Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik, Airframe, Connecting Rods and more

[@Bob.W.]

Love the Shturmovik pointing at the McDonald's arch.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

That picture really says a lot.

[@IrishMcScottish]

Thanks to Putin, it's now called "Tasty, and That's It" Just rolls off the tongue, eh? The food I mean. As it's coming back up for air 😂🤮

[@Poverty-Tier]

IL-2 is the true Hero of the Soviet Union

[@Rokaize]

@@IrishMcScottishtasty period

[@IrishMcScottish]

​@@Rokaize Vkusno i tochka

[@BarrettCharlebois]

You have a really good narrator’s voice. I often love falling asleep to your videos (I mean that as a compliment, I have ADHD and if I don’t have something interesting to listen to while falling asleep, then my mind starts to wander and I am no longer sleepy when it does that). I really like how you deep dive into details that aren’t covered in most documentaries. I enjoy the 30 min runtime of the videos.

[@ronjon7942]

Interesting, I have it as well, and often use your same technique. I ‘discovered’ the phenomenon while watching The Universe series and found I was able to fall asleep reasonably (for guys like us) predictably. The problem I often have is I’ll wake up after an episode had completed, my mind starts going random, and I’d have to start the whole procedure over again. ADHD and insomnia really go hand in hand, it seems, and neither are no joke. I hope you’re able to get medication if it would help you like it does for me.

[@Jonny189]

i’m also part of this club. it just works, but i’m annoyed sometimes in the morning realising i only got to listen to whichever interesting content i chose for about fifteen minutes before drifting off.

[@williamromine5715]

I really appreciate this series. As an old fart (I'm 81) I have had a deep interest in WW2, and have learned a great deal about U.S., BRITISH and German fighters and bombers. However, Russian air planes have not been covered by the media. It has been very educational to hear about this plane. Breaking it into several videos has been great. Looking forwared to future videos. Thank you.

[@MultiMates7]

Nice to see the older folk join in on youtube, gregs videos have taught me so much aswell

[@duffyfive0632]

Hey Greg! Thanks for all the time and energy you spend in putting out such high quality content. I really enjoy your videos!

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thanks Duffy

[@bibia666]

Totally agree! There are many (way too many) persons who upload videos on KZbin who do not have their facts straight! Greg is shining example of someone who does his homework first and creates videos there after, and it clearly shows! Quality content like this is like a breath of fresh air! And I for one am grateful that he does put in all this effort. Greetings bibia. PS: ya'll remember to smash the 👍button, it's the least we could do 😉

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

Absolutely we’re all thankful for your dedication, especially your research, accuracy & precision. The Merlin was a knife ‘n blade conrod setup, but it has a effect on the firing order too.

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

H’mm so the Il-2 has a master slave conrod setup, reminds me of a certain tractor like motorcycle.

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

I am glad to see all the VVS people making their interests known. And a big thanks to Greg for his work.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

What's a VVS?

[@amerigo88]

@@jimmydesouza4375 Soviet Air Force, at least in World War II.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

@@amerigo88 Thanks.

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

@@jimmydesouza4375 Voenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii It's easier to spell VVS.

[@bouldersoundguy]

Fork and blade connecting rods are used on Harley-Davidson V-twins, which is why their cylinders are not offset. One advantage is that it restricts all the vibration to one plane.

[@bibia666]

And if you have ride an HD motorcycle you know that vibration..., on a plane that can not be good✈️ 🤔.. But on a bike 🚲it's all right 😅. Greetings bibia.

[@yetanotherjohn]

Yes but it also hides the rear cylinder behind the front one, causing heating problems. With its massive clutch basket, the engine is already wide, so I can't understand the design.

[@Triple_J.1]

@@yetanotherjohnairflow is not how air cooled motorcycle engines cool.

[@Surestick88]

Ahhhh, Harleys, turning gasoline directly into vibration. I'm kidding, there's some forward movement created too.

[@Surestick88]

​@@Triple_J.1then why do Ducatis orient their fins differently on the vertical and horizontal cylinders? I mean, you're partially right, like air-cooled aircraft engines they are air _and_ oil cooled, but remove those cylinder fins and you'd have issues.

[@MrDdaland]

About the Luftwaffe usage of Cannon vs Machine Guns- IMO it wasn't because of designed to take on the Russians or the British etc. The original models of the BF-109 was armed with 2 7.92mm machine guns. Experience in Spain quickly showed this wasn't enough, so they experimented with various weapons loadouts in the A-D models, including 2 nose MG, 3 nose MG, 2 Nose MG & 2 wing MG, 2 nose MG & 1 prop cannon, 2 nose MG and 2 wing cannon, etc, etc. All of these were tested before the war

[@richardschaffer5588]

True but the engine was designed for a central cannon ab initio.

