Aircraft list (and possible additions, in historical context)

[Avimimus]

It'd feel quite incomplete to have one without the other...

[PaperPilot]

What about the La-9? Didin't they serve in Korea with the KPAAF, PLAAF and the VVS?

[Justicier10-7]

The list of Red aircraft is unfortunately very limited... if in keeping with history.

Ultimately, I think what we could possibly get for historically fielded aircraft would be:

1. La-9 "Fritz" (would arguably be more useful than La-11, trading fuel for an extra cannon)
2. MiG-15 early (Non-bis... especially important for if/when the most interesting part of the Korean War... June 25, 1950 to approximately June 25, 1951... is added to Korea)
3. Yak-15, or 17 "Feather" (Rare, but possible... Yak-15 was reported shot down by a Skyknight on the night of November 2 of 1952... could have been either Yak-15, or 17 as they could be easily confused for each other. Also possible it could have been a Yak-23... it was much higher performance and was structurally different than its predecessors, but without wingtip tanks it could still potentially have been misidentified as a Yak-15 especially at night)
4. Tu-2 "Bat" (made flyable... could potentially be "ported" to Great Battles also as collector plane?)
5. An-2 "Colt" (Yay, no listed stall speed!... possible night intruder/agent insertion/paratrooper missions)
6. Po-2 "Mule" (Night intruder missions)
7. Yak-18 "Max" (Night intruder missions)
8. Li-2 "Cab" (Logistics, with a potentially aggressive twist!)

So, from a historical standpoint, in terms of high-performance "Front-line" aircraft... it's pretty much just the La-9, MiG-15, Tu-2 that can easily be added. The rest are rather niche (but would still be a lot of fun to fly!)

 

Now... if the in-development alt-history dynamic campaign is considered for aircraft lists... the possibilities for red side get much more interesting!

1. Tu-4 "Bull" (Reverse-engineered B-29 with 23mm turrets, could conduct Soviet long-range high-altitude bombing missions as a counterbalance to USAF B-29 missions. AI only...unless B-29 also becomes flyable... )
2. Il-28 "Beagle" (Fast jet bomber, yes please 🙂)
3. Yak-23 "Flora" (Alternate option as an early front-line and/or later reserve jet fighter)
4. MiG-9 "Fargo" (Could take a more front-line role at the start of the war in 1950, shifting to more reserve or second-line defense fighter from 1951 onward)
5. MiG-17 "Fresco" (Soviet-only, could potentially be fielded in late 1952/early 1953 in very low-numbers)

The dynamic campaign is really an exciting prospect, and would open up new gameplay and more aircraft variety... really looking forward to it!

Edited September 5 by Justicier10-7
Edited for clarity

[PaperPilot]

On 9/6/2026 at 8:52 AM, Justicier10-7 said:

Now... if the in-development alt-history dynamic campaign is considered for aircraft lists... the possibilities for red side get much more interesting!

1. Tu-4 "Bull" (Reverse-engineered B-29 with 23mm turrets, could conduct Soviet long-range high-altitude bombing missions as a counterbalance to USAF B-29 missions. AI only...unless B-29 also becomes flyable... )
2. Il-28 "Beagle" (Fast jet bomber, yes please 🙂)
3. Yak-23 "Flora" (Alternate option as an early front-line and/or later reserve jet fighter)
4. MiG-9 "Fargo" (Could take a more front-line role at the start of the war in 1950, shifting to more reserve or second-line defense fighter from 1951 onward)
5. MiG-17 "Fresco" (Soviet-only, could potentially be fielded in late 1952/early 1953 in very low-numbers)

The dynamic campaign is really an exciting prospect, and would open up new gameplay and more aircraft variety... really looking forward to it!

I think when the Dynamic Campaign is applied here, this is where things get interesting, but this could also go against one of IL-2's core values - historical accuracy - which I have no problem with, as long as things don't get wildly ahistorical where things get added like the B-52, F-4 Phantom, MiG-17 or the Su-7 because of player-base demand. Remeber, their designs were shaped by the conflicts they were in and the conditions they were up against.  

[JG14_Jagr]

The problem with the plane set is that there simply were not a lot of options for the DPRK in real life during the war.  While it didn't serve in Korea the IL28 was certainly around and in service at the time.  If I were the Devs I'd be concerned that at some point you wont have enough people wanting to fly for the DPRK because of the limited plane set, particularly the strike aircraft.

