WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Weight of Armour Plating

[elbmc1969]

as far as weight of armor, I still kind of wonder if it may have had something to do with improving metallurgy

Look at the P-39 armor evolution tables.

 

[elbmc1969]

Note that the F6F has spaced armor, almost certainly to detonate cannon shells and then stop fragments.

 

[blueskies]

 

[IdahoRenegade]

This is great data and blows away yet another misconception of mine (like so many have been since coming to this forum). Given the Thunderbolt's reputation for toughness I always assumed it was much more heavily armored than it's contempories.

 

[GrauGeist]

The P-47's resistance to damage wasn't so much about armor, but it's construction.

My house isn't even close to being as well built as the Jug is.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

What is the G load limit for the wings on a P-47?

 

[philkearny]

I recall reading that some of the IL-2 armor was load-bearing, part of the plane's actual structure.

 

[GrauGeist]

The IL-2's fuselage from the engine cowling back the rear of the cockpit was it's armor.

If you've seen a photo of an old IL-2 that looks like it's rusting, that's because it is.

 

[philkearny]

The IL-2's fuselage from the engine cowling back the rear of the cockpit was it's armor.

If you've seen a photo of an old IL-2 that looks like it's rusting, that's because it is.

And I thought that color was becaue it was part of the Red air force.

 

[planespotting]

I believe you, but could you site the source for the figures on the Il-2, its hard to believe a 1940 design propeller plane could get off the ground with 16% of its weight as armor/dead weight.

I can't speak for the precise numbers, but as people said above, the armour wasn't simply protection added to the airframe - it formed the structural monocoque for the forward fuselage (engine/cockpit) with the wings and tail bolted to it. Also, it had a stupidly grunty 1700hp engine.