[@lllordllloyd]

This seemed an obvious point to me: both the 109 and 190 armament were settled before the Luftwaffe encountered with B17s or IL2s. The real outliers were the British with their eight 303s. I suspect but can't prove that putting a 20mm onto a fighter was so obviously advantageous in the late 30s, it did not need combat lessons to be learnt for it to happen.

[@bibia666]

@@ThorneyedWT but the 2cm gun was preferred, from the start, the luftwaffe had to catch up with the rest of the world first, and that's why they used 8mm. There's way more to it, but long story short is the 2cm was first choice. Greetings bibia.

[@jonremmers1828]

Love this content. Very in depth and with a cautious aproach to known ”facts”. I cant get enough of it

[@jrnmadsen2710]

Self-sealing fuel tanks. I remember, I guess it was in the 90s, a german war plane was discovered in the ocean outside Copenhagen Airport. I read that they were impressed that the rubber making the self-sealing still was "fresh". Pretty impressive after 50 years in salt water.

[@romaniachin6751]

Hey Greg, I also wanted to share my gratitude for your work and effort that you put into making this amazing videos with such attention to detail. You should have your own History of Military Aviation Channel on TV by now. Love to hear that voice and your manner of speaking is enjoyable. Thank you.

[@Triple_J.1]

TV is not interested in accuracy or detail. They are only interested in mass-market sensationalism to garner more views. There aren't enough smart people in the TV audience to generate that view count. Aliens are the answer. And the dumber and more preposterous the story, the better.

[@kevinfitzpatrick5949]

I can listen to Greg talk plane engines for hours snd still be entertained. Top motch videos with incredible detail

[@tonym480]

Looking forward to this, I've been a fan of the IL 2 for a long time. I think Soviet WW2 era aeroplanes deserve to be better known.

[@UkrainianPaulie]

Just ignore the gulag, slave and dissident labor.

[@amerigo88]

1) USSR was less an ally and more a co-belligerent relative to the English-speaking nations and their future military historians. 2) Access to Soviet military and aerospace history was limited during and after WW2. 3) Modern English speakers largely lack a personal connection to the warfare on the Eastern Front. No father, grandfather, uncle, or female relatives typically served. 4) Frankly, given Stalin's totalitarian state, the purges, the gulag archipelago, the holmodor, Soviet espionage against the West, and the ingratitude for Lend-Lease aid reduced the Soviets to being viewed as barely better than the Nazis. Greg tends to be highly apolitical, covering all WW2 aircraft pretty even-handedly. Recent Russian behavior in Chechnya, South Ossetia, Georgia, Syria, Crimea, and Ukraine hasn't improved perceptions of the Soviet contributions to the Allied victory.

[@thegenericguy8309]

@@UkrainianPaulie what does any of this have to do with tony's comment?

[@tonym480]

@@thegenericguy8309 Thanks for you comment. Just for the record, I have no illusions about the Soviet Union or present day Russia either. I was born in 1949 and lived through the Cold War under threat of Nuclear War. One of my abiding memories is of the Cuban Missile Crises, which at the time I really believed was going to end in war. I have read extensively on the history the Soviet Union and of Russia both before and since the USSR, and am well aware of, and do not excuse, the horrors perpetrated upon the peoples of those lands. With regard the present war between Russia and Ukraine, my support and sympathies are fully with Ukraine, and I wish more than I can express for an early and just end to this Russian aggression. All the above being said, this channel is about aeroplanes, and I have always had an interest in, and admiration for, many of the aeroplanes produced in Russia and the countries that comprised the USSR, in the same way that I have an interest in the aeroplanes and warships produced by Germany during WW1 and 2, even though my maternal grandfather was badly injured during a bombing raid by them during WW2, and going back to WW1, he faced the German High Seas Fleet at Jutland as a member of the crew of HMS Marlborough. I would hope we can look at the technology and admire what the engineers produced without needing to give the impression that we excuse the politicians their crimes.

[@tfrspeedo]

​@@UkrainianPaulie are you ignoring azov aswell? UkranianFascist?

[@Statist0815]

Great video. By the way...the german nickname for the IL2 was concrete mixer.

[@BlueBaron3339]

Greg noting that Patreon folks have a say is not hype. The voting for this was strong. Then again, you listen to him and you know - *you just know* - that Greg is immune to hype 😂

[@SirNuk3]

Most accurate WWII airplane contentt I know on youtube, with some valid opinions on top

[@michaelpielorz9283]

We call it anchor connecting rods , the same design is used in the russian T34 V2 engine.the longest build combustion engine.

