducts were modified.Changes were also made to the engine controls, a

8 The c/n shows that the aircraft was built in 1950. so this wasprobably a development aircraft retained by the IlyushinOKB.

TUE Ir--28 Favnv.47

Table 12a. I|-28TM weapon configuration

Normal weapons load Total weight,kg (lb)

Maximum weapons load Total weight,kg (lb)

2 x FAB-500M-46 bombsx 45-36AMV torpedox 45-36AMN torpedox RDT torpedo

2 x AMD-500 minesx AMD-1000 minex Lira minex Desna mine

r,000 (2,204)1,013 (2,365)1,030 (2,210)61s ( l ,3ss)r,018 (2,244)1"018 (2,244)988 (2,1 78)768 (1,693)

l2 x OFAB-100 bombs8 x FAB-250M-46 bombs4 x FAB-500M-46 bombsI x FAB-1500M-46 bombI x FAB-3000M-46 bomb

1 x TAS torpedoI x TAV torpedo

4 x AMD-500 minesI x AMD-M mine1 x Serpey mine

2 x 45-36AMV torpedoes2 x Lira mines

2 x Serpey mines2 x Desna mines

1,200 (2,645)2,000 (4,409)2,000 (4,409)l ,s00 (3,306)3,000 (6,613)1,s20 (3,3s0)1.283 (2,828)2,0t8 (4,448)1,188 (2,619)1,268 (2,795)2,128 (4.69t)1 ,958 (4,316)? 5tR/5 55t\

1,518 (3,346)

new fire-extinguishing system was installed and theengines' foreign object damage (FOD) protectionscreens, made of wire mesh, were provided with ade-icing system.

In addition, a seventh fuel cell (No. 38) was fit-ted, drop tanks were installed at the wingtips andthe liquid oxygen bottles were relocated. The highergross weight required the standard mainwheels tobe replaced with 1,260 x 390 mm (49.6 x 15.35 in.)mainwheels, as on the Il-28R. Finally, a second nosecannon with 100 rounds was installed on thestarboard side (as already mentioned, the produc-tion Il-28T had only the portside forward-fir ingcannon).

Table l2a shows the Il-28TM's weapons configu-rations.

Serialled 4 Red. the aircraft completed its manu-

facturer's flight tests by late June 1953 (the testreport was signed on 30 June) and passed Stateacceptance trials in July (the Soviet Navy's ResearchInstitute No. 15 issued its act of acceptance on IAugust). Still, the I1-28TM fared no better that itscomrades-in-engines, i.e. the other versions sharingthe VK-5 powerplant. The specifications of theII-2STM prototype are given in Table 13.

Il-28-131 guided bomb carrierBack in the early 1950s the Soviet Union startedexperimenting with precision guided munitions(PGMs). An experimental batch of UB-2000Fradio-controlled guided bombs (UB =oopravlyayemaya homba guided bomb) was built

An Il-28- 1 31 with a UB-2F Chaika guided bomb suspended under the fuselage. ( Ye.lirn Gordon archiva )

48 . Ir-vusnrN lr-28 Bn.scLp

Table 13. I|-28TM prototype specifications

Manufacturer'sflight tests

State acceptancetrials

Length overallSpanWing areaWing loading, kg/m' (lb/ft')Power loading at sea level, kdkgp (lb/lb st)Operating empty weight, kg (lb)Normal all-up weight, kg (lb)Maximum AUW (with drop tanks), kg (lb)Maximum AUW (with drop tanks andPSR-1500-15 JATO bottles), kg (lb)Fuel load, kg (lb):

internalwith drop tanks

Payload, kg (lb):normalmaximum

Top speed at22,070 kg (48,655Ib) TOW andtake-off power rating, km/h (kt):

at sea levelat 5,000 m (16,404 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Landing speed, km/h (kt)Rate of climb at22,070 kg TOW and cruise powerrating, m/sec (ftlmin):

at sea levelat 5,000 m (16,404 ft)10,000 m (32,808 f0

Climb time at22,070 kg TOW and cruise powerrating, min:

to 5,000 m (16,404 ft)to 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

Effective range at 10,000 m with drop tanks and45-36AMV torpedo, km (miles)Technical range at 10,000 m/600 kmlh(324 kt) withdrop tanks and 45-36AMV torpedo, km (miles)Technical range at 10,400-12,550 m(34,12041,174 ft)l585-900 km/h (31G486 kt) with drop tanks and45-36AMV torpedo, km (miles)Endurance at 10,000 m with drop tanks and45-36AMV torpedoEndurance at 10,400-12,550 m/585-900 km/h with droptanks and 45-36AMV torpedoTake-off run at maximum TOW, m (ft)Take-off distance at maximum TOW m (ft)Landing run, m (ft)Landing distance, m (ft)

17.65 m (57 ft 10.88 in.)21.45 m (70 ft 4.48 in.)60.8 m'(653.76 sq. ft)

380 (1,846)J.J

13,395 (29,530)18,790 (41,424)22,070 (48,6ss)

22,550 (49,7t3)

3,800 (8,377)6,880 (15,167)

5,397(11,898)8,675 (t9,124)

800 (432.43)',e0l (487.0)836 (451.89)r88.5 (10r.9)

15.4 (3,030)n.22 (2,208)6.8s (1,348)

6.366.85

2,172 (r,349)

2,326 (r,444)

2,499 (r,ssz)

3 hr 48 min

4 hr 20 min

1,090 (3,576)2,055 (6,742)890 (2,920)

1,510 (4,9s4)

366 (r,778)3.s6

13,395 (29,530)18,788 (4l ,4le)22,068 (48,6s0)

n.a.

3,800 (8,377)6,880 (15,167)

s,383 (1 1,867)8,663 (19,098)

800 (432.43)*895 (483.78)837 (4s2.43)178 (96.2)**

16.3 (3,207)9.3 (1,830)4.0 (787)

6.619.5

2,166 (r,345)

2,3rs (1,437)

n.a.

3 hr 4l min

n.a.

r,260 (4,133)2,025 (6,643)

940 (3,084)***2,125 (6,971)***

Notes:* Speed limited because of dynamic strength limit.** Data for VK-l-powered Il-28T.'r'<*'* Data for VK-l-powered Il-28T with a 15,000 kg (33,068 lb) landing weight.

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AhovL' t r ru l Balorr : l l -28 04 Rcd (ch 53005771) is on display at the Russian Air Fbrcc Muscur.n in Moninrr . t . t i tn ( , , , tJ, i l t

l l r , , r r ' . l l -2 l l 0 l Rccl (ch l660l l l07) is pal t o l ' thc opcn-uir d isplay at Moscow-Khodynka air l ic ld. r tL, t i , t ( i r t r thtut

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. . ,1br.,r ' r , . This Beugle. prcscrved at the Civi l Aviat ion Museum in Ulyanovsk (ch 56605702), is supposedly an l l -20. withan appropriate (now fadcd) Sovict f lag and winged Aeroflot logo. Howcver. there ure reasons to bel ieve that i t waspaintecl l ike this rr l ic l comin-u to thc muscLrrr and is rcal ly Sovict Ai l Forcc 38 Rcd! Note t l .rc I l -28 nosc t i l lcs.i IL ' l int ( ionLtn,

Above: This stripped-out hulk of a Beagle sat for many years on the far side of the airfield at Kubinka AB. ( yefim Gordon)

Left: The rear fuselage and tail unitof East German AF Il-28 208 Red,showing the tail turret; the cannonhave been removed, probably to bedisplayed separately. ( Yefim Gordon)

l i , , , r , , t t r , l l j , l , , t t I r j l l r ' j l . l \1 (r ! l l . l l \ r l , r t t t l l ' r ' t tS l i . , l t . t t i .O()( ' -11\r I r ! \ ! r , . ,1 rL l3r u1. / \ ' r ) \ lLr \ !urrr l l

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Above:Polish Air Force I l-28 65 Red (c/n2212) is preserved on the premises of the Off icers'Higher Flying School inDpblin. ( Yt,lin Gordon )

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Ahove ; Work underway on B-5it . Note the excel lent f inish on

-l-"-2-

308 Red, with a hardened aircraft shelter (HAS)this aircraft. rR;Rrr

not meant to, t t . t ,ornt.r behind

-t'>Yrt-

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lboyc. Romanian Air Force BT-5 407 Red is non-airworthv and stored at Bac-au AB. tn..tnrr

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,{sl, \

Ahovc: Looking somewhat weather-beaten, B-5s 703 Red and 706 Red sit on the grass at Baciu in non-f lying condit ion.( RART)

-"S Jfi'

lDoyr,.' Romanian Air Force B-5s parked at Borcea-Fetesti AB. rR.lRrr

Bulgarian I l-28 43 Rcd sits at thc 13ulgarian Air Force MuscLtt. t"t

,4bolr, . NH-2 in ful l splendour at i ts home base. Utt i . /11..1Rr

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, , '1 l l r l r ' . Harbirr H-5 bornbcrs in thc l lnal asser l t r lv shop. , c l t i r ru. : . t t i r t r i r t r t I rn lusrt .

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.4bo,r 'r , . This I l-28. which escaped to Tair.van on l l Novcmber 1966, exempli f ies the green camouflage worn by somePLAAF Beuglt 's. I t is now on display at the ROCAF museum at Taoyuan AB. rn.rRrt

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. '1hr.,rr ' . This H-5 (,14690 Rccl) plescrvcd in thc Peoplc's Libclut ion Arml'Ai l l -orcc Muscr.rnr ut l)atunsshln Al l has rrrrorr-starldrtrd t tosc glazirt-u t i ' i1h a second optical lr ' l lat pancl in t i 'ont. , HL,tutLrr uir lr t t tr

Above: The FNAF Beagles wore crudely applied green and black camouflage. (RARr)

Above: A Nigerian Il-28 sharing the ramp at Enugu with MiG-17F NAF-615. fn,cnr;

Tup Ir-28 Fevlrv . 49

as early as 1953 and tested on specially modifiedIl-28 and Tu-4 bombers. Designed'by a ieam underA. D. Nadiradze, the UB-2-000F 6o.. u certainresemblance to the German Fritz X glidingbomb ofWorld War II vintage, with a sqiashei_X winearrangement to provide adequate ground clearancelHowever._ the wings were oi delta planform withrnset rudders, and the casing had a constant diame_ter (in contrast, the German bomb had trapezoidalwings and a bulged warhead).

Tests showed that two or three smart bombs wereen^ollgh.todestroy a target measuring 30 x 70 m (9gx229 ft) which would have required iire expenditureof 168 FAB-1500 dumb bombs. Hence in 1955 theYB:2.99^0.entered production and was included inrne.vv-5 rnv€nrory as the UB_2F Chaika (Seagull)or 4A-22. About thirty Il_2gs specially equippel tocarry these PGMs were built in 1956.-This weaDonwas carried externally under the fuselage.Outwardly the ll-28-l3l could be identified by-asmall angular fairing under the nose, probably1o_us11g the guidance antenna for the UomU. fn-eUB-2F was also carried by specially modified Tu_16Badger-A bombers which carried iwo such bombson underwing pylons.

I|-28PL anti-submarine warfare aircraftThe late 1950s and early 1960s saw another escala_tion of the Cold War which nearly turned into afull-blown hot war during the Cuban missile cnsis.The deployment of Soviei ballistic missiles to Cubaworried the USA and its NATO allies immensely,causing them to step up their submarine activities.I nrs. ln turn, led the Soviet Union to bolster itsNavy,.including the Naval Air Arm. Not havingenough ASW aircraft to monitor the activities o]Western navies along the Soviet Union.s manneborders-and destroy, the AVMF decided to convertsome of the bombers it had on its strensth.

The aircraft converted for the ASfr role weremostly{u-16 Badgers and ll-2gs. For instance, theBaltic Fleet's 759th OMTAP, (otclel'nyy minno_tor_pednyy aviapolk - independent minelilng and tor_pedo.-bomber regiment) converted tin Il_2gDombers and torpedo_bombers (Il_2gT), which wereredesignated Il-28pL Qtrot ivolodochnyy _ anti_sub_marrne). These aircraft were fitted with the SpARU_55 sonobuoy receiver (,samolyotnoye preeyomnoyeav t o mati c he s ko ye rahdioustroy,, t vo _ aiiboine auto_matic radio receiver device, i955 model; constitut_ing part of the Baku sonar system recently adopted

by the AVMF (the same system was fitted to theKamov Ka-25PL Hormone-A shipboard ASW heli_copter). The bomb bay was big enough ro carry

IGB.-N, sonobuoys (rahdiogiidroak\osticheskiy

booy) and depth charges without requiring modifi_cations.

The SPARU-55 was a superheterodyne receiverworking in the 49.2 to 53.4 MHz waveband. Thisrange was split into eighteen preset frequenciesthrough which the receiver cycled automatically. Ifa signal from a sonobuoy was detected on one ofthefrequencies, the receiver locked onto it, enabline theoperator to determine_1f

lhe sonobuoy had rEallydetected a submarine. If that was the case, he acti_vated the SPARU-55's direction_finder mode, andthe aircraft homed in on the operating buoy toattack the submarine. A major drawbaik ol theSPARU-55 was its long cycling time (in automaticmode it needed I l0 seconds to switch from one buoyto the next!). An outward identification feature ofthe.tl-28PL may have been several additional bladeaerials on the aft fuselage underside; these wereprobably associated with the SpARU-55 receiver.

ln 1962 rhe AT-l ASW torpedo was included inthe AVMF inventory; it could also be carried inter_nal ly by the l l -28pl ,

!9 i1g : .e m (12 f t9.54 in.) tongand weighing 530 kg ( l ,168 lb) .

Officially the reason for the ll_2gpl's existencewas the. necessity to quickly receive ASW supportonce. it had been requested by whoever spotted theunrnendly submarine. s ince the l l_29 was more thantwice as fast as the obsolete piston_engined BeriyevBe-6 Madge_flying boat operited by thE Soviet Navyat the time. Besides, the flying boati were difficult tooperate in winter when their bases froze up. But per_haps the real reason was the naval command s wishto stop the Beagle kennels from being disbanded, asthey inevitably would be, and keep th-e pilots flying.

ln 1966 rhe He of the Bal t ic Fleet.s ai i a imapproached the Soviet Navy's GHe, requesting theformation of two regiments .quipp.A *itt tt.I l-28PL, but the request was turned down.

Il-28Sh attack aircraftIn the late 1950s the Ilyushin OKB consideredadapting the Beagle for the strike role. This involvedinstallation of a battery of twenty unguided rocketsin the bomb bay. This would giu. ia.quute fire_pgyef without spoiling the aircraft's aerodynamicswith high-drag external stores. The launch tubeswere to be mounted almost vertically, firing downand aft; a salvo of rockets equipped with s"haped_charge warheads was expected-to-bi an effective wayof destroying armoured vehicles. The crew was

9 Some sources state the unit as the 769th OMTAP

50 . lr-vusnrN lr-28 Brtcrc

reduced to two, the navigator/bomb aimer beingsuperfluous. But it was quickly established that theefflux of twenty rockets impinging on the airframewould make the aircraft uncontrollable and the ideawas dropped.

However, the limited warload of the fighter-bombers of the period forced the military and theengineers to dust off the idea of an 11-28 attack air-craft. The specification for such an aircraft wasdrawn up in the spring of 1967 before the famousSix-Day War, in fact. The aircraft was to have acombat radius identical to that of the SukhoiSu-7BM Fitter-A fighter-bomber but an ordnanceload two or three times greater. The result was theIl-28Sh (shtoormovik - attack aircraft). It featuredtwelve underwing pylons for unguided rockets fiveoutboard and one inboard of each engine. This wasconsidered a more acceptable approach, even at theexpense of the extra drag created by the externalstores.

Possible weapons configurations included twelveU B- 1 6-57 rocket pods with sixteen 57 mm (2.24 in.)S-5 folding-fin aircraft rockets (FFARs) each,"' orsix 250 mm (9.84 in.) S-24 rockets, or various gunpods, submunitions containers and free-fall bombs.Depending on the mission, the pilot could select asalvo launch or just two pylons, four pylons, etc.Flight tests which began 1n 1967 showed that evenwhen all 192 S-5 rockets or all six S-24 rockets werefired at once, the engines showed no inclination tosurge or flame out.

The Il-28Sh commenced State acceptance trials inOctober 1967. The test pilots reported that the air-craft was suitable for low-level and ultra-low-levelstrike missions. It was established that f lying at -and delivering accurate rocket/bomb strikes fromaltitudes right down to 60 m (196 ft) could be mas-tered by service pilots without any trouble; flyingsti l l loweq though, demanded a lot of concentrationand extra training. The aircraft could be preparedfor a sortie within four hours.

Below 200 m (656 ft) the Il-28Sh had a speed limitof 660 km/h (356 kt). Fuel consumption at low alti-tude increased by 30-50 per cent as compared to thebasic bomber because of the external stores and theaircraft's combat radius with a full load of FFARpods was 295 km (183 miles).

l0 UB = ooniJitseerovannyy blok standardized [FFAR] pod;the UV- I 6-57 designation sometimes found in Western litera-ture is incorrect . S = snar!,ad in this case, unguided rocket.

I I BM = booksirooyemaya mishen' - towed target; py11 = plah-ner-mishen' gliding target. Some sources stated a towingcable length of 20 2,500 m (65-8,202 ft).

--*:;* :,l.:::.' - '

This poor but interesting shot shows the prototypeIl-28Sh attack aircraft during trials. The many underwingpylons are clearly visible. ( Ycfint Gortlon arthivc )

Yet, despite all its merits as a strike aircraft, theIl-28Sh had inadequate armour protection and theejection seats were not yet of the zero-zero type,which meant the crew had no chances of survival ifshot down at low altitude. Hence the Ilyushin OKBdiscontinued development of the Il-28Sh, andthough originally 300 Il-28 bombers were slated forconversion for the ground-attack role, only a fewwere eventually converted at the Soviet Air Force'saircraft overhaul plants and delivered to first-lineunits.

Il-282 A weather reconnaissance aircraft

On 23 February 1959 the State Committee on Aircraft(GKAT - Gosoodahrstvennyy komitet po avialseeonnoytekhnike) issued an order concerning the developmentof the 11-28Z4 (zondirovschchik atmosfery lit. atmos-phere sampler) weather reconnaissance aircraft for civilaviation needs. A few Beagles were converted to thisconfiguration. Unfortunately almost nothing is knownabout this version.

Target-towing versions

a) Soviet versions (Il-288M)Two versions (the basic bomber and the Il-28R)were widely used as target tugs - both for testingnew AA guns and for training fighter pilots. Thespecial equipment for this mission included aBLM-1000 (BLM-1000M) or BLT-5 winch installedin the bomb bay and a77BM-2 (77BM-2M) or PM-3Zh winged target towed on a cable anywherebetween 5 and 2,500 m (16-8,202 ft) long." Fortake-off and landing the target was connected to theaircraft by a rigid link permitting operation fromboth paved and unpaved strips. The bomber versionused short linkage rods, whereas the Il-28R was fit-ted with long ones. The installation of target-towingequipment did not seriously affect the aircraft's CGposition, which stayed well within the prescribed

THr- lL-21{ Frnrr l .51

Anlf-28BMtargct tL lgbasct l or tast i tncl ; t , .c l bornbc.withugl id ingsunncrytar-uct inrow.r l i . / l i l / ( ; t ) r r t ) , t r t t t i t \

w-*'-ao

' t .$r

r l ----€ r\'t

-4.*Arf

Qlxx"'

'12 Bluc' a. I l -28R converted to l l -288M conf igurat io ' (note t ip tanks). tukes of I ' r . r , i t r r a target connected bi , . r ig id tou,-bar' Thc aft position of thc tacticar .oa. ir noti*o,'thy. , li,l;;,, oon,tt urr.rrirt )

52 . IryusurN Ir.-28 Brlctt

Tabfe 14. Comparison of performance characteristics of ll-28 + 77Bl/.2ln combination and Il-28R + PM-3Zhcombination

II-28 + 77BM-2M lf-28R + Pl4.-3Zh

Climb time, min: to 1,000 m (3,280 ft)to 4,000 m (13,123 f t )to 8,000 m(26,246 ft)to l 0, l 00 m (33,1 36 it)to 10,900 m (35,761 ft)

Range at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)/620 km/h (335 kt), km (miles)Range at 8,000 m/540 kmlh (292 kt), km (miles)Maximum range, km (miles)Endurance at 8,000 m/540 km/hMaximum endurancePower loading at sea level, kg/kgp (lb/lb st)

3.54.09.75 t0.2s23.75 24.0

n.a.57.0

845 (524)n.a.

1,475 (916)n.a.

2hr 44 minJ.J

4.010.7 527.2s55.0n.a.n.a.

1,140 (708)r ,555 (96s)2 hr 07 min3hr l lmin

3.56

limits. The target-towing versions are sometimesreferred to as Il-28BM (booksirovschchik misheney -target tug).

The field performance of Il-28 bombers with a20,100 kg(44,312Ib) gross weight and Il-28Rs witha 19 ,822 kg (43 ,699 lb) gross weight enabled them tooperate with targets from concrete airstrips at leastI,800 m (5,905 ft) long. At a gross weight of 22,207kg (48,957 lb), the 11-28R could operate with targetsfrom concrete airstrips at least 2,300 m (1,545 ft)long. Endurance with a towed target was 2.5 hours.

Table 14 above gives some performance char-acteristics of an ll-281778}l-2tr.t4 combination(TOW 20,050 kg144,202 lb, fuel capacity 7,990lit. l l ,757.8 imp. gal.) and an Il-28R/PM-3Zh combi-nation (TOW 22,20'7 kg148,957 lb, fuel capacity9,550 l i t . /2,101 imp. gal . ) .

When towed targets were supplemented by rocket-powered target drones the Il-28 target tugs were con-verted into combined tugs/drone launchers. Thedrones were carried on underwing pylons betweenthe nacelles and fuselage in much the same way as theupgraded Il-28T carried torpedoes. They werelaunched and flew on towards the shooting rangewhen the aircraft reached an appropriate altitude.

Apart from towed targets, the II-28BM based on thestandard bomber version could carry PM-6R andPM-6G target drones (PM = pikeeruyuschchayamishen' diving target). These looked rather likebombs with overgrown fins and were equipped withsmoke tracers and recovery parachutes. The I1-28Rand I1-28T could not be modified to carry these dronesbecause of the reconnaissance and torpedo-bomberversions'increased TOW (which would be excessive ifthe drones were carried) and some structural detailswhich rendered the conversion impossible.

The PM-6 drones were carried on special under-wing pylons attached on two pairs of swept V-struts.

The delivery system spun up the drones'stabil izinggyros, using power from the carrier aircraft, anddropped the drones singly or simultaneously at apreset alt itude between 2,300 and 8,000 m(7,545-26,246 ft). The drones were aimed using theoptical sight or radar; in an emergency they couldbe dropped by either the pilot or the navigator. Withtwo drones the aircraft's service ceiling was limitedto 9,600 m (31.496 ft). and the take-off runincreased by 300 m (984 ft).

b) East German versionThe East German I1-28s converted into target tugsdiffered slightly from their Soviet counterparts, asno rigid targets were used. A drum with a 2,000 m(6,560 ft) steel cable was carried in the bomb bay onthe standard bomb cradles. To this a fabric 'sock'8 m (26 ft) long and I m (3 ft) in diameter wasattached; it was neatly rolled up and suspendedfrom the bomb cradles before flight. A small rollerwas attached to the lower fuselage to stop the cablefrom scuffing the fuselage skin as it paid out. Sometypes of anti-aircraft guns (including the 5-60) wereradar-directed, so aluminium cones had to beinserted into the sock to provide aradar signature.

Prior to entering the shooting range the pilot low-ered the flaps 20" and slowed the aircraft to280 kmih (155.5 k0 to prevent the target from beingripped apart or torn off by the slipstream as itunfolded. The navigator then dropped the target,which unwound the cable as it deployed; the drumwas fitted with a centrifugal brake to make sure thecable unwound smoothly. Two or three minutes laterthe target was fully deployed, the observer in thegunner's cabin monitoring it. (All armament wasusually removed.)

When the sortie was completed the cable and tar-get were jettisoned, usually by means of a pneu-

THE Ir--28 Fevu-y . 53

matic release mechanism, but the cable could also becut by a pyrotechnical guillotine in case of malfunc-tion. After landing the cable was rewound and readyfor another mission; the target could also be reused,unless it had been shot to shreds.

c) Romanian versionAt least one Romanian Air Force Harbin H-5(Chinese-built l l-28, see below), serialled 307 Redwas converted for target-towing duties, using equip-ment developed by the Air Target Sweden AB com-pany. An MBVTS Mk 3 target-towing winch wasinstalled in the bomb bay, with a faired cable outletamidships; the cable was 4,500 m (14,765 ft) long.The winch worked with a KR-45-430 sleeve-typetarget equipped with an AS-l3lSC acoustic missdistance sensor; the target was hooked up under thefuselage before flight.

Il-28M target droneBesides towing targets, many Beagles ended up astargets themselves! In the late 1950s many obsoleteIl-28 bombers were converted into remote-con-trolled high-speed target drones designated I1-28M(for mishen'(target)) and used for testing new anti-aircraft missile systems. To be precise, developmentof this version was brought about by Semyon A.Lavochkin's OKB-301. which started desisn workon the Model 400 surface-to-air missile in 1955.This missile was intended for point defence ofimportant targets, such as major industrial cit ies,

and designed to destroy aircraft with a radar cross-section (RCS) similar to that of the 11-28.

The radio control system enabled the Il-28M totake off, climb to cruise altitude, make manoeuvresand land if the drone was lucky enough to stay inone piece. At first this was often the case - the firstprototypes of the Model400 SAM did not score asingle hit on the drones! Another anti-aircraft mis-sile developed by the Lavochkin OKB, the 2074,was tested between June 1953 and November 1954;for instance, three test launches against Il-28Mswere made in October 1953, two of the missileshaving shaped-charge warheads and the third adirectional fragmentation warhead. State accept-ance trials of the 207Abegan in September 1953,using Il-28Ms and Tu-4s as targets. The targetdrones flew at 9,500-20,000 m (31,168 65,616 ft)and up to 35 km (21.7 miles) from the launch site.All the targets were either destroyed or substantiallydamaged, the missiles'accuracy being within 7 58 m(23 190 ft).

Not all I l-2SMs were radio-controlled. however.Some Beagles phased out by the VVS were given abrush-up by the manufacturer to make suremechanical failure would not prevent the aircraftfrom fulfilling its final mission. Then a pilot wouldtake the doomed bomber into the air, cl imb to a pre-determined altitude, engage the autopilot and ejectwhen told to do so by ground control. Test pilotFyodor D. Bogdanov made 3l such fl ights in1952-7, e ject ing at 12,500 m (41,010 f t ) .

Il-28BMs were also supplied to foreign customers; this is Finnish Air Force NH-3. another converted Il-28R( Yclitrr Gordon arthitc )

54 . It-yusrrrN It-28 Btm.r.

..:ii.i

', ,' , f,,,;,li"' riiltli1i',f r,

. ,.;, t:,i:l*1,i:!

