Although largely unknown in the West, the Il-4 equipped the majority of Soviet Air Force and Naval bomber wings and it was the most produced Soviet long-range bomber with over 5,000 machines completed before production ceased in late in 1944. The IL-4 (originally designated DB-3F) was an improved version of the Ilyushin DB-3 which had actually set two record-breaking flights during 1938-39. The Il-4 featured more powerful engines than its forerunner and a longer, more streamlined fuselage with a glazed nose. On the eve of the German invasion on June 22, 1941, DB-3s and DB-3Fs bombers made up 86% of the Soviet long-range bomber force. The Il-4T was the torpedo bomber variant that was widely used by the Soviet Navy against enemy shipping by the Baltic, Black Sea and Northern Fleets. It was armed with the 2,072 lb (940 kg) torpedo and many carried an auxiliary external fuel tank mounted under the rear fuselage.

While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the well proportioned model including the fuselage with the glazed nose and detailed canopy, that huge MV-3 dorsal turret, the wings with engine nacelles, the tail assembly complete with a tiny tail wheel and especially the torpedo and fuel tank under the fuselage!

Although the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene. The landing gear is represented in the retracted, in-flight position on these models but it should be fairly straight forward to add photo etch parts for a very convincing "gear down" rendition, perfect for an Eastern Front air base diorama.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.