[@fafner1]

I am still struck that it is similair to the master rod scheme used in radials. One connecting rod has a big end that attaches to the crankshaft, the other connecting rod(s) attaches via a pin to the first rod.

[@joncoughlin_dev]

Absolutely love you talking about Soviet planes, especially the IL-2. I'm binging the whole IL-2 series today :)

[@alexta78]

A brief history of AM-38 engine starts with M-17, that was a licensed copy of famous German midwar BMW VI and also had articulated connecting rods. Mikulin redesigned it introducing fork and blade connection rods, increasing power but keeping M17s dimensions and seats and named it M-34 (or AM-34). Subsequent power enhansing modifications had shorter lifetime until heavily redesigned and strengthed AM-34FRN (this redesign surprisingly included fallback to articulated connecting rods). Then it was modified to AM-35/AM35A and finally to AM-38.

[@kolygin]

Additionally, M-17/BMW -> M-34 transition involved migration from separate cylinders to engine banks blocks while retaining engine bore/stroke

[@sturmvogel661]

The Soviets licensed the Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine, which used the articulated connecting rods, which became the Klimov M-100 and was developed into the M-105 used in the wartime Yaks. So I would bet that Mikulin borrowed the design of the connecting rods from the Klimov engines.

[@kolygin]

@@sturmvogel661 Most likely this is not the case. BMW VI originally had the same rod design and look at timeline: BMW VI (1926) - M-17 (1930) - M-34 (1932-40) - AM-35 (1941) - AM-38 (1941) vs 12Ybrs (1934 - true precursor of Klimov's line) - M-100 (1935) - M-103 (1937) - M-105 (1940). Mikulin probably did have a chance to make himself familiar with Hispano engine but articulated rod wasn't something new for him at that point.

[@reeceb9026]

I recently visited the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum. They have a Flying IL 2 along with a lot of other really cool pieces of history. It's absolutely worth a visit! Thank you Greg for all the work put into your videos.

[@ottovangogh9477]

One of the best aviation WW2 murseums in the world. Thanks to Paul Allen. Presently working on a Stuka restoration.

[@PaddyPatrone]

Their IL2 is powered by a allison v12

[@prycenewberg3976]

For some reason, I read your first sentence as, "I was visited by..." and was thoroughly confused. lol

[@YeohanB]

I really enjoy your indepth videos. Unlike many others you seem to know what you are talking about.

[@jeromestern8225]

Thanks Greg, you're always managing to find some most interesting airplanes. Your Videos are simply the best I have found yet.

[@19Koty96]

One thing to note is that there were also production IL-2's with original straight wings but added (unarmoured) gunner position under the new long canopy. The lack of armour was specifically because adding the armour would shift the center of gravity.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Yes, there were many versions, I couldn't cover them all, but there was a production two seater with an unarmored gunner position, there were a lot of them.

[@worthymartin4008]

magisterial and superb scholarship, as always. i enjoy all your videos so very much. thank you!

[@SoFZlodei24]

17:35 One more point on going to single-seater is that it shifted the balance of a plane so that it would be controllable. Here is a playlist about the history of development and production of IL-2, but it is in russian and the series themselves are out of order /playlist?list=PL9ybxsKzafo0IzO1QClOWLbEzJWn_BgKj . It dives really deep into the history of IL-2 with archive documents and letters of the people involved.

[@nickmitsialis]

At around 7:30 when you mention the rear section of the IL2 being made of wood, I am reminded of a German Memoir I read recently (it was the odd case of Bruno Friesen, a Canadian/German being "sent back to the Fatherland" pre WW2, and ended up as part of a Panzer Crew. One of his recollections was how they learned that concentrated Mg34 fire, when aimed at the rear sections of the IL2 would literally 'shear off' the tail of the craft. Nothing heavier was needed, as long as you avoided aiming at the armored parts of the aircraft.

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

Greg, I was so happy to watch this. So I joined your Patreon. Thank you for your work, particularly on the VVS. I encourage all other Russo/German history viewers to do the same. . ZA RODINU!!!

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thank you very much.

[@RichardGoth]

"stay tuned.." the most exciting words I have heard all day. thanks for another great installment!