',;,l.;*mlMAn ll-28M target drone seen through the gunsight of an attacking fighter. ( yt'firtt Gorttrtn urcttirL )

Test and development aircraft

I. Avionics testbeds

a) Il-28LL radar testbedOne Il-28 (identity unknown) was converted in 1952for testing the RP-6 Sokol (Falcon) radar'r and des-ignated Il-28LL (lctay'uscht:lutyu luborutoriyu - lit.f ly ing laboratory). ' r This radar wi th a 30 km (16.2nm) detection range had been developed byOKB-339 under G. M. Koonyavskiy for two inter-ceptors the Yakovlev Yak-120, which entered pro-duction and service as the Yak-2 5 Flashlight-A, andthe Lavochkin La-200B. Init ial tests were performedon a converted Boeing B-l7G Flying Fortress.(While this type was not officially supplied under

l2 RP = rahiiopraetsel radio sight; this was the Soviet term fbrl i re control ladar: at the t imc.

l3 This Russian term is used indiscr iminately and can denoteany kind of testbcd (avionlcs. engine, equipment, ucapons.etc.), an aerodynamics research aircrali or control configuredvehicle (CCV), a weather research aircrali, a geophysical sur-vey aircraft. etc.

the Lend-Lease programme, a number of B-l7swhich had crash-landed on Soviet-held bases afterraids on Germany were repaired and used by theSoviet Air Force.) When it transpired that develop-ment of the Yakovlev fighter was taking longer thanpredicted and that the La-200 would be the firsr toreceive the new radar, Semyon A. Lavochkin sug-gested that a heavy aircraft but a faster one than theB-17 be used to bring the radar up to scratch. TheIl-28 was the obvious choice.

To accommodate the radar the bomber's noseglazing was cut away at fuselage frame 2 andreplaced by a cylindrical metal structure (part of theYak-120's nose incorporating the avionics bay). Thehuge dish of the RP-6 was enclosed by a large glass-fibre radome which had an almost hemisphericalfront end instead of the usual pointed or ogivalshape. The conversion work was done by LavochkinOKB specialists under the supervision of theIlyushin OKB (which was not directly interested inthe project but held responsibil i ty for the Il-28anyway).

The famous test pilot Mark L. Gallai f lew theIl-28LL, with R. A. Razumov as test engineer; thelatter was the worse off. sittins in a dark and

Tue Ir-28 Fenrly . 55

extremely cramped bay aft of the radar set all thatremained of the navigator's station. A total of 33fl ights was made without any problems; the test pro-gramme, which ended in December 1952. includedsimulated interception of real aircraft. Later, tests ofthe Sokol radar continued on the La-200B interceo-tor prototype which, alter being rejected by theVVS. found Lrse as a testbed. By the end of 1953 theradar had been perfected and was fitted to the late-production Yak-25M from l954 onwards. replacingthe RP-ID Izumrood (Emerald) retdar fitted toearly Yak-25s as a stopgap measure.

h) missile tugeting systems research aircraftIn 1960 the Ministry of Defence's Central ResearchInstitute No. 30 (TsNII-30 Tsentrahl'ny.r' runochno-issleiltvatcl',;kir institoot) ioined lorces with NII-2and the Research Institute of the State Con-rmittee forElectronics (NIl GKRE rurctochno-isslefutwtal',tkiti n.s I i t oot G o,; o t t tlahr s t t) c t1 n ot) ( ) li t t m i t c t u p o ra h t I i t t t, I c i -tronikc) to develop active radar homing systems loranti-shipping missiles. To this end it was nccessary toanalyse the characteristics of the radar pulse reflectedliorn surlhce ships. ThLrs an Il-28 and a Lisunov Li-2Cab transport (tr l icence-built Douglas DC-3 deriva-tive) were cclnverted into avionics testbeds equippedwith two expcrimental radars and special recordingeqLl lpment.

The nteasurement and recording system (MRS)

developed by NII-2 was housed in the Beugle'sbomb bay. It included a high-speed cine-cameracapturing the radar pulses reflected fiom the shipand appearing as l ines on the radar display. The twotestbeds made more than fi l iv f l ishts fromKirovskoye airbase on the Crimean Peninsula,r.rsing Black Sea Fleet cruisers, destroyers and mrne-sweepers as targets. The ships were either anchoredon the roadstead at Feodosiya or moved on prede-termined headings. Measurements were rnade in 38f l ights at 2.000 5.000 m (6.651 16.404 f t ) and110 167 m/sec (360 547l t /sec)at l0 50 km(5.4 21nm) range.

Forty-three measurements were made with tlrecruisers, 64 wi th destroyers and 40 with mine-sweepers at var ious s ight ing angles in var ious seastate conditions. The results were analysed by acomputer. which made i t possible to develop algo-r i thms lbr determining the class of 'a ship in a group,this helped to develop guidance systems fbr stand-ol1 ' ant i -shipping missi les.

c)An I I -28U codecl l8 Bluc was apparcut ly convcrtedinto an avionics testbecl of some sot'1, sporting sev-cral non-standard aer ia ls undcr the lbrward andrear luselage. Untbrtunatcly no detai ls arc knowrr of-th is aircraf l ; i t may have bcen a navaids cal ibrat ion{ f l igh t ehcckcr) l i lcr l l i .

This I l-28U. cocled l8 Blue. appears tcl have been conve rted to an avionics testbccl of sonrc kipdl lotc the lany non-sran-dard aerials unclcr the ftrselage. i St,r.qt,.r ttnl Dntitt it Kt)tni.\\trn)t.rtt(.lti\(, t

56 . IryusHrN lt-28 Bs,tc;rc

Blue (c/n 53005710), an ejection seat testbed used totest, among other things, the ejection seat of theVostok's re-entry vehicle. lntereitingly, this aircrafthas likewise been referred to as Il-2giL.

The bulky Vostok ejection seat was installed in

\

l0 Blue' the Il-28LL ejectionseat testbed' f ir ing the seat.for the vostok spacecralt 's re-entry vehicle. Note the photo cali-bration markings on the fuselage and tail an<J ihe dual cine-camera iairiits on each wingtip. ( ycfirn Gorrrotr urtttitL,)

II. II-28LL ejection seat testbedThe Il-28 was extensively used for research and devel_opment work. In the early 1960s several aircraft wereconverted into testbeds for various systems of the,Vostok (East) manned spacecraft under developmentby Sergey P. Korolyov's team. One of these was l0

close-up of the vostok ejection seat as it clears the superstructure above the modified bomb bay. ( yeJint Gorrron urt:hive )

Trrr, Ir.-2E F.,rr.rrn . 57

ft t

Arrothcl vicu' ol ' thc Vostok e' jcct ion sculplr tnc in t f rc brtckgr-outtr l . . \Lt .qr ' r Lrr t l l \ t t i r t i t

i rs i t sc1-r l l l tcs lhrnr thc I l -2E" spout inu tcrr i l ic l l i rnrcs. Notc t l rc SM-50 chrsuhr t r t t i :ur r r t r t r r t l t i r r ' t

t

t*

p'd{*#"

Thcsalr lcai l .cra1iasi t l l |csa| lothcf

58 . I lyusurN h.-28 Bt. .u;r . t

*

I;.i,id!!a&!i

Atlcx1- lct . i I l lcnta|sclr t isc1jcctccl l . r r lnr thccl l lcanopy, shi t t ler ins thc gl i rz int r ' ih ic l r is paintcd in str ipcs l 'of bct tcr v isul l izat ion. Notc thc stabi l iz ing boonrs t ippecl wi thclr t lguc palachtt lcs cr tct t t l i t t -u ul l l i rnr thc l tc lc l lcst : th is nral ,be an clr ' l l , rc ls ion ol ' thc l i rntous Zvczcla K-36 seat.t |L ' l iut ( i t rhtr t tn hirL t

the f airccl-ovel' bontb bay intmcdintely ahcacl ol ' thcwir.rg torsior.r box atrcl protfuclccl abovc the r.rpperlirselage; hcncc a lalgc tcardrop lairing lvith l ' lat-tcnecl s ides had to be instal led af i o l ' the pi lot 's cock-pi t to protcct the test p i lot s i t t ing in the scat l ion.rthe s l ipstrearn. Addi t ional ly. the la i l gunner 's com-partnrcnt was rcplaced by a large slab-sic led l i r i r ingextending n-rucl.r l irrther ali. f l 'ont whicl 'r ar.rotl.rcr'e' jection scat coll ld bc flrecl both upwards ancl down-wards. Cir.rc-camerits wcre lnoulttccl in teardroo thir-ings abovc and below the wingt ips to captuie theejection seqLlcnce.

The Vostok ejection seat wils tcsted succcsslirl lyby future cosmonaut Ghcrrnan Titov. The Mikol,anSM-50 l ighter (aka MiG-l9SU. an cxper imenralversion ol ' the MiG-l9SF l -urntcr-C with a r , 'entralU- l9 l iquid-propcl lant rockct booster) acted aschase plane and car.nera ship.

III. In-fl ight ref'uell ing system testbeds

a ) .fightcr I F R s1,s1s111 integrutionA Volonczl"r-blr i l t I l -28 (01 Rect. c/n 2402101)wasconvertcd into u n.rakeshi f l tanker t ra iner used lortest ing thc l rose-and-dloguc l l ight refucl l ing systemdcvcloped by OKB-918 led by Giry I ly ich Scver in. 'Thc ailcrafi workecl with the tl.rc tenth nroductionGor 'k iy-bui l t MiG- l9 Fi l nr t , r - ,4 e oclcd l0 Recl(c/n -592101 l0) , converted at LI I in latc 1957. Thislighter l.rad no fewcr thar.r tbur ciur.nrny refuell ingprobes (onc ahead ol- the windshield and three or.r

1.1 Nou thc Zvczda (Staf ) . lo int-Stock ( 'ontpanv. The companylatcr c ievelopcd the Lt IAZ- lA Sakhal in podi lecl HDLJ( LJ PAZ = o t t t t i f i t s cc n l't r tt r t t .t p ot l t t.t rtoy' tr.g rt' gu ht : tt pruht l; is tundaldizecl suspcrrded. i .c. cr te lnal lc l i rc l l ing uni t ) usccl onthe I l -7U/t l -7 i lM , I . / i r1a,r tarrker. but is besl knou'n f i r r i ts K-36L' lect lon seal .

Tup h--28 Farrarry . 59

Though of poor quality, these shots are extremely interesting. showing an Il-28 refuelling tanker trailing a hose from thebomb bay, and another Beagle equipped with a nose-mounted refuelling probe taking on fuel from this aircraft. (t:,'li,'tGordon qrdtiY,)

the port wing) because the best location had to bedetermined experimentally.

An experimental winch emulating a hose drumunit (HDU) was installed in the Il-28's bomb bay,paying out a 5 mm (0.19 in.) steel cable with adrogue of 640 mm (2 f t l . l9 in.) d iameter to a point42 m (137 ft) beyond the bomber's tail. Init ially a36keQ9lb) unstabil ized drogue was used. After thefirst four flights, however, it was replaced with adrogue incorporating a stabil izing device 100 mm(3.93 in.) wide mounted 60 mm (2.36 in.) f rom thebase. Both models had a lock for engaging theprobe.

The MiG- 19 would make contact with the tankerat 7,000 m (22,965 ft) and 450470 km/h(250 261 kt) IAS, approaching from a stand-byposition 10 20 m (32 65 ft) behind the drogue.Contact was usually made in a climb, with or with-out side slip. Approach speed varied from 0.3 to12 m/sec (1-39 ft lsec) or l-30 km/h (0.54-16.2kt)IAS. After making contact the MiG-19 stayedlocked into the drogue for 3 5 seconds, then sloweddown and broke away. For safety's sake the drogue

Table 15. In-flight refuelling test results

lock was set at an unlocking force of 60 80 kg(132-1761b). Usually the fighter carried drop tanksto increase mission time.

Test pilot NikolaiO. Goryaynov (who has the dis-tinction of being the first Soviet pilot to successfullyrefuel a heavy bomber in flight) was assigned projecttest pilot for the tanker trainer. On 28 August 1957he made a fl ight to check the operation of thewinch. The drogue was deployed at 7,000 m(22,965 f t ) and 400, 450, 500 and 550 km/h (216,243, 270 and 297 kt) IAS. After that, test pilotsS. F. Mashkovskiy, Pyotr I. Kaz'min and Sergey N.Anokhin made ten refuell ing fl ights, as detailed inthe table below.

The tenth fl ight had to be cut short when the drogueentered the fighter's air intake and collapsed, thedebris damaging one of the engines. The trialsshowed that the chances of making contact with thetanker depended mainly on the drogue's stabil ity,which left much to be desired, as the drogue twistedviolently in the slipstream.

Date MiG-19 pilot Successful attempts

No. INo.2No.3No.4No.5No.6No.7No.8No.9No. 10

18 September20 September24 September27 September

3 Octoberl6 October30 OctoberI November7 December27 December

MashkovskiyMashkovskiyMashkovskiyMashkovskiyMashkovskiy

AnokhinMashkovskiyMashkovskiy

Kaz'minKaz'min

2 of 4 (nose probe)2 of 7 (nose probe)2 of 5 (nose probe)No contactI of332ol 41I of 122of349of30No contact

60 . Iryusunr h.-28 Br:.t<;t,t.

Thc I l-28LSh tcstbcd was clcvelopccl to invcstigatc thccxper i r rcntal skic l . ancl thc bul last cor.r tu incr to which i t

possibi l i ty o l 'using skis on tact ical a i rcral t . This v icw shows theis attachcd. in thc l i r l ly raisccl posit ior l . i t i , l int ( iouto11 11sa.t11y,,1

&*

;!

The l l -28LSh (12I l i ' l int Grrdon t trc l t i t t t

c/r-r 5300-5 l l2) with thc skid f ir l ly lowcred. Note thc non-retractable twin mainwheels

TsE l--28 Faurv . 6l

b) bomber IFR system testsIn due course the Soviet military put forward morestringent requirements, which the Il-28 could nolonger meet. One of the greatest deficiencies was theBeagle's inadequate range. However, at that stage itwas deemed inadvisable to retire the many l1-28s inVVS service, so someone suggested retrofitting thebombers with the probe-and-drogue refuelling sys-tem. To this end two more ll-28s were converted forreal-life IFR system tests. One of them was a tankerwith a real HDU in the bomb bay, while the otherBeagle featured a fixed refuelling probe offset toport above the navigator's station. The two aircraftmade successful contacts but the system was not fit-ted to Soviet Air Force Il-28s because Aleksandr S.Yakovlev's OKB-115 brought out the more promis-ingYak-129 supersonic tactical bomber which even-tually entered production and service as the Yak-28Brewer.

IV. Landing gear testbeds

a) Il-28LShIn 1958 a Moscow-built Il-28 coded 12 Red (c/n530051 l2) was converted into the I1-28LSh testbed(LSh = lyzhnoye shassee - ski landing gear) for test-ing the efficiency and durability of aircraft skisdesigned for dirt strips. The aircraft was fitted with asemi-retractable sprung skid under the centre fuse-lage. The skid was equipped with pressure sensorsand mounted on a hollow box which could be fil led

with ballast to test it for various loads; the wholeassembly could be raised and lowered by hydraulicrams. The nose gear unit was fitted with largerwheels and the the main units had widely spacedtwin wheels rather than the usual single ones.This modified undercarriage could not be retracted,so the mainwheel well doors were deleted toavoid making contact with the wheels. The skid wastested on airstrips with various soil densities; theaircraft made high-speed runs but did not becomeairborne.

h) tracked landing gear testbedTo enhance the Beagle's ability to operate from tac-tical airfields a special tracked landing gear wasdesigned, built and tested on anIl-28 pursuant to aCouncil of Ministers directive of 11 January 1951.It allowed the bomber to operate from soft, wet,soggy or snow-covered airfields which renderedtake-off with a conventional wheeled landing gearvery diflicult or utterly impossible. The tests wereconsidered successful, but owing to the extra weightand complexity of the experimental landing gear, itwas not retrofitted to production aircraft.

V. Engine testbedsa) Soviet testbedOne Il-28R (identity unknown) was modified to testa liquid-propellant rocket motor developed byL. S. Dooshkin. The experimental powerplant was

#si

The Il-28 LSh runs along a dirt strip. ( Yclim Gordon un:hiye )

62 . Ir-yusHrr.r lt-28 Brx;tt

This l l -28Rscrvcdasalcstbcdlbr al iquid-propel lantrockctmotoldevclopedbyL.s.Dooshkin. l t t , l i t r tGort t . r turct t i r t ' )

instal led in a short fa i r ing shapcd l ike a croppedcone supplant ing the gunncr 's stal ion. Thc teststook place in 1953 7.

h) Eust German e,tgine testhedsFew remember nowadays that E,ast Germany hadan aircraft industry of its own. Besides buildingthe I l - l4P air l iner under l icence in Dresden. theGermans designed their own aircraft as well. Inthe early 1950s Brunolf Baade started work on the152 a J2-seat medium-har.rl airl iner powered byfour indigenous Pirna 014 turbojets rated at3. I 50 kgp t6.944 lb st t .

Design work on the engine began in 1955, and theprototype was bench-run a year later. As the fl ighttest stage approached, VEB Entwicklungsbau Pirna(Pirna Development & Manufacturing) at Pirna-Sonnenstein bought an 11-28R (c/n 1418) and con-verted it into an engine testbed. The reconnaissanceversion was chosen because of the stronger landinggear a useful feature, since the engine alone, notincluding the test instrumentation, weighed 1,060kg (2,336 lb). The aircraft was delivered stm:; radarand armament and registered DM-ZZI. Curiously,

it carried the West German flag on the fin forsome obscure reason the elaborate coat of armsplaced in the centre of the otherwise identical EastGerman flag had been omitted.

The experimental engine was housed in a largenacelle under the centre fuselage (called Trop/bn,drop [of water], in local slang); the bomb bay doorswere laired over. To prevent FOD on take-off/landing and windmill ing during cruise, the airintake was closed by a hydraulically actuatedshutter which the test engineer could open or closeby means of a hand-driven pump at up to 350 km/h(194 kt). The lower l ip of the intake was flattened,resulting in a shape not unlike that of the Boeing731-30014001500; this was probably owing to theshape of the shutter rather than to inletaerodynamics. The lower aft fuselage was covered

I 5 In Western publications the aircrafi is often called BB 152 or VEB-152; however. (former) East German sources invariably relbr to theaircraft simply as the 152. In lact. the prototypes should have beendesignated EF 152 (for Ennrfu'klungsflug:eug der,elopment air-craft), in keeping with the traditions of Junkers AG where Baadehad once worked, but this designation was not taken uo

THe Ir--28 Fevrrv . 63

t

Avia 8-228 6915 (c/n 56915) was used to test two jet engines. Here i t is shown with a Walter M-701 turbojet instal led inplaceof thetai l turret; notetheventral air intake. (Yt ' / imGontonurtt t i r .a)

The same aircraft in its latter days. The recontoured tail lairing once housed an Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan but theengine is removed here and the ventral intake andjetpipe laired over. In this guise 569,l 5 was used for testing rescue para-chutes by dropping dummies. I Yelitn Gordon unhive )

64 . IlvusHrt.r 1,-28 Br.x;t,r-,

by some kind of heat-resistant gunk to protect itfrom thejet blast.

The bomb bay housed test instrumentation - apriming tank, a data recorder, an instrument Daneland an AK 8 or AK 16 remote-controlled cine-camera (or a sti l l camera) with appropriate l ightingto fihn the instrument readings. The navigator wascxiled to the gunner's cabin from which he kept an eyeon the test engine via forward-view mirrors under thetailplanes, watching out for a possible fire, fuel leaks,etc. The regular navigator's compartment housed thetest engineer, the Pirna 014's controls and moreinstruments. One of the fuel cells had to be removed,but the wingtip luel tanks made up for this.

The first f l ight-cleared engine (the pirna 014v-9)rn was fltted to DM-ZZI in lg5g. For groundruns. the aircraft was wheeled onto special eLvatedsupports to minimize FOD r isk. Final lv. on l lSeptember the aircraft made its f irst test f l icht fromDresden-Klotzsche airport (which was also-the seatof VEB Flugzeugbau Dresden and a major air forcebase).

The test programme included performance test-ing at a l t i tudes up ro 12,500 m (41,010 f t ) in 500 m

(1,640 ft) increments and speeds up to Mach 0.7g.Flight idling rpm and windmill ing rpm at variousspeeds and altitudes were determined, relight posst-bi l i t ies at up ro 12,000 m (39,370 fr)and the incl ina-tion to surge in different f l ight conditions werechecked, icing tests and ground noise level measure-ments were made. For safety reasons the develop-ment engine was always started at alt itudes in excessof 600 m ( 1,968 f t ) .

Flights were typically made in a racetrack patternbetween the towns of Pulsni tz and Stolpen in thenorth-east (near the outer marker beacon ofDresden-Klotzsche) and the towns of Floha andZschopau to the south-west (near Karl-Marx-Stadt

now Chemnitz). Performance and handling dif-fered l itt le lrom that of a standard Il-28, except thatwi th the tesl engine running at lu l l power t i re air-craft's rate of climb increased to 35 m/sec(6,888 ft lmin). In level f l ighr at 10,000 m (32,808 fr)the testbed reached speeds of nearly 900 km/h (486kt) , so the main engines had to be throt t led back soas not to exceed the l l -28's design l imi t of Mach 0.7.

DM-ZZI made a total of 109 test f l iehts: the lastfl ight took place on 22 February igOt *itt.r o

' t;t ! -rr

%.

Acrof1ot personnel carry sacks of mail lrom an Il-20 mailplane (c/n 5400577 7). I rtlinr Gortton urt.hire )

Tur L-28 Feurry . 65

production-standard Pirna 014,{-l built atLudwigsfelde. However, the test programme wastaking rather longer than anticipated, so anotherIl-28R (cln 5901207) was converted into an identicaltestbed, registered DM-ZZK, to speed up the tests.This aircraft made 102 flights between 26 February1960 and l2 June 1961 (the last flight was with pirna014 V-28). Other examples of the engine installed onthe two aircraft included Pirna 014 V-20 (the firstPirna 0l4,{-1) and Pirna 0l4V-22.

Technically the tests went well - in fact, the engineperformed rather better than expected. However,there were incidents of a different nature. On oneoccasion (28 March 1960) DM-ZZK, crewed bypilot Gerhard Puhlmann, navigator/radio operatorHelmut Krattz and test engineer Klaus-HermannMewes, was intercepted by three Soviet Air Force(296th APIB)r7 MiG-l7Fs. An aircraft had left theinternational air route near Magdeburg; hence theairspace had been closed, and Dresden ATC hadneglected to call the 11-28 back promptly. The MiGshad scrambled from the nearby airbase atGrossenhain, expecting to find a Western spyplane

and the West German flag on the tail certainly didnot help! One of the fighters lined up in front, withthe others on the flanks, and unambiguously sig-nalled the crew to follow them to Grossenhain.Luckily the situation was quickly clarified when thejustifiably alarmed pilot called Dresden ATC, whichpromptly contacted the Soviet airbase and straight-ened things out. Even so, it was a nasty experiencefor the crew!

That was not the end of it. After landing atDresden the cine-camera was reloaded, fresh chartpaper was loaded into the test equipment recordersand the aircraft took off again to complete the day'stest programme which had been so rudely inter-rupted. As it did so, a lreak gust of wind caught itfrom behind, causing the aircraft to bounce twicebefore leaving the ground -just missing the localizerat the far end of the runway! Fearing that the main-wheel tyres were damaged and might explode athigh altitude, the crew chose to terminate theassignment and land. It was just as well that theydid: the tyres were indeed ruined and neededreplacement. The day's programme had gone downthe drain.

Meanwhile, the 152 V-l (DM-ZYA) was rolledout in Dresden on 30 April 1958. On 4 Decemberthe aircraft made its first flight, powered by MikulinRD-9B turbojets since no flight-cleared pirna 014engines were available yet. Three months later, on 4March 1959, the prototype crashed owing to a fuelsystem defect, killing the crew. The much-modifiedsecond prototype (152V-4, DM-ZYB), powered by

Pirna 0144-l engines, flew on 26 August 1960; thedefect was soon discovered during defuelling testsand could be easily rectified. The third prototype(DM-ZYC) was completed in due course and thefirst 28 production aircraft were in various stages ofcompletion.

Then the East German government lowered theboom. It had long considered the local aircraftindustry unprofitable, and in late November 1960 itwas decided to eliminate the industry altogether. BigBrother would supply East Germany with all theaircraft she needed anyway. And by mid-1961 theBB 152 (and hence the Pirna 014) was abandoned.DM-ZZI andDM-ZZK were reconverted to Il-28Rstandard and delivered to the East German AirForce as 180 Black and 184 Black respectivelv on INovember l96l for use as target tugt. th. nauiga-tor's station was reinstated, but the armament andradar were still missing.

(As a point of interest, the Germans were vindi-cated before long. The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-30/Yak-32 advanced trainers and Beriyev Be-30/Be-32feederliner were similarly victimized by the COME-CON strategists in the mid- 1960s, even though theywere at least as good as the Aero L-29 Delfin andLet L-410 Turbolet pressed into Soviet service.)

c) CTech enginelparachute testbedA Czech Air Force Il-28 (Avia B-228) serialled 6915(c/n 56915) was converted into an engine testbed byWalter (currently named Motorlet) in June 1960.Originally it served to test the indigenous 890 kgp(1,960 lb st) Walter M-701 turbojet developed forthe Aero L-29 Delfin advanced trainer. The cen-trifugal-flow turbojet was rather too portly to fitunder the Beagle's fuselage, so a rather unorthodoxinstallation was chosen - the engine was mounted inan ogival fairing instead of the tail turret, breathingthrough a ventral 'elephant's-ear' air intake. Thebomb bay was occupied by test instrumentation.

Later the same machine was used to test the1,500 kgp (3,306Ib st) AI-25TL rurbofan in a recon-toured and more elongated fairing. This Sovietengine, designed by OKB-478 under Aleksey G.Ivchenko, powered the Aero L-39 Albatrosadvanced trainer (the licence-built version wassometimes referred to as the Walter Titan). Theengine and associated equipment were subsequentlyremoved but for some obscure reason the lons fair-ing was retained. though the air intake and iozzle

16 Y = Versuchsmuster - Iest article or development aircraft.17 APIB = aviapolk istrebiteley-hombardiroviththikuv fighter-

bomber regiment (= fighter-bomber wing).

66 . lrvusurN It-28 Bt.t<;tt

were f-aired over. In this configuration the aircraftwas used to test new models of parachutes by drop-ping dummies fi l led with sand.

d) il-28HThe type did some development work in Poland aswel l . One I l -28. ser ia l led l l9 Bluc. was transferredto the 1n.rl.1:lut Lotnit ' tvu (lnstitute of Aviation) inWarsaw and converted into an engine testbed desig-nated Il-28H (huntowniu test rig or, in this case,testbed). It was r-rsed to test the indigenous1,000 kgp (2.204l .b st) PZl-Rzeszow SO-l turbo-jet' ' developed fbr the PZL TS-l l Iskra (Spark)advanced trainer.

