Off-Topic: Restored IL-2 First Public Flight (pics)
 

Went to Everett, WA to see Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection's IL-2M3's first public flight today. It's built from a couple of wrecks (mostly from two planes, but parts from four aircraft total), and has an Allison engine from a P-38 as they weren't able to obtain a workable/reliable original engine. (Interestingly, they used a P-38's Allison because the prop spins the "wrong" way, and the contra-rotating props on the P-38 meant one engine was reversed from the typical Us Allison direction.) It's not a reconstruction that would please purists, but it's an amazing thing to see in the air; it's the world's only flying IL-2.

They also flew a P-47D along with it. Really amazing to see an IL-2 in the air; one of the first times an IL-2 has been flown for a public audience in the western hemisphere ever.

I've attached one shot; you can see many photos of the plane in the air and on the ground (along with the P-47D) here:
http://dennya.smugmug.com/Airplanes/...5389414_kP68bm

http://dennya.smugmug.com/Airplanes/...002-4310-M.jpg

It looks fantastic and for some reason much sleeker in profile than I remember. I wonder if there are plans to make a trip to Russia because you'd imagine a lot of people there would be very interested in seeing it fly.

Thanks.

It was actually restored in Russia, by the same factory, which rebuilt MiG-3, I-16, I-15bis and I-153. This particular aircraft took part in few airshows in Russia, before sent to US.

There is another IL-2 in production line currently, which is supposed to be rebuilt with original engine.

If you search I-net and youtube, you can find a number of clips and TV shows with this plane, made in Russia recently.