[@vgramatski]

Another great video, thank you, Greg! Very interesting pieces of information even though the air war on the Eastern Front has been one area of interest for me for many years. Honestly, I can't wait to see you tackle the the workhorse of the VVS RKKA, the Yak-series fighter(s), some day. I've read so many interviews with Soviet veterans where they discuss how the M-105P/PA/PF Yak came close but never couldn't quite match the Bf 109... unless they received rather rare well build unit from the factory, had a good maintenance crew, used 100 octane US fuel, and then could take on the '109 in the vertical. Not to mention the M-107, that engine has such a conflicted history...

[@LolTollhurst]

You'd probably have some fun also reading the post war interviews with junior staff at the design bureaus, as they decades later reveal secrets about the infighting and political influence game between the bureaus and the factories, and the poor air force having to deal with it all. And especially the amount of accusations against Yakovlev for being the worst engineer but also the best at backstabbing, sabotage, and being dangerous to know.

[@duffyfive0632]

I have learned something totally new thanks to Greg! I had no idea how the Il-2s engine worked. The crankshaft/connecting rod design is really interesting. As an aside, it’s really hard to find clear pictures of these engine parts as I was trying to illustrate them to some folks at work. Thanks again Greg!

[@ffejulator]

Very excited to see this series is continuing!

[@jaredneaves7007]

When he says, "this is going to take multiple videos" I got excited :-D Thanks!

[@Grumpyoldbiker]

As far as I am aware overheating was and still is primarily an issue with the Shovels and Ironheads of the seventies, due to a combination of iron jugs, increasing compression and changes in the pump gas mixture that didn't really suit these motors. On a hot day you could cook them good. I once had blue smoke belching out of the oiltank when I took off the cap. It is like riding a barbeque. It was the whole motor that suffered, not just a rear cylinder problem. That's why we have oil coolers on those things. The Evo design cured the overheating with aluminum cylinders and a better head design for modern gas. I never needed an oil cooler on one of those. Every now and then somebody put a rear cylinder air scoop on a Shovel or some sort of in between cylinder fan setup, but that never caught on big. Unlike the oil coolers. So I'm inclined to believe from my experience that the oil is the number one important thing in cooling my Harleys. If you think I'm wrong and it is primarily a matter of air flow, go somewhere where a bunch of Shovels and Ironheads are gathered for some oldtimer ride out or fair or whatnot and count the oil coolers, the fans and the scoops. If you can actually find a bike with a fan or a scoop. To me that says it all.

[@o2wow]

The USA did field a small number (500) of ground attack/dive bomber planes, the A-36, a version of the P-51. Thanks for your videos, they are very well done and very informative.

[@ThorneyedWT]

Mikulin's engines are direct development from M-17, which was licensed version of BMW VI. And connecting rods in IL-2 are directly inherited from BMW VI.

[@mcfontaine]

Your videos just get better and better. The production quality, especially audio wise (I’m an audio producer) is brilliant now. Keep up the great work and thank you.

[@Mango62uk]

"There is so much to talk about this airplane, that it's going to take multiple videos". I'm in!

[@JohnCBobcat]

Really looking forward to the next installment and have enjoyed the parts I've watched so far.

[@GeneralJackRipper]

For all the talk about the ruggedness and armor of the IL-2, I think it's chief advantage was that there was a metric crap ton of these things built. Like, _"Our Il-2's will blot out the sky!"_ type of numbers.

[@jaym8027]

Agreed. Quantity has a quality all its own.

[@rayschoch5882]

Excellent, as usual, Greg. The whole discussion of connecting rods and crankshafts was fascinating to an old airplane and hot rod enthusiast. The "articulated" rod arrangement was totally new to me - I've never heard it presented or discussed before. I confess I'd also never thought in terms of space requirements for the offset of opposite cylinder banks in the more typical "V"-type engines. Anyway, good stuff, and I look forward to the next one.

[@harrisonowens9388]

as a 24 year old aviation fanatic your content is fantastic! its really cool to hear about all of the deep, detailed, and very researched information you get into. bravo in regards to all of your videos.

[@sadwingsraging3044]

Yep. That is a strange connecting rod setup indeed. The roller-bearing rods are a work of art but ye gods the expense!😳

[@TheMadSlavik]

It should be considered that back then there weren't any computers or complex models to calculate strength of a new conrod. So it's possible that a once licensed concept would be used for longer because there's a lot of empirical data on it. Especially in a wartime when resources, tooling and time for prototyping are scares.

[@fafner1]

Very Germanic. The Germans loved their roller bearings, even using them in tank engines. Meanwhile the Americans were moving on to modern thin shell bearings.

[@killer.crayon]

Now I think I understand why Daimler-Benz 6xx (classified as an excellent powerplant) had a different stroke and manifold pressure for left and right backs!