[PaperPilot]

2 hours ago, JG14_Jagr said:

The problem with the plane set is that there simply were not a lot of options for the DPRK in real life during the war.  While it didn't serve in Korea the IL28 was certainly around and in service at the time.  If I were the Devs I'd be concerned that at some point you wont have enough people wanting to fly for the DPRK because of the limited plane set, particularly the strike aircraft.

A valid concern, but this is unavoidable if you want to stay true to portraying history, there will be trade offs like this. 

Edited September 11 by PaperPilot

[Justicier10-7]

11 hours ago, PaperPilot said:

I think when the Dynamic Campaign is applied here, this is where things get interesting, but this could also go against one of IL-2's core values - historical accuracy - which I have no problem with, as long as things don't get wildly ahistorical where things get added like the B-52, F-4 Phantom, MiG-17 or the Su-7 because of player-base demand. Remeber, their designs were shaped by the conflicts they were in and the conditions they were up against.  

Oh absolutely, that's why all the aircraft I mentioned were around at the time, and potentially could be in-theater in an alt-history campaign. MiG-17 is a good example... historically, she was fielded to Soviet units in October of 1952. It could theoretically have been pressed into service in Korea if the Soviets took a more 'active' role, though it would be very late in the conflict.

I don't think anyone was asking for Phantoms, Buffs, and other late '50s to '60s era aircraft. I presume that the devs will probably make the dynamic campaign for Korea a similar time-frame to the real conflict... so the period of June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. So aircraft that were fielded within that time could be feasible.

[PaperPilot]

5 hours ago, Justicier10-7 said:

Oh absolutely, that's why all the aircraft I mentioned were around at the time, and potentially could be in-theater in an alt-history campaign. MiG-17 is a good example... historically, she was fielded to Soviet units in October of 1952. It could theoretically have been pressed into service in Korea if the Soviets took a more 'active' role, though it would be very late in the conflict.

I don't think anyone was asking for Phantoms, Buffs, and other late '50s to '60s era aircraft. I presume that the devs will probably make the dynamic campaign for Korea a similar time-frame to the real conflict... so the period of June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. So aircraft that were fielded within that time could be feasible.

I would like to see the IL-28 'Beagle' in IL-2 Korea some time, as it would make a great asset in a Dynamic Campaign. The North had some (they still do), but they weren't known to be used in the conflict.  

Edited September 11 by PaperPilot

[PaperPilot]

On 9/1/2026 at 1:35 AM, Avimimus said:

It'd feel quite incomplete to have one without the other...

Question. Do you think the Tu-2S being made flyable is a top priority at the moment collector plane-wise?

Edited September 17 by PaperPilot

[Avimimus]

On 9/5/2026 at 9:52 PM, Justicier10-7 said:

The list of Red aircraft is unfortunately very limited... if in keeping with history.

Ultimately, I think what we could possibly get for historically fielded aircraft would be:

1. La-9 "Fritz" (would arguably be more useful than La-11, trading fuel for an extra cannon)
2. MiG-15 early (Non-bis... especially important for if/when the most interesting part of the Korean War... June 25, 1950 to approximately June 25, 1951... is added to Korea)
3. Yak-15, or 17 "Feather" (Rare, but possible... Yak-15 was reported shot down by a Skyknight on the night of November 2 of 1952... could have been either Yak-15, or 17 as they could be easily confused for each other. Also possible it could have been a Yak-23... it was much higher performance and was structurally different than its predecessors, but without wingtip tanks it could still potentially have been misidentified as a Yak-15 especially at night)
4. Tu-2 "Bat" (made flyable... could potentially be "ported" to Great Battles also as collector plane?)
5. An-2 "Colt" (Yay, no listed stall speed!... possible night intruder/agent insertion/paratrooper missions)
6. Po-2 "Mule" (Night intruder missions)
7. Yak-18 "Max" (Night intruder missions)
8. Li-2 "Cab" (Logistics, with a potentially aggressive twist!)

So, from a historical standpoint, in terms of high-performance "Front-line" aircraft... it's pretty much just the La-9, MiG-15, Tu-2 that can easily be added. The rest are rather niche (but would still be a lot of fun to fly!)

 

Now... if the in-development alt-history dynamic campaign is considered for aircraft lists... the possibilities for red side get much more interesting!