The enginc was installed on a special mount andwas semi-recessed in the open bomb bay when onthe ground. It was lowered clear of the fuselage byhydraulic rams before startup; for ground runs theaircraft was parked over a special trench. The exper-imental engine's controls were instal led in thc navr-gator's comparrtment where the test engineer sat.The test programmc was successfully completed inthc spr ing of 1964. Later the l l -28H was used as a

carrier/launcher for the indigenous Mak-30remotely piloted vehicle (RPV).

VI. Parachute testbed

Two Polish Air Force l l-28s, 001 Red and 2 Red,were used by the Polish Air Force's TechnicalInstitute (ITWL Inst),tut Te(hnit':n.v Wl.jskLotnic:1,1'f i) to test the PB-28 brake parachute with a7 m(23 f t )d iameter.

Il-20 (ll-28P) mailplane

The Bcugle had a paw in the development of civil jetaviation in the Soviet Union as well. In order tofamiliarize pilots and ground personnel of Aeroflot(the sole Soviet airl ine) with jets and help Aeroflotto gain practical experience operating them, a fewdemilitarized Il-28 bombers were transferred to theairl ine. Tl.rese aircraft were designated Il-20"' orll-28P (pochtovvl' f,sumolyotl mailplane). The typewas chosen carefully. as the l l-28 was easy to fly andservice and posed no problems for Aeroflot crews

.l' I

lv,t

Another l l-20. SSSR-L ...538 (the first digit is i l legible; c/n 54006104). Unlike cln 54005717, this example has a civil-stylecolour scheme with a red cheatline and blue pinstripe, not just Aeroflot titles and logo. 1 Y"1im Gortlon urtlutc 1

f

t

TUE Il-28 Feurr-v . 67

Aeroflot pi lots read a fresh newspaper which has just been del ivered by an l l -20. This was one ol ' the perks of the.iob!rScrwluntl Dntitrit Kortti.tvnt uxltiv )

f ly ing I l -12 and Lisunov Li-2P (or Douglas C-47Dakota) airl iners. The Il-28's high speed, long-rangeand modern (in its day) avionics allowed the crewsto quickly master jet aircraft f lying techniques, andeased the subsequent transition to the big jets con-siderably. The aircraft's good field performanceenabled it to use most civil ian airports of the time.

The first group of Aeroflot f l ight crews startedconversion training for the 11-20 in October 1953,and the type began carrying freight and mail in late1954. The Il-20 was much used to deliver matrices ofthe Pravda and lzvestiyd central newspapers fromMoscow to Irkutsk, where both papers had addi-tional print shops. If the papers were delivered allthe way from Moscow they would be one day old bythe time they reached the Far Eastern regions of theSoviet Union, and who wants yesterday's news?Together with the so-called Tu-104G (groozovoycargo, used attributively), which was really a demili-tarized Tu-lr6 Budger-l bomber, the Il-20 enabledAeroflot to develop a training programme whichspeeded up the introduction of the first Soviet jetairl iner the Tu-104 Camel.

Foreign production

a) Chinese productionAs i t d id wi th many Soviet types, China bui l t theIl-28 v'it l tout the benellt of a l icence. This pirucybegan after the rift in Sino-Soviet relations over idc-ological differences in the mid-1960s put an end tc'rnew aircraft deliveries from the USSR. Since Chinahad no indigenous tactical bomber, there was nooption but to copy a Soviet design.

ln 1964 the aircraft factory in Harbin startedmanulacturing spare parts for the Soviet-built I l-28soperated by the Chinese air arm. This logically ledto the production of complete aircraft; constructionof the first two airframes - the prototype and astatic test airframe also began in 1964, and thefirst locally manufactured Il-28 took to the air on 25

l 8 SO = si ln ik oir :uturv jet engine.I 9 The designation was reused, initially being used lbr the exper-

imental ground at tack aircraf t of 1948. I t was subsequent lyre-reused fbr yet another spin-of f of the I l - l8D an ELINTaircrali (NATO Coor- Bl.

68 . IryusurN lt-28 Be,tc;tp.

t

Large numbers of H-5s were bui l t both for domestic use and for export. Outwardly the Chinese version was almost iden-t ical to the genuine Soviet-bui l t l l -28. (Chinu Airuul i )

. . : r . l :?- _ _ ' . - - 1,

' '-,1gq"-: 'i,lJ.,::: Gr.-^ll I ---},f. , -L ' l

qip. A

-._.*.--_..

r*q.lltr

September 1966, f lown by pilot Wang Wenying,navigator Zhang Huichang and radio operatorZeng Fannan. Full-scale production at Harbincommenced the following year. Chinese-builtBeugles were designated H-5 (hong:haii bomber)or B-5 (B = bomber) for export.

To be perfectly honest, the Chinese did not adopta simple copycat approach, but altered the Beugleconsiderably, changing up to 40 per cent of thedesign. In particular, the H-5 had a different (con-ventional) wing design without the 11-28's trade-mark feature (the technological break along thechord l ine); this saved some I l0 ke (242 lb) ofweight, although the manufacturing processbecame more diffficult.

Outwardly the Chinese reverse-engineered C/zor'-r:how' can be distinguished from the genuine Soviet-bu1lt Beagle mainly by the shape of the rearextremity of the fuselage. The original l l-K6 ball-turret is replaced by the DK-7 turret mounting twoAfanas'yev/Makarov AM-23 cannon with 500 rpg.This turret is borrowed from the Tupolev Tu-16Badger medium bomber; it is of basically cylindricalshape, not spherical. Also, the cockpit canopy has a

, , n:.---li:: t

Y*-1;

one-piece blown transparency (without the length-wise frame member), a taxiing l ight is built into theforward door of the nosewheel well (a feature notfound on most Soviet-built Bcugles) and the star-board forward-fir ing cannon is deleted.

A tactical nuclear strike version similar to theSoviet I1-28A was developed in September 1967; thefirst test drop of a nuclear bomb from such an air-craft took place on 25 (some sources say 27)December 1968.

The Il-28U was also manufactured in Harbin asthe HJ-5 (hong:haji jiuolianji bomber trainer) orBT-5 (bomber trainer), making its second first f l ighton l2 December 1970. It was ofl lcially phased in bythe People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)in 1912. and a total of 187 were built.

The Chinese also brought out torpedo bomberand PHOTINT versions of the H-5; the Chineseequivalent of the l l-28R was developed in 1970,bearing the designation HZ-S (hongzlruji zhenchalibomber/reconnaissance aircraft) for the home mar-ket or B-5R for export. The aircraft was equippedwith two cameras for day/night high-altitude pho-tography. Unlike the Soviet reconnaissance version,

drl ,

THe Ir--28 F,cN4rr-y . 69

0qp

*{'

&*

Wcaring lcathcr hclmcts, a Chincsc pi lot ancl navigator ' /bonrb ain.rcl takc thcir scats in H-5 098(r Rccl. This vicw clcarlvshttws thc l tosc cal l l to l t . l ( l t i i l t t . . l i t ( r . t l t )

\\_

\

*$:

HJ-5 ( the Chinesc version of the thc PLAAF Museum at Datancshan AB.

70. Ir-vusHrN lt-28 Buau

the HZ-5 had underwing drop tanks instead of tiptanks; these extended the range by 47 per cent, thecombat radius by 50 per cent and endurance by 1hour 23 minutes. Development of the PHOTINTversion was rather protracted, and the aircraft wasnot officially included into the PLAAF inventoryunt i l 1977.

h) Czech productionCzechoslovakia, too, built the 11-28, but in this caseeverything was legitimate, as a licence had beenobtained. In the 1950s the Czech Air Force had ahabit of giving indigenous designations to foreignmilitary aircraft operated or built in Czechoslo-vakia. For example, the MiG-15 fighter and UTI-MiG-I5 trainer were manulactured by the Aeroenterprise as the S- I 02 (S = stihaci lletounl - fighter)and CS-102 (CS = cvilnj; stlhacifletounl - fightertrainer) respectively. Thus the Beugle was builtlocally as the Avia 8-228 (for bombardovac'i lletounl- bomber). while the licence-built version of the

Il-28U trainer was designated CB-228 (for cvitnltbombardovaci petoun] - bomber trainer).

By the mid-1950s, the general operational require-ments of tactical bombers had become much morestringent, rendering the subsonic Il-28 obsolete.Therefore, on 3 February 1956 the USSR Council ofMinisters issued a directive to the effect that pro-duction of the Il-28 be stopped. By then, as alreadymentioned, 6,316 aircraft had rolled off the assem-bly lines in the USSR; the Il-28 surpassed all otherSoviet jet bombers in terms of production.

The importance of the 11-28 in the developmentof the Soviet Air Force can hardly be played down.To the VVS and other friendly air forces it was whatthe English Electric Canberra was to the West,which gave rise to the nickname 'Soviet Canberra'-albeit much later when the Il-28 was dead andburied. The Canberra, however, was clearly luckier

.\.s

Avia B-228s (Czech-built Il-28s) taxi out for a training sortie. Note the stained forward fuselage of AD-31 (probably aresult of firing the nose cannon); the soot has been scrubbed away, but only just enough to make the serial readable.( RART)

Tun I l-28 F.r. lrrrr . 7l

Thc I l-z16 was a scalccl-L

f"

This viov of thc solc I l-4(r prototypc clcarlv shou,s i ts I l -28 l inca-scI l i l irtt Gonh'rt unltitc t

Thc cnvisagcd s\\ 'ept-wing lcrsion \\ ' i ts ncvcr bui l t

72.Ir-yusurN L-28 Bnrcrc

than its Soviet counterpart, soldiering on well intothe 1980s (mostly in the reconnaissance and targettug roles), and the last survivors remain operationalat the time of writing.

The Il-28 had a follow-on in the shape of the Il-46medium bomber developed pursuant to a Councilof Ministers directive of 24 March 1951. It lookedlike a scaled-up 11-28 powered by two Lyulka AL-5axial-flow turbojets (also called TR-3A) rated at5,000 kgp (11,022 lb st). The defensive armamentarrangement was the same but the I1-K8 tail turretwas neq featuring a much bigger field of fire and abigger ammunition supply (320 rpg). The mainlanding gear design was also similar, except thatthere were two independent shock struts each side,the outboard units retracting forward and theinboard units aft; this unusual arrangement wasused to keep the nacelle cross-section toi minimum.The aircraft had an overall length of 25.325 m (83 ft1 in.), a wingspan of 29.0 m (95 ft 1.73 in.), a wingarea of 105 m: (1,129 sq. ft), an empty operatingweight of 26,300 kg (57,980 lb) and a normal TOW

of 41,840 kg (92,2401b). The normal bomb loadwas 3,000 kg (6,613 lb) and the maximum bombload 6,000 kg(13,227 lb). If the Il-28 was a Beagle,then the Il-46 was surely a Borzoi - a Russianwolfhound. (Or, more likely from a Western view-point, a Big Bad Wolf.)

The ADP design stage was completed on 4December 195 I and the prototype was rolled out on29 December (!). On 3 March 1952 the 11-46 madeits first flight with Vladimir K. Kokkinaki at thecontrols. Manufacturer's flight tests showed a topspeed of 928 km/h (501 k0 at 5,000 m (16,404 ft)and a range of 4,845 km (3,009 miles). The Stateacceptance trials were completed on 15 October,showing that the bomber fully met the Air Force'soperational requirement. The second prototypedesignated Il-465, representing the envisaged pro-duction version, was to have wings swept back 35o.However, the swept-wing Il-46 was never com-pleted, losing out to the more promising andmodern Tu-16.

fFlh. advent of the Il-28 signified the beginningI of the jet age for the Soviet tactical bomber

I force. As alreadv mentioned. a bomber unitof the Moscow Defence District commanded by Lt-Col A. A. Anpilov was the first to take delivery ofthe new bomber in 1950. The availability of theI1-28U prototype facilitated conversion training noend;27 service pilots transitioned from the Tu-2 tothe Il-28 in just ten days, during which I 12 trainingflights were made. In contrast, conversion of thesame pilots to the Tu-2 had taken more than twomonths and a good deal more flying,

The VVS bomber units re-equipped with theBeagle by the mid-1950s. Of course, the units andformations stationed in the western defence districtsof the USSR which were closest to the potentialadversary enjoyed priority in this respect. Theseincluded the bomber divisions based atChernyakhovsk (Lithuania, Baltic DefenceDistrict), Starokonstantinov and Stryy (theUkrainian part of the Carpathian DD),,Limanskoye (Odessa DD), etc. Each bomber divi-sion (= bomber group, in US terms) included twoor three bomber regiments (= bomber wings) con-sisting of three squadrons; each squadron had tenBeagles (three flights of three plus a reserve aircraftin case one went unserviceable) and one or twoIl-28U trainers. For instance, the 63rd BAD of the57th VA included the 7th FBAP atStarokonstantinov and the 408th FBAP at Stryv;':

.3Tnp Batcrn rN Spnvrcp

other units operating the Il-28 included the 230thFBAP at Cherlyany AB.

The Il-28 introduced radar and gave nuclearcapability to the tactical bomber force - a featurewhich was particularly welcome during the ColdWar years. Once it had become fully operationali.e. the crews learned to fly in poor weather condi-tions and at extreme altitudes (breaking throughcloud cover during climb and descent), use radarand synchronised optical sights for bomb-aimingand use the defensive armament effectively - Soviettactical air power received a major boost. Serviceintroduction was speeded up by holding workshopsin which the Air Force C-in-C and other top brass,as well as ordinary service pilots, Ilyushin OKBengineers and representatives from the factoriesbuilding the bomber took part.

The Il-28 contributed a lot to the development ofSoviet free-fall nuclear weapons. As already men-tioned, the Beagle was used to test the RDS-4nuclear bomb, which then became the standardweapon of the Il-28N and Yak-28 Brewer. On

I Besides the western part of the Ukraine. the Carpathian DDincluded Moldavia.

2 BAD = bombardeerovoc,hnayu aviudivee:iyu - bomber divi-sion; VA = voztlooshnayu armiyu - air army (= air force);FBAP = /rontovoy bombardeerovot'ltnyy aviupolk tacticalbomber regiment. Some sources claim the 408th FBAP wasbased at Cherlvanv AB.

Sporting an unusually large Soviet Air Force star on the tail, an Il-28 taxies out past a sister ship. 1 rr1i," Gonton urthive )

7.1 . lr-vustrrx lt-28 Br...u;r.r,

A cur ioLrs pictr- l rc sholv ing

3 August l9-53 a spcciul ly modi l leci I l -28 droppcdthc l l ls t Sovict hyclro-scn bol lb at thc Scnt ipalat inskproving ground. On l2 AugLrst in thc stulc ycar twoI | -28s opcrat i n g l 'r 'rtnr Zl.ra na-Scntcy A Ii ntttn i torcclIhc tcst ol ' thc l-i lst Sovie t ncutrrtn bonlb ne rlbrntcclLrnclcr thc guic lancc r l l ' lgol ' ' V. KLr lchutrrv. the SovictcoLl l l tcrpart o l ' Satnucl ( -ohcn.

A casc is on rccorcl whcr.r thc Bcugla actually opcr-atcd in a nuclcul cnvironntent. On l4 Septernberl95zl thrcc rcgintcnts ol ' l l -28s ( the ent i rc l40thBAD) took ol l 'and headccl lbr the Totskoye train-ing range in gror"rps ol- n inc aircral t to take part in atact ical nuclear cxercise. Each bornbcr squadronwas cscorted by two f l ights of MiG-17s. The

\rr-*

Flaps f ul ly extertdcd. I l -28 2l Rcd is caught by the camera scconds belbre touchdown. I ) i , / i rrr G,nt,t t t trctt i :

Tp, l Bt . . t , , t t l r St t t r t r t .75

d; ".. ,.

\*ra***

A l i r |mut ion

. . . . , . , , ' , , , . . , , ' i - ''x'',Sovict Ai l Force I l-28s ol icn opcratecl in closc lbrnutions. as i l luslr 'atecl bv this shol

Scrqtr t t t r l I ) t t t i l r i r Kott t i .s t t t rot t t t r l t i t t i

l l tc r :ut t t tc l o l l r : i . tc l shi f .

76 . lrylrsnrx lt-28 Br..,rc;t,t

Al thought l l .1- l t l t l rc1tral i ty. t l r ispictLrrc ist leverthclcssin1crcst ing.s| t t l rv i r lgaIr l | - ] t jc l ro11l i l l .uot l |ygt tcsswha1aircr i r l tscrvccl l tst l recatr lcr l rshipbLrt i1wlrsclc| ln i1c|ynt l1 l t I l t l thcl .Rt ' t t .q l t ' .

cxcrcise wAS coullandcd by Marshal Ghe.olgiyKonstant i r . rovich Zhukov ol- Grcat Patr iot ic Wartirme.

The pilots wcrc issued with special goggles to pro-tect thcir eyes tror.r.r the f ' lash ol' the nuclea r explo-sion. Whcn the bomb went of- I , creat ing t l rc te l l - ta lcmllshfoom clor-rd. the incoming arntacla startccl totake evasivc action. but sr-rddenly a l l 'eak wind blewthe cloud straight into i ts path. Thc jets werc l ' ly ingin close fbrmation and thcre was not ntuch loont fbrmanoeuvres because of the dangcr of col l is ion:most aircrafi managed to stccr clear, but sonte wentsmack into the c loud. l t is not known wl.rat the con-sequences were for thc pilots ol thcir jets.

The AVMF started receiving thc Bcrrglc in thesurrmer of 1951. in i t ia l ly in basic bomber conl igr . r -ration. Thc Black Sea Fleet's 943rd MTAP and theRed Bar.rncr Baltic Flcet's l53lst MTAP wcre thefirst naval units to receivc the type; the North Fleetdid not lb l low sui t r - rnt i l 1953. the 574rh MTAPbeing thc flrst I l-28 operator thcre. The introductionof con-rbat jets coincided with a scvere escalation of

intcrnat ional tension igni ted by the Korean War.Thc outbrcak of ' the war pl l t an end to post-SecondWorlcl War arnts reductions. Thc Soviet anti-shin-ping lblce startcd growing rapidly owing to both thelbmat ion of new uni ts and the transfer of 'completebor.nber rcgiurents f}om the Air Force to the Navy;sc'ron the AVMF had up to twenty torpedo-bomberr.r n it s.

Later. as already mentioned, the naval bomberswerc couverted to carry one RAT-52 torpedo; thisversion was phased in by the AVMF in ear ly 1953.Also" thc Bauslas of' the Red Banner Baltic Fleet's769th OMTAP were converted to II-28PL 'quick-f lx 'ASW aircraf i . Two rnore Bal t ic Fleet I l -28 uni tswelc to undertake a sinti lar conversion" but theseplans were rendcred void by the advent of the morecapable TLr- 16.

Interest ingly. the I l -28 was the downfal l of theSovict leader's son, Vasil iy l. Stalin, who com-rnanded the air fbrce of the Moscow Def'enceDistr ict . Dur ing the May Day parade of 1952,numerolrs fighters and bombers were to pass over

Trtr. B*tctt rN- SERVTcE . 77

Soviet Naval Aviat ion airmcn wearing leather jackets and 1950s-style white-topped Navy caps pose beside an I l-28.( Yclinr Gordtn urthit't')

78 . IlyusurN lt-28 Br,tctt

Red Square in Moscow to emphasize the might ofthe Soviet air arm. However, the weather forecastsaid the weather would be beastly, with low cloudsand rain all over the place. Hence the WS C-in-Ccancelled the flypast; still, V. Stalin called him onthe phone, requesting permission to go ahead if theweather improved. The C-in-C gave the go-ahead,warning that Stalin would bear the full responsibil-ity if anything went wrong. In the end V. Stalin gottired of waiting and ordered the bombers to take offand head for Moscow as planned, even though thevisibility was close to nil - an unprecedented deci-sion in peacetime.

The result was deplorable. Some bomber unitsmissed Red Square altogetheq others passed acrossit at right angles to the planned heading, still otherswere ordered to return to base before reachingMoscow. Even so, the spectators at Red Squarecould not see the aircraft because of the low clouds,hearing only the jet thunder overhead. But the worstwas yet to come: two ll-28s collided near MigalovoAB, Kalinin (now Tver'), and crashed, kil l ing thecrews. For this outstanding performance VasiliyStalin was promptly removed from offrce.

On 9 March 1953 a group of I l-28s overflew theRed Square in Moscow during Josef Stalin's funeralin a farewell salute to the deceased leader. Theweather that day was bad, with extreme icing condi-tions, and the Beagle was the only aircraft whichcould accomplish this mission, being, as it were, theonly Soviet aircraft at the time to feature a de-icingsystem.

Soon after the 11-28 had become operational withfirst-line bomber units, the Soviet Air Force's flyingschools also started taking delivery of the type.These included the Tambov Higher Military PilotSchool named after the famous record-settingfemale pilot Marina Raskova (TWAULTambovskoye vyssheye voyennoye aviatseeonnoyeoochilischche lyotchikov), the Slavgorod branch ofthe Omsk Military Pilot School and the NikolayevMinelayer and Torpedo-Bomber Flying School.

The Il-28 was very popular with its crews andtechnical staff, and with good reason. The aircraftwas easy to fly and operate, adequately armed andhad a good safety and reliability record, once thelearning curve had been overcome. Pilots accus-tomed to the spartan conditions of the Tu-2 with itscold and noisy cockpits were amazed by the com-fortable and well-equipped cockpits of the Beagle.They were also quick to appreciate the Il-28's speed,rate of climb and good manoeuvrability. The tech-nical staff, too, liked the Il-28 for its ease of access tothe engines and all equipment items requiring main-tenance in day-to-day service.

Of course, like any new type, the ll-28 had itsshare of teething troubles. Typical defects includedasymmetric flap deployment (caused by air locks inthe hydraulic lines feeding the flap drive jacks),radar and autopilot failures. These were dealt withas they came. The radar was a royal pain in the neckat first, since it used vacuum tubes which are sensi-tive to vibration and G loads (to say nothing ofSoviet electronics, which were notoriously unreli-able). Luckily the engineers who had created thePSBN-M had foreseen this and designed the radaras a modular system with line-replaceable units(LRUs), which eliminated the need to keep the air-craft grounded for radar repairs and ultimatelywas one of the factors of the Beagle's high combatreadiness.

Airmen love to tell tall tales, and one of them(concerning the Il-28) is this. After the IlyushinOKB had made some updates, a bomber unitequipped with Beagles received orders that all theaircraft be urgently upgraded to the new standard.The work had to be done in a hangar, and the localhangar was too small to accommodate all the air-craft present at the base. On the other hand, failureto comply with the orders would result in discipli-nary action.

Everybody racked their brains in search of a solu-tion until, with a sly twinkle in his eye, one crewchief said he knew the answer. He would not tell ituntil he was assured of a reward in the form of abottle of vodka. His method was simple: the techni-cians deflated the port mainwheel of each bomber,causing the bomber to bank a few degrees - justenough to allow the port wing of one aircraft to Jitunder the starboard wing oJ another aircraftlThis allowed all the bombers to fit into the hangarand the updates to be made on schedule. Bless thetechnician, the Man of Infinite Resource andSagacity!

The Beagle's sturdiness and reliability soonbecame legendary. On one occasion an Il-28 fromChernyakhovsk ditched in the Baltic Sea after anunspecified malfunction; the aircraft remainedafloat for more than two hours before being towedto the shore and was eventually returned to service.On another occasion a 408th FBAP Il-28U hit astorm cloud at 6,000 m (19,685 ft) and emergedfrom it at 1,800 m (5,905 ft) with several holesburned by lightning strikes and the paint on all lead-ing edges sandpapered away by hail. The VK-lengine earned particularly high praise. Low-levelmissions were the order of the day, and quite oftenIl-28s ingested birds or clipped treetops during suchmissions, eating branches; but, the engines usuallykept running as if nothing had happened!

T:1aB:: : . \S .-9

In defence of peace and socialism, or ColdWar warriorsNew efficient combat tactics were developed for the

;;,;;;;i. ii-zs was introduced when the cold

War was at lts peaK and was expected to turn hot

;;; ;;;"t. htogt' crews practised night-flving

;i;i;;-i;;matio"n flving in ilight'' squadrons and

r"*"t.t"t rne distanie between aircraft in a flight

i ] id not exceed 40 m (131 ft) .and the distance

U.i*.." flights in a regiment did not exceed 80 m

A;;"i;:. nitn" vvs 6uilt up experience with the

Il-28, pilots startecl making .foimation take-offs

iio-'aitt tttips in groups oithree to-lilt aircraft'

F-* lit". toii-" ttt" unitt flying the Il-28 deployed

i;-*-;i; tur., for training purposes; e'g' the"artiirt"

it tn" o:to BAD would fly as far as the

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Flight training sornetimes led to spi l ls. This Mu:tt 'ot,79 Red, made a bel ly- landing in a f ield, fortunately suffering almostrro damage. I Y,l itrr Grtrthttr urthiya )

Central Asian DD" deploying to Karshi in south-eastern Uzbekistan and Maryy (pronounced likethe French name Marie) in Turkmenistan.

During such raids the crews would practisebombing attacks at unfamiliar target ranges. Bombswere dropped from altitudes ranging from 100 to10,000 m (328 32,808 ft), both by single aircrafr andin fbrmations of varying size as commanded by theleader. Special targets with a high radar signaturewere built at such ranges. Occasionally, however,bomber crews would lose their way en route, as aresult, grain processing units and vehicle depots ofnearby collective farms could get bombed, slnce

their image on the PSBN-M's radar display was verysimilar to the practice targets. Fortunately the dam-age was usually minimal because practice bombletsfi l led mainly with soot were normally used. But onenight a disaster was averted at the last moment. AnI l -28 carry ing a l ive 1,000 kg (2,204Ib) FAB-1000high-explosive bomb took off from an airbase nearStanislav (now Ivano-Frankovsk), heading for a tar-get range at Kamenka-Boogskaya, but strayed offcourse and overflew the city of L'vov instead. It wassheer luck that the bomb aimer happened to lookaway from the radar display a few seconds beforethe drop and saw the city l ights below.

Combat training in the Soviet Air Force's Il-28Kont i.ssurot, urt lt iyc )

units included operations from unpaved airstrips. l strgcl. und Dnitil.

This Soviet Navy I1-28T torpedo-bomber was operatedlil:tiJ.T,ti. Fleet's 567th MTAP (Minelayer and Torpedo-

SSSR-L2035, an Aeroflot Il-20 mailplane.

Albanian Air Force Harbin H-5 3608.

Above and opposite: A three-view illustration of Il-28 08 Blue operated by the 57th VA (Air Army)z63rd BAD (BomberDivision)/409th FBAP (Tactical Bomber Regiment), Cherlyany AB, Carpathian Defence District.

l47l Red, a Soviet-built Chinese People's Liberation Armv Air Force Il-28.