[@rring44]

I am very happy you are doing another big series on the IL-2, your Jug series was just amazing. I like your comment on how the P-40 wing loading is higher than an IL-2 with the same Power/weight. In the game IL-2, the IL-2 41 easily beats a P-40 in a turn fight. Have you gone back and tried dog fighting the IL-2 in the game IL-2? I am sure you will say in another video that the main reason the IL-2 was shot down in droves when it should be able to fight back is the pilots who flew it were not trained in dog fighting. It is interesting flying German and shooting down IL-2s with pilots who only ground attack because you know they could fight back, but they are just easy targets if they don't know how. I wonder what would have happened if every IL-2 pilot had a few hundred hours of dog fighting instruction and practice before going into combat.

[@GeneralJackRipper]

Pointless speculation because if a pilot had that much experience and training, they would have been retained for the fighter groups instead.

[@amerigo88]

Also, such flying heroes would have been viewed as politically unreliable.

[@rring44]

@@GeneralJackRipper It is not pointless speculation because it would have been very useful to teach the IL-2 pilots how to dogfight because the plane could dogfight. The VVS just did not train their pilots very well. In the game IL-2, the early IL-2 can dogfight pretty well. It turns very well, can take a lot of damage and has very good guns. It is not a fighter, but it can put up a fight if you know how to dogfight.

[@thegenericguy8309]

if every IL-2 pilot had a few hundred hours of dogfighting instruction they would not have been numerous enough to crew IL-2s as they rolled off the line and the IL-2 would have failed to be used in the numbers needed

[@rring44]

@@thegenericguy8309 Maybe a few hundred is a bit much, more like 1 hundred hours of instruction and practice. They could have trained the pilots before the war much more and had a much better training pipeline, but they didn't

[@sski]

Thank you, Greg, for putting so much time and effort into this IL-2 expose'. I appreciate it very much and look forward to future installments.

[@b.griffin317]

Great as always Greg. Looking forward to the next part on the Il-2.

[@djtrainspotter]

The very best channel on yt for this content, thanks.

[@gunarskonrads]

Another masterpiece from Greg!

[@DankoMe]

I am really horrible viewer because I usualy forget to like the videos even if I really like it.. this time you said theres gonna be multiple videos and my brain rang alarm bell to hit that button straight away :D love your content no matter what part of the globe its pointing to... thank you very much for keeping me entertained

[@conroypaw]

Oh man... this is starting to get really good. I am not at all disappointed!

[@TyroneSayWTF]

Another excellent effort and production Greg! Keep 'em coming on the Il-2 (and other Soviet WWII aircraft)!

[@johngilbert6036]

Solving the center of gravity issue was really clever. Swept wing used to move the center of gravity forward sounds almost like an American solution. Must remember they were Fighting for survival not trying to impress anyone. I am always amazed at by the details your research brings to life, plus the ability to explain it. Thanks for more unique Knowledge.

[@john88benson]

Thanks for this, it's been an enjoyable series. Looking forward to the discussion on employment, operation performance.

[@cybair9341]

The IL-2 has acquired a mystical reputation just like the T--34 tank and the Katyusha rockets.

[@charlesmeredith8417]

Thanks, Greg. I just watched your explanation of the different connecting rods in aircraft engines from the WW2 Era. I was an automotive machinest for nearly all my working life and have been retired many years, now. I have worked on and with many different con-rods over the years and have remachined and rebuilt engines of many different types from air cooled 2 cycle engines small enough to hold 4 or 5 at one time in one hand all the way up to marine engines so large a man can open a door in the crankcase and walk into the engine. (Of course while not running) With all that experience though, I've never run across an engine like the one you described as used in the IL2, at least not one with rods like that. I guess it worked for them but it seems sort of like betting on the three legged race horse. I understand the IL2 was a Tough airplane that did its job well but dang, seems like if they would have given up 6 or 8 inches more for length they may have gotten much more power from that engine with a "conventional" layout. I'm far from an expert and just thinking out loud about this but I can't believe they designed and built that engine the way they did just to save less than a foot of length. I must have missed something I guess or probably just are not as smart as I think I am more likely.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Charles, I'm right with you on this. I think it's a really poor solution for a connection rod. When I look at it I think it's a miracle it worked at all.