1. Tu-4 "Bull" (Reverse-engineered B-29 with 23mm turrets, could conduct Soviet long-range high-altitude bombing missions as a counterbalance to USAF B-29 missions. AI only...unless B-29 also becomes flyable... )
2. Il-28 "Beagle" (Fast jet bomber, yes please 🙂)
3. Yak-23 "Flora" (Alternate option as an early front-line and/or later reserve jet fighter)
4. MiG-9 "Fargo" (Could take a more front-line role at the start of the war in 1950, shifting to more reserve or second-line defense fighter from 1951 onward)
5. MiG-17 "Fresco" (Soviet-only, could potentially be fielded in late 1952/early 1953 in very low-numbers)

The dynamic campaign is really an exciting prospect, and would open up new gameplay and more aircraft variety... really looking forward to it!

One could add the La-15 to that list as they were only withdrawn during Korea.

The Vampire FB.6 was in widespread use with the 2nd TAF as a ground attack fighter, and the Venom also entered service in that period. There should also have been a few Canadair Sabres in British service which would outperform the F-86F. There would also be Canberra day bombers (successor to the Mosquito). The night intruder version arrives a bit late (Trials in '55 service entry in '56).

The developers have said that they don't plan to simulate conflicts which didn't happen though (or presumably alternative histories where the RAF deployed aircraft)? I do wonder if they might someday let a third party pursue this though?

An alternative would be to model the Suez Crisis... which did have air combat and had a number of additional types - but the air combat only lasted a few days (which is a major obstacle). It is still interesting to think about though.

 

10 hours ago, PaperPilot said:

Question. Do you think the Tu-2S being made flyable is a top priority at the moment collector plane-wise?

I personally would prioritise the B-26 Invader as it was a very significant type in Korea and it would be good to have as at least an AI aircraft (although I'd also enjoy flying it).

The developers expressed a bit of interest in the last roadmap about maybe someday doing a Commonwealth pack. I wouldn't rule out the possibility though, especially given the relative shortage of additional Russian/Chinese/DPRK aircraft types and the overall popularity of the Tu-2.

 

[Avimimus]

On 8/29/2026 at 12:33 PM, Avimimus said:

I'm curious why the F2H ranks so low in your assessment (e.g. compared to the F9F)?

Having no answer - I have proceeded to try to answer this myself: The F2H has superior climb rate to other fighters (except for the F-86 and Mig-15 Bis), a good ceiling (comparable with the F-86A) and a slightly superior power to weight ratio compared to the F9F. However, it is the slowest of the available jet fighters.

[Justicier10-7]

8 hours ago, Avimimus said:

One could add the La-15 to that list as they were only withdrawn during Korea.

I had totally forgotten about the La-15! That would be a really fun addition to the Red side, having 3xNS-23 might make it a bit more interesting as a dogfighter compared to MiG-15 perhaps? Still low velocity shells, but a better "bullet hose" effect for deflection shooting. Cockpit reference scans/photos may be extremely difficult to come by though 😞

[Avimimus]

6 minutes ago, Justicier10-7 said:

I had totally forgotten about the La-15! That would be a really fun addition to the Red side, having 3xNS-23 might make it a bit more interesting as a dogfighter compared to MiG-15 perhaps? Still low velocity shells, but a better "bullet hose" effect for deflection shooting. Cockpit reference scans/photos may be extremely difficult to come by though 😞

They have one at Monino! So the developers could probably access the original.

I think it'd be very interesting to have it in order to give the Red side a second high performance fighter - and also to allow us to do a fly-off between it and the Mig-15! Sadly it never served in Korea - although I could see a scenario where the Soviet Union either sent more second line units (e.g. La-15) to Korea... I'm not sure we could talk the devs into it. That said, they do like the Il-28.

[MattM]

They could still add planes that didn’t see service during the war, similar to what they did with Fw 190 in BoS. Maybe only allow the player to choose to fly it in the career and don’t have them show up otherwise, so that the purists wouldn’t encounter them during their career. How people handle things in MP should be up to the server or mission creators anyway.

Otherwise the options are just very limited. La-9 and Tu-8 would definitely be nice to have though and they should probably be priority. I’ve zero interest in any of the trainers or Po-2 and I hope they don’t choose that route.

[Justicier10-7]

I hate to suggest a Blue aircraft given how saturated the market is in Korea... but... if Red gets an Il-28 someday... then maybe Blue could get the B-45 Tornado (maybe with Recon variant?)
 