A Czech Air Force AvtaB-228 in pre-1957 markings. This particular aircraft was used by the skydivers JaroslavJehlidka, ZdenEk Kaplan and Gustav Koubek to set a world record on 20 March 1957.

Czech Air Force Il-29 1904 with a post-l957 serial and a red identification band applied for a war game.

East German Air Force (ZDS 2l) Il-28R 184 Black (clh 5901207). Earlier in its career this aircraft had been regis-teredDM-ZZK and used as a testbed for the Pirna 0l4A turboiet.

Egyptian Air Force ll-28 1733 in post-1967 camouflage.

Finnish Air Force Il-28R (Il-288M) target tug NH-3 (c/n l7l3). The zero on the nose was later removed

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Hunearian Air Force II-28RTR l9 Red.

Indonesian Navy Il-28T M844 in early-style markings.

Federal Niserian Air Force Il-28 NAF-158.

North Korean Air Force 11-28 314 Red.

Some North Korean Beagles,like 45 Blue, had a green and blue colour scheme. The tail shows what looks like thebeginnings of hastily applied camouflage.

Polish Air Force Il-28 20 Red.

55 Red was one of several Il-28Us delivered to the Polish Air Force.

Vietnamese People's Air Force ll-28 2210 Red.

T'lE Brtr;tt rN Se nvrce . 8l

Penetrating enemy air defences was an importantaspect of the Il-28 crews' combat training pro-gramme. Mock combat with Mikoyan/GurevichMiG-15 F(tgots and MiG-17 Frescos impersonatingenemy fighters showed that a fighter armed solelywith cannon had no chance against Ihe Beugle.In ahead-on attack the bomber's high speed caused thefighter to close on the target at an enormous rate,leaving the fighter pilot l i tt le t ime to take aim (quiteapart from the fact that the 11-28 had a pair of for-ward-firing cannon with which to discourage suchattacks). In the rear hemisphere the bomber's effec-tive tail turret and high manoeuvrabil ity enabled thecrew to successfully repel the fighters.

The advent of the supersonic MiG-19 Farmer-AIC did not make things easier for the adversanesin fact, it made things harder because the closingspeed was now greater, and in a stern attack thebomber pilots would reduce speed, causing thefighter to overshoot. It was not unti l the all-weatherMiG-l9PM Farmer-D armed with RS-2-US(K-5MS; NATO code name AA-l Alkali) air-to-airmissiles came on the scene that the tables wereturned. In the West, f ighter development went along

much the same lines; thus, even when NATO hadsufficient numbers of North American F-100 SuperSabres, Republic F-I05 Thunderchiefs and SAABJ-35 Drakens based in Europe, the Il-28 stood a fairchance of getting away from them, especially whenf ly ing at u l t ra- low level .

For the Western world (the 'free world', in the ter-minology of the Cold War era) the hundreds ofnuclear-capable bombers were one of the personifi-cations of the tell-tale Soviet Threat and withgood reason. The crews of these aircraft were care-fully chosen and received especially rigorous train-ing. Each crew was allocated a main target andseveral alternative targets in Western E,urope:nuclear weapons depots, airbases, etc. For instance,the already mentioned 63rd BAD of the 57th VA(Carpathian DD) was to attack targets in WestGermany.

In the event of war the tactical scenario for theBaagle units was approximately as follows. EachIl-28 carrying a nuclear bomb would be accompa-nied by at least a squadron of sister aircraft taskedwith the electronic collntermeasures (ECM) and airdefence distraction role. After takinc off from

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Maintenance work on an Il-28R at a wintry airfield; the aircraft is jacked up for landing gear operation tesIs. I y(,lim Gofttoil

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Soviet territory the bomber formation would climbto 10,000 m (32,808 ft) in order to save fuel. Then,setting up an ECM barrier, the bombers woulddescend to low altitude over Poland to avoid detec-tion by the powerful surveil lance radar in WestBerlin NATO's first l ine of defence: some of theaircraft would leave the formation, making decep-tive manoeuvres to confuse the AD radar onerators.The same tactic would be used to get past thenumerous HAWK, Nike Hercules and Nike Ajaxanti-aircraft missile systems. Eventually the bomb-toting Beagle would be left all alone, pressing ontowards the target at treetop level. Then it wouldclimb sharply to 1,000 m (3,280 ft), allowing thenavigator to make sure they were in the right place,whereupon the bomb would be dropped and the air-craft would head back, descending to ultra-low levelagain as it did. The idea was that the l l-28's highspeed would enable it to outrun the shock wave andthe crew would be protected from the flash by spe-cialbl inds.

Even if the bomber managed to get that far anddeliver the bomb, it had virtually no chance ofreturning to base because, with all the evasivemanoeuvres, it was sure to run out of fuel on theway home. To remedy this, auxiliary airfields wereinitially built in Poland and East Germany, wherethe bombers were to make refuelling stops. Later,

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bomber uni ts operat ing the I l -28 ( including thenuclear-capable version) were stationed in some ofthe Warsaw Pact nations. which placed them withinrange ol the south coast of Engl ind.

The Soviet Union's Central Grouo of Forces(TsGV * Tsentrahl'nu))u gt ooppLt ur,1',rk j stationed inCzechoslovakia had a number of I l-28BM targettugs based at Zvolen AB. In East Germany theGSVG (Grooppu ,;ovetskikh voysk v GhermuhniiGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany)r operated theIl-28 in the basic bombeq reconnaissance and targettug versions. East German bases used by Soviet AirForce Beugles were Allstedt (11-28Rs, 1968 70),Berlin-Schonefeld (a target-towing fl ight equippedwith Il-2SBMs and Il-28Us), Brand (668th FBAP,35 aircraft since the 1950s; re-equipped with Yak-28Brev'er tactical bombers in 1965), Brandis (onlyoccasionally), Finow (207th FBAP, l1-28s srnce1956; re-equipped with Yak-28s in 1965),Damgarten (until 1979), Finsterwalde (briefly,early 1950s), Jiiterbog-Altes Lager (11-28Rs, early1950s), Lrirz (1950s), Neu-Welzow (20 bombersfirst seen in 1953), Oranienburg (Il-28s andIl-2SUs, probably 200th FBAD/22lst FBAP,

3 Renamed ZGY (Zahpudnctyu grooppu vovsk Western Groupof F-orces) in 1989.

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Maintenance day at a bomber unit, with a line-up of ll-28s unbuttoned lor servicing. The nearest aircraft, l2 Blue, is c/n3402209. Note the open avionics bay cover on 08 Blue; the 8 is applied in a heavier type than the zero, suggesting the air-craft has been re-coded . ( yelim Gonlon arthive )

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April-December 1951 and August 1954-August1956). and Werneuchen.

The target-towing flight at Berlin-Schonefeld air-port moved to Brand AB in 1954. lt was laterupgraded to independent target-towing squadronstatus (OBMAE - otdel'naya booksirovochno-mishennaya aviaeskadril'ya, number unknown),moving to Oranienburg in the autumn of l97l andthence to Damgarten in 1977. Oranienburg alsoserved as the maintenance base for the GSVG'sIl-28s.

An Il-28 based at Oranienburg (22lst FBAP?)crashed near the village of Teschendorf 13 km(8 miles) north of the base in February 1956;another one was lost in August same year, just 2 km(1.24 miles) from the site of the previous crash.Shortly afterwards, on 26 August 1956, the regimentwas withdrawn from Oranienburg. Militaryobservers from the Allied nations and the local pop-ulation were invited to see the bombers'denartureon 26 August 1956 as a goodwillgesture. andi smallair fest was held.

While we are on the subject of Cold War war-riors, the Beagle actually played an important partin Operation Mangoosta (Mongoose) - an eventwhich nearly started the Third World War.Forty-two nuclear-capable Il-28Ns were deployed to

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Cuba by sea in September 1962 together with anumber of ballistic missiles. This was one of thereasons for the famous Cuban Missile Crisis ofSeptember-November 1962 when the USAenforced a nayal blockade of Cuba, causing theSoviet Union in turn to dispatch a naval task forceto the Caribbean.

However, faced with the increasing probability ofan all-out armed conflict with the USA whichwould be a war of destruction, the Soviet leadershad the common sense to back down and withdrawthe missiles from Cuba in an effort to ease the situa-tion. Addressing the nation on 20 November, USPresident John F. Kennedy said that the Sovietleader Nikita S. Khruschev had pledged to with-draw the nuclear-capable Il-28s within 30 days andagreed to let the Americans monitor this process;consequently, JFK had instructed the Secretary ofDefense to remove the naval blockade.

The bombers left in early December aboard thefreighters SIS Kasimov (15 aircraft), SIS Krasnograd(15) and SIS Okhotsk (12). In order to make itpatently clear to the US government that the SovietUnion was honouring its commitments and theBeagles were being withdrawn, the crated aircraftwere placed on the ships' upper decks, sufferingheavy corrosion damage because next to nothing

84 . lrvusurN lt-28 Bc,tcr,r:

had been done to protect them from the salty oceanenvironment. As a result, many of the 42 aircrafthad to be written off.

After this. the Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruzcalled the Il-28 an obsolete aircraft with l imitedspeed and inadequate range when speaking at apublic rally. Obsolete they may have been, butCastro was clearly annoyed at letting go the rnissilesand bombers and having nothing to threaten 1o.sgringos with!

As already mentioned, the Beugla made its mark

in naval aviation in the early 1950s; however, it wasthere that its obsolescence was most noticeable. Bythe mid-1950s the Il-28T did not meet the SovietNavy's requirements any longer. Besides, theweapons cuts in i t iated by Khruschev in 1960 and hisgeneral bias towards missiles dealt a severe blow tobomber aviation in general and naval bomber avia-tion in particular. All AVMF minelaying and tor-pedo-bornber units were disbanded, as were manytactical bomber units in the VVS, and many ll-28swere scrapped, even though some aircraft had only

Soviet Air Force ll-28s were stationed outside the USSR as well. Here, several red-coded Beugles wrapped in tarpaulinsare pictured at an East German airbase on a foggy morning. I f'tfittr Gttrdon urtltivt')

Tgp. Bnqctr rN Snnvrcs . 85

60-100 hours'total t ime. This barbaric process tookplace at an amazing rate, the work proceeding inthree shifts. In the Pacific Fleet alone, about 400 air-craft were demolished within a verv short neriod.Many airmen suddenly found themselves iurplusand unwanted; they were dismissed from the ArmedForces without any social security.

Fortunately the VVS command was not enthusi-astic about this mayhem, and many Il-28s were sim-ply placed in storage. Numerous Beagles weretransferred to flying schools where they servedalongside the Il-28U Mascot dedicated trainersuntil the mid-1980s. Others soldiered on as tarsettugs, also unti l the mid-1980s. Nearly all of iheSoviet Union's defence districts had independenttarget-towing flights or squadrons operating four toten, and sometimes more. I l-28BMs. These werebased aI Novorossiya AB (Far East DD),Berdyansk (Red Banner Odessa DD).Starokonstantinov (Carpathian DD), Tokmak(Central Asian DD, lOth OBAZ).. Zvolen(Czechoslovakia), etc.

Moreoveq the Il-28 got a new lease of l i fe (if onlybriefly) in the late 1960s and early 1970s when thepost-Khruschev Soviet government headed byLeonid I. Brezhnev decided to revive the groundattack arm of the VVS (which was one of the hard-est-hit by Khruschev's reforms). A number ofBeagles were converted to Il-28Sh ground attackaircraft. Up to a full regiment of these aircraft wasbased at Domna AB (Transbaikalian DD) andKhoorba AB near Komsomol'sk-on-Amur (FarEast DD).

The Il-28 at war

The Il-28 had its fair share of 'hot'wars. the flrst ofwhich was the Korean War of 1950-3. China suo-ported North Korea actively during the war. send-ing the tell-tale one mill ion volunteers (actuallyregular People's Liberation Army troops) to the bat-tlefields. This angered the USA badly enough tomake it promise strikes against China, includingnuclear strikes if necessary, if Chinese forces crossedthe 38th parallel at which the frontl ine had stabi-l ized (this was eventually to become the demarca-tion l ine between North and South Korea).

Not to be outdone, China threatened to hit bothSouth Korea and US bases in Japan if USAF air-craft as much as overflew Chinese territory. To addweight to these words, 70 Il-28s were deployed on

1 OBAZ = otdel'not:e book.siyovot'hno y-e aviu:r:eno independcnlltarget-] towing {1ight.

People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) airbases in Manchuria. The aircraft wore PLAAFinsignia but were flown by Soviet crews.

A second major batch of Soviet-built I l-28s wasdelivered in 1953. It is not known if the Beaglesactually saw action in the war, but they did putin anappearance in North Korea. UN envoys monitoringprisoner-of-war exchanges reported Chinesebombers, including Il-28s, landing i l legally on airbases near Pyongyang in direct violation of theIruce agreement.

A short while later, however, the Beugle did seeaction during China's last civil war when theChinese Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shekclaimed independence for Taiwan. In early January1956 PLAAF ll-28s bombed the Tachen islands360 km (200 nm) north of Taiwan which theNationalists were forced to abandon in February.However, the high accident rate and the danger ofbeing shot town by Republic of China Air Force(ROCAF) Republic F-84 Thunderjets and NorthAmerican F-86 Sabres forced an end to theseattacks.

In the autumn of 1956 a large group of Sovietforces was deployed to Hungary to quash the anti-communist uprising in that country. More than 120Baogles based in the Carpathian DD were placed onmaximum alert duty, ready to launch strikes againstthe insurgents. Fortunately this never happened, butSoviet Air Force Il-28Rs seconded to the SpecialCorps tasked with quell ing the mutiny did fly recon-naissance missions over Hungary. One of them wasshot down by the rebels over Csepel Island on theDanube on 8 November 1956, k i l i ing rhe crew. Onl8 December the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (thenation's top governing body) issued a decreegranting the Hero of the Soviet Union tit leposthumously to an Il-28 crew consisting ofsquadron commander Capt. A. A. Bobrovskiy(pilot), Capt. D. D. Karmishin (navigator) and thesquadron's chief of communications Lt. (sg)V. Ye. Yartsev (gunner/radio operator). It seemsvery probable that it was the same crew.

On the other side, it is reported that a handful ofHungarian pilots who had supported the rebelsmade a few sorties from Kunmadaras AB, attackingSoviet troops who had built pontoon bridges acrossthe Tisza River. Soon. however. all Hunsarian air-bases were overrun by Soviet troops, and-the rebels'f l y ing act iv i t ies stopped.

Another area where the 11-28 saw action in theautumn of 1956 was the Middle East. Egyptian AirForce (EAF) Beaglas first saw action during theSuez Crisis (26 October 7 November 1956). GreatBritain was thoroughly displeased with President

86. IrvusHrN lt-28 Brtotr

Gamal Abdel Nasser's independent political course;when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal on 26 July1956, this was the last straw. In concert with Franceand Egypt's arch-enemy, Israel, Great Britain tookaction. According to the plan, lsrael would start anarmed conflict with Egypt, then Great Britain andFrance would interfere on the pretext of ensuringthe safety of international traffic in the Suez Canaland occupy the area. Stage l, Operation Kadesh('cleansing' in Hebrew), was scheduled for 29October-l November, and Stage 2, OperationMusketeer,for I 7 November.

By then the EAF had taken delivery of about fiftyBeagles but only one squadron operating twelve air-craft was fully combat-capable. Two othersquadrons had only just been formed before thefighting began, and the crews had not yet masteredthe new jet bombers. Consequently the Il-28 wasused in the conflict on a small scale. For instance, onthe night of 3l October one of the Beagles bombedan Israeli kibbutz named Gezen An Israeli DefenceForce/Air Force (IDF/AF Heyl Hu'avir) GlosterMeteor N F.13 took off to intercept the intruder butcould not find the target in the darkness. On thesame day a group of l l-28s raided Lod airbase butthe bombs missed their target, exploding near theJewish settlement of Ramat-Rachel.

The EAF top commanders fully realized that,with no qualified crews to fly them, the Beugleswould be sitting ducks and a lucrative target for theAnglo-French strike force. Hence President Nasserordered the EAF's assets to be dispersed to remotebases or relocated to Syria and Saudi Arabia. (Itwas just as well that he did; on the night of INovember Great Britain and France launchedOperation Musketeer as planned. RAF bombersdetached to Luqa, Malta, and Royal Navy strikeaircraft from the carriers HMS Albion,HMS Eagleand HMS Bulwark attacked Egyptian airbases inthe Suez Canal area.) Twenty I1-28s were flown tothe Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) base at Riyadhby Soviet and Czech crews; the other 24 or 28Beagles moved to Luxor, Egypt's southernmost air-base, where they were supposed to be safe. Thisassumption turned out to be wrong; on 4 NovemberRAF English Electric Canberras bombed Luxor,forcing the evacuation of eight more Il-28s to SaudiArabia. On the same day the base was attacked byFrench Air Force (Armee de I'Air) Republic F-84FThunderjet fighter-bombers; the French claimedthe destruction of every single aircraft at the basebut the EAF acknowledged the loss of only sevenbombers.

Sporadic armed incidents between Egypt andIsrael continued between the Arab-Israeli wars.

Combat aircraft took part in these operations; forexample, United Arab Republic Air Force(UARAF) Il-28s flew several night reconnaissancemissions over the lsraeli seaport of Eilat inDecember 1958.

In 1959 Chinese Il-28s saw action again when thegovernment forces ruthlessly stamped out an ethnicminority uprising in Tibet. Apart from that, theBeagles were used in numerous skirmishes with theTaiwanese Nationalists - mostly over the Strait ofTaiwan. Some sources suggest that Il-28Rs andHZ-Ss actually overflew the island on reconnais-sance sorties; several of these aircraft fell victim toNike Ajax missiles.

One Chinese Beagle, however, was lost in adifferent way. On I I November 1966 pilot Li Hsien-pin, navigator/bomb aimer Li Tsai-wang and gun-ner/radio operator Liang Pao-sheng of the 22ndBomber Regiment/Sth Bomber Division defected toTaiwan in an Il-28 serialled 0195 Yellow. The threehad conspired to defect long before the flight. join-ing the PLAAF and successfully passing the com-plex loyalty check system.

The aircraft took off at noon from Hangchowcoastal airbase on a routine practice bombing sor-tie. After following the coastline for a while it turnedand headed for Taiwan at full speed. Chinese fight-ers scrambled and gave chase - too late. The ll-28was quickly spotted by Taiwanese air defenceradars; ROCAF Lockheed F-104G Starfighterstook off to intercept, escorting the bomber toTaoyuan air base after the pilot had made his inten-tions clear by rocking the wings. The aircraft over-ran on landing, collapsing the nose gear anddamaging the nose glazing' all three crew memberswere injured, the gunner dying a day later.

The defection was timed to coincide with the cen-tenary celebration of Sun Yat-sen, the'father of theChinese revolution' revered by both Communistsand Nationalists, celebrated on l2 November. Sureenough, the Taiwanese and Western press createdan almighty uproar. This was compounded by thepilot, who was the least injured in the crash landing,speaking at the Centennial Rally the next day anddenouncing Red China and communism in general.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate event was promptlyreported to the PLAAF HQ in Beijing, and retribu-tion followed swiftly. The Air Force Vice-Commander Cheng Chung arrived at Hangchow onthe same day and probably gave everyone a thor-ough dressing-down. All flights from Hangchowand other bases nearest to Taiwan were suspendeduntil further notice.

Apart from the nose section, 0195 Yellow was vir-tually intact. The Nationalists repaired and test flew

TsB Bntcrc tN SEnvrce . 87

the aircraft, then reportedly used it for reconnais-sance flights over mainland China (some sourcessay the aircraft was handed over to the USA forclose examination). Shortly afterwards, the Britishmodel kit manufacturer Airfix released a ll72ndscale model of the Beagle. (Speaking of which,another kit of the Il-28 to the same scale from theChinese company Trumpeter has appeared on themarket recently.)

In1962 Nasser sent his combat aircraft (includingIl-28s) to Yemen, extending military aid to theRepublicans who had overthrown the king. At thesame time the Soviet Union also supported theRepublicans, supplying them with a number ofBeagles. The Il-28s attacked the Royalists' positionsand flew reconnaissance sorties; the Western pressreported that they were flown by both Yemeni andSoviet crews. (This may well be true. Soviet militarypersonnel participated in many regional conflicts inwhich the Soviet Union was not formally involved,and not only in an advisory capacity, and that wassomething the public back at home was definitelynot supposed to know!) Sometimes the bombersattacked the Saudi towns of Dhahran and Najranlocated next to the Yemeni border. In June 1966 asolitary Il-28 escorted by UARAF MiG-l7Fsbombed the RSAF base at Khamis Mushayt; in thesame month UARAF Il-28Rs flew reconnaissancemissions over the Saudi seaport of Qizan. When theSix-Day War erupted, however, all Egyptian troopshad to leave Yemen because thinss were bad enoushback at home.

The Il-28 saw action in Africa as well. In April1967 a coup d'ttat occurred in Nigeria and the cor-rupt government was toppled by Gen. Irons, C-in-Cof the Nigerian Armed Forces. The next month,however, Irons was killed in a new coup organizedby Col Ojukwu, governor of the Eastern provinceand one of the leaders of the Ibo tribe. The rebelsdeclared their intention to secede, forming the so-called State of Biafra, named after a bight in theGulf of Guinea. This immediately sparked a bitterthree-year civil war between the separatists and thefederal government.

The Federal Nigerian Air Force (FNAF) origi-nally used six impressed Nigeria Airways DouglasDC-3s (ex-SN-AAN, 5N-AAP, etc.) and twelveCzech-supplied Aero L-29 Delfin advanced trainersagainst Col Ojukwu's rebels in the lightbomber/paradrop and strike roles respectively.Pretty soon, however, it obtained real combat air-craft from Arab nations supporting the Islamic gov-ernment in Lagos in its struggle against theChristian Ibo separatists. Egypt was the first toextend help, supplying 4l MiG-l7Fs (misidentifiedas MiG-l5s by some sources) and, together withAlgeria, six second-hand Il-28s in 1969. Thebombers were flown by Egyptian mercenary crews.Operating from Enugu and Kalabar, the Beaglesbore the brunt of the bombing missions but werereportedly found to be ineffective. They certainlydid not venture near the Biafran capital, Uli, whichwas well protected by flak. Moreover, poor missionplanning and the lack of a clearly defined forward

When the Il-28 was phased out, many of these bombers sat at Soviet airbases, awaiting disposal. ( yelint Gouton ur.hive )

88 . IlvussrN lt-28 Bt,rcLe

line of own troops (FLOT) sometimes resulted infriendly forces being bombed!

Sometimes the l l-28s were used to escort theDC-3s on bombing/paradrop sorties or for strafingBiafran positions. In February 1969 a group ofDC-3s escorted by I1-28s and MiG-l5s para-dropped supplies and ammunition for governmentforces surrounded at Owerri. When this didn't workand the DC-3s were temporarily unflyable throughflak damage, the federal forces commandeered aPan African Airways DC-4 which had landed atPort Harcourt, loaded it with ammunition andordered the captain to fly to Owerri, escorted by anIl-28. However, the captain contrived an enginemalfunction, forcing a return to Port Harcourtwhich probably saved both aircraft and crew.

The war presented no great danger for FNAFfighter pilots and bomber crews, since the BiafranAir Force had no aircraft capable of air-to-air com-bat. All the enemy could put up was MalmoMFI-9B primary trainers converted into makeshiftattack aircraft. Flown by mercenary pilots led bythe Swedish Count Carl Gustav von Rosen, theseaircraft were known locally as Minicons probablya corruption of mini-COIN (counter-insurgencyaircraft) and could only attack ground targets,which they did with a measure of success. Sti l l , theaccident rate was rather high and all the Beugleswere soon grounded after being damaged in acci-dents. On 20 March 1969 one Il-28 struck trees dur-ing a low-level mission and suffered an enginefailure, making a successful forced landing at PortHarcourt. Another Beagle veered off the strip atPort Harcourt on landing, burning out the brakesand tyres, but was later repaired. On another occa-sion an 11-28 was slightly damaged at Enugu byMinicons but was later repaired.

ln 1961 there was trouble in the Middle Eastagain when the third Arab-Israeli war, commonlyreferred to as the Six-Day War (5-10 June 1967),broke out. The lsraelis had been planning this warlong and carefully right down to building fivemock Egyptian airbases in the Negev Desert, wherethey constantly practised raids against the realthing. Within a year all IDF/AF combat squadronshad passed a training course at these facilities.

Building on the results of this training, the Israelihigh command developed a pre-emptive attack planknown as the Moked Plan. The combined air forcesof the Arab nations outnumbered the IDF/AFalmost three times, so it was decided to destroy themon the ground rather than tangle with them in theair. The first wave of strike aircraft was to attacknineteen airfields deep in Egyptian territory, knock-ing out the aircraft based there, but it was decided to

spare the runways at the four bases located on theSinai Peninsula so that Israeli aircraft could usethem, once the peninsula had been occupied. Thefirst strike was scheduled between 08.35 and 09.10,when the Egyptian fighters were not expected to beout on combat air patrol and the base commanderswere usually not on site. This would be followed bythree more waves of strike aircraft which were todestroy the greater part of the Egyptian Air Forceon the ground by 14.00. After that, the strike forcewould be redirected at airbases in Syria, Jordan andIraq.

By the spring of 1961 it became clear that war wasimminent; skirmishes on the Israeli-Syrian borderin which both sides used heavy weapons and aircraftwere becoming increasingly more frequent. On l7May Egypt started concentrating troops on theIsraeli border; four days later Egypt and Israelcaf f ed a mobil ization of the army reserve, and on 22May President Nasser declared the Suez Canalclosed to Israeli ships.

The Arab nations (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanonand lraq) had a total of some 800 combat aircraft atthe start of the conflict. This total included 49 to 56Il-28s - 35 or 40 in Egypt, ten in Iraq and four to sixin Syria. These aircraft and the Tu-16 Badger-Abombers (30 in Egypt, including some Tu-l6KS-1missile strike aircraft, and six in lraq) were consid-ered priority targets during the planned air strikes.

On the morning of 5 June a massive assault waslaunched against Arab airbases. Among otherthings, 28 EAF Il-28s were destroyed on the groundat Ras-Banas AB and Luxor. One more Beagle andits fighter escort (probably MiG-l7Fs) were shotdown by Heyl Ha'avir Dassault Mystdre IVs whileattacking Israeli troops advancing on at El'Arish.The Syrian Air Force lost two Il-28s on the ground.

In February 1968 the Il-28 first put in an appear-ance in Vietnam, when three Beagles were deployedto Fukien AB, 30 km (18 miles) north-west ofHanoi. It was believed they were to support thelarge-scale Viet Cong offensive launched after theUSA had stopped the first series of bombingattacks on Vietnam (the Tet offensive), but theIl-28s did not participate in this operation.Normally the Beagles were based in southernChina; if the US intelligence service reported thepresence of these aircraft on any North Vietnameseairfield, the airfields in question would be poundedwith cluster bombs loaded with pellets.

ln 1971 the North Vietnamese Il-28s did seeaction, supporting the Vietnamese People's Armyand the Pathet Lao guerrillas in Laos. Soviet airmentook part in these operations, too; pilot Berkootovand navisator/bomb aimer Khachemizov were even

Tsp Bc,tcr,t rN SERVTcE . 89

I

Armourers load large-cal ibre HE bombs into a regiment of PLAAF I l-28s. Chinese Beagles also had their share of l ight-ing. ( Chinu Aift ftr/i )

:::::::i,,t

l:lll

ril;i

awarded the title of Hero of the VietnamesePeople's Army.