[@igorkurtukov8520]

To you point at 5:08. AM-38 was not wholly homegrown. It is essentially AM-35 (M-35), tuned up for lower altitudes. AM-35 in turn bears heritage of M-34. And M-34 had been developed from M-17. And M-17 is a copy of BMW-VI. Which was just two in-line six-cylinder BMW-IV, bolted together to a common crank-case. So, AM-38 bears such western heritage, as cylinder bore of BMW-IV (160 mm), and the articulated rod design of BMW-VI, along with 190mm short stroke. On AM-35 long stroke was shortened a bit form original 199mm. In general, all soviet aircraft engines on WWII combat planes were developed from some western prototype.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

In my opinion it has enough steps removed from any German engine to be wholly homegrown. Yes it shares ancestry with some other engines, but what V-12 engine in WW2 didn't? I don't see that as something that would make it a Soviet version of a BMW or whatever.

[@PaddyPatrone]

@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles Might be comparable to how the BMW801 & Ash82 had its origins on an american design.

[@igorkurtukov8520]

@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles I won't argue here, just point out, that if we are talking about articulated connected rods, this particular design feature (and therefore the limitation on max rpm) was inherited directly from BMW-VI.

[@Slaktrax]

The Russians used the same con-rod set-up in their V12 diesel engines used in their tanks. Great video Greg, thanks :-)

[@jimkillen1065]

I worked at a power plant for many years , part of the time early on i worked at a diesel power at a sub station. Seems like there was very large engine there that had a version of that arrangement. I never worked on it only what i was told..

[@olivialambert4124]

Fantastic. This answered a lot of questions I had about the Il-2. I'd long since given up hope for answers so it's been a pretty pleasant surprise.

[@michaelsnyder3871]

The Hispano-Suiza was influential on Soviet liquid cooled engines, being copied and then used as a basis for modified and derived designs just as the Cyclones and Wasps did for Soviet air-cooled engines.

[@killer.crayon]

Licensed. Not copied. M-100 = Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs, then developed by V.Klimov into M-103, M-105(VK-105), VK-106, VK-107, VK-108... M-17 = BMW VI, then developed by A.Migulin into M-34, AM-35, AM-38, AM-42... M-25 = Wright «Cyclone» F-3, then developed by A.Shvetsov into M-62, M-63, M-71, M-82(ASh-82), ASh-73... M-85 = Gnome-Rhône «Mistral Majeure» 14Kdrs, then developed into M-86, M-87, M-88, M-89, M-90... Chief designers are A.Nazarov, then Ye.Urmin, then S.Tumansky.

[@GeneralJackRipper]

So it's like the Vickers 6-ton of engines?

[@wingracer1614]

Just a note, V engines with separate rods, pairs of which share a single rod journal should only have a left to right cylinder offset equal to the thickness of one rod at the crank journal end. Displacement / bore size would not change this. So the total length of the engine between conventional separate rods and articulating or fork and blade designs, all else being equal should only be the thickness of a rod. So we are talking about an inch. The exception would be boxer engines where the rods do not share a journal so you have a bearing journal in between each rod, thus more offset between left and right banks. You see this in Porsche, Subaru and other boxers where the offset is very noticeably large.

[@Triple_J.1]

You are right about the width of the con-rod being the extra engine length. There are many other reasons, including the great difficulty in calculating harmonic resonance with slide rules in the 1930s. It's greatly simplified to keep the torque impulse centered between the main bearings. This probably allowed a significant reduction in crankshaft weight. Instead of having to deal with asymmetric impulses. Its also worth noting, that plain bearings were in their infancy at this time with bearing pressure limits of around 2,000psi. (Later 3-4,000psi due to manufacturing improvements by Allison). When you are severely limited in bearing pressure and you have a large piston with forced induction, you have to spread that pressure impulse across both bearings as evenly as possible.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Yes, it is the thickness of the rods that determines this.

[@arjunarabindranath]

Thanks

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate that.

[@Paughco]

That rod setup is also used on the Harley Davidson V-Twin engine, such as my 1950 Panhead.

[@YeohanB]

Bedankt

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that.

[@ВячеславФролов-д7я]

The main idea about a special ground attack plane i can find in soviet literature is that during a cas strike, everyone shoots at a plane. Infantry with their rifles and mashineguns included. You can also find photos from 1941 when soviet soliders are trying to shoot german planes with rifles and maxim mgs. So the most lead coming towards an attacking plane is rifle caliber rounds and if the plane is resistant to it (the critical systems that can be fatally damaged by rifle bullet) it will drastically increase its combat survivability. I've also came across some bf109 pilots' complaints about cas sorties in 1941, they stated they are too risky, because there are numerous occasions when a lucky rifle shot damages the engine/cooling system/wounds the pilot, and the 109 can't make it home

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

An excellent series on one of the most important combat aircraft of WWII. As to the articulated connecting rods, I recall that the Roll Royce Vulture X24 engine was defeated in part by its use of articulated rods.

