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Generally speaking, you are far better off trying to avoid the hit than absorbing the damage it causes. Additional armor meant additional weight, which meant reduced speed and maneuverability. For that reason, armor was normally kept to a minimum. | Generally speaking, you are far better off trying to avoid the hit than absorbing the damage it causes. Additional armor meant additional weight, which meant reduced speed and maneuverability. For that reason, armor was normally kept to a minimum. | ||
However, certain aircraft did carry additional armor. Usually, it was those that operated in conditions where being hit was seen as unavoidable. The first type of aircraft that fell into this category were those that couldn’t maneuver. This encompassed aircraft such as heavy bombers, that had to remain in formation. The other category were aircraft that flew in areas where the volume of fire was so high that the aircraft would inevitably be hit. These were ground attack aircraft, where multiple anti-aircraft guns would be firing at a single target. This resulted in aircraft like the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2, which famously had heavy steel plate around the engine, fuel tanks, and all sides of the pilot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gustin |first1=Emmanuel |title= | However, certain aircraft did carry additional armor. Usually, it was those that operated in conditions where being hit was seen as unavoidable. The first type of aircraft that fell into this category were those that couldn’t maneuver. This encompassed aircraft such as heavy bombers, that had to remain in formation. The other category were aircraft that flew in areas where the volume of fire was so high that the aircraft would inevitably be hit. These were ground attack aircraft, where multiple anti-aircraft guns would be firing at a single target. This resulted in aircraft like the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2, which famously had heavy steel plate around the engine, fuel tanks, and all sides of the pilot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gustin |first1=Emmanuel |title=Fighter Armour |url=http://users.telenet.be/Emmanuel.Gustin/fgun/fgun-ar.html |website=Emmanuel Gustin's Home Page |access-date=13 April 2022 |date=1999}}</ref> | ||
== Specifications == | == Specifications == |