August 1968 added another shameful page to theIl-28's biography when Beagles were used, alongwith other Soviet Air Force aircraft, to suppress themutiny in Czechoslovakia. Specifically these were7th FBAP bombers from Starokonstantinov, andpossibly Il-28R reconnaissance aircraft fromSchuchin (Belorussian DD).

Skirmishes between Israel and Egypt continuedafter the Six-Day War unti l 1970. EAF 11-28s partic-ipated actively in these clashes, flying reconnais-sance missions over Israeli territory; two of themwere shot down between l0 July and I August 19'70.One more example was lost in a 'friendly fire' inci-dent in March 1970 when an I1-28BM towing asleeve-type target was destroyed by an S-125 Koob(Cube; NATO SA-3 Gainfuf surface-to-air missile;the missile system was manned by a Soviet crewunder N. M. Kootyntsev. Of course a scandalerupted; to make matters worse one of the airmen

who had perished in the shootdown was a memberof one of the Arab royal families. However, usingthe missile system's data recording equipment,Kootyntsev proved that the air defence crews hadnot been informed of the bomber's mission and theIl-28's IFF transponder was out of order.Furthermore, a group of four Heyl Hu'uvirMcDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs had crossedthe Suez Canal, formating with the Beagle, thenheading back at ultra-low level. As a result, the mis-sile team misidentif ied the l l-28 as the leader of anIsraeli strike group and opened fire. The Egyptianshad to admit the Soviet officer was right.

Iraqi Air Force Il-28s were used operationally inthe late 1960s and in the first six months of 1974 inSaddam Hussein's relentless war with the Kurdishminority living in the north of Iraq and striving forsovereignty. The Kurdish rebels claimed onebomber shot down in April 1974.

According to some reports, Soviet Air ForceIl-28Sh strike aircraft were used operationally

90 . I rvusrrrx | . -28 Br. . r<; t . r ,

b-"brt:

A f onnl t t ion ol ' I 'LAAI: l lLt t ,g l t 's c l t r l in-u ln cre rc isc. i ( l t i r t t t . t i r l r r l r )

dur ing thc Sino-Sovic l l r f lnccl conl l ic t aroLlncll )unranskiy Is lancl ou 1hc Antur Rivcl in thc car ly1 970s.

In thc latc 1970s thc bloocly fc-qintc ol ' Prt l Potusccl u hlrncll ir l ol ' Bca.q/r,s (pnrbably Chincsc-bLriltH-5s) againsl thc o1-r1-rosi t ion l i r rccs heaclccl by HcngSltnr l in. who bccamc hcacl o l ' thc gove runtent af ic l 'Pol Pot rvas or.rstccl. Onc ol- thc Il-28s was reprtrtccll l 'shot dorvn; two mol'c werc caplLllcd intact atPochcntong AB ncar Phnont Penl t on 7 Januar l ,1979 u'hcn thc basc was ovcrrLln by VictnantcscI t i ) ( )p\ sgpp()r t i 6r ] t IC ppl-r ls i t iprr .

Thc Alghan War wus lhc last conl l ic t in lv l t ich thcvcnclablc bonrber paft ic ipatccl . Despi te i ts agc. i ttu lncd out to be wcl l sui tccl lbr th is lvar. thanks tc li ts lLrggccl dcpcndabi l i ty in the harsh concl i t ions ofAl-uhanistan. wi th i ts i l l -eqLr ippecl a i r t lc lds and fcr ' -l 'asivc dust. Unerpectedly. thc seerningly archaicmanncd tai l sunnel ' 's stat ion turnecl or-r t to be clui t t -r-rscl-r.rl; thc slrnner would firc at cneuty troops on thcglor-rnd. c l iscouraging at tacks wi th s l touldcr ' -launchecl surfuce-to-air rn issi les. The ef f ic iency ol 'this tactic can be.juclged by thc l itct that r.rot a sir.rgleAlghan Air Fbrce I l -28 rvas lost to the MLr. lahidinrebels'air clef-enccs. However. Ihe Bcucles wgrc lostone nigl"r t in. lanuarv 1985 in a warr that wi ls not

Llncomnrou clur ing thc Alghan War. Trai tors l tntongthc Alghan pcrsonncl o l ' Shinclancl AB who haclbccn boLrght o11' by thc rcbcls blcw r"rp c lcvcu ol ' thcbonrbcrs; thc l lamcs clLr ickly sprcacl to thc othcl u i r ' -cral i uncl thc 335th Conrposi le Air Rcgimcnt ccasccl1() cxls l .

In 1985 anothcr Chincsc l l -28 abscondcd. th ist inrc to South Korcu. Thc crew was less lLrcky th ist ime: thc aircral i was total ly dcstroyed wlt i leat ten.rpt ing a lbrcccl landing in a l ' ic lc l . k i l l ing thegunner and a local f irrr.ncr.

l - innish I l -2uRs wcrc used a lot lbr 5nsppingarouncl t l.re Soviet bcllclcr. (Finlancl wAS on li icndlytcrms rv i t l . r the Sovict Union. br-r1 that d id not stopthc l--inns l iour spyin-u!) The r"reighbor-rr's Bcuglaswcrc a constant source of annoyancc lbr the SovietAir Def-cncc Force (PVO Protit'ot,o:tloosltrtu.t'utthontrut) l ighter regiments stationecl in the area. Assoou as the air def-ence raclars cletectecl an ailcrafihcading towards the bordcr l iou-r Finland. f ighterswoulcl scramble to interccpt. Real iz ing they hadbeen detected. the Finnish crelv would f ly a lorrg the-borclcr on their side. while thc Soviet t ighters woulcldo thc silmc on l/ icl ' sicie. f irmlv inciicating that theneighbor-rrs shoLr ld 'kccp their poocl t of f our lawn' .Tl'ren tl.re Il-2tl would ostensibly give up arrd hcad

Tp'p. BLqam rN Spnvrcp . 9l

into Finnish territory; as soon as the frghters, too,headed back to base, the spyplane would pop backup. By then the fighters would be getting criticallylow on fuel and had no choice but to head for home.the angry pilots radioing to base to urgently send arelief crew. The I1-28R's long endurance (thanks toits tip tanks) allowed the Finns to play this game oftag.

SurvivorsAs already recounted, huge numbers of Il-28s werewantonly destroyed because of Khruschev's mis-silization ideas or ended up as AAA and gunnerytargets. Others simply rotted away at various bases,waiting to be scrapped; for instance, the hulk of anIl-28 was present at Kubinka AB near Moscow untilat least 1997, and several dozen were dumped atTambov when the TVVAUL re-equipped with theTupolev Tu- I 34UBL Crusty- B trainer.

Fortunately several examples of this sleekbomber have been preserved for posterity. The col-lection of the Soviet Air Force Museum in Moninonear Moscow includes Il-28 04 Red (c/n 53005771);interestingly, this aircraft originally sported ten mis-sion markings on the nose. Another Moscow-builtBeagle (10 Red, c/n 65010809) is preserved in theSoviet Armed Forces Museum in Moscow. AnOmsk-built example (01 Red, c/n 36603807) is ondisplay in the open-air aviation museum atKhodynka airfield in the centre of Moscow; at one

time this aircraft featured crude nose art depictingSanta Claus and Cheburashka (a cartoon character)on the starboard side. An Il-28 coded 07 Red is ondisplay at the Naval Air Arm Museum in Safonovonear Severomorsk-l AB (Murmansk Region).An Omsk-built example coded 85 (c/n 56606201)is a ground instructional airframe at the SamaraState Aviation University (SGAU Samarskiygosoodarstvennyy aviatseeonry)y ooniversitet; for-merly KuAI Kuibyshev Aviation Institute). Oneexample coded 30 Red is displayed on a plinth out-side the Air Force's Aircraft Overhaul Plant No. 712in Chelyabinsk, which refurbished Il-28s. Othersprobably survive as gate guards on various Russianairbases. A few more l l-28s are on display in the avi-ation museums of Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland,Hungary, Poland and Romania.

,<t(*

The Il-28 has been aptly described by one Russianauthor as 'a successful design that was always outof luck'. Even though the Il-28's combat potentialwas not used to the full, it was this type that intro-duced jet aircraft and all-weather capability to thebomber element of the Soviet Air Force and severalother air arms. The 11-28 helped to train hundreds offirst-class naval pilots. Western aviation experts gavethe Beagle due credit, describing it as a masterpieceof Soviet aircraft desisn.

Bn.qcms WonrD-wIDE

fTlh. Il-28 was operared by 25 nations inI Europe. Asia (including SE Asia), Africa and

I the Middle East. Second-hand aircraft werealso exported, which incidentally saved a few Il-287torpedo-bombers from the torch.

AfghanistanA number of obsolete Il-28 bombers phased out bythe VVS were delivered to the Royal Afghan AirForce in 1969. Reports on the number of aircraftsupplied vary considerably, ranging from twelve air-craft (one squadron) to 45 aircraft (threesquadrons). The Beagles were mostly based atMazar-e Sharif where most of the Soviet militaryadvisers were stationed. The Il-28s were probablyused operationally by the Afghan Republican AirForce (Afghan Hqnai Qurah) at the opening stagesof the Afghan civil war (i.e. prior to the Sovietinvasion).

Only one aircraft wearing the serial 163 Blackand early-style red roundels with yellow Dari scripthas been identified; it was operated by the 335thComposite Air Regiment at Shindand in the sum-mer of 1979. All of the unit's Il-28s were destroyedon the ground in January 1985.

Albania

The Albanian People's Republic Air Force (ForcatUshtarake Ajore Shquipdtare, later renamedAviacione Ushtarak Shquipdtare) took delivery of anunspecified number of Chinese-built Harbin H-5s.Three aircraft serialled 026,29 and 3608 have beenidentified to date; the last example belonged to the4020th (formerly l594th) Aviation Regiment basedat Rinas AB near the Albanian capital, Tirana, andremained operational until 1993. (In some sourcesthe Albanian name has been rendered as AviatikaMilitar e Republika Popull\re e Shquip€rise.)

Algeria

The Soviet Union began providing military assis-tance to Algeria in 1962, right after the countrygained independence from France. Initially twelveIl-28 bombers were delivered to the Alserian Air

Force (Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza'eriyalForceAtrienne Algtrienne) via Egypt, with which Algeriawas closely allied; direct deliveries might havecaused unfavourable political consequences for theSoviet Union. These aircraft probably participatedin the clash with Morocco in 1963. Another twelveBeagles were delivered directly from the USSR afterthe 1965 military coup when the new government(which was even more pro-Soviet) requested addi-tional military aid. Nearly all the Beagles wereunserviceableby 1979, and the few which remainedoperational were relegated to secondary duties.

BulgariaThe Bulgarian Air Force (BVVS - BolgarskiVoyenno Vozdooshni Seeli) operuted various ver-sions of the Beagle. Around 36ll-28s were based atTolbukhin AB in the north-east of the countrv:these included four Il-28R reconnaisanc e aircrafl,'afew Il-28T torpedo-bombers and two Il-28U train-ers. A dozen aircraft modified for electronic warfareduties were reportedly still operational in 1983.

Only one aircraft, coded 43 Red (c/n ...2504), hasbeen identified so far; it is on display at theBulgarian Air Force Museum (Graf Ignatiev AB,Plovdiv).

ChinaCommunist China was by far the largest foreignoperator of the type. Deliveries to the People'sLiberation Army Air Force (PLAAF, or Chung-kuoShen Min Taie-Fang-Tsun Pu-tai) started in 1952.By 1956 the PLAAF inventory included more than250 Soviet-built Il-28s. This number was furtherexpanded when production of the Beagle andMascot as the H-5 and HJ-5 respectively started atHarbin. RAT-52 torpedoes for the Il-28 were alsomanufactured locally.

More than 300I1-28s were in service by the end of1964, not counting Il-2SUs (a total figure of 400-plus has been reported in service with twelve tacticalbomber regiments). Their principal role was to beon ready alert and intimidate the TaiwaneseNationalists. More than 100 Il-28s were transferredto the naval air arm (PLANAD and converted

Bt:t; t , t ,s Wonrn-u'tnr. . 93

into torpeclo-bombcrs similar to early Sovictconversior.rs. This was at a time when a manncassault frorn Taiwan was consideled a distinct possi-bi l i ty in n-rainland China.

Known PLAAF I l -28s are l is tcd in Table 16. Therncarr ing of PLAAIT ser ia ls is obscule. but in thecasc ol- f ive-digit scrials the first two digits may be acode dcnoting one ol- thc eleven dcf'cnce districts.the fourth digi t a uni t code. whi le thc th i rc l and f i l l l rd ig i ts makc up the indiv idual numberol- thc aircraf tiu the r-rni t . Chinese I l -28s usr"ral ly had dark gleenr-rppcr surfnces ancl pale blue undersr.rrfaccs. butwholc units are knowr.r 1o havc bcen equippccl withnaturaI metaI (or s i lvcr-paintecl) a i rcral l .

The BruglL,remaincd in service r"rnt i l the late 1990s(300 H-5s and HZ-5s wcrc reportcdly st i l l onstrcngth wi th the PLAAF ancl 1,50 torpedo-bombcrs wi th lhc PLANAF in 1997), though i t wrLsgradually supcrscdccl by Tu- l(r bourbcrs anclTu- l6K- I l - | 6 ant i -shipping missi lc carr ie rs. TIrclat tc l typc was bui l t in Xian (wi thout the bcncf l t o l 'a l icencc) as thc H-(r . ancl solc l icrs ou u ' i th thc

PLANAF as the H-6 IV armed with C-601Silkr.vonn rnissiles Chinese coDics of thcK- l t ' /NATO AS-5 A. ' r .

Czechoslovakia

The flrst three l l-28s wcr"e clelivcrcd to the Czech AirForce (CzAF. ol fVL (-t ' t/r,,.r/r,r ' . ' l ,r l;c I-olt 'n,;klLt , tcct t 'o) in Janualy l9-5,5: the type was iutencleci torcplace the obsolcte Aero C-3 ( the Czech dcsignu-t iorr o l - Siebel Si 204Ds usct l as bctntber l ra incrs).Four Soviet instructors (surnat lcs Tsi l in. Ycrshor, .L is i tskiy ancl Salazkin) stal tccl t ra in iug thc l - i rstten crcws clu 9 Fcbrr.rary. Thc Czcchs ri,cre cluickon thc uptake, and thc threc uircral i pul t ic ipatcclin thc VE-Da1' air 1-raraclc on 9 Maf itt t6c sllt.tcycar. f lown by Czech crcws (l ' l igh1 lcadcr Mrr.j.Korr i i r ' ) .

On l7 Septcnrbcl 1955 tcn I l -28s cscortccl bvl ightcrs took part in thc Aviat ion Day l lyplst inll 'ont of- 1hc Czcch govcntr.r.ro.rt, dropping l ivcbombs ou 'cucl l ty lbr t i l lcat ions' ( ! ) . Howcvcr. thcpcrlbI.rancc was alnrctst ovcrshadowccl bv ir

\Y-:++1;;

A busy scette at a Chinese airbasc. with numcrous H-5s gctt ing leacl1" lbr thc day's f l ight trairr ine. Notc thc servicentan int l"re lbrcgror-rrtd who Iras l iverred up his khaki att irc with a clccidct l l i ' non-r 'egulat ic 'rn stmw hatt. tChittu .1irtnr1r t

94 . Ir-yusurN L-28 Bt,tcLt

Table 16. Known PLAAF ll-28s

Serial C/n Version Notes

6l Red0031 Red0131Red0194 Red0195 Yellow

0986 Red1110 Yel low1206 Redl2l0 Yellow1400 Red1402 Red1403 Redl47l RedI 510 Red1512 Redl5l3 Red1618 Yellow1 718 Redl80l Red10198 Red10692 Red30518307r03071 I307 t2307t33071430715*,k307 I 6**307 l730718307 lg**308103081 I30812309 I 3**308143081 543050 Red43684 Red43693 Red44690 Red

45552 Red63019 Rednonenone

il-28UIl-28il-28Il-28Il-28

ll-28Il-28Il-28il-28Il-28n-28It-28Il-28il-28Il-28Il-28\-28Il-28|-28il-28HJ-5 (I-28U)Il-28*Il-29*Il-29*Il-28*Il-29*It-29*Il-28*Il-29*Il-29 *Il-28*Il-29*It-29*Il-28*Il-28*Il-29*Il-29*Il-29*il-28H-5H-5il-28

Il-28HJ-5 (il-28u)n-28 (H-5?)[-28 (H-5?)

?????

??????????????????????????,|

??????????

??4149s4120

Natural metalHangchow AB; green with blue undersurfaces. Defected to TaoyuanAB, Taiwan, I l-l l-66; preservedNatural metalGreen with blue undersurfacesNatural metalGreen with blue undersurfacesNatural metalNatural metalNatural metalGreen with blue undersurfacesGreen with blue undersurfacesNatural metalNatural metalGreen with blue undersurfaces; unconfirmed (drawrng only)Natural metalNatural metalNatural metal. Preserved pLAAF Museum, Datangshan ABNatural metal. Preserved pLAAF Museum

Natural metalNatural metalNatural metal; sometimes reported in error as Il_2gUPreserved PLAAF Museum, two-tone blue camouflage with whiteundersurfaces; non-standard noseNatural metal

Natural metal. Preserved pLAAF MuseumNatural metal. Preserved pLAAF Museum

Notes:* Exact version not known (may be H_5).*t< Existence not proved but likely.

Bntctts Wonro-wtoE . 95

&3*.

m

A Czech Air Force I l-28 (or Avia 8-228) in pre-1957 markinss. rRl/ lrr

formation of 33 C-3s shaped like a hammer andsickle. The organizers of the flypast had probablywanted to show that aircraft which had done ster-l ing service make way for new types, but the implica-tion was just the opposite the old guard neversurrenders, it only dies!

The bomber uni ts equipped with I I -28s becameful ly operat ional by October t955. Unt i l the mid-1960s the Czechs had a habit of redesignating for-eign military aircraft in Czech AF service. Forexample, the Messerschmitt Bf l09G was the S-99(the Bf l09G-12 rrainer was the CS-99), theMiG-l 5bis Fugot-B was built as the Aero S-102 (andthe UTI-MiG-|S Midget as the CS-102), etc. Asalready mentioned, Czech-built t l-28 bombers andIl-28U trainers were designated 8-228 and C8-228respectively.

Besides the bomber version (sometimes referredto as the Il-28B by the Czechs) and the Il-28Utrainer, the Czech AF had some II-28RTR ELINTaircraft. The aircraft were progressively modified;e.g. the nose guns were removed and new avionicsinstalled in 1959-60. Some aircraft were fitted withempty shell collector cases under the tail turret.

At least one bomber was converted locally into anELINT or ECM aircraft. This was characterized bylarge cylindrical pods at the wingtips resembling the

:sxr(-30

I l -28R's drop tanks. The front and rear port ions ofthese pods were dielectric anci paintetl dark blue.

Ini t ia l ly Czech mi l i tary aircraf t and hel icoptershad alpha-nr.rmeric serials consisting of one or twoletters and two figures; the letters weie a code denot-ing the squadron to which the aircraft belonged.l l -28s were al located ser ia ls in the AD, BA, CD, DE,EB, FC, FH. GO, LB, PK, PU, PX, RL. TH bIOCKSand possibly others. The serial was painted on thelorward luselage in huge characlers. A diflerenr sys-tem was introduced in mid-1957, wi th lbur-digi tserials matching the last fbur of the aircrali 's con-struction number; the serial was now painted on therear luselage

Until 1960 Czech Beugles continued appearing atairshows. For example, the 1956 VE-Day paradefeatured a flypast by no fewer than sixteen ll-28s.The grand show staged in Prague-Ruzyne airporton 2 September 1956 was opened by a fbrmation ofthree l l-28s led by Maj. Hdjek and closed byanother Il-28 escorted by four MiG- I 5s, followed bythree vics of three Beugles. Business comes first,however, and the crews kept training. Training wasnot l imi ted to home ground: in June 1956 nine arr-craft were deployed to Hungary and nine more toEast Germany to participate in Warsaw pact mili-tary exercises, acting as aggressor aircraft. To this

96 . l rvusrrrx l : -28 Bt, . t t ; r . t

{

t ' ' /n)

ffi*llt:

ThisCzcchAir .Fi l rcc| | -2ELl(orAviaC.B-22i i )c: t r r icstr t la|pIr i t -nr tn lcr icscr. i l t l t rn1hel i l l .wirc lp lc l t l fcwl tstakctral tcr l95T.whcrt thclbur ' -c l ig i tscr iu lsor.r thcal i l -Lrsclagcwclc introduccd. i /1. .1R7r

cnd thcy wcre suitably r.narked by a blue clr red stripearound thc rear l 'r-rselagc. Czechoslovakia alsoserved as a trainir.rg ground I'or Baugle crcws fior.t.rEgypt. Syria. Indoncsia. Nigcria and a few r.uorecountr ies.

The basic bomber was rct i red in 1965. The trr iner.sand reconnaissance versions rcntained in selr iceunt i l 1973. By 1977 al l Czech I l -28s. except four i t i r -crall displayed at the Military Museum at Prague-Kbely airport, had cither bcen scrtipped or hadended up as target drones or gunncry targets atpractice raltges.

Czech sportsmen alsc'r used the Il-28 lor settingseveral world records. Thc idea was born when theCzechs won every possible medal at the 3rd WorldSkydiving Charmpionship held at Moscow-Tushinoin 1956; the catch-phrase o1- the day was 'Thestuder.rts have surpassed the teachers'. Of course.the winners were treated l ike national heroes.Among other things. they had an audience with the

thcn Pre s ident of ' Czechoslovakia. AntoninZipotocky who asked thcrn in a private couversel-t ion what hc could do for them. Sciz ing the oppor-tLlnity. absolute world cl.rantpion Gr.rstav Koubeksaid they woLr ld l ike to makc a jur lp 1rom high al t i -lude in order to glor i fy their homeland, but only theAir Force had aircraft which could takc them highenough specifically thc Il-28 bomber, which couldaccommodate a team of skydivers in the bomb bay.The President tasked the Minister of Def'enceLornsky with providing assistance; the minister gaveappropriate orders to the Czech Air Force C-in-C.Lt-Cerr . Josel Vosahlo.

Apparently the rnil i tary were not overjoyed aboutthis r-rnexpccted task, let alone the prospect of let-t ing civil ians use their aircraft. Since this was apresidential task, they could not just give Koubekand his team tl.re brush-off. Hence they tried to scarethe unwanted guests off. At the first meeting withLt-Gen. Voshhlo the sportsmen got bawled out byhis aides, who kept tell ing them rhey would get

Bn,qcus Wonr-o-wron . 97

Table 17. Known CzAF ll-28s

Serial C/n Version Notes

AD-3IA.. . -81BA.lO?BA-11( l )BA-11 (2)6926CD-IO0501DE-50DE-51TH-I4PK-30PU-I2

t9042t072303?

2309?2404

33036915not known

?s70r9?5677556926

65010501?

?????

t9045210752303?

52309?...2404?

533035691554665

il-28 (8-228?)n-28 (B-228)n-28U (CB-228?)\-28 (8-228)il-28RTR (9-228)

Il-28U

r-28 (B-228?)r-28 (9-2287)r-28 (8-228)l-28 (8-228?)I-28R (8-228?)

Il-28\-28 (B'-228)il-28R (B-228)

n-28II-28RT

r1-28RT (B-228)r-28 (B-228)I-28 (8-228)

Reserialled 7019?

Fate unknown; see next lineReserialled to, see belowPreserved Czech aerospace museum (VM VHU)*. Prague-KbelyC/n reported as 650.100501 - misquote? Reserialled to, see belowPreserved VM VHU

Preserved VM VHUReported preserved VM VHU but possible confusion with 3303,see belowUnconfi rmed (drawing only)Preserved Nadace Lbteckd Historickd Spoletnosti Vj,Ikov (YylkovAviation Historical Society Collection), Slatina. Could be B-228cln 52404Preserved VM VHUEngine testbedPossibly serialled 4665

Note:'l' VM VHU = Voiensk,! muzeum Vojenskiho historickiho istavu * Military Museum of the Military Historical

Society.

incinerated by the engine exhaust, or freeze like rab-bits at high altitude, or get smashed to death againstthe aircraft's fuselage by the slipstream, or theirlungs would burst and they would suffocate. ButKoubek and his team would not be put off that eas-ily and demanded persistently that a test with adummy be performed at first. Grudgingly themilitary had to agree.

The sportsmen got their first look at the Il-28'sbomb bay at Mlad6 AB, Milovice, discussing themodifications which needed to be made to the air-craft with the local technicians. An Il-28 serialledTH-14 was equipped with a cine-camera mountedahead of the bomb bay to check how the dummywould travel after leaving the bay. Later, live jumpswere made by Air Force parachutists Bilek (firstname unknown) and Leopold Ozi.},al.

Meanwhile, the sportsmen were preparing inearnest for the record attempt. Special heat-insu-lated and windproof clothing, including face masksof the kind worn by anti-terrorist troops, was madeto protect them from the slipstream and the killing

cold of the stratosphere. The parachutists trained ina pressure chamber, with physicians monitoringtheir health; two of the candidates failed to pass thistest. Then the aircraft's bomb bay doors were linedwith thick felt to reduce the risk of injuries, specialsuspension belts were installed as a safety measureto restrain the parachutists until the aircraftclimbed to a safe altitude. and the bomb bav was fit-ted out with an oxygen system, an intercom, lightsand additional cameras.

Prior to the record attempt the skydivers madetwo training jumps from 6,000 m (19,685 ft) and9,000 m (29,527 ft). An unexpected complicationarose on the latter occasion - the barographs whichwere to record the altitude during the jump frozeand failed. A special frost-resistant lubricant had tobe developed urgently and all of the parachutists'equipment (altimeters, barographs, chronometers,oxygen kits) were tested at -60oC (-76"F) and simu-lated altitudes up to 13,000 m (42,651 ft).Incidentally, each man's equipment, together withthe PTCH-3 parachute, weighed 60 kg (1321b).

9l l . I r l r .srrr . l h -28 Bt: .u, t . t ,

An Fl i rst ( icnnau I l - f i iR ubout to bcsin i ts tukc-ol l ' fuu. r / t . l / l /

At 08.07 on 2l March 1957. I l -28 TH-14 pi lotcclby Jaroslav Ha.lck took oll ' l l 'onr Mlacla AB. acconr-paniccl by a LJTI-MiG-15 , ' t ln{qr, / tnr incr ls r rcanrcra ship. When the bon.rbel c l inrbccl us high as i twoulc lgo. c lo ing 550 km/h (297 kt) . at 08.-55 thc sk1,-c l ivc ls Ja loslav Jchl i ika. Zclcnek Kapla n a nclCustav Koubck lc l t thc bonb bair at l l .8-50 nr(42.158 1t) ancl f t l l I 1.664 n (38.267 l t ) belbre open-ing their parachutcs.

