<!-- This article is a part of Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft. Please see Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout. -->

The Ilyushin Il-4 (DB-3F) (; NATO reporting name: Bob) is a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber and torpedo bomber, widely used by the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation during World War II.

Design and development

In 1938, the Ilyushin design bureau redesigned the Ilyushin DB-3 to ease production and improve its performance, the revised version receiving the designation DB-3F (Forsirovanniye or "boosted"). The aircraft's internal structure, particularly the wings, was extensively changed, eliminating the need for hand finishing of the structure, and with duralumin replacing the large scale use of steel in the earlier version. The aircraft's fuel system was redesigned, increasing its internal capacity while reducing the number of fuel tanks. It successfully passed through state acceptance tests and entered production in January 1940, with the Tumansky M-88 quickly replacing the M-87. The DB-3F was redesignated Il-4 in March 1942.

Operators

thumb|Ilyushin Il-4 in Finnish service; aircraft number DF-25. Photo taken in April 1944.

;:

  • Chinese Nationalist Air Force 24 aircraft

;

  • Finnish Air Force 11 aircraft of the type DB-3M and four aircraft of the type DB-3F (Il-4)

;

  • Luftwaffe (tests only)

;

  • Soviet Air Force

:Regiments as at 1945-46:

:10th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment

:290th Bomber Aviation Regiment

:303rd Bomber Aviation Regiment (Zavitinsk, Amur Oblast)

:442nd Bomber Aviation Regiment (Belogorsk, Amur Oblast) with Il-4

:other regiments

  • Soviet Naval Aviation

Specifications (Il-4)

thumb|Il-4 (1942) 3-view drawing

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • "From DB-3 To Il-4...The Soviet Long-Range Bomber: Part Two". Air International, Vol. 30, No. 3, March 1986. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634. pp.&nbsp;133–138, 154–155.
  • Gordon, Yefim and Khazanov, Dmitri. Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War, Volume 2: Twin-Engined Fighters, Attack Aircraft and Bombers. Earl Shilton, UK: Midland Publishing Ltd., 2006.
  • Gordon, Yefim, Dmitriy Komissarov and Sergey Komissarov. OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. London: Ian Allan, 2004. .
  • Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey, 1995. .
  • Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 9, Venäläiset Pommittajat (Soviet Bombers). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteos, 1982. .
  • Nowarra, Heinz J. and Duval, G.R. Russian Civil and Military Aircraft, 1884-1969. London: Fountain Press Ltd., 1971. .
  • Stapfer, Hans-Heiri. Ilyushin Il-4 in Action (aircraft number 192). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2004. .