[Carlos_Cota_517]

On 8/26/2026 at 9:05 PM, Carlos_Cota_517 said:

North Korea did use older Yak-9 types, it's just that the Yak-9P became their main fighter during the early days of the war

According to Not A Pound For Air To Ground: In the original batch of military planes, from the Soviet Union to North Korea, there were 54 fighters; 42 modern Yak-9Ps and 12 original Yak-9Us, by 1949. By the start of the war they had 79 Yak-9 fighters.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/dcNYXxLqNsQ?t=874
https://youtu.be/yJ-pIhd39vk

KPAF Yak-9Us

[PaperPilot]

Do you think we will see another volume or plane pack for Korea? I think it would make a lot of commercial sense - another source of income to support the development of future projects - and gameplay sense - giving us even more of a variety of aircraft. Here's what I think they should make in this hypothetical pack:

Red

• IL-28
• La-9
• MiG-15 - first major production variant
• Tu-2

Blue

• F3D-2 Skynight 
• F4U-5N Corsair 
• F7F-3N Tigercat
• F-86E Sabre

Just an idea. 

 

Edited September 23 by PaperPilot

[Vulture]

O-1 Birddog and T-6G Texan "Mosquito - both were used as FACs.

C-46, C-54, C-119 transports - with airdrops of cargo from the C-119s.

P-63s on the Red side - there were some that were supposedly strafed by F-80s early in the war.

And of course, the F-82!

[PaperPilot]

3 hours ago, Vulture said:

P-63s on the Red side - there were some that were supposedly strafed by F-80s early in the war.

Really? That's a pretty cool piece of information. Thanks

[Valis]

On 9/22/2026 at 9:42 PM, PaperPilot said:

• F-86E Sabre

If we only ever got one more Sabre i'd prefer the F.

For 95% of the time, the E would be practically indistinguishable from an A. On the other hand the F has markedly different flight characteristics & performance compared with an A or E.

Ideally we'll see both in a future DLC.

[Dash,Polder]

P-63's would never engage or enter the fight, there were solid agreements signed on their lend lease usage, and no evidence Russia ever broke any of those terms for any of the equipment given.  Much of it was destroyed under supervision, some was allowed to be converted into civil use, what remained in service had restricted terms of usage.  They wouldn't have risked open war by using them in combat, at the time they had an internally acknowledged severe population crisis from years of conflict and turmoil and couldn't risk another all out war.

[PaperPilot]

16 hours ago, Valis said:

If we only ever got one more Sabre i'd prefer the F.

For 95% of the time, the E would be practically indistinguishable from an A. On the other hand the F has markedly different flight characteristics & performance compared with an A or E.

Ideally we'll see both in a future DLC.

Both the E and the F had all-movable tailplanes. The more you know!

[YoYo]

North American LT-6 G Texan.

plus an appropriate career adjustment.

[kev2go]

On 9/28/2026 at 5:39 AM, Valis said:

If we only ever got one more Sabre i'd prefer the F.

For 95% of the time, the E would be practically indistinguishable from an A. On the other hand the F has markedly different flight characteristics & performance compared with an A or E.

Ideally we'll see both in a future DLC.

Obviously the difference of the jumping from F86A5 to F-86F would be more felt since besides the all flying tail of the E the F also had a more powerful engine , and further aerodynamic refinements via 6-3 wing modifcation that came later. 

Late blocks of the F86F ( 25 through 30) were marketed as fighter bombers due to additional pair of hardpoints. That earlier F blocks lacked. As someone who likes flying fighter bombers its these aforementioned blocks of the F86F that would interest me the most.

SO as much as I would like to see the F-86F ( block 25 or block 30 in particular) the story of mig alley is incomplete without going through the prior evolution that is the F86E. The 51st fighter interceptor wing was sent to korea and transitioned from F80C to F86E and was the first full F86E wing by 1952 as an additional 2nd sabre wing in theatre. Wheras 4th fighter interceptor wing  got F86E earlier within 1951 but went through a more gradual transition via batches and for a time had hybrid squadrons of F86A/E.

 

So whilst move from F86A to F86E is smaller then F86F, one has to appreciate that the all moving tail on the F86E would allow pilots to have full pitch authority in the speeds exceeding mach 0.86 which would mean the sabre pilots would finally be able to take full advantage of the aircrafts top speed potential.

 

 

 

Edited October 1 by kev2go

[PaperPilot]

On 9/29/2026 at 7:19 PM, YoYo said:

North American LT-6 G Texan.

plus an appropriate career adjustment.

I never considered the Texan. A good idea. 

Edited October 1 by PaperPilot