Not sat is l led wi th th is rcn.rarkablc achicvement.the same tr io decidcd to r .nakc a sccoud stratos-pher ic jLurp at n ight. At 2 l . l -5 on 27 March theytook ofl ' l l-om Mlaclh AB in the sarnc airclali. leav-ing i t at 21.56 at an al t i t r . rde of l l .5 l8 m (41.0(r9l t )and f a l l ing 11.082 m (39.639 l i ) belbre opening theirparacl.rutcs. Special searchlights wel'e set up on thegrount l . shining vert ical ly into thc sk1, to te l l thepilots when and where to clrop thc sk1'divers.

East Germany

Thc LSK/LV ( Lult,rtrait llii/1t' tmd Lulivcrteidiguttgdar Daut,scltan DantokrutisL'ltatt RL'ptrblilt Air Forceand Air Defence Force of thc Gcruran DemoelaticRepublic) used the Il-28 erclr"rsivcly lbl tr lrget-tow-

ing clLrtics. To this cr.rcl thc 3rcl St4/al (squacllon) ol.l FCi I (.fug1/licgcrgcsclnrutlcr lightcr wing) at(-ot tbus was rcorganizecl in Fcbruary l9-59 asorclerccl by East Gcrn.rany's ntinister ol- clel-cucc. Thcsclr.urclror.r 's f lrst aucl seconcl l l ights continucd tc'ropcrarc PZL Lim-5 (Pol ish-bLr i l t MiG-l ' /F F). t ' .s t ' t t -( ' ) day l ightcrs anci L im--5P (Pol ish-bui l t MiG-l7PF'l - r t ' .s to-D) al l -wcather interceptor"s. ' whi lc thethird t ' l ight was in i t ia l ly eclLr ipped with two I l -28sser ia l lecl 190 Black ancl 196 Black. To this cncl lburLSK/LV pi lots took conversior.r t la i r . r ing in Cottbusor.r I Februaly 4 March. while two navigators andthree raclio ope rators Llnderwent theoreticalt ra in in-{ at t l . re Sovict Air Force's l l th ORAP(otdel'ttt 'r ' rtr:r,ed.t 'r 'utcl 'ttt ' .t ' aviupolk indcpendentrcconnaissance regiment) stat ioned at Ncu-WelzowAB.

Shortly aflerwards 3/JFG I was transfblmecl intoZDS 2l (Zicldur,stallungsstu//el target-towingscluadron).'The unit bccane fully operational ir.r t l .re

I L inr = l i tc t t t . r ' j r t . r nt . r i l i r r t , r ' l icence-buiJt l ighter.I Somc ( icrr .nan soulces c la im that thc l l -28s rcnrainecl on

st length n ' i th. lFG I unt i l December l9-59.

Butctas Wonlo-wroe . 99

spring of 1960, providing target practice primarilyfor Volk,sarmee (People's Army) AA gunners firinganything from 14.5 mm (.57 calibre) machine-gunsto 57 mm 5-60 radar-directed automatic AA suns.The latter were noted for their high accuracy, 6ft.nshooting the towed 'sock'right off. Target practicetook place at the Zingst AAA range on the BalticSea coast.

Il-28 target tugs were used to train East GermanNavy (Zolksmarine) gunners as well; their tasksincluded dropping flare bombs which were used astargets by AA gunners (!). LSK/LV fighter pilotswere to join the fun later on, practising attacks onlow-flying targets. Of course great care was taken toensure the target tugs would not be hit by friendlyfire.

A single Il-28U was delivered in 196l for crewtraining. The location of ZDS 21 chaneed severaltimes; at one time the unit operated frJm DrewitzAB, not far from Cottbus. Five more Il-28s weretransferred from the l lth ORAP to ZDS 2l at thisbase in 1962. After 1972 the unit was permanentlybased in Peenemiinde. In due time the unit wasrenumbered, becoming ZDS 33; on I December l98lit was demoted to ZDK 33 (Zielctarstellunsskerte -target-towing fl ight;.

Originally the East German ll-28s were painted

Table 18. East German ll-28s

silver overall, but some aircraft were later reoaintedin a camouflage scheme with dark greenidaik earthupper surfaces and light blue undersurfaces. TheIl-28s served without incident unti l 1982, when theywere replaced by Czech-built Aero L-39V Albatrostarget tugs and KT-04 towed targets. The last air-craft, serialled 208, was retired on 20 October 1982and preserved at the LSK/LV ofTjcers' flvins schoolin Bautzen (OJfi z i e r ho c h s c hu I e Franz l,f i hr ii s l.

East German I I -28s were also used to test newmodels of parachutes. Before a test jumper coulclrisk his l i fe, a tin dummy fi l led with sand would bedropped from an Il-28 at various speeds and alti-tudes.

gypt (United Arab Republic; ArabRepublic of Egypt)The Egyptian Air Force (EAF, or al Outrvrat ul-Jawwiya it-Misriya) took delivery of its fi-rst Beaglesin December 1955, ordering about fifty B-228s andCB-228s from Czechoslovakia. The aircraft werebased at Cairo-West AB. After the Suez Crisis of1956, in which at least seven of these bombers werelost, President Gamal Abdel Nasser launched amaJor programme to re-equip his armed forces; thisincluded the acquisit ion of more Beugles. In March

Serial C/n Version Notes

I l???

180 Black

184 Black

190 Black193 Black

I96 Black204 Black205 Black208 Red**

224 Black226Black

...2002

.. .9014 r 8

5901207

55006937650103r l?

5500694444044265400627955006448

550064455500641 7

I l -28

I l -28R

I l -28R

I l -28il-28U

il-28I l -28Il-28r l-28

il-28I l -28

Serial as reported but doubtful; latest German publications do not confirmexistence of this aircraft in East Germany!Ex DDR-ZZI (engine testbed. V E B Entwick I u n gsbau pirna), transferreclI - I | -61 . WFU Oranienburg AB ?-?-76; SOC* 25-6-j9, scrappedEx DDR-ZZK (engine testbed, VEB Entwicklungsbau pirna). transferredl- l l -61. WFU OranienburgAB ?-?-77; SOC 25-6- j9, scrappedD/D 1959. SOC l2-10-82, scrappedD/D 1961. C/n reported as 61031L Camouflaged. SOC 30-3-79. became atarget at the gunnery range in Peenemi.indeD/D 1959. Crashed 30-7-"11DID l2-l-62. Crashed in Poland 12-10-63DID 1962. Crashed in the USSR ?-5-69; SOC 30-5-70DID 1962. Camouflaged. SOC l3-10-82, preserved Bautzen Museum thisoateDID 1962. SOC 9- l2-77. scrappedDID 1962. Crashed at Peenemiind e 4-2-i0:. SOC 30-7-71

Notes:* SOC = struck off charse.':!* The red serial on 208 iinoteworthy, as normally only single-seat fighters wore red serials in the East German Air

Force; all other aircraft wore black serials.The aircraft transferred lrom the Soviet Air Force have been referred to as Il-28Rs, which certainly seems logical"considering that they were transferred lrom a reconnaissance regiment. However, German ,ourcei say only iwoIl-28Rs were delivered; and indeed the other LSK/LV Beaglesd6 not have the tip tanks characteristic of thereconnaissance version.

100 . IrvusHrx lt-28 Bt-:,tc;r.r:

.t :i, r

,

. . . . ' r i i . . , . i ; l i : : : r l ,. . :.:.: '.., . . . '1, ' i

{

This Egyptian Air Forcc I l-28 was displayed in Cairo in I 956 toge t l .rer with ot l icr aircraft therr operated by the EA F. Thebomber can' ies pre-UARAF green and wli i tc national insignia. r l t . , tRz r

1957 three Romanian ships brought the f l rst tenI l -28s to Alexandr ia, among other th ings; by lateJune the EAF had about 40 on strength.

In his speech on 25 July 1957 on the occasion ofNasser's f if lh anniversary as President, EgyptianAir Force Chief of Stafl Air Vice-MarshalMohammed Sidki stated that the EAF's first-l ineassets had doubled as compared to the timeimmediately before the Suez Crisis. To add weight tohis words. a formation of no fewer than 100 combatjets was to pass over Cairo on the sarne day.However. the show of lbrce fizzled because thetechnical staff had managed to prepare only 42 air-craft for the display eleven MiG-l5bis Fugot-Bs,eighteen MiG-l7F Fre,st'o-Cs and thirteen ll-28s.The watching crowd went wild all the same, butthe message was clear: it would take years forthe Egyptian Air Force to becorne fully combat-capable.

When Egypt and Syria joined forces againstIsrael, creating the United Arab Republic on IFebruary 1958, the EAF Il-28s were included in theassets of the newly created United Arab RepublicAir Force (UARAF). Three squadrons of Beugles

were fbrmed: in addition to the basic bomberand Il-28 U trainer, the UARAF reportedlyoperated Il-28R tactical PHOTINT aircraft andChinese-built H-5s. Egypt reclaimed most of theseaircraft in September 1961 when the United ArabRepublic ceased to exist and Egypt and Syria(and their respective air forces) went their separateways.

Reports on the number of Egyptian l l-28s varywidely, some sources stating as many as 72 aircraftin 1966. These included four second-hand Il-287torpedo-bombers bought from the Soviet Navy in1962 with a supply of 90 RAT-52 torpedoes. Othersources claim that 21 of 30 (!?) aircrafi on strengthin 196l were destroyed on the ground by Israeli airstr ikes dur ing the Six-Day War (5 l l June 1967).Two Il-28s were resold to Nigeria and six to Syria; itmakes you wonder where the remaining 34 aircraftwent! Anyway, by the beginning of the Holy DayWar (6 October 1973) Egypt had a Beugle force of35 or 40 aircraft in four bomber squadrons and onereconnaissance squadron. The Il-28s were nowbased at Aswan. No more than four or f iveremained airworthy by 1983; two aircraft were

Btt t ; t t s Wonl I r -u tDF . l0 l

! r '

I - **-* *.-\

l \\

"*"-g-:-:i

.N*-i lb

Egyptian Air Forcc l l -28 1733 at Kont Anshim AB: the aircral i wcars camoullagc introcluccd al ier the Six-Dav War ol1967. t ; t i , , t ( r , r t l , ,u, t r , h i ,

1\l ' . *"*- |

' \i \: \

l*"

t "t ' -' lL

wri t ten of f on 25 Apr i l 1970 under unknowu cir . -clrmstances (possibly a rnid-air coll ision or groundcol l is ion).

Only two aircraf t , ser ia l led 1733 and 1778. havebeen positively identif ied so lhr; both woresand/brown camouflage. A drawing exists ol- one

more ai lcral l in r-ratural metal f in ish ser ia l led 1731.Speaking of which, Egypt was one of the f 'ew air'i irms to havc camouflagecl I l-28s (most operatorshad silver-painted aircrall); the camoullage wasintroduced as a result of lessons learned in the Six-Dav War.

102 . Ir .r Lrsrrrtrt l t -2E Br..u;r.r,

*t*- ,$

t r -

. l; "" ' l l i l i ' . ; , , ,

3. t,.{

IKrAZ-15-5l l ( rx(r t ruck in thc lo l .cgr.oLrnd.

Finland

J'hc l : inrr ish Air For-cc ( l l t t t t t ro intu!) rccci l ,ccl r tncl l -2 l l borubcr lncl onc I I -28R pl ioto rcconnuissunccir i lcnr l t in 1960 I ; t rvo nrorc I l -28Rs fbl louccl in1966. Strange' ly cnough. al l lbur Bt, t tg lcs wcrc opcr_lutecl by thc Finnish Ai t . Forcc's t fansport scluadron( Ku I jt ' t u,s I c t t t t t I u i yt tt ' . or KLr l j L Lv ) lLt U tt i.

N Il-2ll/.1 wcrc latcr-cortve rtccl to targct tu-es accorcl_ing to thc Soviet I l -28BM stanclur i i : the-*v rvorkcd

'l 'able 19. l, ' innish Air Force l l-2lls

\ \ i r th \ ,anous ty; lcs ol ' targcts. inclLrcl ing l col tvcl t_t ional sock uncl u lur-sc c lur t -sha; lccl g l ic lcr . Thcai lcral t lvcrc s i lv 'cr- ovcral l . lv i th the c le tuchablccnginc cowl ings or ig inal ly paintccl grccn ou NH_l;lutcr . thc cowl ings. wingt ips (or t ip tanks. in thc caseof ' the l l -28Rs) ancl stabi l izcr t ips lvcre paintecl c lav_glo orange. Thc l ircl.afi carriecl a clay,glo u,.rng"peunaul or_r l l inccl i r t rcd ou thc f ln. pctssiblv to r t rarkl l tcrD i rs t i l t 'uct tUgs.

rlr#'f

t"Antrt l rcr crrrnoul ' l lqct l l : .Al ; l lc t t ,g lc. l77l i " ut ( ' l i r .o-wcst u i th r Sovict_bui l t

Serial C/rr !'ersion \otes

NII- INH-]NH.JNII-,1

. -5706

.I710

. r7l3

. l 106

il-2tI t -2tRil-28RII- ]ER

D/D* 28- l - ( r0: r 'cr i 'ecl . f ic . hcar,1, i . rd i . -u l0- l l -76: fLr l l c / , 5300_570(r . jD/D l , l -6-6 l : WFLI 6-8 I : t i r l l c in -590171( i lD/D l -66. WF LJ 10-6-8 t : f i r l l c /n 590 l7 t i , lDiD l - (16. wFLl 30-6-8 l " prcser 'cd str . r t t ' r t I r r r t t r i l t r Mtt .sc. .Tikkakoski : notN' loscou-br-r i l t (sec So'" ' ie r sccrion/l l - l8Tl). l i r l l c/n 5901 l0(r. l

Notes:* D/D Dclir , ,cr l ,Datc

Bt,tctts Wonlo-wrop . 103

I l-28 R N H-2 (c/n I 7 l0) with camouflaged wraps on the t ip tanks to hide the dayglo f inish. ( Yt, l i r t t Gort lon urctt irL )

,.8rr

I

'r.\-

Another Finnish I l-28 target tug. NH-4 (cAr l l06); this aircral ' t apparently does not have the characterist ic dayglomarkinss. ( Y'lin Gorlon urtlrirt,)

104 . IryusHrN l..-28 Br,tctr;

Hungary

The Hungarian Air Force (MHRC - MagyarHonvedseg Repik) Csapatai) introduced the Il-2g inlate 1954learly 1955. Thirty-seven examples wereinit ially on strength, with one regiment based atKunmadaras; at least some of them (possibly all)

Table 20. Hungarian Air Force ll-28s

were Czech-built B-228s and CB-228s. A secondBeagle regiment, the 82nd Vtsyes Reotik)Hadosztaly (bomber regiment) at Keiskemet, wasestablished later. Litt le else is known, exceDt that thelast t l -28s were rer i red in 19i2.

Serial C/n Version Notes

l0 RedI9 Red20 Red34 Red50 Red55 Red7l Red72 RedTl Red

??,!

56424?56455'l,)

69420',!

il-28il-28RTRIl-28rr-28 (B-228)I l -28il-28 (8-228)I l -28Il-28il-28U (CB-228?)

Often reported in error as a Romanian Air Force aircraftPreserved O:igetvar Mu:eunt, V6cses. in lake Soviet Air Force markings

Preserved Mugyur Repiilist\rtcneti Mu:ewn,szolnokPreserved, location unknown

I

34 Red, a Hungarian Beugle , in flight. ( ytf in Gontort urttrilc )

Czech-built Hungarian Air Force Il-28 55 Red in a local museum

Bucrcs Wonlo-wron . 105

Indonesia

When President Sukarno was in office. Indonesiawas on fairly good terms with the Soviet Union andenjoyed Soviet mil itary aid. In l96l the Indonesiannaval air arm (Tentera Nasional InelonesruAngkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) took delivery of morethan thirty overhauled Il-28T torpedo-bombersserialled from M-841 onwards, together with a suit-able complement of RAT-52 torpedoes, and six

Il-28U trainers (M-801-M-806). The aircraft weresupplied via Czechoslovakia, which also served as atraining base for the crews, and equipped No. I andNo. 2l squadrons at Surabaya. Quite possibly theaircraft were reserialled later on, as a photo exists ofTNI-AL Beagles serialled 504, 506 and 508, plusI1-28Us ser ia l led 511 and 512.

In 1966, however, Dr Sukarno was overthrown

"?&d.lai,$i r:irttiix,rrar!5t*{e*a.iq&*r;;ar -!tx!Wq1'rit!er::**tr:"..,,

--8-

f ndonesian Navy I l-28T M-842 taxies out for take-off. with M-844 and M-847 visible bevond . I R/1nr)

Another Indonesian Navy Bcagle, now wearing TNI-AL insignia and the new-style serial 506. rRznrr

106 . Ir-yusHrN It-28 Bex;tr

I

ht, \ . -

M-803, onc of ' lbur Indonesian Navy l l -28Us. immediately af ler take-ol l ' . rn.arizr

r,lriilllrw!&,

q".r

r:,,,r1,,]:r:llii{se

Another Mustot in new-style TN I-AL insignia, apparently withdrawn f iom use. Note the double trcc of spades nose art,presumably a squadron badge. / R.t Rrl

by the staunchly anti-Communist Gen. Suharto. Awave of repressions against Communists sweptthrough Indonesia, and Soviet support waspromptly cut off. Predictably, all Soviet-built air-craft were soon grounded by lack of spares. The lastBeugles were retired in June 1972.

Iraq

Prior to the Six-Day War the Iraqi Air Force (aiQuv,w'at ul-Jutrv'i,yu al-lraqiya) operated a single

light-bomber squadron equipped with ten l l-28sand two Il-28Us. The aircraft were supplied viaEgypt in 1958, replacing de Havil land Venom FB.50fighter-bombers. Interestingly, the M ilitair' 82 hand-book reported ten Il-2SUs in service with the IrAFin 1982.

Kampuchea

A handful of I l-28s (probably Chinese-built H-5s)were operated bv the National Khmer Aviation

Buctes Wonlo-wror . 107

A Federal Nigerian Air Force l l -28 undergoing minor maintenance. rR;Rrr

This Federal Nigerian Air Force Beugle is photographed in an intriguing setting possibly after an off-field landing;though none were lost to enemy action. several l l -28s were damaged in accidents. /R,lnrl

(NKA) when the country was run by the dictatorPol Pot.

Morocco

The Royal Moroccan Air Force (al Quwwat ul-Jawwiya al-Malakiya Marakishiya or AviationRoyale Chtrifienne) operated a mere two ll-28s,probably supplied by Egypt.

Nigeria

In 1969 Nigeria, which had been in the throes of acivil war since May 1967, bought three second-hand

,gar,;ff

Il-28 bombers (two from Egypt and one fromAlgeria); some sources, though, claimed that theFederal Nigerian Air Force (FNAF) had at least sixof the type. The aircraft wore wraparoundgreen/dark brown camouflage. Only one NigerianIl-28, NAF 635, is known; a drawing of an exampleserialled NAF-158 has been oublished. but thisappears doubtful.

North Korea

An unknown number of Il-28s were delivered to theKorean People's Army Air Force before the end ofthe Korean War; at any rate, ten Beagles took part in

108 . lryusurN lt-28 Bt,t<;r.r

the v ictory parade in Pyongyang on 28 July 1953. Inthe early 1960s CommLrnist China began rebLrildingNorth Korea's air force in an attempt to strengthenits military presence in the region. Obsolete ex-PLAAF equipment was exported to North Korea inviolation of the ceasefire treaties; this included 70ll-28s delivered by sea. Deliveries continued r.rnti lthe mid-1960s, wher, re lat ions between China andNorth Korea deteriorated. Only three exampleshave been identif led to date; two ol these arebombers Harbin H-5 45 Blue in dark green cam-oullage with natural metal undersurfaces and redrudder, and I l -28 314 Red in overal l natural metalf in ish. The third aircral t is an I l -28R ser ia l led 0220Red. once again in r.ratural metal f lnish.

Pakistan

In 1965 China signcd a contract wi th Pakistan onthe dcl ivery ol- combat jcts. nrairr ly Chcngdu FT-5trainers (a MiG-17 cler ivat ive) and Shenyang F-6(Chinese-bLr i l t MiG-I95F) l ighters to r l . re Pakisr ln iAir Force (PAF. or Pukistun Fi:u'.t 'u). The deal alsoinclucled lburtecn Soviet-bui l t I l -28 bomber-s whic l rwere del iver-ed in 1966 1o lbrnt a l ight-bombersquadrclrr . Pakistan denied Indian clai r .us that i t wasusing the type opcrat ional ly.

The reason fbr th is deal was that the USA hadwithdrawn al l n i l i tary support in the wake o1' theIndo-Pakistarni cont l ic t of 1965. The PAF wasent i re ly eqLr ipped with US aircraf l . inclr"rdingMart in B-57Bs (a spin-of l 'of the Canberra), and as

luo spares were fbrthcoming the lbrce was faced withthe daunting prospect of being gror-rnded entirelyor l inding replacement aircrafi.

Thus, the Soviet 'Canberra'was selected ers a pos-sible replacen-leut fbr the US Car.rberra since it wasreadily available from China. Moreover. Pakistanwas evcn negot iat ing the del ivery of 30 to 40 I l -28sdirectly fr"om the USSR in 1969. Had the deal gonethrough it would inevitably have car.rsed a rif l in theIndo-Soviet relationship. Eventually, however,Pakistan arranged to buy an adequate supply ol 'Wright J65 turbojets fbr the B-57s in France, so thcll-28s were pr.rt in storage and never flown.

Poland

The f l rst I l -28s fbr the Pol ish Air Force (PWLRtl.skic Woj.sko Lottric:a) arrivcd at Warsaw-Okpcieair f ie ld (which is now thc c i ty 's intcrnat ional a i r -port) on 20 JLr ly 1952. Thc type at ta incd in i t ia l opcr-at ing capabi l i ty ( lOC) eal ly the lb l lowing year.allowing the ktrtg-serving Tu-2 and Pctlyakov Pe-2bombels to be ret i red. Thus thc second stage ol 'Lrpgrading the PWL was completed; thc l l rst wastl.re re placentent ol ' pislon-engined lighters withMiG-f 5 Fupt-AlBs and MiG-17 Fr.r , , rcos whichwere latc l l icence-br.r i l t by the PZL Mielec lactory asthc Lim-l /L im-2 and Lin-5/Lim-6 scr ies lespec-tivcly. Apart l iom the bascline bornber version, thcPWL also had l l -28Rs eqLr ipping seve ral long-rarrgereconnaissance units.

A smal l number of- I l -28U trainers was also

Polish Air Force I l-28 I I Red j ust belbre la nding . I t1.o j.skrtru A ggtt. ju Frrtt.qrulit :ttu t

Bt..tc;t . t :s Wonro-u'tol. . |09

snl r

;6 -l ,,/s/:r/ ,rl

(r2 Rccl. anothcr P\NL Bruglc, in cruisc l l ight, LJnl ikc l l Rccl. this onc has a latc-nroclcl SRO-2 Oll kt ls IFF t lanspon-ClCf. i l l i , l ' l i , , r r r r .1{cr t t ju l i t t r \ r t t l iL: t t r t )

: .* .*

\

- -a'_*,N -fd--,fAscrr iot .o l l lcerciveslast-nr inuteinstr t tct ionstc l theclewcl1 'aPcl l ishI l -28R.03Red., | | | l i ' l | ;ar t t

.>

I l0 . lrYusHrN It--28 Bt,tct.n

delivered; starting in 1955, they served alongsideregufar Il-28s at the WOSL (Wyszu Ofic'erska SzkokrLotniczu Officers' Higher Flying School) popu-larly known as Szkola Orlet (Eaglets'School) atDgblin. The Masc'ots were known locally as SII-28,the S standing for [samolotl s:kolnt,(trainer), andhad alpha-numeric serials commencing with S. ThePWL's l l-28s were of both Soviet and Czech orisin.

Polish pilots quickly grew familiar with the typeand performed well during national and WarsawPact manoeuvres. The most striking demonstrationof their skil l , howevet came at the 1966 militaryparade in Warsaw commemorating the 1,000thanniversary of Polish statehood. Until the 1970s itwas quite common to sky-write by flying in specialformations, and messages like 'Peace'or'50 years of

*l ; .

rJ ,"

"-Lta

C!f.r*'-

f5r i fr*t:

Maintenance work onAguciu F'otogrulicnu )

..ti:h ffPWL I l -28U 55 Red.Note the non-standard dipole aerial mounted on the rear lairing. (wtj.skowt

A publicity shot of seven Polish Air Force Il-28s. r M11skowt Agentju Fotogru/it:nu)

BttctrsWonr-o-wroE . lll

Table 21. Known Polish Air Force ll-28s

Serial C/n Version Notes

l Red2 Red3 Red4 Red

???.. .1 9 l0

Il-28I1-28r1-28It-28

Il-28n-28I l-28Ril-28Il-28It-28Il-28r-28 (9-228)

Air Force Technical Institute (ITWL), brake parachute testbed

Soviet-built but factory unknown. Preserved Muzeum Wyzwolenia MiastaPoznania (Poznair City Liberation Museum)*

Soviet-built but lactory unknown

Preserved Muzeum Wojska Polskiego (Polish Armed Forces Museum),

Converted to, see belowIns t ! tut Lo tnic twa, engine testbed

Existence not proved but likelyExistence not proved but likelyPreserved MLiA, Krak6w

Could be an Il-28R (full c/n 430511906?)

Warsaw, with fake serial 65 Red (see below)30 Red 41302 Il-28R (8-228?) Reserialled to, see below32 Red (a)32 Red (b) ? ll-2833 Red ? Il-2834 Red ? Il-2839 Red ? Il-2840 Red ? Il-284l Red 56729 11-28 (B-228\42 Red ? Il-2843 Red ? 11-2846 Red ? Il-2850 Red 56538 Il-28 (8-228) Converted to target tug. Preserved Muzeum Braterstwa Broni (Comradeship-

in-Arms Museum), Drzon6w near Zielona G6ra**52 Red ? ll-28 See five lines below54 Red ? Il-2857 Red ...2308 Il-28 Soviet-built but factory unknown58 Red ? Il-2859 Red ? ll-2862 Red ? Il-2864 Red ...2113 Il-28 Soviet-built but factory unknown. Reserialled to, see below52 Red Preserved Muzeum Org:a Polskiego (Polish Arms Museum), Kolobrzeg65 Red ...2212 Il-28 Soviet-built but factory unknown. Preserved WOSL, Dpblin68 Red ? Il-28R69 Red ? ll-28 Preserved Muzeum Marynarki Wojennei (Navy Museum), Gdynia72 Red 41909 Il-28R (8-228?) Preserved Muzeum Lotnictwa i Astronautyki(MLiA - Aerospace Museum),

Krak6w; full c/n may be 43051 I 909ITWL, brake parachute testbed

5Red ?TRed ?03 Red ...290509 Red ?ll Red ?17 Red ?20 Red ?22Red 56729

001 Red021 Red030 Red101 Redl l l RedI l9 Blue

133 RedSl Red?32 Red?53 Red54 Red55 Rednot known

??????

