Ilyushin DB-3

what is it?

The Ilyushin DB-3, where "DB" stands for Dalniy Bombardirovshchik (Russian: Дальний бомбардировщик) meaning "long-range bomber", is a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that first flew in 1935. 1,528 were built. The DB-3 was the precursor of the Ilyushin Il-4 (originally designated DB-3F).

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 21.4 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 439 km/htop speed
• range 3,800 kmwithout refuelling
• size 9,450 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,528made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 91 years ago, in 1935.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 21.4 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 3,800 km: 21× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1935

introduced

1936

retired

1947

status

retired

number built

1,528

role

medium bomber / torpedo-bomber

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Voronezh, Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association, Aviakor, Moscow Aviation Plant № 39

engines

2× Nazarov M-87 / Tumansky M-87

crew

3

length

14.2 m

wingspan

21.4 m

height

4.2 m

max take-off weight

9,450 kg

top speed

439 km/h

range

3,800 km

ceiling

9,600 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.