[@edcliff4627]

Thanks for your detailed documentary on the Il2, I look forward to part3.

[@Madkite]

I'm really enjoying these. Just joined the patron. Only basic as the world it trying to make me go broke right now. The P47 trim box is coming along. Hope to have it finished soon.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Hi Madkit, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[@JustRedDude]

Hi. Just want to add that Hispano-suiza engines were produced in USSR by license. It had designation of M-105 and was issued to the Yak-1 plane and LaGG-3. I believe that's was one of the reasons why they used articulated connecting rods on this AM-38 engine. Simply because it was easier, faster and cheaper to use something that they already know how to implement it in their engine design, produce and maintain

[@yamato3151]

17:30 The plane on the picture is BsH-2 (TsKB-55), equipped with AM-35 engine. Pre-series plane is based upon TsKB-57 project, equipped with AM-38, which had larger fuel consumption. At the time, Ilyushin could not make a plane, that had both the range and the tail gunner with AM-38. Tech counsil of the VVS asked Ilyushin to build 1. On the second prototype to get rid of all the shortcomings, equip it with AM-38 engine, improve stability by changing the wing to swept design, add on the fuel tank, improve visibilty for pilot AND NAVIGATOR by 15 of june 1940 2. On the BsH-2 equipped with AM-35 add on 23mm guns by the 1 of june 1940 Source: Авиация и Космонавтика. Перов В., Растренин О. Штурмовик Ил-2 It goes in depth on the issue Here is a fun topic - diesel engines on planes. It was surprising to me, that the only engine, that soviets could reliably use on long range bombers (Er-2) was Charomsky's M-30.

[@KurttankT]

Excellent as always

[@jamesmclaughlin-t8v]

The 190f is a good comparison. The hawker typhoon would be another choice. Love this series of programs on the IL2

[@nicolatesla9429]

12:02 Maybe what people are referring to is the use of the 30mm caliber, because the MK108 entered service in 1943. The MK108 was, as far as I know, mostly used in a bomber killer role (Me262, Fw190A-8/R2, Bf110G-4 etc.), with the only exceptions being the Ta-152 and the U4 conversion of some Bf109G types.

[@ps5801]

Another factor in limiting rpm is the shear size of the engine. Pistons can only move so fast up and down the cylinder before they start having problems with rings. When you have a long stroke engine the distance the piston must travel during one revolution of the crank will be greater than for an otherwise similar engine with a shorter stroke. The only way to prevent piston overspeed is to reduce the redline, which limits the peak horsepower capability of the engine. I don't know that this was the case with this engine but, back when it was designed, piston velocity was often a limiting factor in engine performance.

[@RasmusDyhrFrederiksen]

Thanks!

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

[@cannonfodder4376]

Another informative video on the famous IL-2. Learned some more good stuff today.

[@Hedbert-fn1xv]

Regarding the articulated connecting rod limiting rpm, the Puch 250 SGS (Austrian Motorcycle) has its peak power at 5800 rpm and has a master/slave type connecting rod.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

I think that helps make my point. That's really low for a motorcycle.

[@Hedbert-fn1xv]

Thx for replying! But I dont think so, because the supermarines S6B Rolls Royce R engine used an articulated rod design producing well over 2000 hp at 3200rpm. Btw love your content!

[@Hedbert-fn1xv]

Furthermore the RR Goshawk also uses articulated rods and the MkII variant develops 722hp at 3000rpm at take off (according to "British piston aero engines and their aircraft p196")@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles

[@pattschetter]

I learned something entirely new to me about the connecting rods. I'd always pictured aero V-engines with the offset-by-one-rod-width bank positioning, same rod on both sides, and longer crankpins I'm used to from automotive V-engines. The wing sweep change to move the center of lift and accommodate the rear gunner made me think of how the F-4 Phantom got its distinctive upward tilt of the outboard ~1/3rd of the wing; the Phantom needed its wings to average more dihedral, and like sweeping the Sturmovik's outer wing sections that was the way to implement the change without a major tear-up of the fuselage or innermost part of the wing.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

The F-4 issue is a good analogy.

[@jroch41]

Really liking this series on IL-2, thanks.

[@garydownes2111]

Great video, thanks for all your work.

[@hernanotero2710]

Great video! Interesting and accurate technical info, that’s what I love from your channel, thanks a lot!

[@garyhooper1820]

Thanks for continuing this series. Good videos on Soviet Aircraft are few ,and some questionable .