???69216??4r906

il-28|-28Il-28Rn-28I l-28il-28il-28HIl-28Il-28Uil-28Uil-28U (CB-228)n-28UIl-28Un-28 (8-228)?

Notes:* Aka Muzeum Cytadeli Poznafiskiej (Poznafr Fortress Museum)*i! Some sources state this aircraft as preserved Muzeum Ziemi LubuskrT (Lublin Region Museum).

112 . IrvusHrN h-28 Br,qcLe

something-or-other' made up of aircraft werealmost obligatory at airshows. Yet the Poles wentone better and created an eagle - the Polish nationalsymbol - out of no fewer than 33 Il-28s. The impres-sive formation was led by Lt-Col Jerzy W6jcik.

By the mid-1970s the Polish Il-28s had been with-drawn from firstJine service and used as target tugswith fabric sleeve-type targets, just as in EastGermany. Yet again the Poles went one better,developing targets with acoustic hit detectors.The last PWL Beagle was retired on 29 December1977.

The Il-28 contributed a lot to the progress ofparachuting in Poland. On 4 September 1957 theparachutist Tadeusz Dulla made a jump from anIl-28 flying at 12,500 m (41,010 ft),3 setting anational record. Later, other Polish skydivers madesingle and group jumps from Il-28s in a similarfashion.

Table 22. Known Romanian Beagles

RomaniaThis was one Socialist country that was paranoidabout security, so little was known about RomanianIl-28s until recently. The type was introduced intothe Romanian Air Force (Foryele Aeriene aleRepublicii Socialiste Romdne) service in early 1955,when the Regimentul 282 Avialie Bombardament(282nd Bomber Regiment) atlanca AB,40 km (25miles) south-west of Galati, took delivery of thefirst three aircraft - two bombers and one Il-28Utrainer.a Soon afterwards the unit moved to MihailKogdlniceanu AB. As it often did, the Soviet Unionsent a team of instructors to train the customer'spersonnel in situ; the group which came to Romaniato assist in mastering the Il-28 was led by Capt.Mikhail Boykov. It remained with the unit until 5May 1955, whereupon the282nd Bomber Regimentrelocated to Otopeni (now Bucharest's internationalairport).

Two years later the unit moved yet again, this

Serial C/n Version Notes

001 Red002 Red003 Red014 Red015 Red018 Red125 Red?301 Red?307 Red308 Red309 Red310 Red

402 Red403 Red405 Red407 Red408 Red433 Red443 Red462 Red?491 Red?501 Red543 Red?701 Red703 Red704 Red706 Red707 Red708 Red709 Red710 Red?

;i????????,|

I l-28UIl-28UIl-28UIl-28ll-28r-28U?B-5B-5B-5B-5B-5

Il-28RIl-28RIl-28Ril-28U (BT-5?)il-28U (BT-s)I1-28Il-28B-5B-5Il-28UB-5B-5B-5B-5RB-5B-5B-5B-5B-5

Existence not confirmedExistence not conhrmedTarget tug conversion

Repainted in grey/blue camouflage by 7-01 as 310 Black. Damaged beyondrepair at Borcea-Fetegti AB 2l-7-01Preserved Museul Avialiei, Bucharest-Otopeni airportTarget tug. Crashed at Bacdu AB l-8-55Preserved Museul Aviatiei, Baneasa sectionDID 1979. Stored Bacdu ABDtD 1979Target tug

Existence not confirmedExistence not confirmed

Existence not conhrmed

Stored Baciu AB

Stored Baciu AB

Existence not confirmed

B t,tcr,rs Wonr-o-wroe . I 13

**t{ L-

L:,,1&:a.rltii:,

:d#

t ime to Boteni. and was transformed into theRegimentul 282 Avia(ie Cerc'etare (ReconaissanceRegiment). In 1960 it was demoted to squadron sta-tus, becoming the Escadrila 282 Aviulie Cert'eture,and relocated for the last t ime to Borcea AB. nearCocargeaua, where it remains at the time of writ ing.Two of the bombers (433 Red and 443 Red) wereused for target-towing duties at MihailKogalniceanu AB in the 1960s; it is not knownwhether they were standard Il-28BMs or local con-versions. The original Soviet-built Beugles (unoffi-cially designated Il-28B in Romanian Air Forceservice) and Il-28U trainers were later supple-mented and gradually replaced by Chinese-builtB-5s delivered in 1972. One of them. 307 Red. wasalso converted for target-towing duties; target prac-tice took place at the Cap Midia gunnery range.

Starting in 1961, all Romanian Beuglas and theirengines were refurbished at the Bacdu aircraft over-haul plant (URA Bacdu).5 In due time the unir wasrenumbered, becoming Escadrila -i8 Avia(ieCercetare; also, the original natural metal finish ofthe H-5s gave way to an overall l ight grey colourscheme (except for the tail turret, which is white)and the new Romanian roundels replacing theSocialist-era star-type insignia. Romania is the last

Other reports state a height of I 1,900 rn (39.041 ft)Some sources claim that all three aircraft delivered initiallvu ere t ra iners.Later renamed IAv Baclu (lntreprenderiu Avioane aviationenterprise); now Aerostar SA.

3A

5

European nation to operate the type. Incidentally,the Romanians have given the Beuglc a nickname,BlAndul Bcn ('Gentle Ben', after a good-naturedbear in a TV series), reflecting the aircraft 's easy andforgiving handling.

A minor sensation (and a major treat for warbirdenthusiasts) was planned for 27 29 July 2001 , whena Romanian Air Force H-5 was to participate in the30th Royal International Air Tattoo at RAFCottesmore, Rutland, making the type's first-evervisit to the West. Unlbrtunately these plans weredashed to the ground (l iterally) just a few daysbefore the show when the aircraft (3l0 Black) crash-landed dur ing a t ra in ing f l ight on 2l July, losing i tsent i re starboard wing. Since al l other surviv ing H-5swere non-airworthy at the tinte (or in less thanshowcase condition anyway), the trip had to be can-celled.

Somalia

In the late 1960s the Somalian Aeronautical Corps(Dayuurutluhu Xooggu Dulka Sontuliyeed) report-edly operated ten l l-28s. Unfortunately no detailsare known.

Soviet Union

The Soviet Air Force (VVS) was the largest operatorof the type. Unfortunately, because of the system oftactical codes described earlier, the only way of pos-it ively identifying an aircraft is by the constructionnumber, of which only a few are known.

A long row of VVS Beagles on the flight line, headed by ll-28U 03 Blue. ( y'lint Gonton urtttitr,l

114 . Irvusuru lt-28 Bn.qcLr

Table 23. Soviet Beagles

C/n Tactical code/ Version Notesregistration

a) Moscow production50301104 none Il-28T* Prototype, Ilyushin OKB50301106 not known Il-28T* Prototype, Ilyushin OKB. Converted to, see below

4 Red II-28TM Prototype, Ilyushin OKB50301408 not known ll-2850301801 not known Il-28430512301 not known Il-28R61003001? not known Il-28U C/n reported as 630016*003501? not known Il-28U C/n reported as 6350152003701 not known Il-28 VK-5-powered version/first prototype, Ilyushin OKB52003714 none I1-28RM Prototype, Ilyushin OKB52003719 not known 11-28 VK-5-powered version/second prototype, Ilyushin OKB53005005 not known Il-2853005112 12 Red Il-28LSh Ilyushin OKB, ski landing gear testbed54005217 38 Red Il-28 Year in c/n out of sequence - delivered late?53005710 l0 Blue ll-28LL LII, ejection seat testbed53005717? 09 Red Il-28T Nikolayev Minelayer and Torpedo-Bomber Flying School53005771 04 Red Il-28 Preserved Soviet (Russian) Air Force Museum, Monino55006424 26 Blue ll-2855006445 not known Il-28 Transferred to the East German AF as 224 Black55006,+48 not known Il-28 Transferred to the East German AF as 208 Red55006542 I I Red Il-28 GSVG, Oranienburg AB (until 1975)55006937 not known Il-28 Transferred to the East German AF as 190 Black55006968 03 Red rl-2865009706 42Blue Il-28U65009807 100 Red Il-28U650103 1 I ? not known Il-28U C/n reported as 03 I I . Transferred to the East German AF as 193 Black65010809 16 Red Il-28 Moscow-built. Recoded to. see below

10 Red Preserved Armed Forces Museum, Moscow (currently resprayed as l0 Redoutllne)

b) Voronezh production6450001 not known Il-286450301 not known Il-282402101 0l Red Il-28 LII, refuelling system testbed3402209 12 Blue Il-283402701 notknown ll-28

c) Omsk production0016601 not known Il-280416601 not known Il-2836603509 not known Il-2836603807 01 Red Il-28 Preserved Moscow-Khodynka56605702 33 Red Il-28 Preserved Civil Aviation Museum, Ulyanovsk, as 11-20 (no tactical code,

Soviet flag on tail, Aeroflot logo on fuselage)56606201 85 Red Il-28 Preserved/GlA Kuibyshev Aviation Institute (KuAI)**

d) unknown factories...1905 not known 11-28 Probably Moscow-built (c/n 50301905)...2007 not known 11-28 Probably Moscow-built (cln 50302207). Development aircraft, Ilyushin

OKB, brake parachute tests...3513 not known Il-28 Full c/n 52003513 or 36603513...4702 not known Il-28T Full cin 52004702 or 46604702...4705 not known Il-28T Full c/n 52004705 or 46604705? 2Red I l -28-131

BLlct,Es Wonlo-wtor, . I l5Tabfe 23 (continued). Soviet Beagles

Cln Tactical code/ Versionregistration

,),)

??,!

?

5400577754006 I 04,)

7 Red08 Bluel9 Red22 Red2l Red25 Red29 Red30 Red

CCCP-AcccP-A.. .538CCCP-A2035

Il-2gT*r t-28i l-28ShII-28il-28ShII-28ShII-28ShII-28

|-20It-20il-20

Pacific Fleet/567th MTAp57th VA/63rd BAD/408rh FBAp. Che r lyany AB. I957

Preserved R I gu.r Av i u t. ij u.r M ti : c f,r, R i ga_S pi I vc

Preservcd as gate guard at a Russian airbase

Ie. SSSR-L.. .538Ie. SSSR-L2035; existence not conflrnted

Notes:

: The purpose-bLri l t I l -2gT.with a long weapons baya* Now Samara State Aviat ion Univcri i ty tSCAUf .

{ ,*h

r!i:.-r:i:r,A typical publ ici ty shot from a Soviet airf ield. with I I-28 crew chieri report ing to the pi lots. At least one arrcraf i . 35 Rcd.has red-painted cowlings. Note the II-28U trainer io: n.a) ,,t ,h;;;;;i,h; i.r*. , ,rr,,,, Grtrrktn urtttiyt,t

I f 6 . f n 'L;srrnr h.-28 Br. .u; t . r

*.s

A ty1-r icrr f Sovict Air-Folcc I l - l l l cruis ing ut h igh al t i tuclc. , , i ' t i , , , ( i t r t t . t t t r r r t t i t t )

ffiaqr

' * ' !*{*Srir

l',6'q

*CF**w\3 qb.

' a, . '

,g- r3;,*$7

.,!*.. ]*&t

This l l -2,3. 67 Rccl. cal l ies an 'Erccl lcnt aircral lbott tbet ' in pcrf-cct cot tc l i t i t tn. ' IL ' l i t r r ( iordut urt l t i rL t

' baclge on thc nosc. an award to the ground crew lbr maintaining the

Bt,tctos Wonr-o-wroe . ll7

SyriaThe Syrian Air Force (al Quwwat al-Jawwiya ul-frqbiya as-Suriya) took delivery of six ex-EgyptianIl-28s. Two of them were destroyed bv Israeliattacks during the Six-Day War (5 ti fune tqOZ).

Taiwan (Republic of China)The Republic of China Air Force operated a sinsleex-PLAAF I l -28 which fel l into Nat ional ist han"dswhen its crew defected on ll November 1966. Theaircraft was reportedly used for spy missions overmainland China, retaining its PLAAF stars-and-bars insignia and the serial0195 Yellow. It is now ondisplay at the ROCAF museum at Taoyuan AB.

Vietnam (North)Having established fairly close ties with NorthVietnam in the mid-1960s, Communist Chinastarted foisting its obsolete military aircraft, includ-ing Beagles, on the Vietnamese. China served as atraining and maintenance base for the Vietnamese

People's Air Force (VPAF, or Kh6ng euan NhantDan Vi€t Nam). For instance, Vietnamese ll-28s(obviously ex-PLAAF but Soviet-built aircraft) areknown to have been repaired at Mengtse airbase inYunnan province. In 1968 the VpAF inventoryincluded eight or ten Il-28s based in Hanoi. Onlythree serials, 1817 Red, 2210 Red and 3256 Red,have been reported, but the former two are uncon-firmed.

VPAF Il-28s probably supported NorthVietnamese ground troops during the Vietnam Warbut did not intrude into South Vietnam in order tohit Republic of Vietnam Air Force or USAF bases.

Yemen

Both North and South Yemen operated the Beagleon a small scale in the mid-1960s. The yemen ArabRepublic (North Yemen) had six Il-28s, while thePeople's Democratic Republic of yemen (SouthYemen) had twelve. Unfortunately no serials or basedetails are known.

o

Tup Ir -28 rN DEran

-Fh. tbllowing structural description applies

I to the basic bomber version of the I l -28.I The Il-28 is an all-metal monoplane with

shoulder-mounted unswept trapezoidal wings, twoturbojet engines in underwing nacelles and a con-ventional swept tail unit with a low-mounted tail-plane. The crew includes three persons: pilot,navigator/bomb aimer and tail gunner/radio opera-tor.

The airframe is made chiefly of D-l6T duralu-min, with flush riveting used throughout. AK6 alu-minium alloy is used for the wing/fuselageattachment fitt ings and grade 30KhGSA steel forthe tail unit/fuselage attachment fitt ings. The

frames of the cockpit canopy, navigator's stationand tail gunner's station glazing frames are madefrom cast ML5-TCh magnesium alloy, as are theframes of the navigator's and tail gunner's entrancehatches.

Fuselage: Circular-section stressed-skin semi-monocoque structure built in four sections for easeof assembly. The skin panels are 0.8 2.0 mm(0.03 0.78 in.) thick and are supported by 50 fiames( l -17, f 74, 18, l8A, l88 and 1947), including 14mainframes, and 38 stringers, 7 of which are rein-forced. Maximum fuselage diameter betweenframes l7 and 20 is 1.8 m (5 f t 10.86 in.) .

The .forward fuselage (section ,F/. frames I I lA)

":-. .l t \ .

Ik)Llr.li IlAphAttr eut rti)A rt,r ,-.,lwl,rn 1604 Jr r '^ri o^f| IAOA fl[

' . " : I t

I ,, ,, 5JrJ, ;"A diagram from the manufacturer's drawings showing the internal layout of the ll-28R configured for night (above) andday (below) reconnaissance missions. r t t l t t t t G,,rJ,t t t trLlt i t ' t )

Tur L--28 lN Dnrerl . l l9

.{"

'i!.!|l r

l_u

- 't-* ' .*:i.ll .!il. ..

rhis photo shows some ol the removitble access panels which made thc Bcuglc so easy to scrvicc. I ti,/ittt Grrtl.rt urcltiv,)

lncorporates a pressurized cockpit (frames 6 I lA)and a pressurized navigator's compartment (frames0-6), both of which have sloping rear bulkheads.The navigator's compartment features extensivePlexiglass glazing, with an optically f lat Triplexlowerforward panel I3-15 mm (0.51 0.59 in.) rh ick.The entrance hatch (frames 3 6) located in l iont ol 'the cockpit canopy is offset to starboard ancl hingedto port; the navigator's ejection seat is immediatelybelow For bomb aiming by means of the opticalsight the navigator uses a folding jump seat attachedto frame 2.

The cockpit canopy consists of a fixed windshieldwith an ell iptical f lat Triplex forward panel l3-15mm thick and two curved sidelights, and a rear sec-tion hinged to starboard with a one-piece blownPlexiglass transparency. The cockpit is equippedwith a control column featuring a W-shaped controlwheel, hinged rudder pedals. port and starboardconsoles with throttles and other controls. The for-ward fuselage incorporates the nosewheel well(frames 4--1 lA) and the nose cannon ammunitionboxes (frames 7-8).

The ejection seats have back plates of l0 mm(0.39 in.) steel armour and dished ieat pans of 6 mm(0.23 in.) steel. Additional duralumin armour sheets10 30 mm (0.39 l . l8 in.) th ick are instal led underthe navigator's seat. The pilot's windshield does notincorporate bulletproof glass. Total weight of thearmour is 454 kg ( l ,000 1b).

The centre .fuselage (section F2 , frames I I B 38A )is unpressurized, incorporating the bomb bay(fiames l8-29) and the avionics bay fbr the searchradar ( f rames l lB l6) . I t a lso accommodates thewrng centre section (fiames 23 21) and the fuel cellsare located in the f uselage lbrward and aft ol ' thewings. The bomb bay is closed by two pneumaticallyactuated doors powered by the pneumatic system.with an emergency air bottle.

The rear fuselagc (section FJ. frames 38B 42A) is

The navigator's station glazing. I yt,litrr Ciottlon trrchircl

120. IrvusurN lt-28 Bt,tr ;r , t

" .?"*if".

also unpressurized, incorporating an avionics bay(with ventral access l.ratch) and tail unit attachmentfitt ings located at frames 38. 40 and 42A. l l-28s builtby Plant No. 64 in Voronezh have sections F2 andF3 cornbined into a single whole, so that the fuse-lage is built in three sections with manulacturingjoints at f iames I I and 42.

The aft.fuseluge (section,lN4, fiames 428 47) is thetail gunner/radio operator's pressurized cabinaccessed from below via a forward-opening hatchlocated between fiames 42B and 45. The tail turretis nrounted on fiarne 4'7.The gunner's station has a106 rnm (4.11 in.) br-rl letproof rear window and68 mm (2.67 in.) bulletproof side windows; addi-tionally. the gunner and the ammunition boxes ofthe Il-K6 turret are protected by 8 mm (0.31 in.)steel armour.

Wings: Cantilever shoulder-mounted two-sparstructure built in three sections. The centre section isintegrated into the fuselage and the detachable one-piece wing panels carry the engine nacelles. Thewings employ a TsAGI SR-5S (Pl l- l) aerofoil with

f .

3x;r*wx@dr:,:t * ....,.. ,. .. :**.::*:

Tlrc cockpit carropy. Notc that I l -28 crews sl i l l wore lcathel heln-rcls and l1ying goggles. 1 t i , / i r t t ( iortt . t t urtt t i t t ,)

.fl1"eu

4, l r

Thc tbrward ttrselage of an ll-28U. 1 ti,/inr Gonton urchirc t

Tue L-28 rN Dnret . l2 l

a

1f.

, \ l *L

"- i l - i

n \il"K

The al l l 'uselage and tai l unit of an I l-28R (c/n 2905), sl"rowing the gunner"s entry hatch. which doubles as an escapeslide/slipstlearn deflector. l lll j.ttrnu .1.qt,rtt ju Rt rogntl il :rur 1

, \

l'::,llrrr,,,r ,,::1.1,,r,,,'::

. ' : l l i ,rr, ' lr i : l i :,.:::t:lt::::::::

": rii i. . . r . . -r i l l : i i i l

. . . . : , : l la i , ' r i .' i , "*

:tii!1111,.ir, ,,",,,':ill'.',,

122 . Ir-yusnrN lt-28 BeN;tt

a thickness-to-chord ratio of 12"/u. Dthedral 1"12' .incidence 3o, aspect ratio 7.55, taper 2.08.

The wing box fbrmed by the two spars (attachedto the fuselage at frames Nos.23 and27), reinforcedskins and multiple ribs and stringers accepts theaerodynamical loads. The wing skins are 24 mm(0.07-0.15 in.) th ick. Ar the t ips, the t ra i l ing edge isoccupied by ailerons, the starboard aileron incorpo-rating a trim tab. The rest of the trail ing edge isoccupied by two-section hydraulically actuated slot-ted flaps inboard and outboard of the enginenacelles. The flaps are deflected 20" for take-off and48'for landing; total f lap area is L45 m2 (80 sq. ft).Both the ailerons and the flaps are horn-balanced toreduce control/actuator forces.

Tail unit: Conventional swept tail surfaces withcantilever tailplanes. The fin and the stabil izers havea two-spar structure and are attached to the fuselageby three pairs of bolts.

The fin is swept back 41" at quarter-chord (lead-ing-edge sweep is 45'). The stabil izers have 33o lead-ing-edge sweep and 7'dihedral . The tai l uni t ut i l izessymmetrical NACA aerofbils with a thickness-to-chord ratio of 12 10"/, fbr the vertical tail andl l -10'k, lor the hor izontal ta i l . Stabi l izer soan is1.36 m (24 f t 1.17 in.) , stabi l izer area is t0.82 m,(116.34 sq. f t ) ; f in area is 7.8 mr (83.87 sq. f t ) .

Landing gear: Pneumatically retractable tricycletype, with oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers on eachunit. The aft-retracting nose unit has twin wheels -or ig inal ly 600 x 155 mm (23.6 x 6.1 in.) , later600 x 180 mm (23.6 x 7.08 in.) or 600 x 185 mm(23.6 x 7.28 in.). The main units with single1,150 x 355 mm (45.27 x 13.97 in.) wheels retractforward into the lower portions of the enginenacelles, the wheels turning through 90o by means ofmechanical l inkages to l ie f lat under the jetpipes.The nosewheel well is closed by a forward door seg-ment attached to the nose gear oleo and two lateraldoors; each mainwheel well is closed by twin lateraldoors and a small rear door hinged on the inboardside. All wheel well doors remain oDen when thegear is down.

The Il-28R has a hydraulically retractable landinggear 1,260 x 390 mm (49.6 x 15.35 in.) mainwheelsf-eaturing a hydraulic spin-up system to prolongtyre l ife. Wheel track L4 m (24 ft 3.3 in.), wheelbase6.677 m (21 f t 10.8 in.) . Nosewheeltyre pressure 4.5kg/cm' (0.315 psi), mainwheel tyre pressure 7-8kg/cmr (0.49-0.56 psi).

Powerplant: Two Klimov VK-lA non-afterburn-ing turbojets, each rated at 2,100 kgp (5,952 lb st)for take-off and 2,400 kgp (5,291 lb sr) lorcruise. The VK-lA has a single-stage centrifugal

s

*^ ' :r*FB{

*'', .tq", ,*

This view of I l -28U 42 Blue (c/n 65009706) shows how the I l-28's two-piece annular cowlings are removed to expose theengine completely.

Tue Il-28 rN Dpren . 123

compressor, nine straight-flow combustion cham-bers, a single-stage axial turbine and a subsonicfixed-area nozzle. The engine features an accessorygearbox for driving fuel, oil and hydraulic pumpsand electrical equipment. Starting is electrical bymeans of an ST2 or ST2-48 starter.

The engines are installed in area-ruled underwingnacelles and fitted with long extension jetpipes.Each engine is mounted on a bearer via four attach-ment points: two trunnions on the right and leftsides of the compressor casing below the axis of theengine and two mounting lugs in the upper part ofthe engine. The forward part of each nacelle con-sists of two annular cowling sections, the front sec-tion incorporating a parabolic centrebody carriedon a straight-through vertical pylon; when these aredetached, the engine is exposed almost completelyfor maintenance or removal.

To reduce the take-off run, two PSR-1500-15 jet-assisted take-off (JATO) rockets with a thrust of1,650 kgp (3,637 lb st) and a burn time of 13 sec.could be fitted to the centre fuselage sides under thewing roots.

Control system: Manual controls throughout.One-piece ailerons for roll control, one-piece eleva-tors for pitch control and one-piece rudder fordirectional control; the rudder and elevators arehorn-balanced to reduce control forces. The star-board aileron, rudder and both elevators incorpo-rate trim tabs. The elevators and rudder have cablecontrol runs, while the ailerons are controlled bypush-pull rods. The elevator trim tabs are mechani-cally operated by means of cables, while the star-board aileron and rudder trim tabs are electricallyactuated.

Fuel system: Five self-sealing fuel cells (bladdertanks) located in the fuselage ahead and aft of thewings (No. l, frames I lA-15; No. 2, frames l5-18;No.3, f rames 18-21; No.4, f rames 29-32; No.5,frames 32-36). The cell walls are 3.3-10.8 mm(0.12 0.42 in.) thick. The total capacity of the fuelsystem is 7,908 lit. (l,739 imp. gal.) on the standardbomber and 6,600 lir. (1,452 imp. gal.) on the Il-28Utrainer. The Il-28R reconnaissance version featuresmodified internal tankage and 950 lit. (209 imp.gal.) drop tanks at the wingtips, which gives a totalof 9,5501i1. (2,101 imp. gal.) .

Electric system: Two GSR-9000 (laterSTG- 12000) starter-generators driven by theengines and two l2-4-30 lead-acid batteriesinstalled in the fuselage.

Hydraulic system: The hydraulic system operatesthe flaps, wheel brakes and, on the Il-28R, the land-ing gear actuators and mainwheel spin-up drives.Hydraulic power is provided by a GNP-l hydraulic

pump driven by the port engine, with two hydraulicaccumulators as a back-up.

Pneumatic system: The hydraulic system operatesthe landing gear (on all versions except the I1-28R),bomb bay doors, gunner's station entry hatch, andinflatable canopy/hatch seals. In an emergency it isalso used to deploy the flaps, operate the wheelbrakes and jettison the navigator's hatch cover.Compressed air is stored in several spherical bottleswhich are charged on the ground and topped up byengine bleed air in flight.

De-icing system: The wings, tail unit and engineair intakes are de-iced by engine bleed air.

Armament: The defensive armament comprisesfour 23 mm (.90 calibre) Nudelman/Richter NR-23cannon. Two of them, with 100 rpg, are rigidlymounted in the nose, the other two, with 225 rpg,are carried in the Il-K6 tail turret installed in therear fuselage and controlled by the gunner.

The normal bomb load of the Il-28 consists of1,000 kg (2,204Ib) of bombs carried internally. Themaximum bomb load is 3,000 kg(6,612lb) - i.e. oneFAB-3000 HE bomb.

