Finnish Forces

Sturdy frame

Here one can see how sturdy the frame of an IL-2 was. The frame and cockpit behind the engine look intact. The plane was well armored. The engine, pilot and gunner as if sit in an armored bathtub. Gunner also had back armor plate against fire from behind. Finnish pilots had told that there was on weak point in it and that was a square meter area upper side the wing in junction of frame and wing. Pilots tried to attack IL-2 sideways. Messerschmitt 109's weak point was the radiator. Less calibers than 2 cm cannon were usually useless against this air tank. The latter part of Continuation War 1941-44 somewhere in Karelia.