[@minifun]

Great. Good details

[@PhilKelley]

This was a very informative video. Thank you. The most interesting part was about the local modifications to add a rear gunner position. I have read how Patton was big on doing that with tanks based on recommendations from his men (e.g., so they could punch through the French hedges), but I have never heard anyone talk about doing this with airplanes. That would make a fascinating video of itself.

[@АлександрСевер-ю9ь]

Неплохой обзор.Про Ил-2 в русскоязычном сегменте очень много написано,теперь и англоязычные читатели многое для себя откроют.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thanks.

[@dominikrutkowski1720]

Dear Greg. Awesome video as always, You made my evening. The decision to remove the gunner was made by Stalin, at least according to Viktor Suvorov, I forgot in which book but most likely in "Day M". The same applies to removing 5th (internal) engine fro TB7 (?) bomber which made it average iso the best in its class. I have 1 point of criticism: there is no W (double U) in German. W=V. My best regards from Warsaw, Poland. Dominik.

[@grexhimatt7230]

Thanks for sharing this video Greg. As far as i know the Rolls Royce R engine was equiped with articulated rods and was run fast at over 3000 RPMs. A race type engine anyways with a short life expectancy.

[@whoprofits2661]

Very interesting miniseries Greg.

[@jraben1065]

Hi Greg, Great content! I appreciate your focus on well researched facts, rather than the "popular" myths. Your speculation on German cannon adoption is interesting (perhaps to destroy Russian wood airplanes?). I would add that earlier, Germany encountered some British airplanes with wooden elements. Light MG had proven ineffective vs all Fighters, and most airforces switched to heavy MG and 20mm cannon. The US lacked reliable 20mm cannons, and used 50 Cal. Germany vs Big Bombers adopted 30mm with HE Mine Shells.

[@piperpa4272]

Thank you Greg, another great video.

[@TR4Ajim]

The German “mine” shell was introduced just prior to the BoB, however the Bf-109 and Bf-110 (and early FW-190s) mounted the the MG-FF cannon, which had its own issues. Though these and other mine shells did pack a wallop, they did so with a proportional decrease in propellant charge. As a result many German cannon suffered poorer muzzle velocity than their Allied counterparts. Regarding getting thrown in prison over the IL-2, some got off easy. However Yakov Taubin was working on a 23mm cannon for the IL-2. Unfortunately for him, the VYa-23 cannon was selected instead. Taubin was arrested and subsequently shot! 😬

[@flyingsword135]

With a 23mm cannon?

[@killer.crayon]

​@@flyingsword135Yup. Either Volkov&Yartsev, or Taubin should have shot the opponent of this contest 🤪

[@detkaiser3668]

Afaik the mg-ff had a low projektile velocity from its design One can spelculate that the mine-shell was designed to counter that deficiency.

[@Joe_Not_A_Fed]

Fascinating, as always. Thanks.

[@xmeda]

Single seat IL-2 could fight well in dogfight, but pilots in IL-2 squadrons were not fighter pilots trained for aerial fight tactics and group coverage. They were more focused on flying on the target, dropping bombs or firing rockets and then just go home as fast as possible. VVS did not have enough pilots to begin with and sturmoviks were manned by low-tier pilots mostly and they were learning things the hard way. There were some "aces" able to shoot down various enemy planes, but most pilots only focused on flying low and to attack the ground target. Pilots using Jaks and Lavockins had noticeably better training focused on air combat.

[@dominicmauro7203]

It would be interesting to see a pre war or early german report on the effectiveness of cannon vs rifle against wooden targets.

[@jannegrey]

I have time in like an hour or two. I will watch it then. Please don't think that this is boring or unimportant subject. I'll watch the %$^&# out of all your IL-2 videos. And all your videos in general.

[@TheDM3002XTuber]

Tnx, nice in detail part about the engine!

[@SubvertTheState]

IL2 NUMERO TWO! Thanks Greg

[@lowspeedhighdrag566]

The il 2 is pretty cool. Learned a bunch. Thanks Greg.

[@jaredneaves7007]

Greg's done my two favourite aircraft now. The P47 and Il2 Sturmovic. The only other I would love a Greg treatment is the B24 Liberator!

[@sparty94]

next time i'm cold i'm going to think of those rear gunners in the open cockpits.

[@richardlincoln8438]

Thanks Greg. Just commenting for the algorithm.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

I appreciate that.

[@garygenerous8982]

Awesome video as always Greg and thanks for continuing this series. Can’t wait for the next one :)

[@Knuck_Knucks]

A fine series indeed. 🐻