Avionics and equipmentThe 11-28 features a comprehensive avionics suiteenabling the aircraft to operate at night and in anyweather.

a) piloting and navigation equipment: SD-l VORreceiver, AP-5 electric autopilot, OSP-48 instrumentlanding system (comprising an ARK-5 Amur auto-matic direction finder (in a dielectric fairing imme-diately aft of the cockpit), an RV-2 Kristalllow-altitude radio altimeter and an MRP-48 Dyatelmarker beacon receiver), RV-10 high-altitude radioaltimeter.

b) communications equipment: RSU-5 (on earlyproduction aircraft) or RSIU-3 Klyon (Maple)UHF command radio; RSB-5 communicationsradio with antenna cable stretched between fin topand antenna mast immediately aft of the cockpit;SPU-5 intercom (samolyotnoye peregovornoye oost-roystvo).

c) flight instrumentation: AGK-47B artificialhorizon, GPK-46 gyro compass, DGMK-3 remotegyromagnetic compass indicator, KI-ll compass,AB-52 navigation display, KUS-1200 airspeed indi-cator (ASI, ko mb ine e rov unny y o o ka zaht e I' s ko ro s t i),VD-17 altimeter, RV-2 radio altimeter indicatotEUP-46 electric turn and bank indicator (elektrich-eskiy ooka1ahtel' povorota), VAR-75 vertical speedindicator (YSI, variometr), UP-2 turn indicator(ookazahtel' povorota), MA-095 Mach meter,AVR-M and AChKhO chronometers. etc.

124. IryusurN h--28 Bntcu

T able 24. Specifi cations

Overall lengthSpanHeightWing area

17.65 m (57 ft 10.88 in.)21.45 m (70 ft 4.48 in.)6.7 m (21 ft I I .77 in.)60.8 m'z(653.76 sq. ft)

Empty operating weightNormal gross weightMaximum gross weightGross weight in overload conditionMaximum landing weight

12,890 kg (28,417lb)18,400 kg (40,564 lb)21,000 kg (46,2961b)23,200kg(51,146 lb)14,750 kg (32,517lb)

Normal bomb loadMaximum bomb loadTop speed: at S/L

at 4,500 m (14,763 ft)at 10,000 m (32,808 ft)

1,000 kg (2,2041b)3,000 kg (6,6121b)800 km/h (444.4kt)902kmlh(501k0855 km/h @7 5 kt],

Unstick speed: withwith

an 18,400 kg (40,564Ib) TOWa23,200 kg (51, la6lb) TOw

235 km/h ( I 30.5 kO260 km/h (144.4kt\

Landing speed 185 km/h (100.0 kts)

Rate of climb 15 m/sec \2.952ftlmin)

Service ceiling: with an 18,400 kg (40,564Ib) TOWwitha23,200 kg (5l, la6lb) TOW

12,500 m (41,010 f010,750 m (35,269 ft)

Time to height*: 5,000 m (16,404ft)10,000 m (32,808 f02,500 m (41,010 f0

6.5 min18.0 min31.0 min

Time to service ceiling: with an 18,400 kg (40,564 lb) TOWwith a 23,200 kg (51,1461b) TOW

40.7 min45.4min

Range** 1,930 km (1,198 miles)

Endurance** 3 hrs 7 min

T/O run*: concrete strip, unstick speed 220 km/h(122.2kt)dirt strip, unstick speed 235 km/h (130.5 k0

875 m (2,870 ft)1,290 m (4,232ft)

T/O run***: concrete strip, unstick speed 260 kr/h (144.4 k0dirt strip, unstick speed 260 km/h (144.4 kt)

1,720m (5,643 f02,350 m (7,709 tt)

Landing run I,170 m (3,838 f0

Notes:* with an 18,400 kg(40,5641b) TOW** with a 20,750 kg(a5,745Ib) TOW and cruising at 9,700-11,500 m (31,82,t-37,729 ft).*** with a23,200 kg (51,1a6Ib) TOW

Tsp Ir--28 rNr Dnrarr-. 125

d) targeting equipment: PSBN-M 360o ground-mapping and search radar, OPB-6SR optical com-puting bomb sight (on radar-equipped aircraft only;substituted by OPB-5s on aircraft with the radarremoved), PKI collimator gunsight (for the pilot)and a collimator gunsight for the gunner. Therevolving radar antenna is covered by a teardropfairing made of PVC.

e) IFF equipment: Bariy-M (Barium) IFFtransponder in rear fuselage, later replaced bySRO-2M Khrom (Chromium) IFF transponder(samo ly otny y rahdio lokat s e e onny y o tv et chik) withtriple rod aerials ahead of the nose gear unit.

Rescue equipment In an emergency, the pilot andnavigator/bomb aimer use upward-firing ejectionseats. The tail gunner/radio operator bales outdownwards via the entrance hatch; the hatch coveris actuated by twin pneumatic rams, doubling as aslipstream deflector.

Il-28T torpedo-bombers carried an LAS-3 inflat-able rescue dinghy; one was also carried by recon-naissance aircraft and bombers on overwatermissions.

Exterior lighting: port, starboard and tail naviga-tion lights; retractable landing lights in the outerfaces of the eneine nacelles.

Appendix I .

AcnoNYMS AND GrossARy

AD - air defence.ADP - advanced development project.AFA - aerofotoapparaht - qerial camera.AM - [pushkaf Afanas'yeva i Makahrovq -

Afanas'yev/Makarov cannon.AMD - aviatsionnaya mina desanteeruyemayq -

air-dropped [anti-shipping] mine.ARK - avtomqticheskiy rahdiokompas - automatic

direction finder (ADF) used in coniunction withground beacons

ASW - anti-submarine warfare.AUW - all-up weight.AVMF - Aviahtsiya voyenno-morskovo flota -

Naval Air Arm.BAD - bombardeerovochnava aviadiveeziva -

bomber division 1= group).BD - bahlochnyy derlhahtel' -beam-type

[weapons] rack (as distinct from bomb cassettesfor small-calibre bombs).

Bleed air - excess air piped from the compressorsection of a gas turbine engine for various uses(pressurization, de-icing etc.).

CG - centre of gravity.C-in-C - Commander-in-Chief.COIN - counter-insurgency (role or aircraft), i.e.,

for use against guerrillas; typically, this appliesto light fixed-wing attack aircraft, often adaptedfrom general aviation designs.

DD - Defence District (voyennyy okroog) - one ofthe large areas into which the territorv of theSoviet Union (Russia) was (is) divided withrespect to the MoD's control of the ArmedForces.

DF direction finder.DK - di s t an t s io nno fo o p r av Iy ay e m a y a] ko r mo v ay a

ls t re lkov aya o o s t anov kal - remote-controlled tailbarbette.

ECM - electronic countermeasures (disruntins theoperation of enemy radios and the likei.

Elevating angle - angle of vertical motion of atrainable gun.

ELINT - electronic intelligence (reconnaissance).FBAP frontovoy bombardeerovochnyy aviapolk -

tactical bomber regiment (= wing).FFAR - folding-fin aircraft rocket - unguided

rocket designed to be launched from a podded

or retractable launcher and having foldawaystabilising fins to fit into its launch tube.

FOD - foreign object damage (damage to a jetengine caused by ingestion of foreign objects,usually on the ground).

Free-fall weapons - i.e., with no provision forguidance to the target.

GHQ - General Headquarters.GKAT - Gosoodahrstvennyy komitet po

aviatseeonnoy tekhnike - State Committee onAviation Hardware (ex/to MAP, which see;demoted during the Khruschchov years but thenreinstated).

GSVG = Grooppa sovetskikh voysk v Ghermuhnii -Group of Soviet Forces in [East] Germany(19a5-89); renamed ZGY (Zahpadnaya gruoppavoysk - Western Group of Forces, i.e.,Soviet/Russian Armed Forces continsent in EastGermany and then reunited Germani inr 988-94).

HDU - hose drum unit (a powered drum installedon a flight refuelling tanker from which the fueltransfer hose is deployed).

HF - high frequency (radio).IFF - identification friend-or-foe (usually by

means of interrogators and transponderssending coded signals when interrogated toidentify the aircraft as 'friendly').

IFR (1) - instrument flying rules.IFR (2) - in-flight refuelling.ILS - instrument landing system (system of

ground-based and airborne radio navieationaids permitting blind runway approacf,'andlanding at night or in adverse weather).

IMC - instrument meteorological conditions(when the pilot has no external visualreferences forjudging the aircraft's attitude andaltitude and has to rely solely on the flightinstruments).

JATO - jet-assisted take-off (by means of rocketboosters to shorten the take-off run).

KP-14 - kislorodnyy preehor - individual oxygenbreathing apparatus.

KU - kormovaya [strelkovaya] oostanovka - tajlbarbette.

LII - Lyotno-issledovatel'skiy institoot - Flight

Acnoruyvs eno Clossany . 127

Research Institute named after Mikhail M.Gromov in Zhukovskiy near Moscow.

LL letayuschchaya laboratoriya - lit. 'flying labo-ratory' (testbed or research/survey aircraft).

Localizer (LOC) a radio beacon indicating thelanding approach heading (part of the groundcomponent of an ILS).

Mach buffeting - vibration at high Mach numberscaused by disruption of the airflow over the tailsurtaces.

Mach number the aircraft's speed in relation tothe speed of sound (333 m/sec) which is Mach1.0.

MAP - M inisterstvo aviat,seeonnoy promyshlennosti- Ministry of Aircraft Industry.

MMZ No. *t<* - Moskovskiy mashinostroitel'nyyzavod Moscow Machinery Plant No. ***.

Mock-up review commission - a commission con-sisting of customer (in this context, Air Force)and aircraft industry representatives whichinspects a full-scale mock-up of a new aircraftand reviews the advanced development projectin order to eliminate any obvious shortcomingsbefore prototype construction begins.

MOP Ministerstvo oboronnoy promyshlennosti -Ministry of Defence Industry.

MRP - markernyy rahdiopreeyomnik - markerbeacon receiver.

MTAP - minno-torpednyy aviapolk minelayingand torpedo-bomber regiment.

MTOW - maximum take-off weieht.Never-exceed speed (Vxs) - the sfieed l imit deter-

mined for an aircraft due to structural strengthlimits; exceeding it may cause the aircraft tobreak up due to ram air pressure.

l'lll - neoo c hn o - is s le dov a t e l' s k i y i n s t it o ot -research institute (any kind).

NII VVS naoochno-issledovatel'skiy institootvoyenno-vozdooshnykh seel - (Soviet) Air ForceResearch Institute named after Valeriy p.Chkalov.

NKPB noc.hnoy kollimahtornyy pritsel bom-bardirovochnyy - collimator bomb sight fornight use.

NR - ftrz^rfrfra] Noodel'mana i Rikhtera -Nudelman/Richter cannon.

NS - pasikaf Noodel'mana i Soorahnova -Nudelman/Sooranov cannon.

OKB - optyno-konstrooktorskoye byuro - experi-mental design bureau.

OMTAP - otdel'nyy minno-torpednyy aviapolk -independent minelaying and torpedo-bomberreglment.

OPB - opticheskiy pritsel bombardirovochnyy -optical bomb sight.

ORAP - otdel'nyy razvedyvatel'nyy aviapolkindependent reconnaissance regiment.

OSP oboroodovaniye slepoy posahdki - blindlanding equipment (ILS).

PHOTINT - photographic intelligence (reconnais-sance).

PO - preobrazovahtel' odnofahanyy - single-phaseAC converter.

PSBN - prihor slepovo bombometahniya inavigahtsii - blind-bombing and navigationdevice.

PSR = porokhovaya stsrtovctyq raketa solid-fuelrocket booster.

PZL - Panstwowe Zaklady Lotnicze - StateAircraft Factories concern (Poland).

RAT - reaktivnaya aviut.sionnayu torpeda air-dropped rocket-propelled torpedo.

Radar cross-section (RCS) - a measure of howvisible an aircraft is to ground radars.

RB (in RB-17 designation) reaktivnyy bom-bardirovsc'hchik - jet bomber.

RBP - rahdiolokatseeonnyy bombardirovochnyypritsel - 'radar bomb sight' (bomb-aimingradar).

RD - reaktivnyy dvigatel' - jet engine.RDS - the meaning of this acronym designating

early Soviet nuclear munitions (RDS-3. RDS-4etc.) is not known but some sources havedeciphered it as reaktivnyy dvigatel' Stshlina -'Stalin's jet engine'!

REB - rahdioelekttonnaya hor'ha, - ECM.RP - rahdiopreetsel -'radio sight' (i.e., fire control

radar).rpm - a) revolutions per minute (rotation speed of

a shaft etc.); b) rounds per minute (rate of f ireof a machine-gun or an automatic cannon).

RTR - rshdiotekhnicheskaya razvedka - ELINT.RY - rahdiovysotomer - radio altimeter.SAM - surface-to-air missile.Self-sealing fuel tanks - flexible tanks with a

special protective rubber layer. The rubber swellswhen it comes into contact with iet fuel if thetank is punctured by bullets. theieby closing thebullet holes and stopping the leak.

SP - [sistema] slepoy posahdki blind landingsystem (ILS).

SPU - samolyotnyy dahl'nomer distance measur-ing equipment (DME)

sPU - samolyotnoye peregovofnoye oostroystvo -intercom.

ss (as a suffix to numbers of official documents) -sovershenno sekyetno - toD secret.

State acceptance trials in ihe SovietUnion/Russia, trials in order to determinewhether a military aircraft is suitable for service.

128 . IrvusHrN lr-28 BtrcLr

For civil aircraft, State acceptance trials arebasically certification trials.

TKRD - toorbokompressornyy reaktivnyy dvigatel'- lit. 'turbo-compressor jet engine' (an earlySoviet term for turbojets).

Traversing angle - angle of sideways motion of atrainable gun.

TsAGI - Tsentrahl'nyy aero- i ghidrodinameech-eskiy institool - Central Aerodynamics &Hydrodynamics Institute named after NikolayYegorovich Zhukovskiy.

U (i.e., U-19) - ooskorttel - booster.UB (l), e.g., UB-2F Chaika - oopravlyayemaya

bomba - guided bomb.

UB (2 ), e.g., UB-16-57 - ooniversahl'nyy blok -versatile [rocket] pod, i.e., one that can becarried by various aircraft types.

YA - vozdooshnaya armiya - air army (= air force).VEB - Volkseigener Betrieb (German) - people's

(i.e., state-owned) enterprise in former EastGermany.

VHF - very high frequency (radio).VMC - visual meteorological conditions (more or

less clear weather when the pilot can judge theaircraft's attitude and altitude by using externalvisual references).

WS - Voyenno-vozdooshnyye seely - Air Force (inthis instance. Soviet/Russian Air Force).

. Appendix IIDnrnn Praxs

The Rolls-Royce Nene-powered first prototype Il-28.

The second prototype powered by RD-45F engines.

An early-production 11-28; note the redesigned canopy and the addition of landing lights.

130. IryusHrr.r L-28 BercLr

A later 11-28 bomber; note the relocated landing lights.

Above, below and opposite: A three-view illustration of a typical production Beagle.

Dererr- Pr-eNs . 131

132 . Ir-yusHrN Ir-28 Br,tctt

An Il-28 fitted with non-standard communications equipment; note the additional aerials under the rear fuselaee.

Another Beagle with non-standard communications equipment and a differenr anrenna array.

The Il-28U trainer prototype.

Dererr PleNs . 133

A typical production Il-28U.

A prototype of the I1-28R reconnaissance aircraft; note the aerial atop the extreme nose.

A production Il-28R with early-model communications equipment (note the wire aerial from cockpit to fin).

134 . Irvussru lr-28 Brtctn

An updated Il-28R with a blade aerial for the communications radio.

One of the two Il-28Rs delivered new to East Germany in its latter days as East German Air Force 180 Black or 184Black. The aircraft is converted for target-towing duties; note the lack of radar and cannon.

A Polish Air Force Il-28 in ECM configuration with wingtip jammer pods.

Derarr- PreNs . 135

The I1-28RT ELINT version.

An Il-28T torpedo-bomber conversion.

Presumably the Il-28N nuclear-capable bomber.

136. IlyusurN L-28 Br.tcrt

The Il-28RM prototype.

The experimental Il-28 bomber with VK-5E engines; note the non-standard cockpit glazing.

4 Red, the II-2STM prorotype (c/n 50301 106).

Derar Pr-eNs . 137

Scrap views of the II-28TM's modified nose glazing and tip tanks.

An 11-28-131 with a UB-2F Chaika guided bomb under the fuselage.

An Il-28Sh attack aircraft

138 . Iryusuru Ir-28 Bzrcrc

An II-28BM target tug.

II-28LL l0 Blue (c/n 53005710), LII's ejection seat testbed used in the Vostok manned-spacecraft programme.

01 Red (cln2402l0l), the Il-28 used by LII as a tanker trainer.

Dnran Pr-eNs . 139

The Il-28 refuelling system testbed with a fixed refuelling probe.

The Soviet Il-28R used as a testbed for a Dooshkin liquid-propellant rocket englne.

DM-ZZI (c/n l4l8) or DM-ZZK (cln 5901207), one of two Il-28Rs used as testbeds for the East German pirna0l4,A._1 turboiet.

140 . Ir-vusurrr lt-28 Br,cctt

Avia 8-228 6915 (cln 569 I 5) as originally used to test the walter M-701 turboiet.

The same airqalt in a later configuration with the Ivchenko AI-25TL (walter Titan) turbofan.

An Il-20 mailplane used by Aeroflot.

DBraru Praus . 141

A standard Czech Air Force Avia B-228 (BA-l I , cln 56775) with a Sirena radar warning receiver.

An early-production Harbin H-5.

IxnpxPage numbers in italics refer to illustrations

access panels 119Aeroflot 64, 66-67. 66. 67Afghanistan service 90, 92'aircraft 73' (Ttt-14) 1 5'aircraft 77'(Tu-12) 10, I0'aircraft 8l ' 18airframe I 18Albanian service 92Algerian service 92anti-submarine warfare aircraft, ll-28PL 49Arab-Israeli wars 86, 89 see also Six-Day Wararmament 1l-12, 123 see also tail turret, Il-K6

ballattack aircraft, Il-28Sh 49-50, 50,85, 89-90Avia 8-228: 63, 65-66, 70, 70, 95Avia CB-228: 96avionics 13, 16, 123, 125avionics testbeds 54-55, 55

bank, uncommanded 13Berkootov, pilot 88-89Biafra 87-88Bobrovskiy, Capt. A. A. 85Bogdanov, Fyodor D. 53bomb. RDS-4 nuclear 40bomb, UB-2F Chaika guided 47, 47,49bomb load 13bomb sight l3-14bomber version, basic 22,24Boogaiskiy, V. N. l4Bruno Baade BB 152: 62,65Bulgarian service 92

CG shift problem 22,24Castro Ruz, Fidel 84Cheng Chung, Vice-Commander 86Chinese Air Arm (PLAAF) 67 68, 68, 69, 70, 89, 90,

92-93.93.94Chinese defections 86 87,90Chinese production 67 68, 68,70 see also Harbincockpit l2-13cockpit canopy 12,18,22, l l9, 120Cold War 79-85combat tactics 79 80, 81-82construction number systems 20Cuban Missile Crisis 83-84

Czechoslovakian mutiny 89Czechoslovakian production 70,72 see also Avta9-228;

AviaCB-228Czechoslovakian service 3 4, 65-66, 7 0, 70, 93, 9 5-98,

95, 96

de- ic ingsystem 13,123defects 78

ECM aircraft, II-28REB (?\ 33,34ELINT aircraft, II-28RTR 33, J-tEgyptian Air Force 85-86,99-101, 100, I0l, 102ejection seat testbed, I|-28LL 56, 56, 57, 58, 58ejection seats 13,24ejection trainer version, ll-28u 29, 29engine testbeds

Czech 63,65-66East German 62,64-65Il-28H 66Soviet 6l-62,62

English Electric Canberra 70,72equipment 123,125

fighter development 8lFinnish Air Force 90-91. 102

NH-2:103NH-3:5JNH-4:10-i

first flight 14-15foreign production 67 -68, 70, 72fuel cells 22.24.123fuselage 13, 118-120

Gallai, Mark L. 54Germany, East, service in 82-83, 84,98 99,98Goryaynov, Nikolai O. 59guided bomb carrier, I l-28-l3l: 47, 47, 49

HarbinBT-5: 68, 69H-5: 67-68, 68, 69, 70, 92, 93HI-5:68,69HZ-5: 68.70

Hungarian Air Force 33,104, 104Hungarian uprising 85hydrogen bomb test 73 74

INosx . 143

Ilyushin, Sergey Vladimirovich 8, ll, 14, 11Ilyushin

Il-20 (Il-28P) mailplane 64, 66 67, 66, 67I l -22:9-10,9ll-28 Beagle bomber 22,23,25

08 Blue 8JlQ Rred 24, 3512 Blue 8J23 Pred 7426Blue 2127 Blue 2I30 Red 2435 Red 1/J5l Blue 2-i67 Fred 116

Il-28-l3l guided bomb carrier 47, 47, 49Il-28A (If-28N) nuclear-capable bomber 40, 40II-28BM target-towing aircraft 50, 51 , 52, 53I1-28H engine testbed 66l1-28LL ejection seat testbed 56, 56,57,58,58II-28LL radar testbed 54-55Il-28LSh landing gear testbed 60,61,61Il-28M target drone 53,54Il-28N (ll-28A) nuclear-capable bomber 40, 40Il-28P (l l-20) mailplane 64, 66-61,66,67II-2SPL anti-submarine warfare airqaft 49Il-28R tactical reconnaissance aircraft 29-30, 32, I l,

90-91.98. 103. 121avionics 32cameras 30fuel system 30internal layout 118landing gear 30,32performance 32performance, take-off (field) 33Polish -11, 109prototype 29,30

I|-28REB (?) ECM aircraft 33,34Il-28RM experimental tactical reconnaissance aircraft

41,41,42,43,45II-28RTR ELINT aircraft 33, -l-lIl-28S tactical bomber project 4lIl-28Sh attack aircraft 49-50. 50.85. 89-90I1-28T torpedo-bomber 36 39,36,37, 105

fuel system 37ordnance load 37. 39prototype 37,39specifications 38

Il-28T torpedo-bomber conversion 39-40I1-28TM experimental torpedo-bomber 4647, 46, 48l1-28U Mascol trainer 25-29, 25, 28, 79,96, 106, 110,

12003 Blue 11J03 Red 115

18 Blue 55, 5542Blue 12279 Red 8085 Red 2687 Fred 26cockpit 26 27ejection trainer version 29,29production 28prototype 27,28

Il-2824 weather reconnaissance aircraft 50l l -46:71,72

improvements 22,24in-fl ight refuell ing system testbeds 58 59,59,6lIndonesian Navy 105-106,105, 106instrument landing system 13Iraqi Air Force 89, 106Irons, Gen. 87

Kampuchea, service in 90, 106-107Karmishin, Capt. D. D. 85Kennedy, President John F. 83Khachemizov, navigator/bomb aimer 88-89Khruschev, Nikita S. 83, 84Kokkinaki , Vladimir K. l+15, 16, l8-19,27,29,32,

39,72Kootyntsev N. M. 89Korea, North, service in 85, 107-108Koubek. Gustav 96. 97. 98Krautz, Helmut 65Kurchatov, lgor'Y. 74Kiiss,I. B. 29

landing gear 12,122landing gear testbeds 60,61,61Lavochkin La-2008 54, 55Li Hsien-pin 86Li Tsai-wang 86Liang Pao-sheng 86

maiden flight 14-15mailplane, I l-20 (Il-28P) 64,66-67, 66, 67manufacturing changes 24Mewes, Klaus-Hermann 65Mikoyan MiG-19 Farmer-A 58 59, 81Mikoyan MiG-19 Farmer-C 8lMikoyan MiG-19P Farmer-B 28missile targeting systems research aircraft 55missiles 53modifications 22,24Moroccan service 107Moscow May Day parade, 1952:76,78Myasishchchev, Vladimir Mikhailovich l0

NATO code name given 21

144 . IryusnrN lr-28 Bt,qcLr

Nasser, President Gamal Abdel 85 86. g7. gg. 99navigator's station glazing ll9, I IgNigeria, service in 87-88, 107, 107nuclear bomb test 73nucfear-capable bomber, Il-28N (ll-28A) 40" 40nuclear exercise, tactical 74,76

Ojukwu, Col 87Operation Kadesh 86Operation Mangoosta (Mongoose) 83-g4Operation Musketeer 86

Pakistani service 108parachute testbeds 65-66parachuting world record attempts 96_9gperformance comparison 17 , 32 see a/so take-off (held)

performancePolish Air Force -11, 66, 108, 108, l0g, ltLlt2. I I0powerplants

Klimov RD-45F 16Kl imov VK-l : l7-18.78Klimov VK-IA 122*123, 122Klimov YK-5: 41,44,45Rolls-Royce Nene (Klimov RD-45) l2

pre-production Il-28: 18-19, 18. l9production, total 70production commences 19, 21. 22prototypes \4-15, 14, 16Puhlmann, Gerhard 65

radar l8radar testbed, I|-28LL 5+55radiation reconnaissance aircraft 34Razumov, R. A. 54-55reconnaissance aircraft see Ilyushin Il-28R; Ilyushin

II-28RMreliability 78Romanian Air Force 53. I l2-l l3

serial numbers 15Sidki, Air Vice-Marshal Mohammed 100Six-Day War 88ski landing gear testbed, I l-28LSh 60,61,6ISomalian service 113Sorokin, N. D. 1+15, l8-19, 39Soviet Air Force (VVS) 10,73,85, l l3 115

63rd BAD 79 80, 81647th Special Composite Support Air Regiment 34flying schools 78, 85target-towing flights/squadrons g5

Soviet Army motorcyclists 24Soviet Naval Air Arm (AVMF) 28-29, j6, 27.8+85specifications 124speeds, top l9

stabil ity l5Stalin, Josef 17, 78Stalin, Vasil iy I. 76,78Suez crisis 85-86survivors 9lSyrian Air Force I 17systems 123

tactical bomber, experimental, with VK-5 engines 44,45

tactical bomber project, Il-28S 41tactical codes l5tail turret, Il-K6 ball ll-12, 19,82tai l uni t 12,13, 121,122Taiwan's claim of independence 85, 86Taiwanese service I l7take-off performance 15, 33target drone, Il-28M 53,54target drones, PM-6G/R 52target-towing aircraft

East German version 52-53performance comparisons 52Romanian version 53Soviet versions (I|-28BM) 50, 51, 52, 53

Titov, Gherman 58torpedo, RAT-52 rocket-propelled 34, 35, 36torpedo-bomber conversion 34, 3 5, 36 see also Ilyushin

II-28T/TMtrainer see Ilyushin Il-281J Mascottraining 79-81Tupolev, Andrey N. 15-16Tupolev

Tu-12 ('aircraft77') 10, I0Tu-14: 15,16, 17Tu-l4T (Tu-89) 16Tu-77 (Tu-12) 10, I0Tu-81 (Tu-14) 16Tu-89 (Tu-14T) 16

tyres 16

undercarriage 12,122

Vietnam, service in 88-89, l17Vinogradov, A. P. 27, 29, 39Vostok re-entry vehicle ejection seat 56, 56, 52,59,

58

war service 85-91weather reconnaissance aircraft, ll-282| 50wings 12, 13,120,122

Yartsev. Lt. (sg) V. Ye. 85Yemen, service in 87, IljYerofeyev, B. A. 27, 29